Love rematch

by Fox McCloude

Ash comes to pay a visit to the Cerulean Gym. He seeks to challenge Misty to a battle, but... what does he really want? PokéShipping oneshot

Love Rematch

By Fox McCloude

Disclaimer: Pokémon belongs to Satoshi Tajiri and Nintendo.

Cerulean City…

He was walking with a firm step towards the Cerulean Gym. His face was filled with determination, even though inside he was a bunch of nerves, so to speak. Part of him still couldn't believe what he was about to do. But he was there already, he couldn't turn back now. He was clear about what he had to do, and he was resolved to do it, no matter how.

- "Easy, Ash." – He said to himself mentally, trying to calm down. – "You've arrived; you just need to make one last effort." -

At his 19 years, Ash Ketchum had changed quite a bit since the time he had left his home in his first Pokémon journey. His jet-black hair was still as rebel as before, although a tad longer. His skin had become tanner due to his traveling, and even though when he was 10 years old he was quite short and skinny for his age, now he was much taller, and he boasted a lean, yet athletic, constitution. His blue sleeveless vest left his well-built arms exposed. He also wore black pants and red running shoes, and matching fingerless gloves in his hands. He was no longer a kid, now he was a full-fledged young man.

Six months before, he had won the regional championship of Kanto, and in doing so, he earned the right to challenge the Elite 4, in order to obtain the so-dreamed title of Pokémon Master. It wouldn't be easy, but Ash was well-known because he loved challenges; the harder they were, the better. He was always ready to take on anything or anyone; he had no fear. Or so it seemed, in the outside. What he was about to do, would require an amount of courage much greater than anything else he had faced before in his life. Challenging the Elite 4 didn't sound harder than what he intended to do now.

Ash, who over the years had begun to gain the admiration of many females due to his good looks and his superb skills as a trainer, didn't seem to be proud nor flattered for it; his heart belonged to somebody already: a red-haired girl who had stolen it. He didn't know how, nor when, maybe it was due to the good moments he spent with her, so slowly he never realized, or maybe their long separation made him understand how much he missed her. When did he started having feelings so strong towards that girl, whom he only considered his "best friend" at first? Well, that wasn't important anymore. The feelings were there, and he couldn't hold them back anymore. But it wasn't gonna be easy. He had a plan, and he hoped it would work. He always liked doing things his own way, and it always worked, one way or another.

- Alright, Pikachu, here we are. -

- Pikachu. -

The electric yellow mouse, his best friend and inseparable companion, Pikachu, glanced from Ash's shoulder at the building before them. It was the Cerulean Gym. The large poster with the Dewgong above the entrance was still there, just as he remembered. The place was almost exactly the same as the first time he had seen it, so many years before.

- It's time. – Ash said, walking towards the entrance. With a shaking finger, he pushed the button of the communicator next to the door.

BEEEEEEEEEEEEP!

After pushing the button, he had to hold back a momentary impulse of running away; he took a deep breath to calm himself down, and awaited the response.

- Who is it? – A female voice answered. A girl with long, flowing blue hair appeared on the small screen: it was Violet, the second of the Sensational Sisters.

- Hey, Violet. – The trainer greeted.

- Ash? Hey, it's been a while. – The blue-haired girl said. – What are you doing here? -

- Nothing special, just… well, actually, I came to settle a certain unfinished business with Misty. – The trainer scratched the back of his head.

- And what kind of "business" is that, if I may ask? – Violet crossed her arms, staring at the trainer suspiciously.

- That's none of your business. – Ash said, firmly. – Well, I don't mean to be rude, but, may I go in already? It's been a long journey, and I'm kinda tired, you see. -

- Fine, as you wish, I'll go open the door for you. – Violet replied before disappearing from the screen, however, Ash managed to catch a glimpse of a mischievous smile before it turned off.

A minute or so later, the door opened and out came Violet, followed by another girl who had dark pink hair; she was Lily, the third of the sisters. Just as she stepped outside, Violet gave Ash a big hug and a kiss on the cheek.

- Wow, wow, get a hold of yourself, Vio. - Lily said. – We don't want our little sister to get jealous, don't we? -

- Aw, come on, Lily. – Violet said. – I'm just glad to see him, is there anything wrong with that? -

- Hehe, well, I'm glad to see you girls too. – Ash, trying to get Violet off of him gently. – In any case, where's Misty? -

- At the pool, doing her daily routine, where else could she be? – Lily said. – She does more than the three of us together, I must say. Come in, we'll take you to her. -

Ash entered behind the sisters, and the three of them walked towards the huge pool in the very center of the gym. They used it for two main purposes, first, for the battles against the challengers, and second, for their underwater shows. Shows that Ash hadn't had the chance to see in a long time, and that maybe he would like to see in a near future, when he had free time.

- By the way, where's Daisy? – Ash asked along the way, when he noticed that the older of the sisters was nowhere to be seen.

- On vacations. – Lily replied. – She and Tracey left on a cruise for the Orange Islands, and they won't come back for quite a while. –

- I see. – Ash said. He had been told already that the Pokémon watcher had a thing for the oldest of Misty's sisters.

- *Sigh*, that's so depressing. – Violet said suddenly.

- What? -

- I'm the only one who… no, pay no mind to me. -

Next to the border of the pool, he saw a pair of sandals and a towel. He walked towards the border and looked into the inside of the pool. Down below, through the water, he got to see the artificial coral reefs Misty and her sisters had placed, so their Pokémon would feel it more "like home", and after looking around for a bit, he saw Misty swimming around happily, accompanied by her Azumarrill and Caserin. He knew it has her immediately, even though she was deep down, those movements full of grace and elegance, like those of a mermaid, were unmistakable. Ash smiled upon seeing here.

- Hey, Misty! – Violet yelled into the water so she could hear her. – Look who's come to visit you! -

Misty took a bit to respond, but as soon as she saw Ash was there with her sisters, staring at her, she immediately swam towards the surface to greet him. Just as she came out of the water, Ash was almost unable to contain a gasp: Misty looked as a water nymph emerging from the depths.

- Ash? Hey, what a nice surprise. – The redhead smiled. – What are you doing here? -

- Well… I was passing around here, and I thought… I should stop by to say hi. – He replied, giving her a hand to help her out of the water. And then he could take a good look to her.

Her reddish hair was longer than before, but it was still tied in her trademark side pigtail, now falling down upon her left shoulder. Misty had fair skin, and beautiful aqua green eyes. She was tall for her age, although now Ash was about 3 inches taller than her. The white swimsuit she was wearing allowed him to admire her slender figure: Misty had always been a slim girl, but the years had not gone by in vain, her chest had grown notably, and alongside her wide and well-formed hips and her narrow waist formed a perfect silhouette. And the fact of being wet at that moment made her look, if that was possible, even sexier.

- To say hi? – She said, taking the towel to dry herself. – I know you well, I doubt you'd come here without a reason. –

- Come on, can't I come to say hi to my best friend? – He said, trying to play dumb. – Especially now that… -

- I know, I saw you on TV. – She interrupted. – Congratulations on winning the tournament, by the way. -

- Thanks. – He said. – In a couple of weeks I'll have to stop by at the Indigo Plateau again, you know, to face the Elite. -

- That's gonna be tough. – Misty said. – But… you have improved. Perhaps, with a bit of luck… -

- Luck? – Ash said. – No way, I've been training really hard. I'm not leaving anything to chances. -

- Now that sounds like the Ash I know. – She giggled.

- Fine, I think we should be going. – Violet said, stepping back. – Ash, we'll leave so you can settle your "business" with Misty, I'm sure you two must have a lot to talk about. -

- No need to worry, this won't take too long. – The trainer said, so the sisters didn't leave. He then turned towards Misty, although he had to make an effort for not to stare at her more than necessary. – Misty… would you have a battle with me? -

- I beg your pardon? – Misty asked.

- Wait a second. – Violet said. – I think I didn't get the last part either. -

- I said, would have a gym battle with me? – Ash said.

- A gym battle? You just came to challenge me? – Misty replied.

- Ah, sheesh, it was just that? – Violet said, evidently disappointed that it wasn't what she thought. – And here I thought that at last… -

- Shh, not in front of Misty. – Lily said, giving her a nudge so she wouldn't speak more than necessary.

- Somebody told me that, recently, the challengers tend to come out of this gym with the tail between their legs. – He tried to make an excuse, and ignored the comments of the other two sisters. – Let's just say that… I wanted to find it out myself. -

- Tsk, please, they're just exaggerating. – She said. – Besides, why do you want to fight me if you already have the Cascade Badge? -

- If memory serves, Misty, that time you complained that I didn't beat you and I still got the badge. – Ash said. – I thought that, maybe, now's the time to fix that. Also, try and remember, from the times we've faced each other in battle. -

Misty started remembering. During their traveling together, she and Ash had battled each other quite a few times. The first time was their "official" gym battle; they technically tied, because Team Rocket had to break in at that very moment into the gym to cause a huge mess, leaving their battle unconcluded. The second time was in that small tournament they organized to decide who got to keep the newly hatched Togepi. Even though Ash beat Misty in battle (which was actually Psyduck's fault because he came out without being called), she ended up winning by default as Togepi didn't want to be with anyone else than her. The third, once again for the custody of a Pokémon, this time for Totodile, concluded with a victory for Ash. And the last one was their battle at the Whirl Cup, which Misty won.

- Among other things… that would make a good warm-up, before battling the Elite. – Ash commented as a suggestion, to try and lit up the competitive flame in Misty.

- Hmm… I guess… we can decide it now. – Misty said, resigned. – Which of us two is the strongest. -

- Does that mean that…? -

- Alright, I accept your challenge. – Misty said.

- "Great!" – Ash had to contain his excitement inside. He had already given the first step.

- Just let me go get my Pokéballs; wait for me at your position, OK? – Misty purposed.

- Of course. – He said, and then he spoke to Violet and Lily. – Hey girls, would you mind to be the referees in the battle? -

Violet and Lily stared at each other, and then they shrugged while making a gesture which seemed to say "if we must", and then they stood on the middle line of the pool. Ash went to take his position for the battle, while Misty walked towards the shelf where she stored her Pokéballs. After deliberating for a minute or so, she picked three of them, and placed them on a brown leather belt, which she then placed around her waist before walking towards her side of the pool, ready to start the battle.

Unbestknown to the other, both of them felt a small amount of nostalgia because of that. It seemed as if it had been yesterday when they first battled each other; this brought them many memories.

- This will be a battle between the Cerulean Gym Leader, Misty, and the challenger, Ash Ketchum. – Violet declared, she seemingly liked to get into her role. – Each one of you will use three Pokémon, and the battle will be over when all three Pokémon of one of you are unable to battle. –

- Only the challenger can make substitutions, yadda yadda yadda and all that stuff. – Lily added, lacking the same enthusiasm of her sister. – Is that OK for you two? -

- I'm used to it. – Misty said.

- Sure thing. – Ash said. – Hey, Misty… Wanna bet something on this battle? You know, to make it more… interesting. -

- Bet something? – Misty didn't get it. – Like what? -

- I got a… "little something" to ask of you. If I beat you… or rather, WHEN I beat you, you'll have to accept it. – Ash sounded quite confident. – What do you say? -

- Hmm… - Misty stared at him suspiciously, she wondered what he could be up to. – Depends on what it is. -

- Come on, are you gonna tell me you're afraid of losing to me? – He provoked her.

- Afraid, me? Ha, you wish. – She said, quite self-assured. – Whatever it is, you better forget about it, for I don't intend to lose. -

Ash smiled in satisfaction. Indirectly, that had been a "yes". Now, all that was left was winning the battle. Violet, on her side, smiled to herself. It seemed that this battle was going to be far more interesting than she initially had thought.

- Hey, Misty. How about if we make it on equal conditions, and I only use water-type Pokémon as well? -

- Are you serious? – The redhead asked.

- Actually, I came prepared specifically for that. -

- Well, well, Ash, you seem to be very full of yourself today. – Misty replied. – Fine, if that's how you want it, be my guest. -

- Alright. Then I'll go first. – Ash said as he took his first Pokéball and threw it. – Go, Crawdaunt! -

- Crawdaunt! – The evolved form of Ash's Corphish appeared, and placed himself on one of the platforms over the pool, clenching his large claws.

- Here goes. – Misty said, taking her first Pokéball as well. - Go, Corsola! -

- Corsola! – The coral Pokémon stood on another platform, ready to battle.

- Ready, start! – Violet and Lily cried out at the same time.

- Crawdaunt, use Bubblebeam! -

- Craw, daunt, daunt, daunt, daunt! – The crustacean Pokémon opened one of his claws and fired out a barrage of bubbles against its opponent.

- Corsola, defend yourself with Mirror Coat! – Misty ordered.

- Corsola! – Misty's Corsola covered herself on a luminous coat, which repelled the bubbles sending them back to where they came from.

- Jump and evade them, Crawdaunt! – Ash yelled, Crawdaunt didn't wait any longer and jumped up to evade his own attack.

- Now Corsola, use Spike Cannon! -

Not wasting any second, the coral Pokémon fired out a barrage of spikes against the crustacean, taking advantage as he was in the air fully exposed. Ash barely was able to yell at him to use bubble beam once again to defend himself, and then, spikes and bubbles impacted against each other, cancelling both attacks.

- Corsola, use Water Pulse! -

- Corsola! – Corsola shot out a large water sphere directly towards Crawdaunt.

- Crawdaunt, evade and use Vicegrip! -

- CRAW! – The crustacean evaded the sphere, and rising up his large claw, opened it up as it began to flash.

CLANK! Crawdaunt's claw caught Corsola by one of her horns, disabling her from escaping.

- NO! – Misty cried out.

- Alright, Crawdaunt, smash Corsola as only you can do! – Ash ordered.

- Crawdaunt! -

WHAM! WHAM! WHAM! WHAM! Crawdaunt mercilessly slammed around Corsola against the floor. After a while of battering her quite a bit, Crawdaunt began spinning Corsola around like a lasso over his head, round and round, and then threw her into the water.

- Way to go! – Ash said.

- Don't party just yet. – Misty warned him. - Corsola, Recover! -

Even inside the water, Ash could see Corsola shinning while using Recover. Seconds later, she jumped out of the water, as if nothing had happened, ready to continue.

- Use Water Pulse again! – Misty yelled just as Corsola got out of the water.

- Dodge it, Crawdaunt! – Ash cried out.

- Craw! -

- I don't think so! – Misty exclaimed. – Aim higher! -

- Corsola! -

SPLOOOOOSH! Anticipating Ash's actions, Misty made Corsola aim higher, so the water sphere hit and impacted right on Crawdaunt's face when he tried to evade by jumping. Immediately, Misty commanded Corsola to attack with Spike Cannon before he could recover, and Crawdaunt fell onto one of the platforms.

- Crawdaunt, you OK? – Ash asked.

- Craw… daunt… - The crustacean Pokémon managed to get back on his feet, but he was tangling around, the impact of the water pulse had left him dizzy, apparently.

- Geez, that doesn't look good. – Misty commented, in a manner of taunting. - Corsola, use Tackle and finish him! -

- Corsola! – Corsola then charged against Crawdaunt to deliver the final blow.

- Crawdaunt, Harden now! – Ash yelled.

- Craw? – Still tangling around, the crustacean Pokémon managed to raise his defense, so he was barely knocked back when hit by Corsola, but he was still dizzy.

- Corsola, don't stop just yet, use Spike Cannon, no mercy! -

- Corsola! –

RATATATATATATATAT! And so it was, the next second Crawdaunt was bombarded by a barrage of spikes, unable to defend himself, as he couldn't see where they came from, and the fact of Corsola jumping around from side to side, never stopping her fire so as to hit any open angle, was not of any help either. Ash cracked his knuckles; he couldn't let himself lose like that.

- One more time, Water Pulse, Corsola! -

- Corsola! -

- Crawdaunt, move to your right! – Ash yelled.

- Craw? – Crawdaunt, despite still being confused, managed to move enough so as to evade the Water Pulse sphere.

- Tackle, Corsola, let's end this! -

- Corsola! – The coral Pokémon jumped towards the left side, and then charged against Crawdaunt, ready to go for the final strike.

- Crawdaunt, use Vicegrip to the left side! – Ash yelled, praying in the inside for a miracle.

- Craw…? – The crustacean Pokémon seemed to hear Ash's order, as he opened his claw and then…

CLANK! It worked! A miracle! The Vicegrip caught one of Corsola's horns, once again leaving her to Crawdaunt's mercy, and to make things worse, in that very moment Crawdaunt snapped out of the confusion.

- Corsola! – Misty gasped.

- OK! Crawdaunt, time for a good dose of Crabhammer! -

- Crawdaunt! -

The crustacean didn't even wait to receive the order and he started punching Corsola without any mercy; apparently as if she was his personal punching bag. After cruelly punching Corsola for a good while and leaving her worse than the previous time with the slams, Crawdaunt connected an uppercut strong enough send Corsola flying towards one of the nearby platforms. Corsola barely managed to get back on her feet, still combative, but that last beating had been devastating.

- Corsola, Recover! – Misty yelled.

- Ah no, you're not doing it again. – Ash said. - Bubblebeam! -

This time not taking any chances, Crawdaunt jumped over Corsola while she was executing the Recover, taking advantage as she was totally defenseless, and just as she had finished recovering, the crustacean let out a rain of bubbles straight on her face, causing all energy inverted in healing the wounds to go down the drain almost immediately. Tired by the effort, she couldn't make any move when Crawdaunt stood right in front, raising his left claw.

- CRABHAMMER! – Ash yelled.

- CRAW! -

POW! The blunt strike was all that could be heard for a split second, Crawdaunt delivered a straight right punch Corsola directly on her face and her eyes became blank. The coral Pokémon fell backwards from the platform into the water, and sank into the water.

- Corsola, no! – Misty cried out.

A few seconds later, Corsola returned to the surface, but she was floating "belly up", totally immobile, with the eyes in spirals. She was KO'ed.

- Corsola is unable to battle! – Lily said, raising her hand in Misty's direction.

- Wow, I think you went a bit overboard, Crawdaunt. – Ash commented.

- Come back, Corsola. – Misty said, raising her Pokéball, a red beam went towards the inert Corsola and brought her back into the ball. – Well done, Corsola, you've earned a good rest. -

- Not bad for the first round, huh? – Ash smiled.

- Bah, lucky strike. – Misty said, taking her second Pokéball. – You're not gonna escape from this. Gyarados, go! -

- ROAAAAAAAARR! – The marine serpent Pokémon roared in fury, however, Ash didn't budge at all. He expected it, after all.

- Going for the big one now, huh? Crawdaunt, come back! – Ash said, raising Crawdaunt's Pokéball Crawdaunt, a red beam called Crawdaunt back into it. – I have the perfect opponent for him. -

- That's… - Misty recognized the Pokéball Ash had just pulled out. It was a Lure Ball, which meant…

- Go, Feraligatr! –Ash said as he threw it. The ball opened up, revealing the final evolution of Ash's Totodile, the same one they had battled over so many years ago.

- Gator, gator! – The alligator-shaped Pokémon was still making his trademark dancing, even though now he was much larger (and heavier) and shook the ground with his stomping.

- He must be larger, but he hasn't changed a bit. – Misty said, smiling. – Well, let's see what he can do. Gyarados, Hydro Pump! -

- ROAAAR! – Gyarados roared and shot out a high-pressure water stream towards Feraligatr.

- Step aside to dodge! – Ash yelled, and his Pokémon immediately jumped to a nearby platform, evading the stream.

- Crush him, Gyarados! – Misty ordered, and immediately her marine serpent went towards the platform with the intention of dropping himself heavily upon Feraligatr.

- Jump over Gyarados, Feraligatr! – Ash cried out.

- Gator! – Just as Gyarados slammed on the platform, Feraligatr used his heavy tail to hit the ground and help himself jump up, not just avoiding the attack, but also landing on top of Gyarados' head, where he began "tap dancing" giving Gyarados more than a small headache.

- Gyarados, shake him off! – Misty yelled.

- ROOOOOARRR! – Gyarados began shaking furiously in an attempt of getting Feraligatr off, but his sense of equilibrium enabled him to remain on the serpent's head for a while until he finally fell off.

- Hydro Pump! – Misty ordered again.

- You too, Feraligatr! – Ash voiced at the same time.

Both Pokémon fired out their attacks simultaneously, clashing right in the middle. They were perfectly even, so it became a battle where the one who faltered first would lose. Ash seemed to notice that, and he got an idea. He made Feraligatr a silent sign telling him to lower the power of his attack, knowing well that Misty would take the chances if she thought she had the advantage. Feraligatr saw Ash through the corner of his eye, and obliged. Just as Misty saw that Feraligatr's Hydro Pump was faltering, she ordered Gyarados to increase the pressure.

- "She got the lure." – Ash smiled inside. – Swim up through the Hydro Pump and use Dragon Claw, Feraligatr! -

- GATOR! -

Instead of taking damage for the attack, Feraligatr knew how to use to his advantage, and as incredible as it seemed, he was able to swim up against the current of the Hydro Pump, once again directly to Gyarados' face, who obviously didn't expect that, and all what he could see, was Feraligatr raising up both claws as they became engulfed in purple flames.

SLASH! SLASH!

- Gyarados! – Misty gasped.

Two direct cuts, right in the middle of the eyes, but Gyarados, far from letting himself get intimidated for that, only seemed to get even more furious. Misty, however, was quite impressed with the fact that Ash had been able to elaborate such a smart strategy, and lead her directly to a trap.

- Where did you learn that? – She asked.

- We trained swimming up the Tohjo Falls. – Ash replied. – Nobody matches Feraligatr when it comes to swim against the current. -

- I can see that. – Misty said. – But I still have an ace or two up my sleeve. Gyarados, bite him! -

- Dodge, Feraligatr! -

Gyarados charged with the jaws wide opened, more than biting Feraligatr, it seemed as though he wanted to devour him completely, while Feraligatr tried to evade jumping from one platform to another, despite his size he was quite quick on his feet. Misty, tired of this dodging game, finally ordered Gyarados to crush him with his full body to cover up all nearby platforms.

- Get into the water, Feraligatr! – Ash yelled.

- Gator! -

- "Just what I wanted." – Misty thought. - Flamethrower! -

- ROOAAAARR! -

Feraligatr dove into the water. Ash wondered what Misty was up to by using a fire attack, but he soon found out, the hard way. Just as he straightened himself up, Gyarados directed the Flamethrower straight towards the shadow of Feraligatr under the water. Ash thought that didn't make any sense, until he realized the water was starting to heat up and as a result of that...

- GATOOOOOOOOOOOORRR! -

The alligator Pokémon popped out of the hot water, and began shaking around on one of the platforms, trying to normalize his own temperature. The red-hot water was even worse for him considering that he was a cold-blooded Pokémon (he was a reptile). After gasping and shaking around for a bit, he dropped himself on his butt.

- Feraligatr, you OK? – Ash asked.

- Ga... tor... – Feraligatr was still gasping.

- Too hot for you, eh? – Misty said, playing with a bang of her hair using her finger.

- Are you kidding? – Ash said. – We've endured worse things. -

Even after the smooth talk of Ash, the truth was that Feraligatr was not exactly very fond of red-hot water. That last maneuver could turn the tables of the battle if Gyarados used again the Flamethrower in case Feraligatr decided to make an escape the same way. Ash tried not to lose control; he knew than in a battle like that, the most important thing was to keep your head cool.

- "Keep your head cool?" – He suddenly thought, and then he smirked. – "Hmm… that gives me an idea." -

- Gyarados, use Flamethrower again, at full power! – Misty yelled.

- ROAAAAAAAAAAR! -

The marine serpent continued launching ferocious Flamethrower attacks against Feraligatr; they seemed to be growing stronger and stronger by the minute. The worst part, Feraligatr was having more difficulties to evade every time, until at last, one of his arms got caught by one of them, and just as soon he placed it into the water to try and alleviate the burn, Gyarados took his chance to smack him with his tail.

- Way to go, Gyarados! -

- Not yet! – Ash screamed. - Feraligatr, use Ice Fang! -

- GATOR! – Ignoring the pain for the last strike, Feraligatr got a hold of Gyarados' tail using the claws of his good arm, and opened his large jaws as much as he could. His teeth began glaring in a sky-blue light, while small ice crystals formed around them and a second later…

CRUNCH! Feraligatr buried his teeth in Gyarados' tail, freezing the nearby area. Gyarados roared in pain, and started waving his tail furiously trying to shake him off, but the jaws of the alligator Pokémon didn't falter at all. In fact, he didn't let go until Gyarados shook his tail upwards, moment in which Ash ordered him to let go, the Pokémon obliged, and was sent flying upwards, but he controlled his fall, landing on top of Gyarados' head.

- Another Ice Fang! – Ash commanded.

- GA-TOR! -

CRUNCH! This time, he buried his cold teeth on the head of his opponent. Gyarados once again roared in pain, and began shaking even more viciously, if that was possible, slamming himself against the borders, in a desperate attempt of shaking Feraligatr off him.

- Geez, seems he doesn't know what means to keep your head cool. – Ash commented as sarcasm.

Misty said nothing, but indeed, Gyarados was fuming in rage, there was no way to calm him down if he just wanted to shake off his opponent, at any cost. At one time, Lily and Violet had to step aside to avoid getting hit by the two Pokémon. One couldn't tell if Feraligatr was holding with, either the power of his jaws, or his willpower, or maybe both of them combined, but by the time he finally let go, both of them were extremely battered with all the slamming, and had ran out of energy, Feraligatr in holding himself in place, and Gyarados in shaking him off. One last move, that was all they had now, and both Ash and Misty knew it.

- Gyarados, use Hyper Beam! – Misty exclaimed.

- Feraligatr, jump towards him and use Hydro Cannon! – Ash yelled at the same time.

A yellow energy began forming in Gyarados' mouth, while Feraligatr's was generating a large water ball emitting light-blue energy sparks. The blue alligator struck the floor with his heavy tail to jump up one last time, directly to Gyarados' face, who roared when he released his attack, at the same Feraligatr unleashed his own.

BOOOOM! Both attacks collided at a very short range. Ash and Misty, as well as Violet and Lily, had to take cover after the explosion caused by the clash of the hyper beam with the hydro cannon. Once the smoke had cleared, they saw the results: Gyarados had fallen on the border of the pool, his tail still inside the water, while Feraligatr floated face-up, unconscious on the surface. The clash at point-blank was so devastating it knocked out both of them.

- Double KO! – Violet declared.

- Feraligatr and Gyarados, both of them are unable to battle! – Lily added.

- Come back here. – Ash and Misty said simultaneously, recalling their Pokémon back.

- Well, not bad for you, Ash. – Misty said.

- I think this puts us 2-1 on my favor. – Ash said.

- Heh, but you'll soon see that this last one is all I need. – Misty said, taking her third and last Pokéball, and giving it a small kiss, she then threw it. – Now's your turn, come out now! -

- Golduck! -

- Eh? -

Ash's jaw fell down when he saw Misty's last Pokémon. A Golduck. Did that mean she had been able to make the impossible? Her Psyduck had finally evolved? It was no longer that little yellow chubby duck with an idiot face. Now he seemed focused, imposing and ready to battle, like never before.

- Surprised? – Misty asked when she saw Ash's shocked expression.

- I've got to admit I am. – Ash said, taking once again his first Pokéball. – But that doesn't mean anything. I'm still planning on beating you. Back to action, Crawdaunt! -

- Crawdaunt! -

Misty saw with attention as Ash sent his Crawdaunt back to the battlefield. She assumed that he would try to use his immunity to psychic attacks as a tactical advantage. But she still had some tricks in store. And she was ready to show them Ash now.

- Golduck, use Psychic! -

- Golduck! – The duck Pokémon began emitting a blue aura, while his eyes and the red gem on his forehead were glowing.

- But what does she think she's doing? – Ash asked, he didn't understand.

Ash knew very well that dark-type Pokémon were immune to psychic attacks, so he didn't get why Misty commanded her Golduck to do that. But he then realized that he wasn't trying to use his powers on Crawdaunt, but in himself, when he noticed he was levitating.

- Charge! – Misty yelled.

- Duck! -

FWEEEEEEEW! WHAMP! The next thing Crawdaunt knew was that a large blue thing rammed against him as soon as he blinked. It was only after it had happened that Ash knew what it was. Golduck had used his psychic powers to levitate, and then charge himself against Crawdaunt, literally at the speed of thought, so, effectively, they didn't even saw it coming.

- Pretty smart. – Ash admitted. – Crawdaunt, get him with your Vicegrip! -

- CRAW! -

- Step back, Golduck! -

- Duck! -

This time, Crawdaunt charged extending both claws forward, ready to get a hold of Golduck, who just jumped backwards to avoid the ferocious charge, but Crawdaunt was not willing to let him escape, so he still kept on attacking; nevertheless, Golduck's superior agility and flexibility prevented him from even getting touched. Misty's strategy was, knowing that Crawdaunt was a rude and aggressive Pokémon by nature, taking advantage of that to make him go attacking and wear out, and of course making a counterattack whenever he made a mistake. Said chance came when Crawdaunt recklessly charged to try and grab Golduck with his claws, but when he jumped out of the way he didn't just avoid the attack, but he also caused him to get trip over his own feet and fall off, leaving him wide open for a counterattack.

- Focus Punch! -

- Gol… DUCK! -

POW! A direct punch, the two seconds Crawdaunt took to turn around to see Golduck made the difference, and the crustacean could only see as his opponent's palm became imbued in a white light, and then struck hard straight on his belly, sending him flying. He managed to get back on his feet, but that last blow had been really painful.

- Better not to get any close. – Ash said. – Crawdaunt, attack with Bubblebeam! –

- Crawdaunt, daunt, daunt, daunt, daunt, daunt! -

Crawdaunt discharged a rain of bubbles against Golduck, but he just raised both palms, and using his psychic powers stopped them in mid-air and sent them back where they came from. Crawdaunt had not time to avoid them, they just came too fast, and the rain was not still over when Misty commanded Golduck to charge against him as he had done at the beginning, with his psychic power.

- One more time, Focus Punch! – Misty yelled.

- Gol… DUCK! -

POW! If it wasn't enough as Golduck's Focus Punch attacks were quite strong as is, this second punch hit directly on the same place the previous one had hit, making it twice as painful. Despite Crawdaunt's hard shell, Ash could swear that punch would leave a deep mark on his Pokémon which would last for a long time. A bit more of power and it would certainly having left him without something else than his breath. Misty saw it was time to finish the assault.

- Golduck, use Hyper Beam and finish him off. – Misty said.

- Gol... – The red gem on Golduck's forehead began glowing, while a yellow energy sphere formed on his beak. Crawdaunt and Ash could only watch as Golduck fired out his powerful hyper beam, with no defense left.

BROOM! The impact was devastating, Crawdaunt fell on top of one of the platforms; the Hyper Beam had left him like a fried lobster (literally). He was no longer in condition to fight. Golduck, on the other hand, was still with so much as even a scratch, or a sweat drop, as though he hadn't battled at all.

- Crawdaunt is unable to battle! – Lily announced.

- Crawdaunt, come back here. – Ash said. – Who would have guessed? Is really that your old Psyduck? -

- Believe it or not, Mr. Ash Ketchum. – Misty said, with a semi-feigned respect. – I think this puts us both even, now it's all or nothing. -

- You got that right. – Ash said as he took his last Pokéball. – OK, the rest is up to us now. Go, Floatzel! -

Ash's third Pokéball opened up, revealing the evolved form of his Buizel. The aquatic weasel looked much tougher and competitive than ever before. When he saw Golduck, in a sign of challenge, he hit his paw.

- Not bad. – Misty said. – But let's see if it's good enough. Golduck, use Psychic! -

- Golduck! – He immediately began to focus, and raised his palms to push Floatzel against the wall before he could even make a move.

- Floatzel, you know what to do! – Ash cried out.

Upon hearing this, Floatzel took a deep breath and inflated his flotation sack, right before he smashed against the wall, which cushioned the impact. A tactic he had learned back when he battled Crasher Wake's Floatzel, Ash adapted it to his own Buizel when he evolved as a way to endure some attacks. Simple, yet effective.

- Finished yet? Now it's my turn. Floatzel, Ice Punch! -

- Float! - Floatzel's forepaw covered up in a freezing energy.

- Golduck, use Focus Punch! -

- Gold…DUCK! -

Both Pokémon's punches clashed, nullifying each other, the power of the clash sent them both flying backwards, but Ash took advantage as Floatzel was still in the air.

- Sonicboom! -

- Floatzel! – The weasel spun in the air, and shook his tail firing out a sonic wave against Golduck's face, who was unable to evade. The impact, despite not being too hard, served to stun him for a bit.

- Now, Aqua Jet! – Ash yelled.

- Float! – Not wasting any time, as soon as he stepped on the ground, Floatzel became engulfed in a water layer and charged against Golduck at full speed.

- Golduck, move aside! -

- Duck? Golduck! –

Golduck managed to evade the aqua jet by jumping, but Floatzel was not happy with it, and turning around he charged again with another Aqua Jet, which Golduck barely avoided turning towards his side. He was really fast when moving. Misty commanded Golduck to use his psychic power to repel him when he charged the third time. He stopped him in mid air, causing him to plummet onto one of the platforms, but he immediately got up.

- Use Water Pulse! – Ash yelled. At this voice, Floatzel created a water sphere in his paws, and prepared to throw it.

- So you can use that too? – Misty said. - Golduck, prepare yourself to repel it! -

- Gol! –

Golduck once again prepared to use his psychic powers and repel the incoming attack. Floatzel hurled the water sphere, and as it was expected, Golduck used his psychic powers to stop it in mid-air, and send it back, as he had done with Crawdaunt's bubble beam attack previously. Nevertheless, Ash had learned from his previous error, and now he was ready for it.

- Use Sonicboom on the Water Pulse, Floatzel! – Ash yelled when it came closer.

Floatzel jumped up, and spinning in the air, he "batted" the water ball with his tail, sending it back towards Golduck yet again. Misty, who obviously didn't expect that, barely got to shout at Golduck to crouch down; the sphere passed rubbing his back, impacted on the other side of the pool, and exploded raising up a large wave which splashed Misty.

- Ash! – Misty yelled, a bit mad that he had done that.

- Sorry about that. – Ash replied, scratching the back of his head.

Even so, Misty admitted to herself that she was quite impressed. Ash had managed to hold his own against her quite nicely, and as it was his style, retorting to fairly unorthodox yet effective tactics. Then again, she herself followed that same philosophy, Ash had influenced her battle style much more than she was willing to admit. At the beginning she was quite confident in her abilities to win, but now she was not so sure. Victory could go to either of them. For a moment, she forgot they had made a bet at the beginning of the combat; she was way too excited with the battle to think about that. And being sincere, maybe that wasn't really that important to her now.

- Floatzel, Ice Punch! – Ash yelled.

- Float! -

- Dodge and use Ice Beam! – Misty exclaimed.

Golduck jumped to evade Floatzel's punch, and shot out a white beam from his beak. Floatzel couldn't move fast enough to fully evade it, and it got his legs when he was about to jump, leaving him stuck in the platform.

- Hydro Pump! – Misty yelled.

- Duck! -

SPLASH! Immobilized by the ice in his legs, Floatzel couldn't evade the high-pressure water stream Golduck sent him, and he fell into the pool. When he had recovered, Ash ordered to stay down there while he thought about something.

- Golduck, use Ice Beam and freeze him now! – Misty yelled.

- Golduck! -

- Oh, no, don't even dream about it! – Ash said. - Floatzel, use Aqua Jet, now! -

- Float! -

Just as the white beam came out from Golduck's beak, Floatzel charged out of the water like a torpedo. Misty didn't understand what he was up to, she initially thought he intended to use the Aqua Jet to try and evade the Ice Beam, but she soon realized he wasn't trying to evade, but was going directly towards it!

- What the…? -

- Way to go! – Ash cried out, triumphant.

The water layer around Floatzel became frozen, turning itself into a solid ice layer. Only after he had done the deed, Misty and Golduck understood what he intended: Floatzel let himself get hit by the Ice Beam on purpose, so the water of his Aqua Jet would get frozen. With nothing to stop him, Floatzel hit hard on Golduck's stomach, causing him to lose his air and something else. Golduck fell backwards on one of the platforms.

- Golduck, are you OK? – Misty cried out worried.

- Gold… duck… - The blue duck got back on his feed, rubbing his stomach. That last attack had hurt, and plenty.

- Fine, this is not over yet. – Misty said. That was a very ingenious way to use the enemy's attack to elaborate a devastating counterattack, she had to admit it.

It was time to leave aside the safety precautions, and risking out everything. It was time to go all-out, Misty thought. Using her full strength, not saving anything. That was what Ash wanted… no, what BOTH of them wanted.

- Let's end this here and now. – Misty said. - Golduck, use Hydro Pump! -

- DUCK! -

- Dodge and use Sonicboom at short range! – Ash yelled.

- Float! – The weasel evaded the attack, and charged against Golduck, with the intention of striking the Sonicboom directly on his face at point blank range.

- Use Psychic to stop it! – Misty shouted.

- Gol… DUCK! -

Barely at an inch, Golduck raised his palm and froze Floatzel in mid-air before he could launch his attack. While he was still immobilized, Misty commanded for a focus punch. To cushion his fall, Floatzel inflated his flotation sacks once again, without Ash ordering him. Misty noticed there were still some icy shards from Floatzel's Ice Aqua Jet floating on the surface, and she ordered Golduck to use his psychic powers on them. Golduck lifted them in the air, and at the moment's notice, Misty ordered him to fire them off, directly to Floatzel's face. Floatzel tried to get away, but when he evaded one, another one came up, and he had no other choice than shielding his face, also if the shards didn't come from the front, they came either from behind or from the sides. Finally, Misty had Golduck lift up a particularly big ice shard and commanded him to drop it directly above Floatzel's head.

- GET AWAY! – Ash yelled.

CRACK! Floatzel jumped towards one of the nearby platforms, and the ice fell off, breaking into many small bits. Thinking that both of them could play the same game, Ash ordered him to take the shards and bat them off using his tail. The move was a total backfire, as Floatzel used the Sonicboom with his tail, and in doing so he caused the shards to break into many smaller bits, which Golduck once again stopped in midair, and sent them back, this time much faster and in greater number, like a hail storm, which hit him like a round of fire of a machinegun.

- You dare using my own attacks against me, Misty? – Ash asked.

- Seeing how much I traveled with you, it's only natural that I had learned some of your tricks. – The redhead replied.

- They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Thanks a lot. -

- I don't know what you're talking about. – Misty said. – Let's stop the chit-chat and end this now, OK? -

Ash nodded, and so the battle resumed. Violet and Lily, despite their role of judges in the encounter, couldn't help but notice how excited seemed their little sister in the middle of that battle. But, since her opponent was Ash, it was fairly obvious she would give out her maximum, so as to not to disappoint him. Of course, the older sisters suspected (or maybe they knew) that Misty's excitement was not completely due to the battle by itself, but to her opponent, somebody who was very important to her, as a rival, as a friend … and maybe something else.

- Golduck, use Hydro Pump! – Misty yelled.

- Gol… DUCK! -

- Floatzel, Counter Shield! – Ash commanded.

- "Counter Shield? What is that?" – Misty thought.

Misty had her answer shortly. Just as soon as Golduck fired his Hydro Pump, Floatzel dropped himself on his back and began shooting out water streams while spinning out on the ground, which generated a water tornado, effectively repelling Golduck's Hydro Pump. Just as soon as Golduck stopped firing out water, Ash gave Floatzel the signal to attack. Misty commanded Golduck to stop him with his Psychic powers, but Floatzel was faster, and hit him hard, taking him down when he tried to focus, not to mention all the water he dragged along for additional damage.

- You might have learned some of my tricks… but you see, I've still got a few more in store. – Ash said.

Misty just exhaled a small "buff", as if she didn't care, but if Ash really had more tricks up his sleeves, it would be really, really harder than expected to win. She pondered on her options. She commanded Golduck to attack Floatzel again with Focus Punch, and it once again got nullified by the Ice Punch. If she tried using Ice Beam, Ash would use the Icy Aqua Jet to counterattack. If she attacked using the hydro pump, Ash would use his counter shield again. Seemingly, the only viable choice she had left was the Psychic attack, but she needed a couple of seconds to prepare them, and should Ash and Floatzel move fast enough, they could easily take that short span of time to attack.

She just had one hope of winning. Forcing Ash to move first, and take any distraction to prepare the Psychic attack. And with some luck, maybe try and get another hit in while doing so. She knew very well that if she kept evading and defending, Ash would take his chance to attack, and that could make the difference between victory and defeat. It was a high risk, but she had no other chance.

- Golduck, Ice Beam! – Misty commanded.

- Aqua Jet, Floatzel! – Ash yelled at the same time, just as Misty expected.

Just as before, the water layer surrounding Floatzel froze over. But this time, both Golduck and Misty, knowing it was coming, succeeded in stopping it. Floatzel stopped in midair, still frozen, and Golduck used his Psychic powers to slam him down against the platform, once, twice, three times until the ice broke apart, leaving him lying there. This time he couldn't react in time to inflate his flotation sacks and cushion the fall, but he was still not defeated.

- Now or never! – Misty cried out. - Golduck, another Psychic attack, now! -

Ash reacted on instinct; if she managed to complete another attack like that it could be fatal. He had to get away, and he knew exactly how to do it.

- Use Water Pulse against the pool! – Ash shouted.

- Floatzel! –

SPLASH! Making a huge effort to battle against Golduck's psychic force, Floatzel launched the sphere against the surface of the water. It exploded, rising up a huge wave which splashed Golduck and by closing his eyes for a split second, he lost the visual contact with Floatzel, as well as the focus. Once the wave went back down, Floatzel had vanished. Misty knew perfectly he had to have jumped into the water, but she couldn't see where he was. He had used the Water Pulse to cover up his retreat, and he was waiting for the perfect moment to make a surprise attack. Just for emergencies, and that had been a great emergency.

- Golduck, stay on alert; he'll try to attack at any moment. – Misty said, while Golduck looked around, trying to see where he would come from.

So that neither Golduck nor Misty would know where he was, Floatzel deliberately had hidden below the floating platform where Golduck was standing on, but he didn't move an inch. Before the battle, Ash had instructed Floatzel to use that maneuver, specifically under the order of "water pulse against the pool", and to stay there until he received the signal. After a few seconds of complete silence, during which Misty and her sisters were wondering what could happen, Ash aspired and yelled at full force:

- SONICBOOM! -

Floatzel popped out of the water, right behind Golduck. Misty shouted at him to step aside, but it was too late, Floatzel's tail hit him hard along with the Sonicboom at point-blank range. But he didn't stop there, Ash also ordered him, while Golduck was still dazzled, adding up an Ice Punch right on the liver. Golduck's feet trampled for a bit, but for some kind of miracle he was still standing.

The finale of the battle was approaching. While Misty knew that Golduck's psychic powers were his best weapon, both for offensive and defensive, she had forced him to abuse them quite a bit during the battle, using up a lot of energy in the process. On the other hand, while Floatzel was also very tired for the battle, he was certainly in a better condition than Golduck, and it couldn't be helped, he had managed to avoid. All that he had left would be enough for one last attack, all or nothing. If it was successful, there was no way Floatzel would be able to endure it.

- Golduck, let's go at full, Hyper Beam! – Misty shouted.

- Golduck! – The red gem on Golduck's forehead began glowing; he was starting to store up power for his final attack. It was now or never.

- Floatzel, prepare your Water Pulse! -

- Float! – The aquatic weasel generated a water sphere in his paws.

- Oh please, do you think you can stop it with that? – Misty said. - GOLDUCK, FIRE NOW! -

- DUCK! – The duck Pokémon unleashed his attack, concentrating all his remaining power in one last ditch effort.

- SPIN OUT AND USE AQUA JET! – Ash yelled at the same time.

Still having the sphere, Floatzel once again became engulfed in a water layer and charged against Golduck. At first, Misty thought Ash was attempting a suicide action, charging head-on against a Hyper Beam was not the same as doing it with an Ice Beam, but Floatzel put forward the Water Pulse sphere, and its energy effectively shielded him and served to pass through Golduck's Hyper Beam unharmed. Golduck, exhausted by the effort, was completely unable to do anything to defend himself against the combined impact of the Floatzel's Water Pulse and Aqua Jet.

- Golduck, no! – Misty cried out when her Pokémon was sent flying backwards, falling on top of one of the platforms.

- Gold… duck… -

The psychic duck struggled to try and get back on his feet, giving his opponent a challenging glare. But he was ultimately unable to do so, and after a few seconds of silence, he succumbed to the effects of the exhaustion of using up all his remaining power in that final attack, plus the damage for that last and devastating blow Floatzel gave him, and he collapsed, defeated. The battle was over.

- Golduck is unable to battle! – Violet declared. – Victory is for Ash! -

- YEAAAAAAHH! WE ROCK! – Ash screamed in triumph, jumping towards the platform to hug and congratulate his Floatzel.

- Pi-Pikachu! -

- Come back, Golduck. – Misty said, recalling her fallen Pokémon back into his Pokéball. – You put up a good fight, I'm really proud of you. And now, as for Ash… -

Misty stared at the trainer, he was so enthusiastic and lively, as every time he got a victory, although for some reason he seemed a bit more than usual, as she could remember. In any case, that had been the greatest battle she had had in a long time, she almost couldn't believe Ash had grown so strong in the time they were separated. Clearly he hadn't wasted his time. Also, now he had won, she would have to keep her end of the bet. Resigned, she jumped towards the platform where he was.

- OK, that's enough, you won already. – Misty said, stopping his celebration. – I have to admit… you've improved a lot since the last time we met. -

- So have you. – He said. – And that Golduck's proof of it. -

- You have no idea how many headaches he caused me. – She giggled. – Well… you beat me, so… fulfilling my part, I'll have to accept that "little something" you wanna ask of me, whatever it is. -

- Yeah, true. – Ash had become so excited with the battle, he had almost forgotten why he set it up in the first place. – About that… well, it's… a tad embarrassing, but… this is something I wouldn't ask anyone else. -

- OK, out with it. What do you want? – Misty asked.

- OK, I wanted… well, I wanted to ask you… if you would like to go out with me. – He said the last part in a low voice and so fast Misty didn't understand.

- I beg your pardon? I didn't hear you, what did you say?

- I said… - Ash was making a supreme effort, this time he said it a bit louder. –…if you'd like to go out with me. -

- Wait, wait. – Misty placed her hand on her ear, she thought she had heard it wrong. – Can you repeat that last part? -

- I-SAID-IF-YOU-WOULD-LIKE-TO-GO-OUT-WITH-ME! – This time Ash practically shouted it out, making a half-a-second pause between words, Misty stepped back a bit, she didn't see it coming.

- W-what? – Misty had an expression of disbelief in her face. Violet and Lily were surprised to. - Me, g-going out with you? You mean… on a date? -

- Yeah, that's the word I was looking for… a date. – Ash finally said, exhaling a sigh, trying to calm him down. – All done, I finally said it. -

Misty couldn't believe what she had just heard. Ash inviting her on a date? She took a few seconds to fully assimilate it. Ash had said it would be something he wouldn't ask anyone else. Was he really serious, did he actually mean that, to ask her to go out on a date with him? But the surprise soon faded, leaving room for an incredible emotion, Misty felt as if fireworks had suddenly been lit up and exploded inside her. Ash, however, seemed to take her silence as a negative, because he said:

- Well… you don't have to if you don't want. I guess I better go now. -

- Wait. – She stopped him by grabbing his arm. He turned around to look at her. – I… I'd love to. -

- Huh? -

- I… I'd love to go out on a date with you, Ash. – She said, Ash could notice she was a tad nervous, but she smiled at him.

- Really? -

- Of course. – She said.

- Well, what would you like to do? – He asked. – Shall we go see a movie, or eat something out there? Anything you want, I'll pay the bill. -

- I think I have some things in mind. – Misty said. – I just… need some minutes to get changed, OK? –

- OK. – Ash said.

Misty ran off towards her room, leaving Ash and Pikachu alone. The trainer just waited until she disappeared behind the door, and made a "YES!" gesture in triumph. He had made it. Pikachu could only smile.

Meanwhile, Misty opened the closet in her room, while she tried to decide what to put on. She changed the swimsuit she was wearing for a red bikini, and she then put on a pair of blue shorts similar to the ones she wore during her travels with Ash, a yellow, short-sleeved blouse and her running shoes. She was about to leave the room after taking her bag, but she stopped upon seeing herself in the mirror. She still had her hair tied in that side ponytail, which made her look so childish. After a few seconds of "internal deliberation", she took off the strap holding her hair, and using a nearby brush she combed it a bit. She looked at herself on both sides for a couple of seconds, and she had to admit she liked what she saw. Feeling better-looking now, she left the room.

- OK, I'm ready, let's go. – She said, getting a hold of Ash's arm, with an ample smile.

Ash had to hold back a "Wow!" when he saw Misty come out with her hair down. She looked even less like a child, and more like a young lady. And he liked that, he had to admit it. No more words, the couple happily left the gym. Violet and Lily stayed by the door, looking at the two teenagers were walking away.

- Well, he came for "that" after all. – Lily commented, holding a giggle.

- I told you, it was just a matter of time. – Violet replied, she then let out a sigh. – Now, I'm the only one who's still single and without any compromise. -

- Not quite. – Lily smiled. – You know, this morning, Dorian phoned me to tell me that a friend of his was interested in meeting you, and he asked me if we could arrange a double date. -

- Are you serious? – Violet couldn't believe it. – AND WHY IN THE WORLD DIDN'T YOU TELL ME BEFORE? -

- Hey, calm down. – Lily raised her hands in a defensive gesture. – I was about to tell you, but I forgot with all this, sorry. -

Violet let out a small groan, even though she wasn't actually angry. If things went good, soon all four Sensational Sisters could boast about having boyfriends. She would have plenty of things to tell Daisy when she came back from her vacations.

---

At Cerulean Cape, later…

The afternoon was falling; Ash and Misty had had a great time together since they had left the gym. They went to the movies, then they went to eat at the ice-cream shop, and they even stopped by at an amusement park. Ash had still not fully recovered from that last ride on the rollercoaster. That, and also the fact that his wallet was almost empty now for insisting on paying up the bill, almost, ALMOST, made him regret having asked her out. However, Misty really seemed very happy, and that was enough for him to forget it. At the moment, the couple was walking up a hill at the north of the city.

- Where are we going exactly, Misty? – Ash asked, a bit tired with the walk.

- You'll see soon enough. – She answered. – It's a very popular place for dates. And this is the best hour of the day to visit it. -

Ash wondered what she meant with that, but he kept on walking. Misty knew exactly what she was doing, and she had reserved that place especially for that hour… and for that day when the time had come. A few minutes later, the two of them reached the top of the hill.

- Well, what do you think? -

- Wow. – Was all that Ash could say. – It's… amazing. -

- Pikaaaa… - Pikachu liked it too.

It was really something to see. The sun was already setting on the horizon over the sea, making the sky to take reddish shades, and at the same time making a beautiful light show on the surface of the water. Misty sat on the border of the hill to watch it, and Ash sat next to her. The afternoon breeze caressed gently their faces, while they stared at the sunset on the sea.

- I really like coming here when I'm tense. – Misty said, suddenly breaking the silence.

- It's really beautiful here. – Ash said.

- We're lucky, there's nobody else here today. – Misty said. – Many couples come here to watch the sunset. -

- And… you come here to watch it by yourself? – Ash asked.

Misty blushed slightly. She felt uncomfortable when Ash asked that, however, his eyes and his half-smirk made her forget.

- *Sigh*, what else could I do? – She said, somewhat downhearted. – I had nobody else to come with… -

- Nobody? – Ash insisted. Misty seemed to be upset with his prying, but she continued.

- The only person I would have liked to come with… was always too far and busy… in his Pokémon journeys. – She said, embracing her legs and placing her face on her knees.

Ash felt his cheeks blushed as well. Once upon a time, he would have been completely oblivious to what she meant to say. However, now he was mature enough to catch the drift. He felt a small bit of guilt. He was no longer a little kid; it was time to act like a man.

- You seriously don't believe I didn't think about you during my journeys, do you? – Ash said, after a few seconds of silence. – I always remember you, no matter what. You're the greatest friend I've ever had, honest. Sometimes… well, quite often actually, I miss those days, even our fights. – He chuckled a bit on the last part. Misty giggled as well.

- Yeah, sometimes I wish I could travel with you again… - Misty admitted. – You know, somebody has to keep your feet on the earth and whatnot, right? -

- Hehehe, well, whether I like it or not, you're always with me everywhere. – Ash said.

- What do you mean? – Misty asked.

- Have you forgotten? – Ash said, pulling out something of a pocket of his backpack.

He handed Misty a handkerchief she recognized immediately, alter all, she herself had given it to him when they parted ways, at the end of their journey through the Johto region. Misty opened it up, and she saw inside of it that small lure made on her image, the "Mini-Misty", as she called it. She couldn't help but smile, those two items surely enough meant a lot to Ash if he still had them with him after so many years. Misty took the lure and examined it closely. It was clear that Ash kept it in a very good state.

- It has been quite useful to me, you know? – Ash said. – That lure fished my Floatzel… although he almost gets away with it. -

- Really? – Misty asked.

Ash began telling her when, on one occasion, travelling across the Sinnoh region, he and his friends stopped by at the bank of a river to fish. Ash intented to use the Mini-Misty lure, and Dawn asked him if she could use it, but when he said no, both of them started fighting over it and when they got distracted, a Buizel appeared and snagged it. Ash went into a panic and did not rest until he got it back, which was a great relief to him. Misty thought it was quite ironic that the same lure she had given to him had served to catch the Pokémon who gave Ash the victory in the battle they just had had.

- Don't you think you went a bit overboard, just for getting back that lure? – Misty asked, smiling.

- Who are you kidding? – Ash replied. – You would have never forgiven me if I had lost it, am I wrong? -

- Hmm… well, I guess not. – She said. – Some things never change, do they? -

- You have changed… - Ash suddenly said, and he didn't know exactly why.

- Say what? -

- I mean… just look at yourself, you're not… well, you're not a little girl anymore. – Ash said, blushing a bit. He meant to say that as a compliment, but he wasn't sure if I made it well. Misty however, smiled at him.

- You have changed too. – She said. – A while ago, I had to crouch down to look directly into your eyes. -

- Hey! -

- But it's true. – She smiled when she saw she had made him mad. – When I met you, you were too short for your age, even though I'm not much older than you. -

Ash looked away; he didn't even try to cover up that he was upset. It was true, Misty was, like, eight months or so older than him, and when they were kids, she was notably taller than him, always acting as though she was his older sister (something that she herself acknowledged). However, while she still enjoyed teasing him with that, she thought it was time to stop treating him like a child, after all, neither of them was a child anymore.

Suddenly, Ash felt something upon the back of his hand, and when he looked, he saw Misty had placed her hand on his. Her hand felt really warm, and soft. He looked up to her face, and he saw she was smiling tenderly at him, making no attempt to remove her hand from that place. Before he could say a word, she spoke up.

- But you've grown up, Ash. – She said, in full sincerity. – And not just in stature, I must say. You've become a great trainer, and you've matured a lot. -

- I'm not the only one, you've become stronger too. – He smiled, with a bit of shyness. – Also… the fact you've grown much prettier in these years makes no harm either. -

Misty seemed to be surprised with those words, and she wasn't the only one, Ash himself didn't seem to know where they came from. Was that possible? Ash was making her a compliment about her appeal, saying she was pretty? However, Ash made no attempt to take back what he had just said, after all, even if it was just a slip, it was true. He didn't know exactly what he should say to her, so he simple smiled at her and then looked back at the horizon.

The two of them remained silent for a moment. They both were staring at the sunset over the sea, it was a real sight, worth of admiration, and they had it all for themselves in that moment. All for themselves, that sounded really good. Misty, however, after a few minutes decided that the atmosphere between her and Ash was way too calm for her taste, and she decided to get it moving a bit. Suddenly, with no warning, she stood up.

- Hey, Ash. –

- Huh? -

- Would you take a dive from here? – She asked.

- Say what? -

- I do it sometimes. – She said.

- No way. – He replied. The cliff they were standing on was probably at least 50 meters high, 5 times the height of the trampoline of the gym's pool. You'd have to be crazy to jump off of there, or so Ash thought.

- You don't think I'd do it? – Misty said, placing her hands on her waist. – Fine, I'll show you. -

- Wait, don't you go…! -

Ash became frozen, Misty had turned her back to him, and saying no more words she stripped off her blouse and shorts, only leaving the bikini she was wearing below. She turned around, and she smiled at Ash's shocked expression when he saw her like that, he was clearly more impressed than he was when he saw her in the one-piece swimsuit at the gym. And giving her no chance of saying any more words, she walked backwards, then she stood on tiptoes on the border of the cliff, and jumped off, making a pirouette.

- MISTY! -

SPLASH! The redhead made a clean entrance into the water. That had been an Olympic jump, worth a gold medal, Ash thought. A few seconds later, Misty swam up back to the surface to get some air, and called out for him.

- Why don't you come, Ash? – She voiced. – The water's delicious! -

- It can't be… - Ash said, his jaw dropped. – She really jumped off. -

- Pikachu. – Pikachu was surprised too.

- What's wrong, Ash? – Misty voiced again. – Don't tell me you're scared! -

- Hmm… - Ash frowned at that comment. – Well, if she can do it, I can do it too. -

He wasn't gonna fall short in front of her, no sir, no way. He left Pikachu on the ground, and then took off his vest, pants and shoes, and telling Pikachu to watch over them, he stood on the border.

- Well… I'll do it fast, and I'll get over it soon… AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH! -

SPLASH! Ash made a cannonball jump, hoping for the best, until he finally fell into the water. Those seconds seemed eternal to him. He fell close to Misty, who smiled in satisfaction after the splashing.

- I see you haven't lost your guts, Ash. – She said. But he didn't respond, neither he gave any signal of returning to the surface. - Ash? Ash? -

Misty looked around, searching for him. She couldn't see him anywhere. Was the fall too much for him? She started to get worried.

- Ash, stop fooling around and come out at… aaah! *glub* -

Without warning, Misty suddenly felt dragged forcefully info the water. Once she opened her eyes, she could see that Ash had grabbed her foot, and even though she couldn't see clearly due to the lack of light, it wouldn't take a genius to know that the black-haired young man was smiling from ear to ear. If that wasn't enough, the sneaky trainer began tickling her foot. Misty had to struggle in order to break free at the same time she tried to hold her laughter, until at last Ash let her go, and they both swam up back to the surface. Once they were out, Misty was very mad for that fright she had, while Ash had an ample grin, seemingly he found very funny to scare her like that.

- That was no fun, Ash. – She said.

- Of course it was. You should see your face, it's priceless. – He replied.

- You almost scared me to death. – Misty said, looking away and pumping up her cheeks. – Also, you almost drown me. -

- Aw, come on. – He interrupted. – It takes more than that to do you in, and you know that. -

- Why you… you little… - Unable to speak anymore, Misty began attacking him splashing water, and Ash immediately responded and returned the attack.

The two of them continued their playing for quite a while, splashing, chasing around and trying to match each other swimming, competing to see who of them could hold their breath longer… in short, they were having a great time, like there was no tomorrow. It was so strange and at the same time so familiar for both of them to be there playing, and sharing together, just like the old times, they felt as if they were kids again, and that felt good. But at the same time, there was something different in it, for two reasons. One, while it was true they had shared many moments like that in their journeys, it was also true that only rarely they had had them just for the two of them, there was always somebody else present (Brock or Tracey). Second, while they were behaving like kids, none of them was a kid anymore. Having that kind of close contact, just the two of them, caused new emotions and sensations to wake up inside them. The type a kid would never understand.

The games stopped when, taking advantage as it was getting dark, Misty sumerged and held her breathing so that Ash couldn't see her coming with the bubbles. Ash moved constantly while looking around to his sides and his back, trying to see where she would come from, he didn't expect she would come from the front, Misty swam below him and ascended quickly.

- Boooo! -

- Aack! – Ash screamed when Misty popped out in front of him, and saying no words, she surrounded his neck with her arms.

- Hahaha! I win again! – The redhead said triumphant. – I told you, in the water, there's no way you can beat me. -

Ash was about to protest, but then he realized something, something he had not felt, or he didn't remember to have felt before. Misty was embracing his neck, so the two were close, really close. And despite the cold of the water, he was feeling as though he was suffocating in heat, for some reason. For the first time in his life, he could notice Misty had a soft, very soft skin…

- "God… what's wrong with me? " – He thought.

He had touched her before, but of course, this was the first time they had this kind of contact, a really, really close contact. Much closer than he remembered to have ever had, either with her, or any other girl. The funniest part was that, apparently, this seemed to be a bit more than he expected when he asked her out, and the fact of the two of them being in so skimply clothes, only made it even worse. Now, what was he supposed to do, or say? He was more nervous, and confused than ever before.

Misty, however, apparently perceived the nervousness in Ash. She knew better than anyone else that Ash most likely had little-to-no experience with girls. Apparently, he would need some help from her, so she decided to take the initative.

- What's the matter, Ash? – She said, with a somewhat… sexy voice. - Nervous? -

- Hmm… - Ash tried to look away. – Maybe… just a little bit. -

- Why is that? – She said. – We're close friends, and we trust each other, don't we? -

Ash said nothing, but Misty still smiled at him, it was clear that she was enjoying every bit of that moment, as well as having the full control of the situation. Wondering if he should do something else, Ash tried to move his hands under the water towards her, to bring her closer. His hands were shaking, but Misty didn't protest when he placed them on her waist, on the contrary, she even seemed to like it.

- Misty… I… there's something… I wanna tell you. – He said, his voice was a tad shaky.

- What is it? – Misty asked, although she knew perfectly what he wanted to say.

- I… well, you… I really… -

- Aw, for crying out loud, just say it. – She said. – It's not that hard. -

But it was. He had never been good to deal with girls. He felt somewhat envious for Brock, who always inspired and knew what to say to a woman (albeit not always with good results). And it wasn't just that he liked her, his feelings towards her were much stronger than that, no words could express them at all. Wait a moment, words? Wasn't it supposed that he was more of a man of actions, and that actions spoke louder than words?

- Misty… - He couldn't contain himself anymore, he held her tightly, one hand on her waist, the other one on the back of her head, and then he kissed her.

The kiss caught her off-guard. It was a very inexpert kiss, a tad aggressive (typical of Ash), and Misty could notice that Ash's lips were a bit tense. Poor boy, he was so nervous he simply took the moment's impulse. It was definitive, she had to help him, so she moved her hands towards his cheeks, and she began caressing them gently, trying to help him relax. Misty's caresses soon made effect, he soon just let himself be carried away, the nerves were dissipating. Everything would be OK… everything was OK…

After a few minutes, they separated, and stared to each other's eyes. Ash felt lost into those beautiful aqua green eyes, the love Misty had in store for him for so long returned the look, making her, if that was possible, more beautiful than ever to Ash's eyes.

- So… this means that… you like me? – Misty asked shyly.

- No. – Ash said almost in a whisper. Misty seemed surprised, but he still smiled.

- What do you mean by "no"? After all of… -

- Shhh… - He silenced her with his finger. - This means that I love you… and that I'm crazy for you. That was what I wanted to tell you. –

He felt as though a huge weight had been lifted off of his shoulders. He finally had let it out. It hadn't been easy, but now he felt much better with himself. On the other hand, Misty's heart wanted to jump out of her chest in excitement. She could barely believe that this boy, so oblivious in regards to romantic feelings, not only had finally seen what she felt for him, but also felt the same way for her.

- I knew it. – Misty said.

- Really? -

- Yeah, although… there were times I had my doubts. -

- And why is that? – Ash inquired.

- You know very well why. – Misty replied. – You were always playing hard on me. I tried to make you notice by yourself, but that never worked… until now, at least. -

- Hey, give me a break, will ya? – Ash defended himself. – You were not very helpful either… when you went in fit of rages and whatnot. -

- That was all your fault. – Misty said. – You could have learned a bit of tact with girls, instead of being so obsessed with being a Pokémon trainer. -

Ash couldn't say anything else. There was no way to refute that, he knew perfectly it was true. Looking back now, the fact of "being a kid" was not an excuse. After all, over time, he should have grown up, not just physically, but also sentimentally.

- So tell me… when did you realize? – Misty couldn't help but ask, breaking the silence.

- To be honest… I don't know. – Ash said. – I just know that, sometimes, I dreamed of you, I missed our fights… I thought about all the good moments we spent together… -

- Well, I can't deny I too missed our adventures together. – Misty said.

- Also… they came to tell me "she likes you". -

- Who? – She asked.

- Everybody, practically. – He admitted, a bit embarrassed. – It seemed that, everybody knew about it, except myself. -

- Hehe, I'm not surprised, you were always very slow. – Misty laughed.

- I kept thinking about it, and… - He continued, apparently ignoring the previous comment. - Well, I couldn't stop thinking about you, and the idea of asking you out… before somebody else went ahead of me... - He blushed on this part. - … slowly got the best of me. It was just that, well, I wasn't sure if you'd like it, so I thought perhaps… -

- That you would challenge me to a battle so as to coerce me into having a date with you? – Misty completed. It sounded a tad harsh when Misty said it, but she was right.

- Yeah… basically… that was my idea. – He said, scratching the back of his head.

- I can't believe it. You went through all that, just to ask me out on a date? – Misty inquired, she seemed a bit mad.

- I was never good for these things, OK? – Ash said. – Sometimes… I wish I was like Brock. -

- You can't be serious. – Misty said.

- At least he doesn't have problems with expressing his feelings. – Ash commented.

- Ash… if you wanted to go out on a date with me… all you had to do was ask. There was no need of challenging me to battle. – The angry expression vanished completely from Misty's face.

- Really? – He asked, apparently he didn't believe it. – I thought you didn't like immature and clueless boys… like me. -

- You're a special case. – She said. – And if you really went this far just for this, it means you're no longer that immature or clueless… you're just as innocent as before, and that's what I like of you. -

And saying no more words, the redhead held Ash's cheeks, and kissed him again. Her way of kissing was quite different, she made it in a more tender and delicate manner, in contrast to that somewhat aggressive and kiss he had given her before. Ash had to admit it, he liked the way Misty kissed, and he could surely get used to it.

- The night is falling, we better go back now. – She said, after they separated.

- Do we really have to? – Ash asked, he actually didn't mind if they stayed there a bit longer.

- We cannot stay all night long here, Ash. – Misty said. – Unless you want… to sleep with the fish? -

- Hmm... Fine, let's go back. – Ash said, resigned.

The couple got out of the water, and then they went back up to the top of the cliff. They got dressed again, picked up their stuff and even with their clothes somewhat wet they went back to the gym, just as they had left, holding each other's arm. Ash thought about taking his time on the way back, after all, he didn't mind staying like that with her for a long while, something Misty seemed to agree with.

---

The next morning…

After such a moved afternoon, both the trainer and the leader were really exhausted. It was very late, therefore Ash accepted to stay that night at the guest room to sleep, and leave in the morning. When he woke up, however, he caught the scent of something flowery close to him, and when he opened his eyes, he realized that it was Misty's hair. The redhead was sleeping comfortably embracing him, with a smile in her face, and her hand was holding his. Ash smiled, surely enough she had waited for him to fall asleep, and deliberately snuck into his room and his bed without him noticing. But he didn't complain; it was nice to have her there to say "good morning" to her just as she had woken up. Furthermore, when her sisters suddenly opened the door without warning and bursted into the room, when they found the couple together in the bed in a loving hug (obviously screaming out loud and misinterpreting the situation), as soon as she woke up, Misty only demanded them to leave her and Ash alone, what she and her "former-best-friend-and-now-boyfriend" did was not their business.

After breakfast, Ash and Pikachu prepared for the departure. After all, they had still a long way to go to the Indigo Plateau. But just as it was expected, at the gym's door he had to stop, so as to say goodbye to Misty. He would take his time with that.

- Well… - He began speaking. – I think it's… time so say goodbye, for now. -

- You better not make it long, Ash. – Misty said. – The more you stay here, the harder it'll be for you to go. -

- I know, it's just that… - Ash sighed. – I don't remember having ever had such a great time with you... or anybody, in my entire life. -

- Yeah, I understand. – She smiled.

- Well… the Indigo Plateau awaits, see you soon. -

Ash turned around and tried to leave, he thought it would be better to run off and not look back so as not to change his mind. But before he did, Misty stopped him by holding his arm.

- What's up? – Ash asked.

Misty looked away, Ash could see her cheeks had taken a pinkish tone. She seemed nervous, but he couldn't deny that made her look even cuter. She seemed to have the words on the tip of the tongue, but they didn't come out. However, building up her courage, she finally smiled tenderly and spoke up.

- Before you go… one last thing to give you. – She said, holding his chin. Ash knew exactly what she was about to do, so he neither asked any questions nor put up any resistance when she embraced him by his neck, and stood on tiptoes to kiss him. Ash wondered if Misty had learned kissing with somebody else before him, because she kissed like a real expert. After separating, they both smiled to each other, and Ash, like playing dumd, asked her:

- So… that one was for...? -

- For good luck, what do you think? – She said. – Although I know you won't need it at all. -

- After that, there's no way I can lose. – Ash said, still smiling. – Misty… I know you're busy with the gym and all, but… do you think… maybe, we could…? -

- Shhh. There will be plenty of time for that when you come back. – Misty interrupted, she knew exactly what he wanted to tell him.

- You'll wait for me until then? -

- I've waited for nine years. – Misty said. – One or two months more won't be too much. Now go, and show them what you're made of. -

- I will. - Ash said. – Also… I'm sorry I took so long. -

- No need to worry. – She smiled.

Ash had to make a supreme effort to let go off her, and it was obvious that she didn't want to do it, either. They waved goodbye to each other silently, never breaking the visual contact. Misty smiled with melancholy, but at the same time with hope, because she knew, in her heart, when they met again, they would have all their time to be together.

Ash, on the other hand, felt sad for leaving Misty like that, but at the same time with a vigor renovated ten times for the battle awaiting him at the Indigo Plateau. He didn't know exactly why, but he became convinced that, if he had been able to come through that inner battle, he could do anything.

- "Took me several years to realize…" – He thought. – "But as they say, better late than never." -

FIN.

---

Author's notes:

Hey there, people? My second oneshot with my favorite Pokémon shipping. I actually intended to make this for a contest in DeviantArt, but due to major force causes, I was unable to finish it in time (also partly because I wrote the Spanish version before the English version). Even so, I decided not to let my idea die, so I kept working on it, and I'm actually very satisfied with it. Hope you enjoyed it. This leaves doors open for a sequel, so I'll write one focusing on Ash as he battles the Elite 4. I've decided I'll make more short stories, and maybe some of them starring others among my favorite pairings, specially some who don't get many stories. Also, I'd like to work in collab with other authors, if anyone is interested. That's all, be seeing ya!