Shout out to all of those who managed to guess the Pokemon by looking at the cover photo ;) I wanted to see if you were all paying attention!
Well, not much else to say here. Enjoy chapter 2!
Chapter Two: A Gift Gone Wrong
After Misty had changed into what she found to be a more appropriate outfit consisting of a sky blue flutter sleeved top and white cropped jeans, she and Ash headed down the street towards the gym, with Pikachu and Marill following eagerly at their feet.
"I really hope you like my present," Ash broke the natural silence, his dark eyes settling on Misty's tall figure.
"Ash, I'm sure I'll love it," Misty sighed, "just like I told you fifteen seconds ago. And two minutes ago. And five…"
"I got it," Ash waved his hands in surrender. "I'm sorry."
"It's alright," Misty chuckled, a warm smile growing on her face. "You can relax, Ash."
When they finally reached the gym, Misty unlocked the door with her key and led the group to the battlefield.
"It looks good in here," Ash smiled as he observed his surroundings. Everything seemed newer since the last time he'd seen it.
"Thanks," Misty beamed, clearly proud of the compliment. "I've spent the past few months fixing things up and replacing them. I've had nothing better to do, after all."
"Misty, I'm so sorry…" Ash began.
"Oh, it's not your fault Ash," Misty smiled at him. "Since all of my sisters are married now, I'm usually alone here. I understand that you have a job to do; your training. My job is to run the gym. We all have responsibilities."
"Yeah…" Ash trailed off before reaching for the poke ball again. "Here, we can't forget about your present, now can we?"
"No, I guess not!" Misty giggled playfully. She took the poke ball and enlarged it to its full size, still holding it tightly in her hand.
"Make sure you open it towards the pool," Ash instructed.
Misty nodded and pressed the poke ball's center button. The sphere flipped open and emitted a stream of blue light, which materialized in the water into nothing other than a Tentacool.
"WHAT?" Misty screamed, unable to control herself. Ash started laughing hysterically, and Misty, who was practically hyperventilating, covered her mouth in shock.
"Well?" Ash asked slowly, "do you like your present?"
"Like it? Like it?" Misty stammered, causing Ash's face and heart to fall. Suddenly, the look of surprise fled Misty's face, being replaced by one of pure joy and amazement. "I LOVE it! Oh Ash, you've always known how much I loved them!"
"Well, I knew you liked Tentacruel," Ash explained, "but I thought maybe you'd like to raise it up to one yourself."
"Yes, yes I would!" Misty shrieked, racing towards Ash to give him a bone crushing hug. "Oh Ash, I love you so much! This is the best present anyone has ever given me! I love you, I love you!"
"Heh…" Ash choked, freeing an arm to hug Misty back, "I…love you…too."
"Oh, this is just so amazing," Misty breathed, turning back towards the pool. The jellyfish Pokémon was floating in the water, its beady eyes set steadily on Misty. "You're a pretty thing, aren't you?" Misty cooed, kneeling down to look the dual type in the eyes. Behind her, Ash shifted uncomfortably. He certainly didn't find Tentacool to be pretty. Misty sure had weird tastes in Pokémon beauty.
"Hey Misty," Ash suggested, causing the gym leader to look over her shoulder, "what if we had a practice battle? You could use Tentacool and start bonding."
"That's a great idea!" Misty grinned, jumping back to her feet. "What do you think Tentacool?"
The half water, half poison type Pokémon simply stared back at Misty, absolutely no expression being reflected in its eyes.
"Let's see…which Pokémon should I use?" Ash mused quietly to himself.
"Do you have Oshawott with you?" Misty asked.
"Yeah, why?"
"Oh, could you use him?" Misty clasped her hands together. "He's such a cutie! I'd love to battle him!"
"Well, it is your birthday," Ash grinned, "so if it's Oshawott you want, it's Oshawott you'll get!" As he finished his sentence, the sound of a poke ball opening accompanied by a blue flash from Ash's belt led to the appearance of Oshawott, who happily waved his little paws at Misty.
"Osha! Oshawott!" The otter Pokémon cheered excitedly.
"Hey there Oshawott!" Misty giggled. The Unova starter had taken quite a shine to the Cerulean City gym leader, and Misty didn't mind in the least. She thought Oshawott was one of the cutest water types she'd ever seen.
"Oshawott, you've gotta' stop coming out of your poke ball on your own," Ash scolded gently.
"Osha, osha!" Oshawott cried, still pointing at Misty.
"It's alright, Ash, he's just excited to see me is all!"
"I guess…" Ash nervously rubbed the back of his neck.
"Come on, let's get started!" Misty squealed, racing over to her platform.
"Boy, she sure is excited, isn't she?" Ash looked down at Oshawott, who nodded feverously in response. "Now Misty," Ash called out to his bubbly girlfriend, "the moves Tentacool knows are poison sting, supersonic, bubble beam, and wrap."
"Wow, those are some great moves!" Misty complimented Tentacool. Still, the dual type Pokémon showed no emotion.
"So, should we begin?" Ash asked as he climbed onto his own platform, Oshawott jumping up happily in front of him.
"Bring it on," Misty smirked, "Tentacool and I will beat you into the dust, Ketchum!"
"I'd like to see you try, birthday girl," Ash winked teasingly. "And since it is your birthday, I'll let you have the first move!"
"How cute," Misty purred before narrowing her emerald hued eyes. "Tentacool, use poison sting!"
Wordlessly, Tentacool fired off several brightly glowing spikes, Oshawott standing directly in their path.
"Osha! Oshawott!" Oshawott cried, running around in circles.
"Oshawott, come on, cool it!" Ash ordered. "Use your scallchop to shield yourself from the poison sting!"
"Wott!" Oshawott removed the seashell from his belly and held it in front of himself. The poisonous spears hit the makeshift shield, quickly flying off in all different directions.
"Yeah, great job Oshawott!" Ash pumped his fist. "Now, use hydro pump!"
"Osha!" Oshawott backed up, preparing to fire off the water type move. "Osha…wott!" Sending out the heavy stream of water, Tentacool was hit directly, finally letting out a cry of pain.
"Ah, Tentacool!" Misty yelled. But it was no use. The dual type Pokémon floated back up to the surface, rendered unconscious by the attack.
"Boy, that's all it took?" Ash frowned. Oshawott, however, could not share in his trainer's disappointment. The little otter Pokémon was instead dancing around on his platform, clearly pleased with his one hit knockout.
"Poor Tentacool," Misty sighed, "he just needs some special training, that's all."
"Sounds good to me," Ash nodded. "Need any help?"
"No, I think I'd like to do this on my own," Misty pulled off her shirt, revealing a purple bikini top. "It'll be good for me and Tentacool to spend some time alone."
"You're right," Ash smiled, "good plan, Mist."
"Thanks," Misty blushed. "You must be starving right now. You can go into the gym's kitchen if you want and grab something to eat."
"That sounds really good," Ash chuckled, pressing a hand against his rumbling tummy.
"Just don't eat all of it," Misty narrowed her eyes playfully.
"I won't, I won't," Ash sighed with a chuckle, lifting his cap to brush back some midnight black strands of hair. "Come on you guys," he looked between Oshawott and Pikachu, "let's have some breakfast!"
Oshawott and Pikachu cheered joyfully and followed after their trainer, Misty smiling after the little group. Once they were all gone, she slipped out of her jeans so she was down to just her bikini.
"Good thing I planned ahead," Misty murmured fondly to herself. She jumped off the platform to retrieve some potion that would help heal her injured Pokémon. Smiling down at Tentacool as she returned to the edge of the pool, Misty jumped in and swam next to the jellyfish Pokémon, who looked anything but amused.
"It's okay," Misty soothed Tentacool calmly, "I'm gonna' help you." She sprayed some of the potion on a scratch that was etched into Tentacool's head. Hissing, the dual type Pokémon pulled away from Misty, setting a deathly glare on the pretty gym leader. "Hmm?" Misty blinked confusedly. "Come on, Tentacool. I know it hurts a little, but it's going to make you feel a lot better, I promise." Misty began to swim closer to Tentacool, but the angered Pokémon would have none of it.
Sending out one of its tentacles, the jellyfish Pokémon wrapped it around Misty's upper arm and delivered a nasty shock to the water type trainer.
"OW!" Misty screamed, trying to thrash away. Tentacool let go after only a few seconds, but to Misty it felt like an eternity. She whimpered and held tightly onto the affected spot as tears spilled out of her eyes, trying to tread water all the while.
"Misty?!"
Misty let out a sharp breath and looked upwards. Through the screen of blurry tears, Misty could make out the shape of Ash standing by the edge of the pool. His terribly worried features weren't visible to the pained girl, however.
"Ash…" Misty whined, her legs finally coming to a standstill. She began to slip under the water, earning a loud gasp from Ash. He jumped into the pool, clothes and all, and grabbed onto Misty, pulling her back up above the surface.
"What happened?" Ash asked, holding Misty tightly in his arms.
"Tentacool stung me!" Misty hissed, still gripping her upper arm with as much force as she could collect. Even that wasn't helping subdue the pain, however.
"What the…" Ash turned to glare at the still angered Pokémon, but when Misty let out another cry, he knew that now was not the time to be dealing with the clearly unhappy thing. "Okay, come on. I'll help you."
Ash swam back to the side of the pool and lifted Misty up onto the edge. She doubled over and moaned, not bothering to let go of her upper arm. Ash used his arms to pull himself up next to Misty, gingerly touching the hand that was clamped around the sting.
"You have to let me see it Misty," Ash murmured, "just move your hand. It's okay."
Misty sniffed but finally took her hand off of the injured section of flesh. Ash took one look before recoiling and letting out a little noise of disgust.
"Is it bad?" Misty kept her eyes locked on Ash, not wanting to even take a glance at the sting.
Once the initial shock wore off, Ash was able to breathe out deeply and realize the mark wasn't as bad as he first thought. "Nah, nothing too bad. It's just a little red is all."
Misty peeked down at her arm and indeed saw a bright red ring wrapping around her slender upper arm. It still stung rather badly, but Misty decided it would be best for everybody if she just shook it off.
"Okay, I'm good," Misty lied through her teeth, "the pain is starting to go away."
"I think I should at least put some lotion on it," Ash tried, "Cilan actually just sent me some really good stuff for stings! It should take the pain away completely."
"I'll try it," Misty whimpered, resting her head against Ash's chest. "Thank you."
Ash smiled and pressed a kiss into Misty's soft red hair. "No problem."
XXX
Misty didn't like people seeing her moments of weakness.
Ash being the person to witness it only made the situation ten times worse. It was mortifying to a girl who was so proud. Misty barely even cried in front of her own sisters, even when she was just a little girl.
And to think, she had just been sobbing in Ash's arms less than ten minutes ago like a baby.
"Stupid," Misty hissed, staring down at her arm. Ash had applied the lotion sent to him by Cilan and wrapped the wound in a medicated bandage. The sting was already beginning to feel better, but Misty's hurt pride would be much harder to fix.
Ash walked back into the longue, where he had sat Misty down in order to fix her up. In his hands he held a tray with two glasses of lemonade on it. Misty was quite surprised to see this; enough that she forgot about her damaged poise for all of five seconds.
"Did you make that?" Misty asked warily.
"No, it was already in your fridge," Ash grinned at the gym leader. "Arceus forbid you ever have to ingest something made by me."
"Well, I didn't mean it like that," Misty rolled her eyes.
"I know, I was just teasing you," Ash chuckled. He placed the tray down on the small table that was situated before the couch Misty was sitting on. Taking a seat next to her, Ash took one glass and handed it off to Misty, who was reaching for it with her injured arm. "Uh uh, use the other one."
Misty raised an eyebrow before realizing that Ash didn't want her moving the arm that had been stung. If anything, this only made the girl feel worse about herself.
"Would you stop freaking out, it's just a little sting!" Misty complained, grabbing the glass with her uninjured arm.
"I'm just worried about you," Ash frowned.
"Well, don't be," Misty grumbled, taking a sip of her lemonade.
Ash just watched his girlfriend in shock. Ever since they had started dating, she'd opened up considerably and had let her more gentle tendencies take over. But now, all within just a few hours, she'd reverted back to her old self: closed off and angry.
And to think, it was all because of the present he'd gotten her for her birthday.
Oooh, and so we've reached the climax of this little three shot collection. What's gonna happen next?
I just wanted to thank you all for the reviews I got in the first chapter. I got a bunch and they were all very positive and encouraging! So, thanks for pushing me on, guys :P I love to write stories for you all, so I'm really glad to know you're enjoying them!