Matchmaker

Final chapter! Well, sort of. The real last chapter is short and doesn't really count because it's more for the sake of completeness, and thus will follow this more closely than usual - expect it Friday, or Thursday depending upon your timezone.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Pokemon.

Summary: If there was one thing Ash Ketchum knew about . . . well it certainly wasn't matchmaking. And as well as the tried and tested clichés tended to work in movies, in real life, things tended to get a little . . . well . . . complicated. Pokeshipping w/ egoshipping on the side.

Matchmaker: A Cautionary Tale

Step 3 - A Date with Destiny

"I don't understand," Ash complained, scratching his head in confusion. "How . . . how did you get Misty to even agree to somethin' like this?"

"It doesn't matter," Gary agreed quickly, mostly because it did.

"I suppose not," Ash shrugged, acquiescing sooner than he should have. "I guess . . . I mean, it's just not . . ." he trailed off, struggling to find the right words but eventually just giving up and coming straight out with it. "I just . . . didn't think Misty liked you very much," he admitted sheepishly.

Gary glared in response. "Well let's just say I can be pretty convincing when I want to be," he answered vaguely and when Ash still didn't look convinced added the more believable, "Misty's sisters helped."

"Okay," Ash nodded. "You didn't tell them, did you?" Ash asked, looking suddenly panicked.

"Of course not," Gary assured him, because that would completely ruin his plans. "I promised I wouldn't tell anyone, didn't I?"

"Yeah," Ash said nodding his head. He fidgeted as they waited, absentmindedly adjusting and readjusting his tie, and running his fingers through previously tamed raven locks.

"You're not backing out, are you?" Gary asked through narrowed eyes. Something about the way the younger boy was standing seemed to suggest that he was likely to flee at any moment.

"No, I just . . ." Ash began, still looking rather antsy. "I was talking to Brock, and he said maybe the reason Misty's not interested is 'cos she thinks I'm not interested and that maybe I should tell her how I feel and . . . well . . . you know," he explained with a shrug and a hopeful look. "Things will work out."

Ash's sudden doubt aggravated him, but Gary did his best not to let it show. "I suppose that's one way of looking at it," he said, "but who are you really gonna believe here, Ash?"

"It's just . . . me, Brock, and Myst . . . we've been best friends since I started my journey, and I guess if anyone might know what Misty's thinking it'd be Brock, right?" Ash suggested, looking guilty for suddenly doubting Gary who was helping him out of the goodness of his heart.

"And what am I? Chopped liver?" Gary asked, half-joking/half-scathing in reply. "Rock-boy might know about Misty" – although Gary thought this was highly doubtful – "but I know about women. Unlike Brock, I know when a girl is or isn't interested, and believe me when I say, Misty just isn't interested and you'll only ruin things if you try to force her to return your feelings."

Gary was lucky that there weren't more voices opposing his appraisal of Misty's feelings for Ash. He was lucky that his version was all the more convincing than Brock's simply because the consequences of Brock being wrong were so devastating Ash could barely start to consider the benefits of him being right. He was lucky that Ash had spoken to Brock and not to someone who's compelling words weren't quite so easily refuted with evidence of near constant failure with the opposite sex.

He was lucky that their 'dates' arrived before Ash had the opportunity for further introspection.

"Well don't you clean up good," Misty teased as she spotted them, paying particular attention to her best friend. She made a near useless attempt at trying to tidy his messy locks once again and he responded by playfully swatting at her hands, which made her smile despite the feelings of impending doom this evening seemed to instil in her.

"You look really nice," he told her sincerely with a crocked half-smile, his hand twitching at his side as it longed to take its usual nervous position at the back of his head.

"Um . . . you too . . . uh . . ." he added quickly, turning his attention to the purple-haired girl beside his best friend. He knew he should know her name, but nothing came to mind. There was something vaguely familiar about her that made Ash frown in consideration.

"You remember Casey, right Ash?" Misty asked with a sweet smile.

"Yeah, of course," Ash agreed, obviously lying to save face. "It's good to see you again, Casey. How've you been since . . . Johto?" he guessed.

Casey shook her head and turned to Misty with a bright laugh. "He has absolutely no idea who I am, does he?" Casey asked.

"None what-so-ever," Misty agreed, "although I do think that was a very nice touch there with the region," she commented to Ash, "and a very lucky guess."

"Shall I remind him?" Casey grinned wickedly.

"Don't you dare, Casey," Misty warned. "If I have to hear the Electabuzz song one more time I swear I will kill. The only thing more annoying than that stupid song is the Team Rocket motto."

"Wait, I remember you," Ash said, the mention of electabuzz sparking his memory to life. "I thought you were a boy."

"Ash," Misty gaped, "that's really rude," she admonished. "How can you even make that mistake? 'Casey' is a girls name."

"So's 'Tracey'," Ash shrugged in reply.

Misty rolled her eyes and took on a more rigid stance. She was readying herself for a verbal battle with Ash, and its commencement was only forborne by Gary's sudden interjection.

"Why, Misty, you look incredibly lovely tonight," he said smoothly, taking Misty's hand and brining it to his lips. "You're like a bright, blazing firework lighting up the room in all her glory."

Ash's fists clenched at his side as he tried to fight the jealous response that threatened to bubble out of him. Misty bit hard on inside of her cheek in order to prevent her expression turning into a grimace of disgust. Casey, who had no need to feign some other response, simply rolled her eyes at Gary's cheesiness.

"Why don't we go find our table?" Casey suggested to the group before turning to Misty in a quick aside, "If we let him talk any longer, I think I'm going to end up retching my dinner before I eat it."

"Me too," Misty whispered in agreement. "I think whatever woman deluded him into thinking he was charming should be severely punished for the consequences," she added humorously.

Gary, oblivious to the comments between Misty and Casey, pulled out her chair for her once they reached their table, indicating to Ash that he was to do the same for Casey. Casey, however, waved Ash off before he got the chance to attempt chivalry, letting him know that she was perfectly capable of seating herself.

"Good," Ash smiled, relaxing a little with the knowledge that he wouldn't be expected to play too far outside of his normal self to get through the evening. "So what have you been doing these last years?" he asked. "Have you done much travelling?" He was genuinely curious – as he was about all his past acquaintances – but he was also following Gary's instructions. He was to pay careful attention to his date for the entire evening so that Misty would not suspect where his heart truly lay.

Casey, unsure of what her role was supposed to be, was happy to oblige. She took the opportunity to enlighten Ash to the complicated politics and goings on of the Electabuzz team over the last year and how this had impacted upon their performance in the various league competitions, and Ash suddenly remembered why he couldn't stand baseball.

"C'mon," Gary hissed at Misty who was seated beside him, "it's time to put the plan into action."

Misty rolled her eyes. "Forget it," Misty replied in a harsh whisper, "the plan is stupid and I'd rather poke my own eyeballs out with blunt utensils than pretend to enjoy your company."

"But the plan . . ." Gary tried whiningly.

"Is no longer in operation," Misty hissed back. "Hey, Casey," she cut into the conversation across from her, deciding to take pity upon Ash, "why don't you tell Ash about Meganium?"

Casey did so with great enthusiasm and Ash mouthed a silent 'thank you' towards Misty while the purple-haired girl wasn't looking.

Gary stewed. The plan wasn't going anything like he planned. Ash wasn't showing anything but his usual friendliness towards Casey. Misty was neither jealous nor depressed by Ash's lack of attention towards her, in fact, she even seemed to be joining in on the conversation. No one was paying attention to him, particularly not Misty, and so nothing was being done to further cement Ash's impression that Misty was out of his league (which Gary totally thought she was). His carefully placed pieces were all moving on their own accord and nothing was happening the way it was supposed to.

And Gary simply couldn't have that. Not when he'd put so much time and energy into getting things into place.

"Misty, can I talk to you for a moment?" he said charmingly, drawing her from the conversation for a moment.

Misty rolled her eyes. "What is it now, Gary?" she complained.

"I've got something I need to tell you," he said seriously, glancing over at Ash in the hope that younger man might make the wrong assumption. "It . . . could change your whole view on things."

Ash's face froze and Gary smiled to himself as Misty reluctantly left her seat.

"You were saying, Gary?" she asked pointedly once they found themselves a secluded alcove.

"Hey, don't give me that look," Gary protested. "I'm just following the plan," he said before muttering, "unlike some people."

"And I told you we were ditching the plan," she answered dangerously. "You said you'd help me, Gary, and like a fool I let you. As far as I can tell, you're not helping at all. You're just being your usual smarmy self and that's it. I should have known better – I should have known that a jerk like you will always be a jerk."

"I'm helping plenty," Gary replied. "Didn't you see Ash's face?"

"Yes," Misty replied, "because you're obviously holding something over Ash's head that got him to come here tonight. I can't believe even you would sink that low, Gary," she told him angrily. "Ash is your friend and you're pretty much blackmailing him right now, for what? For a fake date with a girl that can't even stand the sight of you? So you can covertly convince me that I'm wasting my time pining over Ash when I could have a guy like you?

"Why on earth would I choose someone like you over Ash?" she asked him with a cruel laugh. "He's kind and honest and would never try to manipulate the situation like this. And what are you? Some slobbering jerk who would do just about anything for his own gain."

At that Gary broke, taking a step forward that forced Misty up against the wall. "You're deluding yourself, Misty," he hissed at her. "Ashy-boy ain't nearly as perfect as you think. Not even by a long shot. Because you know that perfect, kind, honest guy you seem to think you know so well – he's the one that told me to do it. It was his idea.

"All of this," he said, waving his hand around grandly, "comes courtesy of Ash Ketchum.

"So, how do you like him now, Misty?" he asked cruelly. "How do you like it now that Ash Ketchum is 'someone like me'? Do you still want him? Do you think you could be friends with someone like that? Someone who deceived you? Someone who-"

"Stop," a voice called out, stopping Gary from going further. Gary jumped back in surprise and glanced in the direction of the interjector. "She gets it," Ash said despairingly, his body slumping in defeat as Gary – he assumed – revealed his worst secret, "you don't need to keep rubbing it in.

"Misty, I'm sorry," he said, turning to his best friend. "I'm sorry I ruined everything. I just . . . I'm so sorry, Myst."

Misty stared at him, her mouth agape in shock as she comprehended what Gary had just revealed and Ash's seeming confirmation of that. "Ash, how could you?" she asked sadly, tears sliding freely from her eyes.

"How could I not?" he replied, giving her a look of wonder. "You're impossible not to love, Misty," he told her with a beautiful half-smile.

"I don't understand," she complained, shaking her head and not quite believing his words. They simply weren't matching up with what Gary had just told her, and as loathe as she was to believe Gary, she couldn't entirely disregard them. It was just like Ash to go and do something like this, and then confess his undying love a moment later.

"Is that why you did it?" she asked him. "Is that why you helped Gary manipulate me? Because you love me?"

"Yes," Ash agreed eagerly, not fully attending to her stream of questions. He took it back once he considered them as a whole. "No, wait. What do you think I did?"

Misty shook her head and released an exasperated sigh. "Did you get Gary to bring me to dinner tonight?" she asked.

"Yes," he said with a nod, "but I didn't ask him to hit on you," he added with a glare directed at Gary. "He was only supposed to help me show you that I wasn't interested."

"Why?" she asked him cautiously.

"To avoid all this," Ash replied with a sad shrug. "I'm so sorry, Misty. I never meant to ruin our friendship like this."

"Why would it ruin our friendship?" she asked him, taking a cautious step towards him.

"Because now things will be all awkward and uncomfortable," he answered, practically reciting from Gary's warnings. "Don't worry, Myst, I don't expect you to return my feelings and I know you don't feel that way and that's okay because you're still my best friend and I'll always think of you that way and . . . um. I guess I should go," he said with a sigh, "I don't want to make this any weirder for you than it already is.

"I mean, I get that you're not interested so don't think that I'm trying to put any pressure on you or anything . . ." he said trailing off awkwardly.

"Not interested?" she couldn't help but ask.

Ash sighed in aggravation. "You know," he began to explain in the most basic of terms, "not interested in like . . . a relationship. Except friendship, but obviously that's out of the question because now you know and it'd just be too weird for us to stay friends after what I did."

Misty shook her head once again, unsure of whether she should be laughing or crying after Ash's botched confession. "Don't I get a say in this?" she asked him, her lips quirking at the corners.

"Well, I guess if you want to be friends, then of course that's okay with me, Myst," he told her, an eager hope lighting his eyes.

"And what if I don't?" she asked and his expression shifted once again to desolation as he looked down at his feet. "What if I want more?" she added, quirking her head to the side expectantly.

His head lifted, his eyes rising to meet hers. They were filled with a myriad of confused emotions, but there was hope and love and timid happiness that prayed her last question meant what he thought it meant.

"I don't know who's been telling you otherwise, Ketchum," she began with a laugh, "but I am most definitely interested in a relationship with you. In fact," she added casually, "I'm kinda in love with you too."

"You – you?" Ash questioned, struggling to find the words. He inched closer as his body moved entirely on its own accord.

"Yeah," she replied shyly, glancing coyly at her feet. "I thought it was obvious."

Ash shook his head adamantly, his steps bringing him determinedly closer to her. "Not obvious," he assured her. "At least, not to me."

"Well, now you know," she shrugged, closing the remaining space between them with a step forward that had their bodies pressed close together, "so what are you going to do about it, Ketchum?" she challenged.

Ash grinned. "What I've wanted to do for a really long time," he told her breathlessly. And with those final words of warning, he took her face in his hands and succinctly guided her lips to his own in a soul-searing kiss.

"I love you," he breathed gently against her lips as they parted for air.

Misty grinned. "I love you too."

~ to be continued ~

Ah-ha! Evil-Gary is defeated by his own evil ways. That'll teach him for trying to get between Pokeshipping - no one messes with my OTP and gets away with it, which is thusly what the last little chapter type bit consists of . . . REVENGE!

In the meantime, review.