Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon

Misty woke up to sunlight streaming in from the windows.

The curtains were drawn back, revealing a magnificent view of the Kanto region. Land stretched as far as the eye could see. The sun peeked along the horizon, casting a warm glow over the area. It was breath-taking. Who wouldn't want to wake up to this every day?

Misty turned her head to look at Ash, who was still sleeping soundly. His chest rose and fell gently. The sheets pooled around his waist, revealing his upper body. The black T-shirt stretched snugly over his pecs and cinched in the right places, giving away the fit body underneath.

Misty tore her eyes away and stretched her arms above her head.

There weren't any more surprises in the night. They slept in their respective sides. No one woke up screaming or thrashing in their nightmares. Misty grew worried. What kind of dream would make a grown man act that way in their sleep?

Misty watched Ash sleep for a little longer. He looked more like the boy she knew ten years ago when he's relaxed like this. His face was clear of any frown lines. Since the moment she saw him again, the only expression he gave her were knit brows and grimaces.

Misty saw Ash about to frown in his sleep. He was having a bad dream again. She slid a finger between his eyebrows and his face slowly returned to the innocent face again. After realizing what she's done, she quickly retreated her hand. Shocked, she got out of bed.

Get a grip, Misty.

Misty padded out of the bedroom area and into the living room. She took a look back at Ash's sleeping form.

I'll go make breakfast.

Misty walked over to the kitchen. She opened the fridge and clicked her tongue at what measly supply of food Ash kept. The fridge is practically bare! Misty sighed and opened up the pantry. She found a bag of chocolate chips.

Chocolate chip pancakes will do. Misty proceeded to gather the pans and ingredients to start breakfast.

This must be a dream.

There's no way Misty would be in his home, making breakfast right now.

Ash woke up to the delicious smell of pancakes. It wafted to the bedroom and teased his senses. That's a clue that he has to still be sleeping right now. No one has ever cooked him breakfast except for his mom.

Ash walked barefoot over to where Misty was at. Her back was to him as she tended to the pancakes on the stove. She hummed a playful tune while swinging her hips side to side.

Ash's eyes raked down her backside. So much has changed between the ten years they have been apart. Misty has gone from a scrawny girl into a beauty. She filled out her curves nicely. A narrow waist led to round hips and a firm chest.

Ash rubbed his eyes, still convinced that this is an illusion.

The streaming sunlight from the morning sun hit her hair, turning it into a light orange. It complimented her fair complexion.

Gorgeous.

Whether this was a dream or not, he didn't want it to end.

Ash walked to the breakfast bar and sat down. He continued to watch her little show. Her petite figure swayed back and forth to her imaginary tune. She expertly flipped the pancake and set it on the plate next to her. When she finally finished two piles of pancakes, she turned off the stove and spun around.

Misty found Ash awake and staring at her. His eyes held a dreamy quality. Even though she discovered him watching her, he doesn't turn his head away or anything. No reaction.

"Ash?" Misty was bemused.

"Hm," Ash answered. He continues to fix her with his stare. Ha, the Misty in his dream can talk! His mind had preserved the memory of her voice well. A smile begins to play on the corner of his lips. Did they sleep in the same bed last night? That would be really –

Wait, bed?

Suddenly, reality snapped back.

Ash remembered everything about their arrangement, including last night's events. He straightened himself. His eyes return back to the coolness she saw yesterday. Ash cleared his voice to get rid of the awkwardness.

"'Morning," Ash said gruffly.

Misty stared at him for a bit, wondering what that was all about. She decided to spare him.

"I made pancakes," she gestured to the plates with pancakes stacked high.

"Oh."

Misty brought both plates to the bar. She placed one in front of him and the other plate for her beside him. She grabbed the bottle of syrup she found and brought it over. Ash was still staring at his plate.

"What? I swear they're edible, Ash." Misty mistook Ash's staring as doubt for her cooking skills. She rolled her eyes.

"Huh? That's not it." Ash paused. "These are chocolate chip pancakes."

"Yes, they are, Captain Obvious."

Ash ignored her and continued to take in the situation. Then, he reached for the syrup bottle and poured a dribble over the pancakes. He grabbed a fork and lifted up a piece. He chewed slowly.

Misty sat next to him and ate normally. What? They taste fine to me.

"My mom used to make me pancakes."

Misty glanced at Ash. Surprised that he was initiating a conversation.

"I haven't had someone cook a meal for me in a long time." Well, that explained the weirdness a few moments ago. Misty thought this over as she chewed.

"So did you prepare your own meals before today?"

"Occasionally. I usually eat my meals in the cafeteria. But when I want some alone time, I can cook simple stuff." He popped another bite into his mouth.

"This is really good," he said quietly.

"Thanks." Misty replied. She's enjoying her morning so far. At least they weren't tearing at each other's throat. "Where's Pikachu? I haven't seen him since last night?"

"He's probably downstairs somewhere."

"Oh."

They continued to eat in silence after that. Neither one of them wanted to talk, in case it turns out badly. They enjoyed the beautiful morning and each other's company. Only the clinking of silverware filled the silence.

Ash was the first to finish. He cleared his throat.

"Misty, since I'm your bodyguard during the time you're under the Protection Program, we have to stick together at all times."

"All times?" Misty looked up in shock. She saw the seriousness in his eyes. "Not just when I go out?"

He nodded. "Yes, plus we need to train you in self-defense and Pokémon battling. Who knows when you might need to protect yourself?"

"Fine," grumbled Misty. She placed the last piece in her mouth. Ash took up her plate along with his and went to clean them.

"Get dressed, we leave in a few minutes." He looked over at Misty. "Don't bother showering. You'll get sweaty later, anyway."

"Gross!"

He shrugged and returned to washing the plates.

"Right jab!"

Misty swung her fist but it turned out flimsy and weak. Ash easily deflected it.

She paused to catch her breath. Even though she tied her hair up, sweat matted her hair to her face and forehead and lead in rivulets down the side of her neck. Misty gasped in and out, trying to gather more of the delicious air into her lungs.

"Again!"

Spartan Trainer. Misty shook her head and continued to wheeze in and out. They had been going at it for two hours at the base's gym. Ash had made her run on the treadmill, lift weights, and now they were moving on to boxing. She was exhausted, yet Ash stood there, in front of her, barely breaking a sweat. The boxing gloves on her hands felt like dead weights.

"Misty!"

"Just give me a second," shouted Misty.

Ash folded his arms across his chest, "Give you a second? No assailant will wait for you to catch your breath. If this was a real scene, you would be dead."

Misty glared at him. She could feel the anger boiling inside of her.

"You hit like a girl," he said condescendingly. Misty didn't like anyone calling her weak.

"Huh, I'm giving you free rein to punch me, yet you barely made a scratch," he smirked. "Guess you don't –"

Misty shot out her right fist. Ash barely had enough time to catch it before it reached his face. Misty continued to glare at him. His smirk was gone.

Impressive, he thought.

"That's right, let go of your emotions. Let me see what you got!"

Misty threw a barrage of punches and jabs. Ash blocked each one of them but he felt her assault was getting stronger with each move. Misty took a step forward with each punch, while Ash stepped backwards. He led them in a circle, around the boxing ring.

"Concentrate on your balance! Focus on the way your body is moving."

"Hah!" She threw another punch.

A few Trainers in the gym looked on with curiosity. Ash and Misty ignored them and carried on with renewed vigor. Their grunts and shouts filled the silence as they fought. Bystanders watched on with curiosity. They're fascinated by the intensity of the pair's session.

Misty channeled her emotions into her punches. All the years of pent-up tears. The heart-breaking hurt she felt ten years ago. The shock and rage at seeing him again. Her emotions collided together and formed a raging storm inside of her.

That damn eyebrow. His attitude towards her sucks. Who does he think he is?

Misty directed all of her energy into one last uppercut. To her and Ash's surprise, it lands. Ash's head snapped back from the blow. Misty pulled back her fist. For a moment she panicked but calmed down when he held up a hand.

"I'm fine." Ash rubbed his thumb back and forth along his jaw. He winced when he felt the tender spot. "Nice…one."

"Do you –"

"No, I'll be fine." He straightened himself. "That's it for today. Take a shower and come back." He ducked under the ring's ropes and made his way to the men's room.

Misty was worried. She had put considerable strength in that uppercut.

Humph, suit yourself. She walked towards the women's locker room. Misty gathered clean clothes and her shampoo bottle before heading towards the showers. She gained a few stares from the women in the room but ignored them.

Think what you want.

Misty closed the curtain and set her things on a bench. She shed her training clothes and piled them beside her other clothes. She turned on the shower. Within seconds, steam started to flow up from the heated temperature.

"Ah," Misty moaned. Now that the adrenaline has faded, she could feel just how sore her body was. Her joints ached from fatigue. The shower rained just the right pressure on the tensed muscles. The hot water felt heavenly against her skin.

Misty showered quickly and went out of the locker room with her hair still damp. She found Ash standing across from the doorway. His stoic expression was back. He looked up when he saw Misty approaching.

"I have a meeting to go to." Ash said when Misty drew near.

"Oh?"

Ash led Misty out into the hallway. They stand close to the wall to avoid obstructing passersbys.

"Am I going to follow you then?"

Ash shook his head, "No, you're going to have to stay in my room."

"All day? Can't I stay in the rec room or something?"

"I'd feel better if you stayed somewhere I know. You have a habit of wandering."

"This is the base! Probably the safest place from a Team Rocket attack."

Ash pursed his lips. "Yeah, but what if there's an emergency? I don't want you to get lost while people are running around, preparing for battle."

"Ash, you're so paranoid!"

"Call it whatever! I don't want you to –"

"I can keep her company."

Ash and Misty looked over at the new voice. Ritchie made his way over to the pair. Sparky sat on his shoulder. It waved its yellow tail to greet them. Ritchie saw the two arguing in hallway and felt compelled to break up the fight. He winked at Misty as he glanced her way.

"A board member meeting has just been called, right? I can look after her." Misty beamed at him. Ritchie returned her smile. He glanced at Ash. Ritchie was shocked to see him glaring daggers at him.

"Great." Ash stalked off down the hallway. He walked briskly straight, not pausing to give anyone room. The poor victims in his path scrambled to dodge out of his way. Ash ignored them, giving no indication that he was sorry.

Ritchie returned back to Misty. He wanted to ask her what made Ash mad, but Misty just shrugged. She continued to watch Ash walk away from her. Ritchie decided to divert her attention.

"Shall we grab lunch?"

Misty turned back to Ritchie. "Sure."

Ash walked briskly to the meeting room.

Perfect timing, Ritchie.

During his and Misty's training session, Ash was aware of how many stares they got. And he noticed that most of the onlookers were male, staring at Misty's sexy, sweating body.

Her fit body glistened with sweat. Strands of hair were plastered to her face. Her body heaved in and out as she prepared her next strike. All in all, she was one, hot mess. And it showed through her skin-tight sports bra and short running shorts.

Years of swimming had done her justice. Her legs were long and curvy. Her arms were toned, not flimsy like most girls her age. Soft bicep muscles were emphasized in her upper arms. She walked with her shoulders held high. Her butt was firm and round. And her stomach…

God, her stomach.

Flat and toned. Her waist curved and rounded out to her hips. Her skin was so smooth he wanted to touch it. But he reigned in his carnal desires.

She had grown into quite the woman while he wasn't looking. She was no longer the skinny, washboard girl. She matured into a beautiful being with a formidable personality.

But she was no longer his.

No, he reminded himself. She was never his.

"A salad, please."

The lunch lady handed her a bowl of Caesar salad. Misty placed it on her tray and made her way over to Ritchie, who stood off to the side to wait for her. Ritchie smiled and led her over to an empty table. He sat on one side while Misty settled down across from him.

Ritchie ordered a hamburger. Sparky sat on the table, nibbling at some pokeblocks. Misty started to eat her salad, relishing at the taste of fresh greens. It was absolutely refreshing, after her session with Ash. A tomato gushed into flavor as she bit into it.

"So, what do you think of the base so far, Misty?" Ritchie grinned. He reached for a couple of fries.

"The base? I haven't seen much of it." Misty took another mouthful of lettuce. She chewed it over and swallowed slowly. "I was holed up in Ash's room until this morning."

Ritchie's jaw dropped open. "Whoa, Misty."

Misty blushed as she realize what her words might imply. "Not like that, Ritchie! What I meant was – It was late last night. So he didn't give me a tour! And we were both really tired and slept in a little because of yesterday's events…" She starts babbling.

Ritchie erupted into laughter. "I was just messing with you, Misty. I know what you meant. You should have seen your face."

Misty's face got even redder. She stabbed her vegetables and brought them to her mouth. Ritchie looked at her with a wicked grin and continued eating his hamburger.

"Now, according to this diagram, Team Rocket's movements have steadily been more concentrated in this area of the region…"

The presenter droned on and on about some observation he had made while monitoring Team Rocket's recent activities. Ash stared in boredom. It was a no brainer to do that director's job. You look at a map, then mark down places that TR has recently targeted. The more marks, the better chances that that area would not experience another attack. Not experience more. After all, what kind of criminal would return to the scene of the crime? They would have already looted everything the first time.

What are we paying him for again?

Ash sat along a table with other directors and board members on either side of him. Brock sat in the middle of the long table. The speaker was wildly waving his hand across a map shown by a projector.

Ash could care less about what the meeting was about. It was always the same discussion. He doubted anything new would come up. He flicked his pen around and around his fingers.

Instead, his mind was elsewhere. More specifically, with an orange-haired girl. He wondered what she must be doing now. Was she eating with Ritchie? Is she laughing? Is she having fun with him?

His overactive imagination conjured up a scene where Misty and Ritchie are having dinner with candlelight. Ritchie would tell her a funny story, and then Misty would giggle her vibrant laugh. They would clink champagne flutes and take a drink. Then, during the progression of the date, they would gradually lean closer and closer…

Ash closed his eyes. He couldn't handle it anymore. He threaded both of his hands into his hair. He ruffled his hair hard enough to muss it up and leave it in disarray. He groaned at the frustration of it all.

Why should I care? He screamed in his head.

When he's finished with his little tantrum, he reopened his eyes.

And found everyone in the room giving him a weird looks. Brock watched his old friend, amused. He quickly brought a hand up to stifle his chuckles when he couldn't take it anymore.

Predictable, thought Brock.

Ash sunk deeper into his seat, trying to deflect the attention off himself but instead it made the stares linger longer.

She's making his old emotions resurface. Nobody saw the lone tear that slid down the side of Brock's profile.

AN: Reviewers are welcome and loved. Hope you stick around for more!