Author's Note: Here's another long chapter for you and the next to the last of the story. This was an interesting chapter to write. Of course, certain events here were going to happen regardless, but in my original outline, they didn't happen like this. Still, I have say I'm happy with the way it turned out and this is probably my favorite chapter. I hope you enjoy.
-o-o-o-o-o-
Kirk closed the program by once again thanking the event's sponsors and then shouting a hearty goodbye to the crowd. What immediately followed was chaos as hundreds of people, who had filled the park over the course of several hours, tried to leave all at once.
Fortunately for Ash and Brock, they didn't have to fight the rush. Ushers arrived only moments after Kirk left the stage, shouting over the din that they would soon bring them around the lake to meet with the contestants. Soon, however, turned out to be a relative term. Ash watched from across the lake as photographers posed Misty, Lisa and Candy for a long series of shots. Then they gathered the rest for another round of photos. The girls disappeared backstage, but the ushers kept Ash and the others in their seats, explaining that the contestants needed time to change.
Several more minutes passed and then finally the announcement came that they could stand and begin following the ushers. A paved walkway led them from the amphitheatre along the shore of the lake. The various groups talked amongst themselves, carrying a low rumble with them as they stretched out a line about five people wide. Ash and Brock found themselves near the front of the crowd and thus were among the first to reach the amphitheatre.
The contestants were more or less grouped together, dressed in casual clothes and carrying duffel bags or backpacks. Ash spotted Misty and shouted to grab her attention. She turned and smiled at him, and for the first time in his life, Ash understood the expression about having butterflies in his stomach. She looked so happy, so content, so radiant, he stopped in place and felt Brock bump into him from behind.
If there had been any lingering doubt inside him about his feelings for Misty, they were dispelled just like the rising sun burns away morning fog. He was also sure about something else. This was not the right moment to tell her. He knew he couldn't turn back in the journey across his metaphorical river, but he also knew that he would need to tread water a little longer before coming ashore and discovering what would happen next. If things didn't go the way he hoped, he didn't want to ruin this moment for Misty. That wouldn't be fair.
He didn't have long to ponder it anyway, because Misty was running to him and nearly leapt into his arms, wrapping herself around him to grab Brock and pull all three into a group hug. Pikachu escaped at the last moment, perching himself on Ash's shoulder, joining the hug by reaching out to Misty and Brock.
"Ash!" Misty exclaimed. "Brock! Pikachu! Togepi!" She let go and pulled back. "Can you believe it? First runner up!"
Another worry of Ash's melted away as it was obvious to him that Misty was not too disappointed in finishing second. "You were wonderful," he said. "That move at the end, wow. Brock and I still can't quite figure out how you pulled that one off."
"I've been working here and there on it just in case my sisters asked me to perform with them again. I only managed it to do it once yesterday, but I figured I wasn't going to hold back and went for broke."
"Well, it paid off," Brock said. "You did a great job all around."
"Thanks," Misty said. "Oh, speaking of thanks, thank you so much for the flowers and the cookies. You don't know how much encouragement they gave me before the show. They're going to deliver them to the pokémon center for me later."
Ash once again lost his voice, but thankfully Brock filled in. "It was our pleasure, although you should really thank Ash. It was all his idea."
"Really?" Misty exclaimed. "Thank you." She hugged him again, this time solo. "You are a great friend," she whispered into his ear, just as she had the night before. Only now, Ash wasn't sure what think about the phrase.
Misty pulled back, still smiling. "Before I forget, Lisa is having a post-pageant party in about an hour at her house. She had it planned before she won, so now it's a congratulations party too. Vicky and Carol and Teresa and Trisha will be there, plus a few of the others and some people Lisa knows from around town. You and Brock are invited, of course. Do you want to go?"
"Yeah," Ash said. "Sounds like fun."
He felt Brock slap him in the back. "Ash calling a party filled with girls and not pokémon fun? Misty, our friend here is finally growing up."
Ash blushed and averted his eyes from Misty's. "It was bound to happen," she said with a laugh.
Misty had already said her goodbyes, so they starting making their way out of the throng of people near the stage. Although she at first protested, Ash took her backpack and Brock held her dress, safely inside its garment bag, over an arm. She in turn took Togepi, who had once again fallen asleep. The ushers directed them to a smaller side exit out of the park. A lone attendant stood next to the gate and he waved them through when they approached.
It took them a moment to regain their bearings since this exit deposited them on a different street than the one which led to main entrance, but soon they were on their way back to the pokémon center. The going was slow, however, since there were still many people filling the sidewalks.
They passed the time listening to Misty talk about the behind-the-scenes adventures of the pageant. Ash laughed along her at several of the stories, which seemed to be about a world completely alien from the one he knew. Brock led the way and Ash set a pace to walk next to Misty, Togepi still asleep in her arms. Pikachu was riding shotgun on his shoulder.
It was the first time he'd been this close to Misty for an extended period of time since the florist shop, and as they walked the streets back to the center, he found himself sneaking glances at her. He'd spent more time with her than any other person over the past three years, yet now when he looked at her, small details surfaced that he had either had not noticed before or just hadn't considered important. There were the collection of faint freckles dotting her nose and cheeks, the dimples that appeared when she laughed at a humorous recollection, and how several locks of her hair, free from their usual ponytail, framed her face.
Once, Misty happened to glance his way when he was looking. She smiled and he fought the reflex to quickly look away, afraid it would be an obvious tell that he had been staring at her. Ash felt his cheeks heat up as he smiled back, and the churning in his stomach returned in force. If Misty noticed anything usual, she didn't give a sign and soon turned back ahead to continue her story about twin sisters Teresa and Trisha flipping a coin to decide who got to wear which outfit for their pokémon exhibitions.
Soon enough, they arrived at the pokémon center. Upon entering, Ash turned toward the stairs to follow Brock to the second floor, but Misty asked him to wait and instead walked to the front desk, behind which Nurse Joy was at her station. Ash stopped and followed Misty to the desk.
"Hello," Misty said to Joy.
"Good evening," she replied.
"I'm supposed to have a package," Misty said. "Misty Waterflower."
"Oh," Joy exclaimed. "You were first runner up in the pageant, weren't you?"
"Yeah, I was," Misty said, sounding surprised.
"I listened to it on the radio," Joy explained. "One of the local stations broadcasts it each year. Sounded like you put on some show. The radio announcer was raving about your routine."
"Thank you," Misty said, blushing at the attention.
"Your package," Joy said suddenly, as if just remembering the reason they had started the conversation. "It's right here." She reached under the desk and pulled out a black garment bag, similar to the one containing Misty's dress, only smaller.
"Thank you," Misty said, accepting the bag from Joy.
Misty turned and Ash followed her to the stairs and up to the second floor. Brock was waiting for them at Misty's door, still holding her dress. Misty unlocked the door and took the dress from Brock.
"I guess I need to get ready if I'm going to a party filled with beautiful girls," Brock said with a laugh. "Don't forget your promise, Ash." He gave them a wave and walked down to their door before Ash had a chance to reply. Pikachu hopped down from his shoulder and followed Brock into their room.
"What promise?" Misty asked from inside the doorway. She placed the sleeping Togepi on her bed and hooked the larger of the two garment bags on the closet door.
"Umm," Ash began. "Well, I told Brock I would introduce him to Lisa if I got the opportunity. I guess this party will make that pretty easy.
Misty laughed. "That should be interesting."
"True," Ash said. "Well, I guess I should get ready too." Before he could leave, however, Misty grabbed his arm.
"I wanted to thank you again for everything Ash," Misty said.
"No problem," Ash said reflexively.
"Ash..." Misty said, but trailed off, appearing lost for words instead of him for a change. "I'm glad you're going to the party," she continued after the pause. "I had a little extra time this morning, so when I went to the mall to pick up the dress, I stopped into another store and got this." She gestured to the smaller garment bag still in her hand. "It's not much, nothing like what you got for me, but I just wanted to say 'thank you.'" She then held out the bag to him.
He looked at her questioningly and then at the bag.
"It's for you," Misty said. "I had them deliver it here since I couldn't take it with me to the pageant."
Wordlessly, Ash took the bag from her, unsure of what to think or do.
"Open it," Misty said softly.
He did, slowly pulling down the bag's front zipper, revealing a dress shirt, patterned in red and white to suggest the design of a pokéball without being obvious or cartoonish. It wasn't something he would have picked out himself, but now that it was in his hands, he had to admit he liked it.
"I thought you could wear it to the party," Misty said.
Now Ash understood what Misty had meant she said she was glad he was going.
As if reading his mind, Misty added, "That's not the only reason I'm glad you're going tonight. You put in a lot of thought and time into helping me with this and I want you to be able to enjoy the party and have a good time."
"Thank you, Misty," Ash said. "The shirt is great."
"So you'll wear it?"
"Of course," Ash said. "I guess I better get ready," he added after a moment.
"Yeah," Misty said. She hugged him again and this time he saw it coming, returning the gesture and crossing his arms behind her back. They stayed that way for several heartbeats and then pulled back at the same time.
Unable to think of anything else to say, he smiled at Misty and then left, gently closing the door behind him. When he was safely back in his room, he let loose the breath he'd been holding ever since the hug. He looked down at the garment bag, but his mind was whirling in too many directions for him to settle on any one thing.
"Pikachu," the yellow pokémon said from his bed.
"Hey, Pikachu," he replied, glad for the distraction.
Brock was nowhere to be seen but Ash heard the shower running in the bathroom. He hung the bag on the closet door and then sat on his bed, propping up the pillows so he could sit up and watch television while waiting for his turn in the shower. He was halfway through an episode of "Pokémon Classics," a documentary series about famous pokémon trainers and masters, when Brock left the bathroom.
"Don't worry," Brock said at once. "I made sure there was no hot water left this time."
"Har, har," Ash said, getting up from the bed.
Brock walked over to the closet and pointed at the garment bag. "What's in the bag?" he asked.
"Misty bought me a shirt as a thank you for helping her yesterday and for the dress."
"Well, I'm sure it looks better than anything you would have bought," Brock said. He stopped short, however, and added, "Actually, after seeing that dress you picked out, I don't know if that's true. I'm not sure if I'm ready for a suave Ash."
Ash joined his friend in laughter, but he was suddenly overwhelmed with the situation facing him about Misty and the many questions for which he had no answer. "Brock?" he asked, ready at last to broach the subject eating at him.
"Yeah," Brock said, his face showing that he had noticed the change in Ash's tone.
At the last second, however, Ash lost his nerve. "If you really didn't leave any hot water, you can kiss your Lisa introduction goodbye." Before Brock could recover or Ash could change his mind again, he strode past his friend and into the bathroom, locking the door behind him.
-o-o-o-o-o-
Lisa's house was located in what appeared to be a wealthy neighborhood. The trio took the same route to reach it that Ash had when he found Misty at the cafe two days before. He felt a turmoil of emotions when they passed the cafe and he risked a glance at Misty, but couldn't read her expression. They continued walking for another five minutes or so before arriving in Lisa's neighborhood.
The house was two stories and they could hear music playing from behind a tall stone privacy fence which separated the back yard from the street. A wide driveway to the right of the house led to a two car garage. They followed a paved walkway to the front door, where Misty rang the doorbell. She was wearing her dress again while Ash was in his khakis and the dress shirt she gave him. Brock was wearing dress pants and a nice, if a bit flamboyant, purple shirt with a floral pattern growing up one shoulder. They had decided to leave Pikachu back in Ash and Brock's room at the center to look over Togepi and the other pokémon.
After a moment or two, the front door opened to reveal Lisa, who like Misty was wearing her dark green dress from the pageant. The music blasted through the doorway, sounding much louder than it had from the street.
"Good to see you. I'm glad you could make it," Lisa said before hugging Misty. "You too," she added to Ash.
"Hi," he said. "Congratulations on winning."
"Thank you," she replied.
"And this is our friend Brock," Misty said.
Lisa smiled. "I heard a lot about you last night at dinner," she said. "Why don't you come in? Everybody is out back on the patio."
It was Brock's turn to be speechless and the older teen could only nod and walk through the door. Ash glanced at Misty and grinned. She returned the gesture and then they followed their friend inside.
Lisa led them through the foyer, down a hallway and into a carpeted den with one wall dominated by an enormous entertainment center. An open sliding glass door revealed the aforementioned patio filled with about twenty teens of various ages. The music, which had grown louder as they made their way through the house, was coming from a stereo setup at the edge of the patio next to a table covered in various finger foods and a large punch bowl.
Ash looked around at the crowd as they walked out onto the patio, noticing several contestants, including Carol, along with a few other girls he didn't recognize. There were about five guys in addition to Brock and himself. He realized they were going to be quite outnumbered. Most of the others had cups in their hands and were milling about in groups of three or four.
"Misty!" dual voices shouted simultaneously and a moment later Misty was enveloped in hugs by Teresa and Trisha. "Congratulations again," one of them said, but Ash couldn't be sure which. They were also wearing their pageant dresses, one blue and the other peach, but he couldn't remember who had worn what color.
"And you must be Brock," the twin in peach said.
"I am," Brock said in surprise.
"I'm good with names," she replied. "My sister here is a master at putting her foot in her mouth, as she proved quite admirably last night, and I am terrific at remembering people's names. We're both talented, just in different ways."
The twin in blue punched the one in peach playfully on the shoulder and stuck her tongue out at her sister.
"I'm sorry, but I'm at a disadvantage at the moment," Brock said.
"See, you're too busy showing off to make a proper introduction," the twin in blue said. "Sorry about that," she added, turning back to Brock. "My name is Teresa and my sister here who couldn't even remember her own name is Trisha. It's nice to meet you. We've heard so much about you."
"I keep hearing that," Brock said. "I'm beginning to worry about just what Misty and Ash said about me last night."
"Don't worry, they were nice," Lisa chimed in. "You're into pokémon breeding, right?"
"I am," Brock replied. "It's been a passion of mine for years. Traveling around with these two has given me quite the opportunity to research what others are doing."
"We need to find some time to talk then, because I'm also interested in it," Lisa said.
"Well, if your performance at the pageant is any indication of your pokémon skills, you should have no problem doing whatever you like," Brock said.
Before she could reply, the doorbell sounded. "Sorry," she said. "I need to get that. Don't run away."
Lisa gave a little wave and then re-entered the house, Brock watching her go the entire the way. Ash and Misty shared another knowing glance and he heard the twins stifle a giggle when they noticed.
"I suppose we can call our deal concluded," Ash said, but he had to repeat it twice more before Brock acknowledged him, and even then it was only with a distracted nod. Ash chuckled and turned to Misty. "Want some punch?" he asked.
"Sure," she said.
Ash didn't bother to ask Brock and excused himself from the twins, who were already holding their own cups. As he made his way to the punch bowl, he couldn't help but wonder how Brock made falling for a girl seem so easy. Perhaps it was practice. Or maybe he avoided longtime friends.
Just before he reached the food table, he passed a group of chatting teens and noticed two of them were obviously a couple. The girl was one of the contestants who had performed a twirling routine, but not the one who had dropped her baton. Her boyfriend had his arm wrapped around her waist and when she glanced at him during a lull in their conversation she gave him a big smile.
Ash was past them and at the punch bowl before he could see what happened next, but the image of the smiling girl stuck with him. If he and Misty did become a couple, would they act like that? He had no idea what being a couple entailed, even without adding in the extra complication of trying to become one with his best friend. He nearly overfilled his drink cup before he shook himself from those thoughts and instead concentrated on ladling a more modest amount into a second cup.
He glanced over at the same group on the way back to Misty and the others, but the girl was nowhere to be seen, her boyfriend's arm empty but for his drink cup. Arriving at his own group, he handed Misty her drink and she nodded her thanks. The twins were talking animatedly about the pageant, specifically about the behind-the-scenes drama and general insanity of packing twenty-four teen girls into a confined space. He didn't add much to the conversation, only occasionally giving his perspective of certain events as they looked from the audience.
They heard the doorbell ring twice more before Lisa finally reappeared with another ten or so teens in tow, including four more contestants and another three boys. The newcomers made their way to the punch bowl or the food, while Lisa walked over to join Ash's group.
"What did I miss?" she asked.
"We were telling Ash and Brock about the wild and crazy dealings backstage," Teresa said.
"I hope you're not giving away any trade secrets," Lisa replied with a smile.
"Nothing too classified," Trisha said. "I was just about to tell them about the gyarados conspiracy."
"The gyarados conspiracy?" Ash asked. The only contestant who had used a gyarados was Candy and he was instantly intrigued at the idea of learning some dirt on her.
"That still ticks me off," Lisa said with a sharpness in her voice that surprised Ash.
"What happened?" Misty asked.
"Oh, that's right," Lisa said. "You wouldn't know. It happened long before you got into town."
"We just heard about it from Vicky, so maybe you should tell the story," Trisha said to Lisa.
"Alright," she said. "You know how there was a list of banned pokémon we couldn't use in our routines?"
"Yeah," Misty said. "I was particularly glad to see jigglypuff was on there."
That drew a chuckle from Ash and Brock, who had both suffered the sleep-inducing effects of the singing pokémon on more than one occasion.
"Exactly, there was a reason they included the ones they did," Lisa continued. "Well, gyarados was on the original list published by the pageant's rules committee, probably because of its size and prickly temperament. Word is Candy went ballistic when she saw it and spent the next three days calling all of the pageant's major sponsors to complain. That's the rumor at least, but a few days later the rules committee sent out a 'corrected' list, and this time gyarados was nowhere to be found."
"She's not coming here, is she?" Trisha asked.
"Oh God no," Lisa said. "She wouldn't be caught dead going to somebody else's after party, especially since she didn't win. I know she had one planned too, but I'm betting she canceled the whole thing and is now sitting around feeling sorry for herself. She's really going to be insufferable for the next month or so." She looked at Misty. "At least you're going to be heading out soon, but I'm stuck with her. You have no idea how bad she can get at times."
"Oh, I've already seen her with her claws out," Misty said subdued. "The day before yesterday I was at this cafe not far from here."
"The one just down the road with the courtyard?" Lisa interrupted, then looked apologetic for breaking in.
"Yeah," Misty said slowly, as if she was trying to find her place again. "I was sitting there looking at the menu when Candy and two of her friends saw me. They said..." she trailed off, sighed and then continued. "They said some pretty horrible things. I was kind of trapped there and couldn't do a thing."
Ash could tell by her expression that it was still painful for her to recall. He felt an urge to move closer to her to provide some kind of support, just as he had when it was happening.
"Thankfully, Ash showed up out of nowhere," she said, looking to him, her face brightening somewhat. "He told them off and they left in a huff."
It wasn't exactly how Ash remembered it, but didn't say anything.
"That is so romantic," Teresa said, earning an elbow in the ribs from her sister.
"There you go again," Trisha said.
"But it is," Teresa whispered, and Trisha shushed her.
"Candy did something similar to us earlier in the week shortly after we arrived in town," Trisha said. "Although it sounds like she was much worse with you."
"I'm not sure what I would have done if Ash wasn't there," Misty said. "She and her friends knew just the right buttons to push."
Ash felt a momentary sense of guilt at remembered how similar their words had been to his own during their argument.
"Misty, I knew something must have happened with the way Ash acted every time Candy was on stage, but he wouldn't give me any details," Brock said. "I'm sorry that happened."
"No worries, Brock," Misty said. "Besides, it helped Ash and I get over our fight."
"And don't forget, you finished ahead of Candy and there's not a thing she can do about that," Lisa chimed in. "Besides, if you're lucky, you won't have to see her again anyway."
"Well, I'm going to see her tomorrow for sure when I go with Ash to watch him battle her at the gym," Misty said.
"Oh, I forget about that," Lisa said. "Would you mind if I tagged along? I haven't seen many actual pokémon battles and would love to see Candy lose big two days in a row."
"Us too," Teresa said, her sister nodding eagerly in agreement.
"Sure," Ash said. "Although I can't guarantee a victory."
They quickly made plans to meet in the park in front of the gym the next morning. Ash couldn't help comparing the situation to what he had been facing two days before, when he was set to face Candy without Misty. Now he would have a veritable cheering squad.
Talking about Candy followed by Misty's retelling of her encounter at the cafe seemed to cast a pall on further discussion of the pageant, so the conversation shifted to the trio's travels. This allowed Brock to speak more, especially since he hadn't been at the dinner the night before, and he overcame his earlier nervousness. Lisa appeared to pay special attention whenever he was talking and Ash began to suspect that his friend might have finally fallen for a girl who seemed to return the feeling. He thought ruefully to himself that before his own recent realizations he probably would have been completely oblivious to the signs.
They were interrupted occasionally as people drifted over to congratulate Lisa and Misty on their success. Carol and Vicky showed up and both gave a hug to Misty. Ash and Brock, after another round of introductions, congratulated them on their routines and soon the conversation was back to the pageant.
"Okay, Misty, we have to know," Carol said, gesturing to Vicky. "Give us the scoop on your Q&A segment. You were talking about Ash, weren't you?"
"Yeah," Misty said, so quietly that Ash almost couldn't hear over the music.
"I knew it," Vicky said, then added, "You didn't tell us that he bought you that dress."
"It didn't come up," Misty said, making it sound more like a question than a statement.
"Well, if it makes you feel any better, they didn't tell me either," Brock said. Misty started to say something, but he waved her off. "I already told Ash I don't mind. Although I'm still having a hard time believing he actually picked it out."
"You did?" Lisa asked, switching her attention from Brock to Ash.
"Yeah," Ash replied, only afterward realizing that he too had turned his answer into a question. He was saved from further interrogation by the doorbell, whose ring cut through the music.
"That should be the last group," Lisa said. "When I get back, we'll really get this party going."
As soon as Lisa left, Carol and Vicky, being locals, demanded to know in which store they found Misty's dress and how much it cost. The latter question Misty refused to answer and Ash declined as well, not wanting Brock to know just how much he spent. When the pair heard Ash would be battling Candy the next morning, they asked to tag along as well.
Lisa returned shortly with another six teens, two girls and four boys, none of whom Ash recognized from the pageant. Instead of returning to their group, she instead went over to the stereo and turned down the music. Conversations around the patio instantly became audible and almost as quickly ended as people turned their attention to Lisa. After hearing the blasting music for so long, Ash's ears almost ached in the ensuing quiet. The sun had set, but like in the front yard, there were enough lights around the patio that he had little trouble seeing everyone.
"I want to welcome everyone again and thank you for coming tonight," Lisa said. "Of course, when I planned this party, I had no idea the outcome, but I can't say I'm disappointed." This was met with some good-natured laughter from the crowd. "I also want to congratulate my new friend Misty, who I'm proud to have as my first runner-up."
Ash quickly joined Brock and the rest of their group in the resulting applause.
"Come on over here Misty," Lisa said.
Misty shook her head slightly, but Teresa and Trisha joined forces to simultaneously push and pull her over to Lisa. Once there, Misty gave a gentle wave and was greeted by more applause.
"Alright," Lisa said when the crowd quieted. "A few ground rules. There are two bathrooms inside on the first floor and one in the pool house. Upstairs is off-limits or the parental units come down and everyone goes home. Feel free to walk around the backyard but please throw your trash in the cans by the food table.
"Oh," she added as if it was an afterthought. "We need people dancing up here, so when I turn the music back on, I expect some moves. Let's party!"
A cheer arose from the crowd as Lisa moved over to the stereo and turned the volume back up to where it had been before, perhaps even louder. About a dozen people soon worked their way to the center of the patio while those less inclined moved to the outer edges. Lisa walked over to their group and grabbed Brock's hand.
"Come on," she said, gently tugging at the hand she held.
Brock obeyed and began following her out onto the dance floor. On the way, Lisa turned to Misty and said, "You know, since he bought you that dress, don't you think he deserves a dance or two with you in it?" She winked and then she and Brock were lost amongst the dancing teens.
Misty looked at Ash with a confused expression as if to silently ask him what they should do next. For what it was worth, he had no clue.
"You heard Lisa, get out there," Teresa said, giving Misty a gentle shove on the arm toward the dance floor.
Ash felt someone's hand on his back doing the same to him and then heard Trisha say close to his ear, "Yeah, go on."
Misty gave him a silent shrug and grabbed his wrist to pull him out onto the dance floor. Her hand on his arm was warm and he instantly felt the butterflies return to his stomach. Before he knew it, she had let go of him and he found himself surrounded by whirling dancers. The music had a steady beat and soon Misty found the rhythm, dancing along and smiling at Ash as she did. It took Ash a bit longer, but after a shaky start, he joined her.
Ash thought about the fact that like the night before at dinner, he was once again completely out of his element. He found that he didn't mind though, and he knew it was because he was with Misty. One song turned into two, then three. He soon lost count. Dancers came and went, but he and Misty kept going. He felt a sheen of sweat break out on his forehead from the exertion, but he had no desire to stop.
Some time later, the atmosphere changed drastically when a slow song began. Ash glanced around at the stereo and saw Lisa standing next to it. She must have purposefully changed the tempo, he decided, and watched her walk over to Brock, who looked both nervous and excited. Many of the dancers decided it was time for a break and made their way to the few remaining empty chairs set up along the edge of the makeshift dance floor. Several others made the opposite trip, noticeably all couples.
Ash turned to Misty to see her once again giving him a questioning look. Two days before, he would have probably set a land-speed record making his way to one of the chairs, but a lot had changed over the past two days. With another flip of his stomach, he knew he very much wanted to stay right where he was. The question was, however, did Misty? Was she just being nice? After another moment passed between them, he decided to take the chance.
Ash reached and took hold of her hands, drawing her closer and placed one on his shoulder. He moved his now empty hand to her waist. The only person he had ever danced like this with was his mother when he was six or seven, but he remembered the basics. Misty looked at him in surprise and smiled, a simple act that burned away any lingering thoughts Ash may have still held about leaving. She squeezed the hand which still held hers and soon they were swaying together to the music.
Misty filled his vision and he had to force himself to occasionally glance over her shoulder to keep from staring. They didn't say a word as the song ended and another slow number replaced it. He could not remember feeling so content. There were many things he was still nervous about, but for the moment, they didn't seem important, at least not as important as spending time with Misty.
"I really had fun today," Misty said, breaking the silence, as the second song was coming to a close.
"I'm glad," Ash said. He was watching Brock and Lisa when she spoke and when he looked her in the eyes, he met her smile with one of his own.
The song ended and there was a break in the music, which was filled by a round of applause from those not dancing. Ash noticed Lisa making her way once again to the stereo, most likely to change the tempo again.
"Let's go for a walk," Misty said, and he could only nod.
They broke apart and Ash instantly missed the connection. He thought for a moment about taking her hand in his, but banished the idea, knowing there was no way he could explain it to Misty. Instead he followed her off the dance floor toward a gate leading to the pool. Behind them, the next song kicked in and it was indeed a faster number.
The pool was as big as it had looked from the patio, lit from above and below the water's surface. Misty seemed to be looking intently at the pool as they passed and Ash wondered if she was thinking of the even bigger one back at the gym in Cerulean City. Several people were grouped on the opposite side, sitting on several lounge chairs pulled into a semicircle, but Misty ignored them and continued forward.
Lisa's backyard was extensively landscaped and when they left the fenced-in pool area, they immediately found themselves on a paved path meandering between manicured flower beds and exotic looking trees. It was almost as if they were back in the forest, but lights set in the path and hidden within the beds ensured they had no trouble finding their way. They came upon a bench set in a natural alcove alongside the path and Misty motioned to Ash that she wanted to sit. He waited for her and then joined her on the bench.
The trees and shrubs seemed to close in around them, blocking out much of the dance music, as loud as it was, and giving Ash the impression that despite the many people at the party, the two of them were alone. He glanced over at Misty, but her earlier smile was gone, replaced with a pensive expression that filled him worry. She noticed him looking at her and gave weak smile that appeared forced.
"Misty?" he asked quietly, unable to find the words to form any of the questions filling his head.
She took a deep breath, as if she was having the same problem. "I have a confession to make," she said at last.
"Okay," he replied, trying desperately not to let the bevy of emotions swirling within him to escape in his voice.
"I lied to you the other day," she said. "When you asked me if joining the pageant had anything to do with our argument."
"Misty," he said, once again filled with regret over the things he said to her.
"Ash," she added quickly, "we already settled that. That's not why I'm bringing it up. You apologized and I accepted." She sighed. "I guess I just wanted to prove to myself that I was pretty as the other girls we meet. Our argument was just the last straw in a long line of straws. My sisters weren't easy to live with, believe me, but I could beat them when it came to defending the gym in badge battles, so it evened out in a way. After our fight, when I saw that poster, I thought that this could be my chance to win at the other side as well.
She was quiet then, but Ash gave her a moment to be sure she was finished. When she didn't say anything else, he said, "But you came in second place out of twenty-four girls. And beat Candy, who had won three years in a row."
Misty sighed loudly and looked down at her hands. "And what did everyone say to me? They said how wonderful my pokémon routine was. How amazing it was." Her voice cracked and she sighed loudly. "I know that's what's most important. I know I'd rather be a great pokémon gym leader than the airhead pretty girls my sisters look up to. And believe me, it was great to be recognized for being a good trainer, I'm not denying that at all.
"But, just once, I wish somebody would call me pretty," she said and Ash felt a pain in his chest at the longing he heard in her voice.
Ash couldn't help but be shocked at her confession. Sure he had seen her vulnerable side at the cafe, but this was something else entirely. A part of him was glad that she felt she could open herself up to him, but at the same time, he felt helpless and more than a little responsible. He played back the afternoon and could not remember anyone saying anything about her appearance. Just comments about her routine and the dress. He knew why he hadn't said anything. So worried about trying to act normal around her, he had gone out of his way to ensure he did nothing that could be construed as unusual. And calling Misty pretty would have been highly unusual. How could he explain that to her? He couldn't, he knew. But he had to do something.
"Misty," he said, unable to bear the silence any longer even though he still wasn't sure what he could or should say. "Misty, you're not-"
"I'm not what Ash?" Misty interrupted, hurt adding to the sadness in her voice. "Not pretty?" She stood up. "Thanks for the clarification."
There was anger now there too, swirling around the other emotions playing out through her words and etching themselves on her face. Panic seized Ash. How had everything gone wrong so fast? He knew it couldn't have been easy for Misty to admit what she did and now she thought he had thrown it right back in her face. Dancing with Misty had been wonderful and he spent much of evening thinking about taking their relationship further. Now, in a matter of moments, it was all turning to disaster before his eyes. If he couldn't convince her she was wrong about what he had been about to say, he wasn't sure if their friendship could come back from this.
Misty made to leave and Ash grabbed her hand more out of reflex than any set plan. She turned to him, her eyes alight in emotion, but he refused to look away.
"You're not supposed to tell your best friend she's beautiful," he nearly shouted, so desperate to fill the words with enough determination to break through her growing fury. They must have, because she made no further attempt to leave and simply stared back at him. The anger was gone, but Ash could not read the emotions which replaced it.
"You were amazing today," he said, forcing himself to continue before she tried to leave again. "And I don't just mean your routine. You were the best looking contestant in the pageant as far as I'm concerned. You were so pretty out there that I couldn't keep my eyes off of you and I'm sure I wasn't the only one."
"Of course you're saying that now," Misty said, sounding more defeated now than angry.
Ash squeezed her hand. "Misty, you are beautiful," he continued, saying the words aloud directly to her for the first time. "But how do you say that to your best friend?"
Misty was only staring now, seemingly lost for words. As for Ash, he found himself once again unsure of what to do next. He felt the panic returning, but then, just before it could overtake him, everything clicked together, as if the pieces of some giant puzzle had finally come together and he could see the whole picture for the first time. In the river flowing through his mind, he felt the first hint of solid ground beneath his feet.
"I know I'm not the smartest guy around, but I'm smart enough to realize how much of an idiot I've been. I don't have a good excuse for the things I said to you, but I will say I never realized how much they could really hurt you. How much they did hurt you.
"I guess I thought that when you saw yourself, you saw the same Misty I do. A smart and strong person. My best friend." He tugged gently on her hand he still held and she sat back down on the bench next to him.
"I thought you knew how pretty you are. You're not supposed to think of your best friend as pretty, but a part of me must have realized it awhile go, even if I didn't truly understand it at the time."
Misty started to say something, but stopped. Finally, she said softly, "But now you do?"
Ash nodded. He had built up so many warning systems in his mind over the past several hours that his head seemed awash in alarm bells. Earlier he had told himself that he would wait, but he didn't think that was an option any longer. Within the river, he was now standing, but the water was still deep and the flow was threatening to rip his feet from beneath him. He could either walk forward or lean back and let the current take him away. A part of him knew that he would probably not get another chance to make it ashore.
"I want you to know how important you are to me," Ash said. "You are my best friend. You've been by my side for so long, I can't remember what it's like for you to not be there. That's why I never told you about my bike fund. I was worried that if you got your bike back, you'd decide to go back home."
"Ash," Misty said. "My bike is not why I follow you around. Well, maybe for the first couple of days, but not since then. You are more than a bike to me. You are my best friend too. You know that right?"
"I guess I do," he answered, her words warming him but also adding to his worries over what might happen next. "I just didn't want to take a chance. I know it sounds stupid after all of the horrible things I said during our argument, but I just couldn't risk losing you as a friend." He paused, but then forced himself to continue. "That's why this is so hard."
"What is it?" she asked, her turn to sound concerned.
Instead of answering, he took Misty's other hand and placed it on top of the one he already held, squeezing them together between his own. She stared down at her hands, then looked back up at him with confusion etched on her face.
"I've realized a lot about myself over the past couple of days. It's had me thinking about a lot of different things, especially about you and me."
Misty's eyes widened at that comment and Ash forced himself to not look away as he continued. A small part of him became aware that he was rubbing his thumb gently over the back of her hand.
"Somebody asked me a question today. And that question led to another I asked myself. And the answer wasn't anything I saw coming. To be honest, it scared more than just about anything else I've faced in my life. But when I got used to the idea, it also made me incredibly happy." He paused. "I know I'm risking everything, but I can't go back. I don't want to go back."
Ash took a deep breath, momentarily wondering, if he simply held his breath, whether he could stay in this moment forever, never knowing what happened next but also never having to face the repercussions if it went wrong. But he wanted to know. He had to know. He could feel Misty's pulse where his fingers brushed her wrist. He could feel his own heart pounding in his chest. Both were beating incredibly fast.
Then, after what may have been seconds or minutes, Ash exhaled and time continued moving forward.
"I like you Misty," he said. "More than a friend. More than a best friend. It took me seeing the worst side of our relationship and the best, but I realized I want more. For me. For us."
There was more he wanted to say to her. So much more. About what she meant to him and how she made him feel, even if he still didn't understand most of it yet. How he wanted to learn about it all with her. But also that if she didn't feel the same way, he would understand and hoped their friendship could somehow survive.
But he didn't say any of it, and simply waited for whatever would come next. Misty broke their eye contact and Ash watched as she glanced down again at their hands, then over his shoulder into the darkness beyond him. A lump developed in his throat so painful he felt tears threatening to grow at the corners of his eyes. His chest felt on fire. He closed his eyes, unable to watch the turmoil on Misty's face for a second longer.
He felt her pull one of her hands free from his and his heart sank. He kept his eyes closed, so her hug caught him by surprise. Her arm wrapped itself around his shoulder and latched onto the back of his shirt. He felt her head rest on his shoulder, her breath tickling the side of his neck. He opened his eyes and all he could see was the fire of her hair. She pulled back and looked at him. The light filling her eyes was different than he had ever seen it before.
"Yes," she whispered.
Ash was confused for a moment trying to figure out when he had asked her a question. Then he realized he just had, perhaps the most important of his life to that point. And Misty's answer was yes.
Misty was crying now, but he could see she was also smiling. He must have looked funny, because she then laughed, nearly choking on a sob as she did. Letting go of her hand, he wrapped his arms around her to return the gesture she had given him.
After what seemed like an hour, a most wonderful hour, they broke their embrace. Once again able to look Misty in the eyes, he wondered if the smile he felt on his own face was as big as the one on Misty's.
He knew that no matter what happened from this moment forward, his relationship with Misty would never be the same. The idea terrified him and exhilarated him.
"I never thought you would ever see me like this," she said after another long moment.
"Like what?" he asked, wondering if she meant seeing her cry.
"Like a girl," she answered.
"Neither did I," he admitted, realizing a second later this was not the best response he could have given.
But Misty only laughed. "Oh Ash," she said. "I sure had no idea what I was going to reel in that day I went fishing."
A question dawned to Ash at that moment, and a sudden curiosity led him to ask it. "So, did you see me as..." he trailed off, not quite sure how to finish.
"As a boy? Ash, there was no hiding that fact. Ever." She laughed again, and it was a nice laugh, one he didn't think he could grow tired of hearing.
"You know what I mean," he said.
"I know," she replied and then looked as if to give the question some serious thought before continuing. "Occasionally. More so sometimes than others. Like these last few days."
Ash waited to see if she would elaborate further, but she didn't. There was a stirring in his chest at the idea that Misty had indeed felt the same way about him that he now did about her, and had done so before, possibly long before, he had his own awakening. It also gave him a renewed sense of shame over the way he had treated her during their argument, but he forced himself to bury those feelings. He was done worrying about the things he could not change. If he was going to make this work with Misty, he knew he had to look ahead. Besides, the future held so much new potential for him, for them, he didn't want to turn away.
"So what now?" he asked, curious to see if Misty had a better idea than he did, which wouldn't have been difficult.
"I don't really know," she said. "I guess we'll figure it out together. We have time."
"Ok," he said. "Sounds like a plan." Admittedly it wasn't very detailed as plans go, but then, plans had never been his strong suit. Brock had been right at the pageant, though. Together, he and Misty could accomplish great things. Together. They were really together now, Ash thought and another wave of warmth swept through him.
He pulled Misty back into another hug, partly because he wanted to feel her close to him again, and partly to prove to himself that the last several days hadn't been part of some elaborate dream. This wasn't a dream, he decided. This was reality, and in it he could hug Misty without it being awkward or misinterpreted. He could hug her because he wanted to and she wanted him to want to.
"Do you want to go dance some more?" he asked.
"Sure," she answered and they broke their latest embrace with a shared smile. "I'd like that." Ash stood and then held her hand as she joined him. "How do I look?" she asked.
Ash looked and saw her eyes were a little puffy from crying but it would be hard to notice if you weren't looking for it. "Beautiful," he said.
They started back down the path toward the pool and the party beyond, their hands clasped together.
"What do we tell Brock?" she asked.
"We can tell him tomorrow," Ash said.
"But what if he notices?"
"I doubt he would notice a charizard if it flew down and began breakdancing as along as Lisa is nearby."
"You have a point," she said, laughing and putting her head against his shoulder.
They walked through the manicured lawn in silence for awhile and it was a comfortable silence, one where there was no need for words to express the emotions they were feeling.
"Ash," Misty said just before they re-entered the pool area. "I know everything is different now, going to be different, but no matter what, you are still my best friend."
"And you're mine," he replied.
They were silent once more as they passed by the pool, the music growing louder with each step. It had only been twenty minutes or so since they had come this way, Misty seeking an opportunity to make a confession. One that led to a conversation that almost destroyed a friendship. Ultimately it had changed it irrevocably, but for the better. Much better.
Back at the river within his mind, he glanced down and saw dry land beneath his feet. He could still hear the river flowing behind him, but he had crossed its waters and both he and his relationship with Misty survived the journey. The two versions of himself at that moment, the one standing next to a wide and dangerous river, and the one walking hand in hand with his best friend, who was now more, smiled.
Once they reached the patio, they went straight back onto the dance floor. Ash briefly glanced around for Brock and Lisa and then saw them sitting down with the others chatting amicably about something that seemed to have his friend smiling brightly. Leaving them to their own devices, he danced with Misty for song after song. Occasionally, when the music allowed, they talked, sometimes about their new relationship and what it meant for them, but mostly about nothing in particular.
Later, they rejoined the others and conversation drifted back and forth from the pageant to Ash's upcoming battle. He pulled his chair close to Misty's and contented himself by sitting next to her. He was right about Brock being too distracted to notice anything amiss, or at least he didn't give any outward sign that he did.
As the night grew later, people began to leave. Soon there were less than ten people remaining and Lisa turned off the music. Finally, Lisa's parents came down to declare the party officially over. Ash, Misty, and Brock said their goodbyes to the others, once again promising to meet in the morning.
On the way back to the pokemon center, Ash let Brock lead the way and when he pulled ahead by a few steps, he took hold of Misty's hand, giving it a little squeeze. Together, they listened to Brock talk animatedly about Lisa and her interest in pokemon breeding. Ash didn't know if this would amount to anything more than than Brock's other frequent infatuations, but he silently wished his friend luck.
When they reached the second floor of the center, Brock went straight to their room, seemingly oblivious to the fact that Ash had stopped with Misty outside her door.
Looking at Misty smiling at him with that new light in her eyes which seemed to be just for him, Ash found himself again lost for words. What could he say? What words could capture how happy Misty had made him tonight? Express what he was feeling now?
Then an idea came to him. An insane idea, but one that felt less and less crazy as the silent seconds ticked away. Before he could lose his nerve, he leaned in closer to her. Misty appeared more curious than surprised as he continued forward, and then his lips met her cheek. He stayed there only a second and then pulled away.
He was nervous and looked anxiously to discover Misty's reaction. Her face seemed frozen in shock, but then it melted into a gentle smile. He let out a breath he hadn't known he was holding.
"Good night," he said, breaking the silence at last.
Misty brought her hand up to her cheek. "Good night, Ash," she said.
Ash nodded and then retreated to his own door. At the last moment, he glanced back to see Misty watching him, still smiling.