Hey everybody, I'm back with another new chapter! I've been writing new chapters really quickly lately, haven't I? And today was my last day of school before spring break so now I've got even more time to write! :)

A big thank you to everybody who left a review last chapter. You have no idea how much it means to me to hear that people like my story so much. It's just incredible, thank you all so much! You all are the best! :)

Anyways, here's the next chapter. R&R and enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own pokemon (do I really have to do this every chapter?)

Chapter 9

*About An Hour Earlier... *

"But what about your ice cream?" asked Ash.

"Sorry, but I'm not in the mood for ice cream anymore," said Cynthia as she tossed the rest of her cone into the garbage bin and walked away, leaving a dumbfounded Ash sitting alone at the bench.

Cynthia walked back to the Ketchum residence, muttering the occasional phrase "stupid Ash" and "just a friend." She slipped through the front door as quietly as she could, hoping to avoid a conversation with Delia. Right now all she wanted was to be alone. Once inside, she saw Delia in the kitchen preparing dinner so she tried to tiptoe her way past the living room to the stairs without being seen. Unfortunately, as she climbed the first step the floorboard creaked, which alerted Delia to her presence.

"Cynthia, is that you?" asked Delia. She walked over to the blonde, who stood immobilized at the top step. "What are you doing back so soon, dear? And where's Ash? I wasn't expecting you two to be back from your date for at least another hour."

Cynthia gulped slightly at the word 'date,' but didn't say anything back. In fact, she didn't even look at Delia. Instead, she just slowly started to climb the stairs up to Ash's bedroom.

Delia instantly knew that something had gone amiss. "What's wrong, sweetie?" she asked in a comforting tone. "Is it something Ash did?"

Upon hearing those words, Cynthia couldn't contain herself any longer. "ASH IS AN IDIOT!" she screamed, tears forming in her eyes as she bolted up the rest of the stairs two at a time, made a mad dash to Ash's room, and slammed the door shut behind her.

'Oh dear, what has that son of mine done this time?' thought Delia. 'He must have messed up big time if Cynthia is this upset. But knowing him, he probably doesn't even know what he did wrong. I swear! That boy is even denser than his father!' Delia sighed and walked back to the kitchen. She knew the best thing for Cynthia right now would be time alone to think, so she continued washing the dishes while she prepared herself for the long talk she knew she would have to have with Ash when he returned home.

After Cynthia slammed the door to Ash's room shut, she immediately shut the lights off, launched herself on to his bed, buried her head in his pillow, and screamed as loud as she could.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Thankfully, the pillow was there to muffle the sound.

Eventually she ran out of breath and stopped shouting. She turned over on to her back, stared at the ceiling, and started to think about the one boy who was the cause of all her troubles.

"Ash."

'I hate you, Ash! I hate you! I hate you! I hate you! Why don't you understand how I feel about you? Why can't you realize that I want to be more than just your friend? You stupid, stupid idiot! Can't you see that I-'

She blinked. 'I what, exactly?' Her hateful thoughts fizzled out and she started to wonder what her feelings for the raven-haired boy actually were. Thoughts about the times she'd shared with Ash began to surface. She remembered the time Ash agreed to train with her, that night after he had lost to Tobias at the Sinnoh League. She remembered the time they spent training together and how much she learned about him; how happy she felt whenever he was around. Ash would always get super excited and overreact to everything. Arceus, he could make her laugh! She remembered how much he loved and cared for his pokemon, and the way he treated them like they were his own family. Before she traveled with Ash, her whole life had been dedicated towards training her pokemon, becoming stronger, and mastering the art of battle. Becoming the Sinnoh Champion at her age was a testament to her drive and dedication! But she could honestly say that meeting and traveling with Ash was the best thing that ever happened to her, and meant even more to her then her title ever could. Suddenly, a certain memory came to mind: the memory of the night when everything changed.

*Flashback (A Month After The Sinnoh League)*

It was the middle of the night and Ash was leading Cynthia through a bunch of old trees in the forest near Celestic Town. He had a serious look on his face like he was concentrating on something important, most likely where they were. Cynthia, however, was frowning with her arms crossed over her chest, clearly not amused by her student's behavior.

"Ash, where are you taking me? We need to go to sleep so we can have enough energy for morning training tomorrow!" said a disgruntled Cynthia.

Ash turned around and put a finger on his lip. "Shh!"

"Don't shush me! Tell me where you're taking me!"

Ash rolled his eyes. "Lighten up, will you Cynth? We're almost there!"

"I told you not to call me Cynth!" screamed Cynthia.

Her objections fell on deaf ears. Ash just chuckled and continued walking through the trees. A few minutes later he stopped walking, and Cynthia seized the opportunity to speak again.

"Ash Ketchum, if you don't tell me where you're taking me right now, then I'm going straight back-"

"We're here."

"What?" said Cynthia confused. She looked around. "We're where? All I see are more trees."

Ash gave a quick laugh. "Look from where I'm standing." He moved out of the way, and extended his arms as if to say, "after you."

Cynthia raised an eyebrow at him, but stepped forward with her arms still crossed over her chest. When she saw what Ash wanted to show her, her arms fell limp to her sides and her jaw dropped.

For behind the tree was a large clearing and in that clearing was a lake in the shape of a perfect circle. Chatot and Jigglypuff were singing in harmony at the far side of the lake as the Volbeat and Illumise danced, illuminating the water with their tail lights. Lotads and Shellos fired Water Guns into the air that fizzled out around the dancers, soaking their fur in water. The moonlight reflected off of their bodies, causing a rainbow of colors to reflect from their fur. All the other forest pokemon hummed in rhythm to the music. The shimmering moonlight reflected off of the lake as the pokemon continued to dance and sing, adding a sense of mystery to the entire scene. Cynthia stood mesmerized by the mystical scene before her.

"This is incredible!" she declared. "I've never seen something more beautiful in my life!" Ash wrapped his arm around her and smiled, obviously pleased that Cynthia was enjoying herself. She leaned into Ash, her gaze never leaving the pokemon as he continued to hold her.

After about fifteen minutes, the singing and dancing of the pokemon reached its peak and the pokemon prepared for their finale. The Volbeat and Illumise fired their Bug Buzz, the Lotads and Shellos fired their Water Guns, and the Chatot and Jigglypuff used Round. The moves all collided in midair and burst into beautiful fireworks of every color imaginable that sparkled all around the lake, the moonlight adding to the beauty, elegance, and power of the wild pokemon.

Eventually, the pokemon dispersed. Ash held Cynthia's hand and began to lead her back home. When she had finally recovered from the shock (about halfway back) she turned to look at Ash.

"That was amazing."

Ash smiled at her. "I'm glad you liked it Cynth."

"The word 'like' is hardly a strong enough term to describe such an experience! How did you know about that?"

Ash laughed. "Yeah, I'm pretty awesome, aren't I?" he bragged with a smug grin on his face.

Cynthia was still in too much shock to disagree so she simply nodded her head and said, "Yeah."

Ash's grin was replaced with a kind, caring smile. "Now, do you know why I showed you this, Cynthia?" She shook her head. "I showed you this because there are other things in this world besides pokemon battles. Since you've started training me, we haven't once stopped for a break or to have fun and play with our pokemon. This is why I wanted to show you this, Cynthia; to teach you that it's ok to have fun and relax. Yes, it's important that you and your pokemon train and do your best, but it's also important that you have fun. You only get one life Cynth, so make the most of it while you can. Don't waste it away."

Cynthia stopped and stared at Ash with her jaw hanging open again. This morning she wouldn't have believed him, but now, after what she had just seen, she realized that Ash was right. A big smile, full of happiness and gratitude, appeared on her face.

"You are truly one of a kind, Ash."

*End Flashback*

That was the night when Cynthia's whole life changed. She started to relax more and have fun. She still trained Ash and helped him and his pokemon get stronger, but she wasn't as uptight about it. She started to play with her own pokemon instead of training them 24/7, something they were ecstatic about. She found it easier to be kind, sweet, and gentle while still staying strong and independent. All because of one person: Ash.

Cynthia taught Ash all she knew about the art of battling but she was learning just as much from Ash as he learned from her. In fact, in her opinion, she learned more from Ash than he learned from her. He taught her the most important lesson of her life: how to have fun. After that night, Cynthia considered Ash a friend, not just a student. There was just something about his presence that gave her a sense of bliss and tranquility. She always felt safe whenever he was with her. His optimism and cheerfulness were infectious. He could wash away her troubles with his laugh and his kindhearted smile was enough to melt her heart every time. She never felt more complete than when he was with her.

"Ash." She said his name as if it were magic.

She turned over on to her side. She was still a little angry, but she knew she would forgive him soon enough. It was Ash after all; she never could stay mad at him for very long. Ten minutes ago she was confused why that was, but now she knew. No longer could she lie to herself and insist that Ash was just her friend. No. It was very clear to her now that Ash was much, much more to her than just a friend.

"I am in love with Ash Ketchum," she whispered softly.

Admitting that made Cynthia feel free, as if the chains that were binding her had finally been cut loose. She turned over on to her back and sighed in content.

"I am in love with Ash Ketchum," she repeated.

"Hey mom, I'm back!" called a familiar voice from downstairs.

'Ash!' thought Cynthia. She jumped out of the bed and slowly opened the door. She crept to the front of the stairs and cupped her hand to her ear so she could listen to the conversation Ash and his mother was having.

"Mom, can I talk to you about something?"

"It's about Cynthia, isn't it?"

"How did you-"

"I saw her storming up to your room earlier, and she looked like she was about to cry. I tried asking her what was wrong, but all she said was 'Ash is an idiot.' Care to explain what happened, dear?"

"I wish I knew mom, but I really don't understand what I did wrong."

"I thought that might be the case. I just put dinner in so it needs time to cook before it's ready. Let's go for a walk, sweetie. You can tell me everything that happened after you two finished your battle and left for ice cream. Pikachu, watch the food for me, ok?"

"You got it, ma'am!"

"Come on sweetie, let's go."

Cynthia heard the door close. She stood there for a bit, trying to take in what she had just heard. After a few moments, she slowly crept back into Ash's bedroom, praying to Arceus that Pikachu wouldn't hear her. Once the door was closed and she was properly secluded again, she almost let out another scream, but thankfully managed to hold it back. This time however, it wasn't Ash she was mad at, but herself.

'Argh, I'm so stupid! Of course Ash is confused! How could he not be! He doesn't know how I feel about him, so of course he has no idea why I acted like that!' She stopped and sighed, knowing what she would have to do. 'I need to apologize to Ash right away when he comes back. I may be in love with him but I don't want things to change between us. I know there's no way Ash loves me back; he said it himself, I'm just a friend to him, but I'd rather stay his friend forever than ruin our relationship.'

Cynthia froze again upon realizing what she had just thought. She sat up and hugged her knees together. 'That's right,' she thought. 'Ash will never love me. To him, I'm just his friend; he said it himself: I'll never get the chance to be anything more.' She started to cry, and once she started the tears wouldn't stop. Finally she fell asleep, fully believing that Ash would never love her back.

Cynthia woke to the sound of someone knocking at the door. A familiar voice called out to her.

"Hey Cynthia, can I come in? I need to talk to you."

So that's Chapter 9. I know I left you all with another cliffhanger. Don't worry though, I'll wrap this bit up next chapter. Then the prologue part will be done and the real story can finally begin. Ash will start traveling through Kanto to collect the Champion Badges by chapter 12 latest.

How did I do with the flashback scene? I tried to make it as beautiful and romantic as I could so please let me know if it is.

And to all you ladies reading this, could you please let me know if Cynthia's reactions are realistic. I go to an all-boys school, so putting aside the fact that I'm a boy and will never understand women, my knowledge on how girls act when they're in love is not the best. If I could get a girl's honest opinion on it, that would help me out so much.

Also, I've had several people asking me to include Sylveon in the poll, so I'm going to say this one more time. Kalos and Unova do not exist in my story, so there is no Sylveon!

I can't believe how popular this story has gotten! It's only been out for three month and it's already gotten 52 reviews, 115 favorites, 151 follows, and is in 4 communities! That's just insane! Thank you all so much! It means a lot to me! You wonderful readers are the very best like no one ever was!

Please leave a review and let me know what you think of this chapter. Again, thank you all soooooooo much! See you next chapter! :)