"So, Misty," Daisy said as the four sisters entered the store, "like, what are you going as to the party?"
"I don't know yet," Misty replied as she browsed through the racks.
"Violet, Daisy, over here," Lily yelled from another corner of the store. "I found the perfect costumes."
"Like, what is it, Lily?" Violet asked.
Lily pulled the three costumes off the rack. "We'll, like, go as the three Musketeers."
"Uh, aren't those boys' costumes?" Misty asked.
"Not if we wear them," Lily replied as she and her sisters headed to the changing room leaving Misty to search.
"I wonder what Ash will wear?" Misty thought as she moved to another rack. "Probably some pokémon outfit."
She looked out the display window of the store and saw something she wanted. In the store across the mall was a light blue dress being displayed in the window. Leaving the costume shop, she went over and looked at it. It was made of silk and looked like it belonged to a princess. Suddenly, she got the idea for her costume.
"Ma'am, may I try on that dress?" she asked the store clerk.
"Sure thing," the clerk replied as she took it out of the window.
When Misty slipped it on, it was a perfect fit. In the dress she began to feel like she did when she won the Princess Festival.
"I'll take it," she told the clerk.
After she walked out of the clothing store, Misty walked back to the costume store where her three sisters were waiting.
"Misty, like, where have you been?" Violet asked.
"I went and got a costume from the boutique instead," she replied.
"Oo, let's see," Lily squealed.
When Misty opened the box, her sister admired the dress.
"You know, Misty," Daisy told her as she pulled her little sister to the costume jewelry section of the store. "You're going to need some accessories."
Misty realized what she meant. She looked in a display case and picked a crown to match her dress. With this final touch, Misty now had her costume.
Ash and Pikachu were making good time getting to Cerulean. With two days to make a day and a half journey. The stopped in a little town called Court Village. While his pokémon rested at the center, Ash went to a mall nearby.
While looking for anything interesting, he came to a music store.
Hoping to find a good CD or two, he walked in a noticed a big poster on the wall.
"The Pallet Town Music Festival!" he shouted when he saw it. "It's time already?"
Turning to the surprised clerk, he asked when the festival began.
"In about four weeks," he replied.
"Thanks," Ash said as he ran back to the Pokémon Center.
"Come on, Misty," a blonde-hair Musketeer called. "The guest will be here soon."
"In a minute," Misty yelled back.
Daisy, Lily, and Violet waited in the den for their little sister's appearance.
"Well, what do you think?" voice behind them said.
The three turned around and were shocked by what they saw. Misty was standing in her dress with her 'diamond' crown sparkled the light against her orange-red hair.
"Maybe we should, like, call ourselves the Four Sensational Sisters after all," Daisy replied.
"Shouldn't we be going to the gym?" Misty asked her still stunned sisters.
"Right," Lily said shaking the surprise off. "Let's get going."
"I can't believe I got us lost just one mile from the gym," Ash said to himself as he wondered the streets of Cerulean.
"Pikapi chu, (At least you're admitting it)" Pikachu sighed.
"I guess there's no one else to blame," Ash responded. "There's the Pokémon Center."
"Pi pikachu? (Mind if I stay here?)" Pikachu asked. He wanted to give Ash some time to be alone with Misty.
"Sure," Ash answered. "I just get a room and changed. Then I'll head to the gym."
Misty wandered through the crowd looking for Ash. So far she had not seen him, but she could tell who he might be until she talked with everybody.
I wonder if he will recognize me in a dress? she wondered. It's not like I normally wear one.
Suddenly she recognized a laugh she heard above the crowd. Looking at where it came from, she saw a pirate surrounded by several girls dressed in pokémon costumes. "Gary Oak," she murmured when she saw the face. "If Ash is here, he would be talking to him."
Though Ash and Gary were not friends, far from it actually, they generally tended to group together. Being rivals, they also wanted to make fun of the other, but usually Ash was left with a bruised ego.
"So then, I used my Nidoking on his Golem," he boasted to the crowd. "Nidoking did his job, and the gym leader recalled his worthless pokémon."
Misty laughed remembering the story. "Hey, Gary," she jeered. "How about tell them how Ash and I found you afterwards?"
"Huh?" Gary asked looking for whom said it. "Who are you?"
"It's me, Misty," she told him.
"What?! You're that loser Ash's girlfriend?" Gary shouted. "You look different. How about leaving the twerp and joining my team?"
Misty had a disgusted look on her face. "First I'm not his girlfriend," Misty told him stepping closer. "Second, if anyone is a loser, it's you, Gary. Remember Ash did get the Earth Badge."
"And third," Misty said almost right on top of him, "I would never join your flock of flakes if you paid me."
"But he does pay us," the one dressed like a Squirtle said.
"Yeah," agreed the Charmander. "Twenty dollars a day plus he pays for our food and outfits."
Gary was really annoyed at being embarrassed by Misty. Looking at the bowl of punch, an idea popped into his mind.
"Misty," he said as he picked up the bowl, "you need to cool off."
Gary then dumped the bowl on her. After the initial shock wore off, Misty looked down at her dress and started to cry. She had never owned anything liked this before, and the first time she wears it, it is ruined.
She ran out of the gym while Gary was laughing at the pain he caused. Unfortunately for him, the crowd did not find it funny.
"You, jerk!" Daisy shouted when she saw Misty running out. "Get out of my gym this instant!"
Gary looked and saw three vary angry Musketeers with a good size mob behind him. "How needs this party?" he said with a slight stutter. "Come on girls."
His cheerleader squad looked at each other. They fought what he did was cruel too, but Gary was a good way to get some expense clothes and jewelry. They decided to follow him out to car outside.
After they left the gym, Daisy turned back to her sisters. "I'm going after Misty," she told them. "I think she might, like either go to Mom and Dad or to that spot in the park. You two try and keep the party going for us until we get back."
"Try the park first," Violet told her. "She hasn't been to their grave since the funeral so, likem she probably won't go there."
"Okay," Daisy said as she left the gym.
Misty ran through the night with her tears trailing behind her. She was running so fast that she did not notice someone had been following her since she left the gym. Not paying attention to the path either, she tripped on a fallen tree branch and fell into a mud puddle caused by last night's rain.
Now covered in mud, she just remained there and cried until she had no more tears left.
"Are you okay, miss..." a voice said behind.
"Go away," she snapped not wanting anyone to see her.
She felt something touch his check. She turned and saw a white handkerchief by her. "Here," the voice the told her. "At least take this."
Taking the handkerchief, Misty wiped the tears from eyes. She looked up at her benefactor. He was boy about her age dressed like a prince. He had a gold mask that covered most of his face.
Offering her his hand, she at first refused it. "I don't want to ruin your outfit," she told him.
"Don't worry about it," he said as he left his hand out for her.
Misty was beginning to feel better being with this young man. He had a gentle voice which calmed her.
"Come on," he told her. "Don't you have a party to attend?"
"But my dress?" Misty plead.
"What's wrong with your dress?" he asked with his head turned away from her.
Misty's anger was about to get the better of her. "Do you honestly think I went to the party as a swamp mon..." She stopped when she looked down at her dress. The mud and punch stains were gone, and her dress was fully restored.
"How?" she asked.
"Come on, miss," the 'prince' said as he led her back to the gym.
Daisy was coming up to the park when she saw a couple heading towards her. She recognized the girl as Misty and decided to leave the two alone.
"I hope she doesn't, like hurt Ash," she told herself as she went back to the party.
Misty was clinging to her prince's arm when they came back to the gym.
"I can't stay long," he told her as they went in.
"Just one dance?" she pleaded.
He smiled at her. "One dance then," he replied.
When they were inside, they were greeted by an applauding audience. Misty blushed at the attention and felt the boy cringe a bit.
"You're, like, glad you came back," Lily said to her sister.
"Who's your friend?" Violet asked looking at the boy.
"Just someone who cares," he replied with a smile.
He turned to Misty and asked, "You said something about a dance?"
"A dance!" Lily shouted. "We, like, haven't had a slow song yet."
Daisy looked at her little sister. "Are you sure about this?"
"Yes," Misty said looking at the boy's face. He has eyes like Ash, she thought. No, he can't be Ash. He's way too romantic to be him.
As the two walked to the dance floor, the lights began to dim. Misty and her prince began to dance once the music started. Misty felt as if she were in heaven. Imagine the 'runt' dancing with a 'prince,' she thought as they danced across the floor.
When the music ended, the boy pulled away. "I must go," he told her.
"Please stay," she asked as he vanished out the door.
When she went out side she found a red rose and a note saying:
I'll always remember the night I danced with a princess. If you ever need me, I'll be there.
He did not leave a name, and Misty found she had one more tear left.
"But I need you now," she whispered.
The next morning Misty heard a knock on the door. When she answered it, there stood Ash and Pikachu.
"Good morning, Misty," Ash said when she opened the door. "How was the party..."
"Ash Ketchum," Misty interrupted. "Where were you last night?"
Ash looked down at his feet and murmured something under his breath.
"What was that?" Misty demanded. "I didn't hear you."
"I was lost," Ash shouted back. "After I left Pikachu at the Pokémon Center, I got lost trying to find the gym."
Misty was really getting angry. "You must be the biggest moron in the world if you couldn't even find a gym when you are only five blocks from it!"
"Stop it, Misty," Daisy called from behind. "The poor boy probably spent, like, half the night on the streets."
"Fine," Misty conceded. "So, where's your costume, Ash?"
"I mailed it back to Pallet before I came here," he told her.
"So, when are we leaving?" Misty asked.
"You're coming back with me?!" Ash shouted.
"Yes," she told him. "Someone has to make sure you don't lose your way."
"Great!" Ash shouted. "We'll get back in time for the music festival."
"Pallet has a music festival?" Misty asked.
"Like, sure," Daisy said. "It's the biggest music concert around."
"Plus there's a competition," Ash added.
"And I suppose, you're going to enter?" Misty jeered.
"No," Ash replied, "but you should. I bet you could win the soloist division."
Misty was surprised at Ash's confidence in her. "You really think so?"
"Yeah," Ash told her enthusiastically . "You just need a good song."
"Misty," Daisy whispered to her sister, "you should, like, sing that song of yours."
"I can't sing that," Misty told her.
"Why not?"
Misty looked at Ash. After last night, she told herself that her heart belonged to the boy that saved her and here was Ash. She wrote the
song for him but never sang it to him, but if her heart belonged to someone else, would the song also belong to him?
"All right, I will sing it," she told her older sister.
Turning to Ash, she told him to wait while she packed her things. When she went upstairs and Ash was left Pikachu, the little pokémon looked up at his master and asked, "Pi pikachupi? (Where were you last night, Ash?)"
"Where do you think, Pikachu?"
"Pi pika! (Tell her!)"
"I will," Ash said smiling while Misty was coming downstairs with her bag and Togepi, "when I am ready