A/N: Thanks to all of my readers, both new and old. I appreciate all of you, especially those of you who write reviews!

I wanted to give a heads-up that updates for the next chunk of the story might be slow at times. We've come to part three out of the five parts, and it's this middle section that I don't have much planned out. I'm trying to work out the details, and then we'll be good to go.

For now, though, enjoy this new chapter!

- Sarah

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or any of its characters.

Chapter Five: Pokemon Paparazzi

The next morning, Misty was sitting at the breakfast table with Brock. Ash had yet to come downstairs, and Misty did not have the heart to disturb him. They had started watching a movie with Brock and her sisters like Misty had promised; however, Ash left mid-way, complaining that he had a headache. She wondered if he was telling the truth. Part of her suspected that he was in a bad mood instead.

Misty was in the middle of taking a bite of toast when Daisy rushed in, looking frazzled. There was a newspaper clutched in her hands, her knuckles turning white. She stood for a moment, staring at the two of them, biting her lip.

"Daisy, what's wrong?" Misty asked, unable to take the tension.

"We, like, have a bit of a problem."

"They're everywhere!" shouted Violet as she rushed into the kitchen.

"Who's everywhere?" demanded Misty.

"Like, all the reporters."

"What?"

"It might have something to do with this," Daisy said, handing the newspaper over to her youngest sister.

Misty hesitated as she unfurled the local tabloid. Her eyes grew as wide as saucers when she saw the front page. Above the picture of Ash and her from the night before, the headline read:

Does the Cerulean City Gym Leader have a new Beau?

Mortified, Misty read on:

Last night, there were reports of Misty Waterflower, Cerulean City Gym leader, walking around with a mysterious young man. Many immediately recognized him as Ash Ketchum, Pokemon trainer and co-star to Ms. Waterflower. The two recently starred in the production of The Little Mermaid, performed two days ago to a sold-out crowd. The two stole the show, but is that all that Ketchum has stolen? It seems to the public that he may have taken her heart as well.

Reports of the two walking hand-in-hand came from multiple residents, downtown. Eye-witnesses tell our reporters that there was an altercation between the couple and another man. When the man asked Waterflower on a date, Ketchum became possessive and scared him away. "You should have seen," said one woman, who wished to keep her identity anonymous. "If it weren't for Misty, Ash probably would have punched the guy." The question remains – why would he be jealous if they were not a couple? We'll let you make that conclusion for yourself.

We would also like to point out (to be continued on page 5)

Brock had been reading over her shoulder the whole time. Misty frantically flipped the pages until she reached the correct one. Her eyes quickly found the read of the story, and she continued to read:

(Continued from front page) that the two were spotted dancing together at the show's after-party, also held at the Cerulean Gym. Who knows what else they could have been doing that night when no one was looking? Rumor has it that Ketchum has been staying with the Waterflowers for the past few weeks. We have yet to receive comment from either Waterflower or Ketchum.

Misty set down the paper slowly, trying to swallow the lump that had managed to form in the back of her throat. Brock said nothing, fearful that he would say something to set her off. The second slice of toast lay uneaten, as Misty has lost her appetite. She knew that the tabloids would be releasing something, but not this. It was making her head hurt. She could hide this from Ash, but for how long? It was not as if she could destroy every paper in existence.

"Does Ash know about this yet?" she asked, looking at her three sisters.

"We haven't seen him this morning," Violet said. "We've been kind of busy preventing all of the paparazzi from coming into the gym."

"Yeah, they like weren't even interested in talking to us about the show," Lily added. "They only wanted to talk about you and Ash."

"This can't be happening," Misty groaned, banging her head on the table. Brock suppressed a laugh, only to be answered by her glaring expression. "This isn't funny!"

"I'm sorry, Misty, but it seems like this is karma for not telling Ash about the other night."

"That has nothing to do with this!"

"Wait," said Daisy, her gaze diverting back and forth between Misty and Brock. "What happened?"

"Not a word!" Misty shouted, pointing a finger accusingly at Brock. He ignored her.

"Oh she and Ash made-out at the after-party, but he doesn't remember, and she won't tell him."

"What?!" said Lily.

"Misty!" said Violet.

"Look," snapped Misty, her fiery personality coming to surface. "He was drunk, and does not remember it ever happening, and that's how it's going to stay. Not a word from any of you?"

"But Misty—"

"I mean it! I will send my Gyarados after you."

Daisy opened her mouth to protest, but the appearance of a certain yellow mouse stopped her short. Pikachu zoomed into the kitchen happily. He swiftly jumped onto the table and made a beeline to the ketchup. Misty smiled, sighing softly, and flipped the cap open for the addict. Pikachu cheered gleefully and started licking the opening greedily. Ash walked through the door moments later. He was wearing a plain t-shirt and jeans, but the part of his wardrobe that caught Misty's attention immediately was the hat.

Over the past couple of months, Misty had become accustomed to a hat-less Ash. To see one on his head was disconcerting to say the least; however, this was not just any hat. It was that one, the official Pokemon League hat for which he had to send a million postcards. Misty had not seen that hat in years, at least not on his head. It had been sitting in…her room! When was he in her room? She became even more anxious, thinking about the diary she had tucked away in a drawer.

"Where did you find that?" she asked casually, pointing up to the hat.

"My hat?" Ash said as he took a seat next to Misty. "Pikachu gave it to me this morning. I have no idea where he found it though."

"Oh."

"So what's with all the people outside?" Ash asked before snatching Misty's uneaten toast and taking a bite.

"Um…"

Misty paused for a moment, weighing her options. Either way, it was not looking that good. Resigned, she handed Ash the paper without a word. His eyebrows furrowed as he gazed at her intensely. He took it hesitantly, and then averted his eyes from her down to the paper. No one said a word while he read, anxious for his reaction. His face did not change as his eyes flew down the page. He turned the pages without a word and finished reading the story. The only thing that Misty could hear was her own heart hammering in her chest.

"Well that's ridiculous," Ash finally said as he set the tabloid down. "That guy was being a creep, and they get that we're dating from that?"

"So you're not mad?" Misty asked.

"Why would I be mad about this? It's laughable really. I can see why you don't go out that often."

Truthfully, Ash was unsure of how he felt about the article. He had dated before, unknown to Misty, and part of him was not ready to go through that again. However, there was a piece of him that considered it immensely. The past couple of months with Misty made him feel more like his old-self, and by that, he meant how he was before he even started dating. He was not sure exactly what it was that he felt for his oldest friend, except that when he looked at her, he could not help but be happy.

Then there was that fear still present. There was a fear of rejection, yes, for he did not know if Misty would want him as anything more than her friend. He was well aware of her dating history, yet she had never once mentioned the subject of the two of them as a couple. As far as he knew, she would never consider him. However, there was a bigger and more ingrained fear within him. What if they did end up dating, and Ash fell in love with her only to break up down the road? He knew that it would crush him more so than his current situation. This was Misty. She had always been there for him when he needed her. She was always there pushing him to be his very best. If they were to go through a bad break up, would she even be there after that? To Ash, his friendship with her was too important to gamble like that. He couldn't ask her about where they stood. He just couldn't do it.

"Oh yeah," started Daisy. "We forgot to, like, mention it to you, but—"

"There's a challenger in the gym," finished Lily.

"What?" said Misty, jumping up from her chair. The force of her movements rocked the glasses on the table, causing some of the contents to spill over the tops. She ignored the river of orange juice beginning to form on the table. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"We forgot," Violet admitted. "But it's not that big of a deal. It's only that kid who has had only a half dozen rematches. If it were me, I would have quit by now."

"It doesn't matter," said Misty. "I have to accept every challenge, and now you've made the poor kid wait. I'll see you later."

She ran out the door, leaving the other five people to clean up the flow of orange juice that had now found its way to the floor.

"Starmie, use Rapid Spin!"

Misty's Pokemon was currently caught in the vines of her opponent's Weepinbell. Starmie spun its body around quickly. It managed to free itself and dove back into the water. The young boy named Michael as Misty learned over the past few weeks had already won one round. At this rate, he was going to finally get the badge he had long coveted. His Weepinbell was a new addition, as Misty had never seen it before this match.

Not that it would have mattered in normal circumstances. Misty had plenty of grass Pokemon, even stronger than this Weepinbell, with ease. Her thoughts were disconnected pieces, unable to form together. Her skills as a trainer were off—her reaction time vastly compromised. The problem was the reporters outside. Her sisters had to lock the doors, and cancel the rest of her challenges for the day. This would be her single battle that day, yet she was already exhausted. Why couldn't they leave her alone? She detested all of the attention. She never had a moment to herself anymore, especially in her own hometown. She longed for the days of her childhood traveling with Ash and Brock.

"Weepinbell, leach seed!"

"Starmie, dive in the water!" shouted Misty, but it was too late.

She hesitated, too distracted by thoughts of Ash and all the people outside, and that had been her downfall. The attack hit Starmie, the seed hitting the jewel in the middle of its body. Thin vines shot out of it, and red light began to flash, as Starmie's body grew limp. The redhead sighed and called back her Pokemon, admitting defeat. Michael stood in stunned silence before jumping up and down in unbridled enthusiasm. Misty gave a small smile. It reminded her of Ash when they were young. Speaking of her best friend, he had appeared at the other end of the pool as the match was ending. For Misty, it stung a bit for him to witness her defeat.

"Well, you finally won," she said with a strained smile, walking up to Michael.

"Yeah. I owe it all to Weepinbell," he said, scratching the back of his head sheepishly, just the way that Ash did. She missed watching him battle.

"Here," she said, handing him a Cascade Badge. "As proof of your victory, I present you with this Cascade Badge." It had been a while since Misty had actually given out one of these.

Ash caught up to the two at that point, greeting Michael. The young trainer showed Ash his new badge to be met with congratulations. The older man tried to discreetly grab Misty's hand. He gave it a gentle squeeze in comfort, knowing that it was hard for her to lose. She whipped her head in his direction, her eyes wide. Michael noticed the gesture, and titled his head.

"Are you two boyfriend and girlfriend?" he asked.

"Huh?"

"Well I saw that picture in the paper this morning…is it true?"

"No, we're just really great friends," said Ash before Misty had a chance to open her mouth. "She's my best friend."

"Oh."

"Yeah, besides girls are icky. Pokemon are so much better!"

"You bet!" exclaimed Michael, giving a toothy grin. "There's this girl who follows me around everywhere. She's so annoying. How do I get rid of her?"

"Oh…well," started Ash. "I wouldn't get rid of her."

"What? Why not?"

"Girls are pretty smart. I'm sure she could help you a lot. You never know. You could end up being really good friends."

"Heh," said Michael. "I guess you might be right. Thanks for advice. I better get going! I have more badges to earn! Bye!"

"Bye!" Ash and Misty shouted together as Michael ran out of the gym.

"Are you okay?"

Ash's words came crashing down on Misty. He knew that she was not okay. He cared enough to ask her about it. What would she do without him? She started crying incessantly, panicking Ash at first. He stood there, paralyzed, unsure what to do. She threw herself into his chest, all of her pain racking her body. She wanted to run away, and never look back. All she wanted was the freedom from this life and Ash. All she ever wanted for half of her life was Ash.

And he was there. Stunned at first, Ash eventually wrapped his arms around her in a tight embrace. There was a deep longing in his heart. It pained him to see her this way. He wanted for everything to go away that was hurting her. He wanted to make it better. He knew that he would never be good enough for her, but he was willing to try. As she cried in his arms, a plan began to formulate in his head.

Everyone was seated at the dinner table later that night. Misty found it odd because with their varying schedules, this rarely happened. Brock had done the cooking with Daisy's help. All of Misty's favorite foods were in front of her. She knew that they were trying to make her feel better. It was touching really. Pikachu remained glued to her lap. She absent-mindedly stroked behind his ear, causing contented "chas" to be emitted from his mouth.

"Misty, we need to have a little chat with you," Daisy said as she sat down across from her sister. She looked at Ash for a bit of courage before continuing. "We think that you should take a few weeks off from the gym."

"What?" said Misty, shocked. "Is this because I lost today? I swear it was a fluke."

"That has nothing to do with it," said Violet.

"Yeah," said Lily. "We're worried about you. I doubt that this thing with the paparazzi is going to blow over in one night."

"She's right," said the oldest. "It might be best if you go away somewhere until things die down."

"You mean you're forcing me to leave the gym?" Misty said, getting defensive.

"We think that you should consider it. The break would be, like, good for you, you know. We hate to see you sad like this."

"Yeah, but what about the gym?"

"Don't worry about it. Things are slowing down around here anyway. We can handle it."

"What do you think?" Misty asked, turning to her best friend.

The truth of the situation was that it was Ash's idea in the first place. He and Misty watched a movie in her room after she had stopped crying, although the movie had made her sob more. She eventually fell asleep, and Ash shut off the TV to let her nap. He immediately went to her sisters with this plan. He knew that traveling around the way that they did years ago would make her happy again. He would have asked her, but he thought that she would be less resistant to the idea they approached her with it. He knew that she needed to be reassured that the gym was okay. It was endearing that she cared so much about it.

"I think it could be fun," he replied with a smile. "And I'd come of course."

"Me too," Brock chimed in.

"Really guys?"

"Yeah of course," said Brock. "It'll be just like old times."

"Where do you want to go?"

"I was thinking about the Sevii Islands," Ash said. "I've never been there, and I heard that it's a really nice place to visit."

"There's a ferry that runs from Vermillion to the area," said Brock.

"I guess it's settled then," Ash said with a smile. "We leave in the morning."

"Are you sure about this?" Misty asked, turning to her sisters.

"Go," said Daisy.

"Everything will be fine," Violet said.

"Have some fun," Lily added.

"Thanks."

Misty cracked the first genuine smile she had all day. She was going to get out of here. She was going to get away from all of the people who would not leave her alone. Brock and Ash would be going with her to a new place. It was going to be like it once was. She ate her dinner feeling elated, knowing that there was a new adventure out there. Perhaps this time, she would not look back.

End of Part II