A/N: I finally finished the first chapter of part three. It's a short chapter, but school is not in session this week, so I'll have more time to work on this story. I hope to complete another chapter before this weekend. The next chapter is going to be on the shorter side as well, so I should be able to have it for you all soon.
Enjoy :D
Sarah
Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or any of its characters.
"Even Though" music and lyrics by Darren Criss
Part III
Chapter One
It was a gorgeous fall morning. It was a little cool, especially with the breeze coming off of the water. The ferry going to the Sevii Islands rocked against the water. The smell of salt water pervaded the air, reaching Misty's nose. A tiny smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. It had been a while since she had experienced such freedom. A gleeful sigh escaped from her lips as she melted into the rail. She was so happy that her sisters suggested going on a break. Although she felt a little guilty for leaving the gym, Misty knew that she needed this. It was not the work that came with being a gym leader that was the problem. Instead, it was the hours of dealing with the press. All Misty wanted was a quiet life. She loved being a gym leader, but she was beginning to wonder if it was all worth it. This one taste of adventure was testing her resolve to fulfill her duties.
Ash and Brock stood on the deck next to the young woman. Brock was busy watching all of the women walking around on the ship, whilst Ash was more concerned with observing Misty. He smiled when he saw her contented face, knowing that it had been the right thing to do. It was still a little painful to be on a boat like this, knowing that the last time he spent time on a ship like this was when his ex-girlfriend had dumped him. Thinking about it, he rubbed his temples, remembering the uncomfortable two days stuck on the boat with her. Every time he had seen her, he had attempted to win her back. It had resulted into multiple public rejections and continued embarrassment. However, though it was months ago, and Ash thought that he should be past it at that point, it was still painful to think about.
Ash had been lost to his thoughts when he heard a couple of voices whispering behind him. He turned to see a young man and woman talking to each other in low voices a few feet in front of him, staring at Misty. The man was about Brock's height. He had tan skin and chocolate brown hair. His eyes were bright green, and they seemed to dance at the sight of Misty, bothering Ash for some reason. The woman with him was much shorter, her frame tiny. Ash was certain that he could break her in half like a twig if he wanted. She had short, sleek black hair. It was styled in a short bob, ending at her jawline. Her green eyes sparkled and danced gleefully as the two approached Misty.
"Excuse me," the man said, causing Misty to turn around.
"Uh, yes?"
"I hope we're not intruding, but we were wondering something," said the woman. "Are you Misty Waterflower?"
The question alarmed Misty. She had gone on this trip to get away from people. Already she had people recognize her and asking her questions. She nodded her head, unable to speak a single word. Ash jumped into the conversation, sensing the impending meltdown.
"Why? If you're here to bother her, then you can just leave."
"Oh not at all," said the man. "I guess we should introduce ourselves. My name is Kingston and this is Kendra."
Brock, who had been too busy staring at some woman on the other side of the deck to notice the present conversation, became alert by the mention of her name. He immediately turned around, and his expression changed, becoming one of infatuation, very much like the one he wore years ago. Misty rolled her eyes, for she knew where this was going.
"Kendra!" he shouted, causing her to jump. "That is such a beautiful name."
"Thank you," she said, uncertainly.
"I was wondering if a lovely lady like you would like to have dinner with me tonight?" Brock asked, taking her hands into his.
"I'm sorry," she said, doing her beat to be polite. "I'm not really interested."
It was the same as every other time Brock was rejected by a woman. He got that dejected look on him and became a bit withdrawn. Misty sighed and shrugged her shoulders. Kingston cleared his throat.
"Anyway," he said. "We were wondering if we could ask you for a favor?"
"What do you need from me?"
"Well you have experience with performing, correct?"
"Yeah, we did a show at the gym recently."
"We have a bit of a problem," Kingston said. "You see, Kendra and I have a show that we do on a ship once a week. Yesterday, Kendra lost her singing voice. The doctor on board checked her vocal chords this morning and said that she'll be fine. She needs to rest her voice for a few days, a week at most. Our show is tonight, and we thought that we would have to cancel it, but then we saw you."
"What can I do to help?"
"We were wondering," Kendra interjected, "if you would be so kind, Misty, to fill in for me tonight."
"Me? Sing?" she said, her voice going up an octave.
"I'm sure that you have a lovely voice," Kendra said with a smile.
"Please, Misty," said Kingston. "We would really appreciate it."
"Sure," she replied, resigning to the face that she probably would not relax on this break, after all.
"Great!" Kingston beamed, grabbing her hand and pulling her away from Ash and Brock. "We better get going then. We have a lot of rehearsing to do before tonight."
"I guess I'll see you later!" Misty shouted as she was yanked away by Kingston with Kendra tailing behind them.
"Bye," said Ash, almost inaudibly.
As he watched the three leave with Misty's hand nestled into Kingston's, he experienced a twinge of jealousy. He wanted to spend the afternoon with her. Ash had been so excited to go somewhere with her. It had been years since they had the freedom to travel around together. The thought of her spending hours with another guy made his stomach bunched up in a knot. He wondered if that feeling was normal when concerned about a friend, or if it meant that she was more important to him than that. Of which one it was, he wasn't sure.
Ash and Brock had not seen Misty for the remainder of the day. Kendra had found them in the middle of the afternoon. She told them that Misty would need all of the time before the show to prepare. Ash felt disappointed, but Kendra reassured him, saying that it was completely necessary, and that she wished that she could be outside on the deck with him. Since he did not know Kendra all that well, he was not sure if she was being truthful or being nice.
It was later that day at dinner. Brock had gotten his wish for Kendra had joined them in the dining room that evening. The show was meant to go on during the dinner rush, and she was anxious to see how Misty did. Even though she sat through rehearsals, she admitted to the two men that she was nervous for Misty. Ash asked how she did that afternoon, but Kendra brushed off his question, stating that he would have to wait and see for himself. He was stabbing his steak forcefully when the lights slowly faded into darkness and the spot light illuminated the stage.
"Ladies and gentlemen, before we start tonight's performance, we would like to notify you of a change in the program. Due to illness, Kendra Woodberry will not be able to perform with Kingston Jones this evening. Taking her place is Misty Waterflower. Now without further adieu, we present tonight's entertainment."
The audience clapped politely, except for the young man, sitting front in center. Ash was more than excited at that point. After months of being with Misty the majority of each day, he was deprived of his favorite red head. At that point, he even missed arguing with her. It had been oddly quiet that afternoon. Brock would ask his opinion on the ladies, and Ash could only nod his head in agreement, his mind on other things.
Kingston stepped onto stage to the sounds of a few whistles, most likely coming from a few fangirls up in front. He gave them a wink as Misty emerged in the center of the stage. She was wearing a long blue dress that had an intricate pattern flowing from the backside of the dress, giving the appearance of a fish. Her hair was made into large spiral curls, which rippled over her bare shoulders. If she was nervous, Ash could not tell.
The two began to sing an upbeat song, and Ash was flummoxed at the sound that flowed from her lips. In all the years that he had known her, he never heard her sing, except for a few bars when they first met Jigglypuff over a decade ago. The opportunity never presented itself. Her voice was gorgeous. Of course it was. Everything about her was stunning. Ash knew that he would never be able to compare. It bothered him seeing her standing next to someone as handsome as Kingston singing love duets. He contemplated ordering a bunch of liquor and drowning his sorrows when Kendra started talking.
"I wouldn't worry too much about Misty and Kingston, Ash," she said before taking a sip of her cosmo."
"What?" Ash asked, alarmed. "How did you know—"
"It's written all over your face. I can tell that you like her."
"Of course I like her. She's my best friend," Ash said.
"You know, that's not what I mean."
"Well—"
"See? This is what I have to deal with all the time," Brock interrupted. "It can be so exhausting."
"It's not like that, Brock."
"Besides," continued Kendra. "Kingston would not view Misty that way because he's in love with me."
"So are you two together then?" Ash asked.
"No," Kendra replied. "He tries to convince me that we should be together all the time. It's not like I never thought about it seriously. We work so well together, and I'm afraid that if it ends horribly that we won't be able to perform with each other. Singing and putting on these shows are my passion. I couldn't see myself doing anything other than this. That includes doing it with Kingston."
"I understand," Ash said, thinking about how his last relationship ended. "You don't want to mess up what you already have."
"I'm glad to see that someone sees what I mean," said Kendra. "Everyone else on board seems to keep pushing me to give him what he wants. We may be best friends, and he means a lot to me; however, that does not mean that I owe him anything."
Ash turned his attention back to the show, Kendra's words on his mind. He observed the dynamic between Kingston and Misty. She did her best to engage with the whole audience, while at the same time, Kingston seem preoccupied with connecting with Kendra. Throughout each song, he consistently stared at her sitting with Ash and Brock. Ash saw her avoid his eyes most of the time, choosing to look at Misty. She was right. He had it bad. The behavior went on for nearly an hour.
"Thanks a lot of all of your support," Kingston said. "This is going to be our last song this evening. I'd like to give a special thanks to Misty for helping us out and filling in for Kendra this evening."
There was a round of applause. Misty's cheeks flushed red as she gave a small bow. Kingston chuckled and smiled at her before taking to the microphone again. The music began to play as he started to sing.
"Even though I was blind before.
I've realized there is so much more.
And it was always deep down in the core of me. I know it now.
And even though it seems too much to take, there's a feeling I can't seem to shake.
I feel like I'm reading the signs, cause I know that I'm coming around."
As Kingston sang the words, Ash looked at Misty. She caught his eye and reciprocated with a small smile. Something inside of him shifted. There was a feeling that he could not escape, no matter how hard he tried. She had trapped him into her web, though she may not have even known what she was doing. One look at her, and his heart skipped a beat. Suddenly, everything changed.
"I thought I wanted someone perfect as could be.
When what I needed was the one, who was perfect for me.
Even though it used to seem so wrong,
I've taken you for granted far too long.
I'm falling right into the denouement.
And now, I'm breaking ground."
Kingston's voice singing the words resonated with Ash. It was as if he was talking directly to him, waking up his brain, telling him to pay attention to what was in front of him. He had taken Misty for granted all of these years. She had been there for him from the beginning—from the first day he became a Pokemon trainer. He would have been dead if it weren't for her. He would not have lasted as long without her guiding him. She was there supporting him and encouraging him. She taught him so much about everything, not just Pokemon. He learned how to be a better person and to slow down and not act so rashly because of her. He would not be the person he was if it were not for her. It was always her. Suddenly, he knew that he had feelings for her. Deep down, he always knew, but he had chosen to ignore his instincts for years.
"Even though I felt it from the start," Kingston sang as Misty joined him.
"It's only now we're beating with one heart.
I'm sure that now it's the time
Cause I know that I'm,
The sun is starting to shine.
Cause I know that I'm,
I'm coming around."
As they finished their last duet, the audience clapped. The lights dimmed and Ash had the desire to tell her how he felt. She deserved to know. He stood up, confusing Brock and Kendra. The two looked at each other and shrugged at his behavior. Misty was busy helping Kingston taking down the microphones on stage when Ash found her. She was more beautiful up close. A rush of nerves flowed through Ash's body. Kendra's words resonated in him one more time. Fear overtook him. What if she rejected him? Would it make things awkward for them from now on? He did not want to ruin this journey before it even began. Panic was overtaking him as Misty saw him. She sat on the edge of the stage and slid off of it to join him.
"Hey Ash!" she exclaimed as she threw her arms around him. "What did you think of the show? How did I do?"
"You were great," he said, wrapping his arms around her. His heart was thumping loudly against his chest. "The audience loved you."
"Thanks," she beamed as she broke away from him. "I need to finish helping Kingston break down the set."
"Wait," he said, grabbing her hand. "I need to tell you something."
"What?" she said, turning back to face him.
"Well…"
"Yes?"
"I um—"
"Ash what is it? I don't have the time to fool around here."
"Did you know that Kingston is in love with Kendra, but she doesn't want to date him?" Ash said, blurting out the first thing that came to him.
"Yes, I know. Kingston went on about it all afternoon once Kendra had left. Was that it?"
"Yeah, sorry."
"We'll catch up after I'm finished. I won't be long."
"Yeah sure."
He walked away from the stage, the uneasy sensation settling in his stomach. He went over to her to tell her, and he failed miserably. He couldn't do it. Pulling the trigger was harder than he thought. Feelings of inadequacy invaded his being and obstructed his determination to tell her. He sat down in his seat and put his head down on the table. Anything Brock or Kendra said did not matter. He choked, plain and simple. Ash knew that he would have to spend this entire trip working to prove that he was good enough for her, using any means possible.
