Hey Everybody! Well, believe it or not, here's another two week installment! I'm very happy to say that I've had no real trouble with writer's block recently, and I've even started work on chapter 26 already! Anyway, I don't want to make these notes too long because I really want you to start this chapter. I really like to think it's one of my better installments.
One thing before I start though. Two weeks ago, I checked my stats for this fic and found out that I got more hits (over 800!) than ever before in one day! I just wanted to thank y'all for your interest in this story and for your commitment to it! I also wanted to point out, since the stats showed that many readers are not FF members, that I also accept anonymous reviews, so if you're a fan of this story but not a patron website member, still feel free to leave a review. I certainly won't mind!
Oh, and I also have to say thanks (though I prefer not to) to licoricejellybean for her help betaing this latest chapter. I'm pretty sure the grammar problems and sentence structure mishaps were perfectly fine before she told me to fix them, but I decided to take her suggestions so she'd feel better about herself (editing my fic is the only reason she has for getting up in the morning).
Okay, now please go READ AND REVIEW!
Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon, or any of its affiliated companies including, but not limited to, 4Kids, The Pokemon Company, Game Freaks, or Cartoon Network. The characters written within this fic are soley based upon the fictional characters created by these companies, and the story is not meant to, nor will it, receive any monetary funding.
Characters' Ages:
Ash: 17
Brock: 21
Misty: 17
Dawn: 14
Delia: 40
Oak: 55
Gary: 17
"Watch out for Dawn, okay buddy?" Ash asked as he scratched behind his companion's left ear. "I don't want Team Rocket pulling any tricks while I'm gone, but if they do, then I'm counting on you to keep her safe."
"Pika, pikachu," replied the Pokémon responsibly. He wouldn't allow anyone to touch the blue-haired coordinator or her Piplup.
"Me and Mist should be back in just a little while," Ash proceeded, talking to Pikachu in a voice usually reserved for parents giving a babysitter information. Ash was still shaken after the encounter with Giovanni three nights earlier, and he wouldn't put it past the wretched man to try and kidnap one of his travelling partners while he was away. Also, though he would never say so aloud, Ash harbored slight doubts over Dawn's battling abilities. Despite her great strides in the contest circuit, she had never been as good at direct battling, and he knew if Team Rocket was to try anything underhanded, Pikachu would be much better suited to deal with them than Piplup.
"Pika, pika," responded Pikachu happily, nodding.
Looking up at the clock on the wall, Ash realized it was almost seven o'clock. Standing up, he reached for his jacket which he'd slung haphazardly over a wooden chair provided by the hotel. Walking over to the full-length mirror by the bathroom, he shrugged the jacket over his shoulders, and couldn't help but grin at his appearance. His hair, after remaining matted to his head under a hat for the past several months, had been extremely difficult to hold down even with a large amount of hair gel. However, he had it somewhat presentable; having spiked it forward in the front, and plastering it down in the back.
Looking down to his left side, he counted five pokéballs; he wanted to have the rest of his battling partners ready, just in case.
Ash's preening was interrupted by a solid knock on the door, and opening it, Ash found Dawn, who was smiling perkily up at him.
"Wow! You look great Ash!" she commented as she stepped past him into the room. Glancing around and quickly identifying his quarters as a complete mess, she turned back to him with a dazzling smile. "Are you excited about your big night out?"
"Uh, yeah, kinda," he responded, a little thrown by her enthusiasm. Though he was definitely relieved to see her smiling again, it was a little odd to see her speaking with such gusto after she'd done nothing but mope after hearing that Misty was going to the dinner party with him. However, it was far from Ash to question someone's reasons for being happy, and he grinned back at her. "It sounds like there's gonna be a lot of food there, so I'm excited!"
Laughing, she lightly slapped his upper arm. "You would be excited about the food."
After joining in her laughter for a moment, Ash remembered what he needed to tell her. "By the way, Dawn. I'm leaving Pikachu with you tonight."
"Oh, really?" she asked, ceasing her chuckles. "Why don't you want him going?"
"It's not me," Ash explained, waving his hands to dismiss the idea. "It's just him. I don't think he'd like going to some stuffy party. Would ya Pikachu?" Looking down at his friend, Ash gave a slight wink.
"Pi," Pikachu replied while shaking his head.
"So would you mind if he stayed here with you for the night Dawn?" Ash asked, already knowing what her answer would be.
"Of course he can!" Dawn replied enthusiastically, though not surprisingly. "He and Piplup will have a great time together. I bet Buneary would like to hang out with you too, Pikachu!"
Fear struck Pikachu upon hearing his admirer's name, but he remained faithful to his master's plan and shot a weak smile up to Dawn. "Pikachu."
"Well, I better get going," Ash said, looking at the clock once more to find that he had less than a minute before he was going to be late. While being tardy for the party didn't bother him, incurring Misty's wrath for making her wait completely frightened him.
"Okay Ash," Dawn replied, still cheerful.
Walking out his room and closing the door after Dawn left with Pikachu in her arms, Ash turned to his two friends. "I'll see you guys in a little while! Pikachu, take care of Dawn."
Dawn laughed as she heard this, but Pikachu nodded solemnly in understanding.
As he walked down the hallway and into the elevator, Ash's mind turned once again to the party. After his encounter with Giovanni, he'd become even more anxious to learn what it was that the League members wanted to talk with him about. Even more importantly, he was eager to divulge the information he'd been given and was excited to see how the other champions would react to all that he had learned on his own. He had been nervous the last few days about how to handle the situation before he realized that he was about to go to a party with some of the smartest trainers in the League. They would know how to help him sort out this Team Rocket problem.
As the elevator door slid open, he walked through the dimly lit lobby and out to the front of the hotel where Misty said she'd be waiting with the car. However, as he stepped outside, he was surprised to see that neither she nor her vehicle was there. Looking both directions, he couldn't find a trace of her headlights either.
"Oh, shoot," he heard a woman say behind him. Turning around, he temporarily lost his breath.
There she was, once again wearing that…outfit. He took a moment to memorize how she looked in it. However, after a second he couldn't help but feel awkward. Thoughts of Team Rocket and Paul had filled his head for the last two days, and he'd hardly paid attention to anyone, including the redhead. But now that he saw her in the dress again, Ash couldn't help but remember what had passed between them a few nights earlier, and he felt a blush begin to creep upon his cheeks.
"Sorry, I meant to be down quicker," Misty apologized as she leaned back against the glass door of the hotel entrance. Ash thought for a moment that she was trying to regain her breath, but quickly realized that she was actually using the door as support as she slipped her left foot into one of the golden heels. She soon did the same with the right one.
"You look really nice, Mist," Ash complimented in a hoarse whisper. He didn't know what was wrong with his voice, but it caused the blush on his face to glow a little brighter.
"Thanks, Ash," she replied, her tone suddenly becoming icy as she stood up straight. "I'm gonna get the car."
Because it was mid-March, the sun was down, but there was still a faint afterglow from its radiant shine in the air, and as Ash watched her walk away, his heart leapt, despite the growing uneasiness in his stomach upon hearing her voice.
"I'll go with ya," he cried, racing to catch up.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
"So, er, are you excited about the party?" Ash asked as he twiddled his thumbs in his lap mindlessly. The drive to the Goldenrod Banquet Villa was a painfully long twenty minutes; the first ten of which had been filled with nothing but awkward silence as the car sped hurriedly, almost frighteningly, along the highway towards their destination.
"Uh-huh," Misty answered frostily. She had the steering wheel clutched tightly in her hands, and though her eyes were on the road, Ash saw distance in her gaze.
Though he hated to even ask the next question which formed in his throat, he couldn't stop himself. "Misty, are you mad at me for something?"
Jerking her head in his direction, he immediately regretted asking such a thing. He could see his own death in her eyes. "Of course not Ash," she replied sarcastically. 'What could have possibly happened that would have made me upset?"
The kiss, Ash thought instantly. His mind returned to the hotel room three days earlier, and his stomach clenched upon hearing her words. She didn't want to be kissed.
"It certainly couldn't be that you haven't talked to me the last two days straight except for a few grunts and nods," Misty continued angrily as she pressed upon the accelerator and caused the motor to roar in loud agreement. "I mean, after all, why would that make anyone upset? I didn't even think I was going to the party with you anymore until you asked if I'd be ready at seven."
Despite her rage, Ash couldn't help but breathe a silent sigh of relief. At least he'd been wrong about why she was angry. However, this didn't change the fact that he didn't know how he could help the situation. Looking over at the redhead, whose face was illuminated by the glowing numbers on the speedometer, he regretted his preoccupation over the last few days.
"I'm sorry Mist," he apologized, his voice sincere.
Misty glared at him briefly before turning her attention back to the road. He may have sounded honest, but that didn't change that she'd been worried sick the last two days, wondering if she'd ruined their friendship for good by approaching him so boldly.
Realizing it would take more than simple apology to bring Misty around, Ash continued. "It's just that, well, I've had a lot on my mind these last couple of days. I didn't want to bother you or Dawn with it, so I've been thinking quietly. I didn't mean to act like I was ignoring you, because I wasn't." He looked back over and saw she still had her aqua-green eyes focused on the road ahead. He reached for something more to add.
"I-I'd never ignore you on purpose, Misty."
Though she didn't say anything for a moment, the loud whirring of the motor began to die down, and Ash noticed that the street signs were flying past the vehicle at a slower rater. After a moment, Misty finally found her voice again.
"What have you been thinking about?" Her tone was still flat, but Ash took it as reassurance that she was beginning to forgive him.
"J-just the party, and what they wanna talk to me about," Ash lied. He was determined not to tell either of the young women about what happened to him the other night; both from fear that Dawn or Misty might tell someone else and anger Team Rocket, and because he saw no point in worrying them. He hadn't suffered any injury from the encounter except for a few minor bruises, and it seemed pointless to divulge what happened and risk making Giovanni madder. Though he'd escaped unscathed, he wasn't sure that the criminal syndicate would be as generous to his friends if it was discovered they had knowledge which could cause trouble for the organization.
Misty finally looked back at Ash, and though her expression had softened, he could see a doubt in her eyes that didn't match her words. "Ash, I know you're nervous about this party. Especially since it's your first big social event since becoming Champion, but you should've told me. We're best friends and…"
He couldn't help but feel a little guilty as Misty went on. He hadn't paid attention to her at all for the last two days, and now he was lying to cover up why he had treated her so badly in the first place.
I'm scum. He winced as if in pain at the thought. However, he knew he could do nothing about this feeling. Telling the truth would be far worse for Misty than protecting her with this little white lie.
"So we're okay then?" she asked, looking over to Ash once more, having summed up her sermon.
"Yeah, we're great, Mist," Ash replied. "I'm really sorry."
"It's fine Ash," she answered. Then, with a dark smile adorning her face, she continued, "As long as you never ignore me again. The next time you pull this, I'm not gonna be so forgiving, got it?"
"I got it," Ash replied, laughing a little. He was glad to have taken care of the problem before they arrived at the party.
"There it is!" Misty cried suddenly, pointing over the dashboard to a large white structure in the distance. Looking in the direction of her finger, Ash also caught sight of the Banquet Villa. In spite of the serious reasons underlying his going, his stomach lurched a little as Misty made the exit, and he saw dozens of camera lights flashing in the distance. It had been a while since the press had bothered him, mostly due to the low profile he had managed to maintain over the past few months, and he felt nervous as he prepared to enter the center of attention again.
As the car drew towards the domed white structure, a gate came into view. In front of the gate appeared to be a couple of guards and Machoke, who were trying to keep the large amount of reporters from forcing their way through the tall black metal bars and into the party. As their car approached, the journalists and cameras took notice and started to surround the car while it was still twenty feet from the gate. Misty slowed the car to a near standstill so that she wouldn't hurt anybody.
"Move along, move along," Ash heard a few men crying as one of the Machoke carefully lifted several reporters in his arms and carried them away from the automobile.
"Mister Ketchum!" Misty heard one woman cry from the back of the car. "Can I have just a moment, please?" Suddenly, her voice was joined by scores of others as it became known that the Sinnoh Champion was indeed the passenger in the luxury sports car.
Throughout the process, Ash and Misty remained silent, knowing that any courteous response to their inquiries would only lead to further questioning, while at the same time not wanting to be rude and have the next day's magazines' covers reading "Sinnoh Champion and Friend Fiery Duo".
Eventually, and to the two teenagers' general relief, the Machoke were able to clear a gap for Misty to drive through. The gate was open, and the Pokémon and security guards were working together to hold the press back as Misty raced through the gate and up a smooth path towards the building.
Stopping in front of the complex, Misty looked for a place to park, but couldn't find any.
"Where do they want us to park?" she wondered aloud; the first words spoken in the car since they'd exited the highway.
As if on queue, a rather scrawny middle-aged man knocked on the driver's window. Startled, Misty saw the person was wearing a dark red blazer with golden buttons and white gloves. Rolling down her window, she asked who he was.
"I'm the valet ma'am," he replied promptly. "Would you allow me to take your car to the garage?"
"Uh, sure," Misty answered, a little embarrassed that she did not recognize the man's position in the first place. She'd never had a valet pick up her car before, and as she stepped out she realized how nervous she was. As she looked upon the yellow brick building and its tall white dome, with spotlights illuminating the structure in the middle of Goldenrod, it dawned upon her that she was in over her head. This was by far the ritziest party she'd ever attended.
"You okay Mist?" Ash asked, staring at his seemingly dumbfounded friend, who was staring with glazed eyes upon the dome.
"Huh?" she asked, snapping her attention back to the young man. Despite her nervousness, she saw that he seemed perfectly calm as he questioned her with a smile. Knowing that he was just as inexperienced, but not at all queasy at the thought of entering, reassured her. "Oh, yeah, I'm fine."
"Well then, let's go in!" he exclaimed excitedly. Though he was nervous, for other reasons, he decided that he must put on a brave face for Misty; especially after almost severing their friendship by acting so distant the last few days.
Together, the two made their way up a winding path towards the large entrance, where the mahogany doors had been left open for the evening so guests could come and go as they pleased. As they were about to enter, Misty felt Ash grab her arm and she instantly turned around.
"What is it?" she asked, half-worried and half-aggravated. She was trying to appear smart and sophisticated as she entered, and Ash had almost caused her to tumble over in her heels.
"Sorry Misty, it's just that I thought we should, you know, like wrap arms or something," Ash explained, feeling his face blush slightly at the suggestion. He had seen the couple before them enter in such a fashion, and it seemed appropriate. However, after hearing Misty's tone, he began to reconsider his action.
"Oh," Misty replied, her eyes growing a little wider. "Uh, okay. Let's do that." Turning around, she held out her left arm, which Ash immediately placed his right arm under with a sigh of relief. Entangling their limbs, they continued at a steady pace through the threshold of the villa.
Both teenagers gasped. In front of them were at least a couple hundred famous trainers, Elite Four members, politicians, and their dates. Looking up, Ash and Misty saw that the ceiling of the domed roof was painted to resemble clear blue sky dotted with a few white clouds and several bird Pokémon. Bringing their attention back to the ground floor, they could see a large white marble staircase which began in the center of the foyer, facing the entrance doors, and divided into two smaller staircases which led to an indoor balcony on the second floor. Though viewable from the outside, Misty finally noted the three very large windows which adorned both sides of the front of the building, and Ash took an almost immediate notice of the various waiters who were carrying various silver platters of food and drink to and fro the small clusters of important individuals who had formed circles of strategy, gossip, and idle conversation.
Walking slowly on the polished hardwood floors, the two looked anxiously about for a familiar face. Ash was suddenly very glad he had Misty with him; it would have been so much more daunting to enter alone.
I have to know somebody, Misty assumed as she scanned the seemingly endless ocean of faces. She recognized several people from television, but could not find a single acquaintance as she and Ash continued their slow progress through the room.
As Ash's eyes roamed through the crowds, he wondered where Lance was. However, his focus was broken by a woman who seemed to be waving at him from across the room.
"Hey Mist, I think we know that girl," Ash whispered to his friend. Though there was no need to stay quiet in such a boisterous setting, he did so anyway.
"Really?" she asked, eager to blend in. Squinting hard, she couldn't quite make out the person's face, but was glad to see that she did indeed appear to be waving them over. "Let's go see who she is!"
Clambering through the multiple VIPs and waiters, Ash and Misty finally saw the face of the woman who was waving them over. Though it took Misty a moment to register her face, Ash's eyes instantly gleamed in memory.
"Whitney!" he exclaimed.
"Hey Ash," she greeted with a toothy smile and a small wave. She was wearing a navy blue satin dress with matching heels, and a pair of long white gloves that reached past her elbows. Her long, pink-dyed hair was loose from its usual pig tails and hung down past her shoulders.
"Oh, hey Whitney," Misty said, extending a hand.
"Hello, uh – I'm sorry, the name eludes me."
"Oh, Misty Waterflower," the redhead replied cordially.
"That's right! You were with Ash when he challenged me for a badge last time, right?"
"Uh-huh," Misty affirmed. "That was a long time ago though, so I'm not surprised you don't remember."
Laughing, Whitney replied. "Well, it's not so much the time difference. I've kinda always have been a little air-headed."
Misty did remember that specific trait of the gym leader from their original encounter. Though she was a very sweet woman, Whitney had never seemed to be the sharpest in wit. However, she was not surprised to see that she remembered Ash considering his still recent fame in the Pokémon League.
"How are you?" Ash asked, sparking a conversation.
"Oh, I'm fine, thanks," she answered happily. "Actually though, I called you over for a reason. You see, my boyfriend told me to keep an eye out for you in case he didn't find you first. He wanted me to tell you that you're meeting is gonna be in just a little while. Do you know what I'm talking about?" She included the final question after she noticed the somewhat confused look on Ash's face.
"Uh, I think so," he replied cautiously. "Um, who's your boyfriend?"
"Oh, you don't know?" Whitney asked as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"No."
"I'm going out with Lance right now!" she informed Ash in a high pitch which momentarily garnered the attention of a few passersby. She didn't seem to mind the glances however. "We've been dating for a few months, but he's been trying to keep it quiet."
"Really? Why?" Misty asked, wanting to be a part of the conversation and not just a mute spectator to the discussion.
"I dunno actually," Whitney answered with a shrug. "All I know is that he's been really busy since we first met. He keeps talking about some secret mission thing. Speaking of which, Ash, can you tell me what this big meeting's about?" The pink-haired gym leader looked at the champion with curiosity in her eyes.
"Uh, actually no," he answered truthfully. "He just called me a few days ago and invited me to this party. He said I'd be told everything tonight, though, so maybe he'll tell you too."
"I hope so," Whitney replied with a sigh and a faraway glance. "He's a really nice guy…when he has ten seconds to spend with me. I'm hoping this whole secret mission thing ends pretty soon."
Not quite sure what to say, Ash and Misty simply mumbled in agreement before bowing out of the conversation. As they walked away, Ash noticed that his arm was still entangled with the redhead's. However, she didn't seem to mind, and he decided that it felt rather comfortable.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
"How about we watch some T.V. guys?" Dawn asked in a lame attempt at an enthusiastic voice. Though all she wanted to do was curl up in bed and cry, Dawn had attempted to appear cheerful all evening, entirely for Pikachu's benefit. Dawn was terrified that if she moped about the whole evening, the little electric type would "tell" his trainer of her unhappiness, and that was the last thing she wanted.
She sighed as she looked over at Pikachu and Piplup, who sat on her bed enjoying an assortment of Pokémon foods. Throughout the night Buneary had been hiding her face in the wool of the heart vest Johanna had made, and though Dawn's attempt at helping the rabbit Pokémon overcome her shyness around Pikachu through a meal had failed, she still hoped to salvage the night for her battling companion and friend.
At least I'm not the only one unlucky in love.
Without waiting for an answer, Dawn flipped on the television. A second later, she gasped in surprise.
On the screen was Paul Ikari, standing in the middle of a battlefield and staring solemnly at the camera as applause roared about him.
"Congratulations Paul Ikari! You are going to the Sinnoh League finals!" roared the announcer's voice over the P.A. system.
A young blond woman stepped onto the field with a microphone and held it to her lips.
"Mr. Ikari," she started as the roars continued after what had surely been an exciting battle. "You have a chance to become the new Sinnoh League tournament winner! How do you feel about this opportunity?"
"I don't want to win the Sinnoh League," he replied, still staring fixedly at the camera.
"Uh, you don't?" the reporter asked, obviously thrown off by such an answer. Pulling the hair from her eyes, she quickly countered. "Then what do you want?"
"I want to be the new Sinnoh League Champion."
Dawn felt her blood run cold for a moment as she saw Paul grin for what had to be the third time in his life.
Something's extra creepy about him, she thought as she watched the reporter's eyes grow wide.
"Oh, so you're wanting to get back the chance to become Champion after Ash Ketchum defeated you, almost exactly a year to this day, in the Sinnoh League?" she asked, obviously hoping to get some juicy, unexpected, gossip from the young man. However, he said nothing more. He quickly replaced his smirk with his usual grim facial expression and muttered that he wouldn't take any more questions.
"But Mr. Ikari!" the woman called after the trainer as he walked away.
Shaking her head after realizing she had not moved since seeing his face on the television, Dawn rolled her eyes.
Ash beat him once, and he'll do it again…that is, if he can even make it past the Elite Four.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Ash stood with Misty, pretending to admire yet another of the large paintings which hung on the walls of the Banquet Villa in intricately designed golden frames. After not recognizing many faces, the two had opted to remain together for the moment, still joined at the arms, and discuss the multiple post-modern works which surrounded them.
"Whadya think this one looks like Mist?" Ash asked as he observed what appeared to be a large white canvas with a black line and a red dot staining the middle.
"Uh, art?" Misty guessed, assuming this was what it must feel like to be her air-headed sisters. She had been unable to grasp the meaning of the last dozen artistic "masterpieces", and Ash had enjoyed hearing her interpretation; as well as sharing his own with her.
"Really?" he asked humorously. "'Cause to me it looks kinda like what I drew in art class when I was six with finger paints."
Misty broke out in laughter once more. She'd initially worried that without anyone else to talk to, Ash would grow restless in her company, but to her surprise they'd been keeping each other amused for the last hour without anyone's assistance.
Suddenly, their laughter was interrupted by the sound of an orchestra in the upper-level of the building. Looking up and to his left, Ash saw that two large balcony doors had been opened, and that dozens of the guests were flooding through the doors to the outside. Confused, he and Misty hastily made their way up the stairs to see what was happening.
"Excuse me sir," Misty said, tapping the shoulder of an older gentleman who was gently leading his wife towards the door. "What's going on?"
Turning to face the redhead, the man replied, "Why the moonlight dance, of course! Every party, we have a dance on the veranda with the Goldenrod orchestra."
"Oh, um, thanks," Misty replied as the man hurried with his wife to take a place out on the balcony. Watching everyone around him hurriedly scuttle through the large doorway, Ash could only assume that the people must have really enjoyed dancing to be so eager to go outside. However, Misty understood that with the cool weather and the clear evening sky, many were probably eager for the romantic ambience which the veranda provided.
Both teens stood quietly for a moment as people continued to brush past them.
"Hey you guys!" a feminine voice suddenly cried from behind. Turning around, the two saw Whitney waving at them as she completed her ascent up the stairs.
"Are you gonna go dancing?" she asked as she approached their blushing faces.
"D-dancing?" Ash asked, startled at the intrusion into his and Misty's uncomfortable silence.
"Yeah," Whitney replied with a sigh. "Lance is still in some meeting, so I can't go yet…even though he promised he'd take me. It's supposed to be really romantic. So are you guys going or what?"
"Uh, well, I-I don't know how to dance," Ash explained nervously. He could feel his palms begin to sweat in excitement at the thought of a dance with Misty.
"Yeah, m-me neither," Misty chimed in. She was lying, of course. She had done several hundred underwater ballets for her sisters before leaving and after returning to the gym, and a key component of her ability to do so resided in the thousands of hours of dance classes she took as a child.
"Oh c'mon you guys!" Whitney pleaded with the two teenagers. "If I can't have any fun, at least have some fun for me! I'll go watch, and if you do anything wrong, I'll tell you!"
"I don't think-" Ash began, before Whitney shoved him and Misty forward.
"I'm not taking no for an answer you guys! Let's go out and have some fun!"
Suddenly, Ash wished that he'd never tried for the Plain Badge all those years ago.
As they were shoved onto the veranda, Misty could see why so many people wanted to be a part of this romantic, picturesque scene. From the back of the structure, several of Goldenrod's sky scrapers pierced the skyline, and from above the full moon shone with brilliant luminosity upon the guests. To the left were at least thirty string musicians who were slowly playing some classical serenade, and surrounding her, despite the balcony's quite large area size, were dozens of couples tightly packed together twirling slowly to the music.
Gulping, Ash felt his forehead sheen in the moonlight as his face turned red once again. He didn't realize that this dance was going to be so…fancy.
"Go on, you guys," Whitney urged as they pushed through a rather solid wall of dancers and suddenly found themselves with space to move freely. The veranda was not near full capacity yet, but for some reason many of the couples had remained close to the doors.
"Um, a-alright," Ash said, looking more scared than Misty had ever seen him. Though she'd been lying when she'd said she couldn't dance, Ash had been perfectly serious. While he had certainly done "fun" dancing before, he'd never been asked to dance to such slow, melodious music that didn't have any relevance to him just winning a big battle. "What do I do?"
Without saying a word, Misty slipped her arm away from his, which caused him to immediately worry. However, he was quickly reassured when she took his right hand in her left and entwined their fingers together. She did the same with the opposite hand, and they slowly started moving back and forth, in what had to be the most awkward movement ever.
Ash watched uncomfortably as Misty swayed in perfect time with the beat, her movements light and purposeful despite the awkwardness. He could hardly believe how good she was, especially for someone who claimed they didn't know how to dance. Misty just concentrated on trying to cool her flushed face as she looked directly up at the sky.
"You two look like little kids," Whitney suddenly interjected, breaking up what felt like an eternity of uncomfortable silence.
"What're you talking about?" Ash asked.
"You're staring at your shoes, and she's looking for the Big Dipper!" Whitney criticized. "You two have to get more comfortable!"
"Uh, okay," Ash said. Neither teen had quit their "dancing" during the gym leader's interruption, and so they continued their slight rocking motion; this time while staring directly at each other.
This isn't fun, Ash noted as he tried his best to appear normal while feeling himself sweat through his jacket despite the cool climate. He couldn't help but feel as if he'd missed nothing by avoiding dances altogether growing up.
Misty's thoughts weren't far from Ash's. Being so close to the object of her affections was not only terrifying, but also embarrassing. She knew they weren't doing any particular dance, and that this appeared dumb not only to each other, but to any of the other VIP witnesses who happened to glance in their direction.
"There you are, Ash!" a man suddenly cried, instantly causing Ash to break away from Misty to see who was so mercifully calling his name. To his relief, Lance was standing beside Whitney. "I've been looking all over for you!"
"Is it time for the meeting?"
"Yeah, they're all waiting for you downstairs. Follow me." As he walked away, Whitney grabbed his arm.
"But you said we were going to do the Moonlight Dance!" she whined, in a voice that reminded Misty of a pesky child.
"We will later Whit, I promise," Lance vowed as he pulled her arm from his grip. "This is really important, and-"
"I know, I know," the gym leader interrupted. "And you have to help Ash before he gets in trouble."
"That's right," Lance nodded. "Come on Ash."
Obediently following, Ash gave a half-hearted wave to Misty before disappearing with the Kanto Champion into the swarm of dancers. "See ya in a little while Mist."
"Okay Ash," she replied with a sigh.
"You wanna go sit at a table?" Whitney asked, brushing a strand of hair from her eyes. She pointed to several rows of metal tables and chairs lined along the edge of the balcony. "We could get something to drink and catch up."
Smiling, Misty politely declined, her eyes already following Ash as he followed Lance through the crowd.
"I think I'll go wait for Ash."
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
"Ash, this is Steven Stone, Champion of Hoenn, and I'm sure you remember Cynthia, the Champion of Sinnoh," introduced the redhead as he and Ash walked through a small, hidden door at the base of the staircase. Ash was surprised to find that the small office held little more than a fold-out card table and the important trainers sitting in two small plastic chairs. He also noticed that his head almost reached the ceiling, and couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.
Giovanni's office was a lot cooler.
"It's great to see you again Ash," Cynthia greeted with a small wave.
"Yes, it's nice to meet again after so many years," Steven commented with a smile. Pushing a third plastic chair out with his foot from under the table, he invited Ash to take a seat.
Sitting on the opposite side of the table, Lance began the conversation while Ash remained quiet.
"Ash, it's been a couple years since we last met, hasn't it?" Lance asked with a serious face. Steve and Cynthia were both looking at each other silently as if they were having a telekinetic conversation, but otherwise all was quiet within the fluorescently-lit cement-walled room.
"Uh, yeah, it has," Ash answered truthfully. The last time they'd seen each other was in Hoenn, after Groudon and Kyogre's epic clash of titans. Since then, he'd heard nothing of the champion.
"Do you remember the first time we met? When we were both here in Johto?"
"Yeah, pretty much," Ash replied. He had to admit that, since the meeting was almost six years earlier, his memory was a little blurry on specifics, but he of course remembered meeting the champion as an eager young trainer. "That's when you caught that red Gyarados."
"That's right!" Lance said eagerly, surprising Ash by the change in his voice. "And do you remember why I was there in the first place?"
"Not exactly," Ash said, wracking his memory for any clues to the answer. "I think you said something about being in an organization."
"Right again," Lance replied, smiling. "I was, and am, a member of the Pokémon G-Men. We're an undercover group who go about uncovering nefarious plots by criminal groups like Team Rocket and Galactic. We use this information to help the police make arrests and have put a lot of criminals behind bars."
"That's cool," Ash commented in awe.
"Anyway, the G-Men is an exclusive group, for obvious reasons," the champion continued to explain, the smile fading from his face. "We have about a hundred trainers who are members. Several of them are working undercover as we speak to dig up the next big plan of one of these big criminal syndicates. That's why we've called you here."
"Because Team Rocket wants me to make Giovanni the President of the Pokémon League?" Ash asked curiously.
Suddenly, Cynthia and Steven both jerked their heads in his direction, gazing at him in what was surely stunned disbelief. Lance had the same look plastered on his features as well.
"How did you know that?" he asked after a brief moment of silence.
"I was kidnapped a couple of days ago by Team Rocket and Giovanni explained what they wanted to happen," Ash answered. It felt good to finally tell someone about what had happened.
"Y-you met Giovanni?" Steven asked, shock still apparent.
"Yeah," Ash replied with a sigh of relief. "That's why I was so glad to have this party. Lance had told me about it the morning before I was captured and said that you guys," he nodded at Steven and Cynthia, "would be here. When Team Rocket brought me back to my hotel, I realized that you guys would probably know how to help me."
"Um, why don't you tell us what Giovanni told you?" Cynthia asked, clearly wanting details. "We thought you wouldn't know anything about Team Rocket's scheme, but now it seems like you probably know more than us."
Glad to bare the details to someone, Ash explained the entire ordeal from a few nights earlier, including what Giovanni told him.
After he finished, roughly forty-five minutes later, the three champions had replaced their looks of disbelief with those of disappointment.
"Is something wrong?" Ash asked after concluding his tale and seeing that all three adults were frowning and staring worriedly at each other.
"No, it just that we already knew that," Steven answered for the group. "Don't get me wrong, we're glad you know about their plot and that you said no of course, but we were hoping that maybe he'd have revealed more to you than our agents had already uncovered."
"The G-Men detectives already figured this out?" Ash asked, surprised.
"Yeah, they've been studying up on this for a while," Lance explained. "Team Rocket's very protective of who rises in their ranks, so most of our agents are only grunts, but over the last year they'd been collecting rumors from various sources and piecing the information together for us."
"So what are you gonna do?" Ash asked, quite eager to hear of the G-Men's plan of action to take down Team Rocket and prevent them from unfairly taking his title of Champion of Sinnoh away.
After a long pause, Lance looked directly at Ash. "Nothing," he replied calmly.
Feeling his heart sink at the news, Ash's mind raced.
Is this some kind of joke? How could they not do anything? They know what's going on!
However, the only word which left his lips was "Why?"
"Because there's not enough evidence," Lance explained, regret very apparent in his tone. "We can only help the police when there's reasonable proof that the hypothetical transgressor is indeed committing an illegal act. We're not vigilantes, and we don't have the people or resources to gain access to Team Rocket's secret files. We've already lost a few agents in the past trying to do just that."
"But what am I supposed to do?" Ash asked, beginning to panic. "Team Rocket is supporting Paul!"
"I'm not saying this is easy," Lance replied, casting his eyes downward for a moment before returning Ash's gaze. "It's true that Paul seems to have already 'acquired' several rare and powerful Pokémon during his last seven battles according to his Pokédex information. However, he doesn't have something that you do…us."
"Huh?" Ash asked, still panicked, but also confused.
"Ash, we've all set aside the next two weeks, which we're expecting is how long Paul will take to fight his way through the Elite Four, to help you train," Cynthia explained with a helpful smile.
"We're not letting Team Rocket just take over the Pokémon League," Steven continued in the woman's place. "We're ready to help train you and your Pokémon to your fullest physical and mental capacity so that Paul doesn't make it."
"But what if he does?" Ash asked, not feeling any less concerned. In fact, having some of his biggest idols take time off their busy schedules to help him train made him even more uneasy at the prospect. "What if he manages to beat me with all those super rare and powerful Pokémon that Team Rocket has? He'll just be able to waltz up to the Master and take over!"
The three adults looked at each other again guiltily before gazing at Ash and nodding simultaneously.
"If you lose, the Master's the only one who stands in Team Rocket's way of domination," Lance added, unhelpfully. "That's why we're dedicated to helping you, Ash. Even though you're at or beyond our level, we're still some of the highest-ranked trainers in the Pokémon League, and we have some of the most rare and powerful Pokémon around. After two weeks with us, you'll be ready."
Ash was still reeling from the news that all he had worked for to become a Master, not to mention becoming Champion in the first place, was still on the line. However, he realized how ungrateful it would be of him to explain so. Instead, he offered a quiet "thank you very much" before standing and solemnly shaking the hands of each of his heroes.
As he walked out, Lance called after him.
"We'll pick you up tomorrow morning at eight sharp! Remember to have your best team selected. We'll start training immediately!"
"Okay," Ash replied, turning and feigning a confident smirk. "See you tomorrow."
Closing the small door behind him, Ash walked back onto the main floor to find that it was almost devoid of guests, save for a few people who were postulating their own theories on the paintings' meanings.
As he began to climb the stairs, he was pleasantly shocked to find Misty. She was leaning over the railing of the steps, probably staring at the hardwood floors with disinterest. Walking over to her, Ash tapped her on the shoulder.
"Ah!" she cried, spinning around. Her eyes wide from surprise, she was about to scold Ash before realizing how terrible he looked. The smile which had illuminated his face for most of the night was now replaced by that troublesome frown, and the light which shone in his eyes when he was excited seemed to have once again flickered out.
"Sorry I scared ya Mist," he apologized, hoping he could curb her fury.
"What's the matter Ash?" Misty asked immediately. "You look really upset."
"It's nothing," Ash responded, prepping his voice with fake sincerity as he carefully avoided her gaze. She could tell that something was amiss.
"No Ash, it isn't nothing!" she barked, causing Ash to jolt in shock. A few of the people admiring the paintings turned to see what was happening, but soon lost interest after Misty lowered her voice. "You've been acting weird the past several days, and then today, when it seems like you're finally normal again, you act all depressed again! What's going on with you?" The agitation in her voice covered the worry which was growing inside her for the teenage boy.
Sighing, Ash realized where he'd gone wrong. He'd tried to hide his feelings, despite the fact that he normally wore his emotions on his sleeve. It had become apparent to Misty that something was wrong, and he'd simply allowed her to worry without any reassurance. Looking directly at the redheaded young woman, he swallowed…and told the entire story.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
"I can't believe you didn't tell me this before," Misty said sympathetically as she stood close to Ash and listened to his conclusion of what had happened in the meeting minutes earlier. "You were kidnapped? And Paul's working for Team Rocket?" She had remained silent, in part out of respect, and in part out of shock, and wanted to ensure that she'd heard correctly. And despite the tumult of worry and fear that had descended upon her during the course of his story, Misty couldn't help but feel the slightest tinge of relief. At least she knew now that Ash's weird behavior over the last few days hadn't been because of what almost happened between them that night in his bedroom.
"Yeah," Ash replied, feeling better now that his best friend knew. However, he was still troubled.
"But they said they're gonna help you train, right?"
"Uh-huh."
"So why do you still look worried?" Misty asked, impatience creeping into her tone. "The most powerful trainers in the world agree to help you train for one of the biggest battles of your life, and you act like a kid who's Growlithe got hit by a car!"
"It's just…" Ash began before fading. He didn't want to admit this aloud, since he'd rarely ever done so in his time as a trainer.
"Just what?" Misty asked, still sounding incredulous at the thought of him being troubled by something.
"It's just that I don't know if I can do it," he replied, looking at the ground in shame. "I know I'm the champion and everything, but…I mean, Paul's got all those resources and new Pokémon. Team Rocket has trained him, Mist. I saw the tapes, they know my exact battle style and how it's changed since I was a kid."
The redhead was quiet for a moment, but surprised Ash by taking his right hand in a firm grip and leading him down the stairway.
"Where are we going?" he asked, not pulling away.
However, the gym leader did not respond. Instead, she continued her steady but determined march towards the exit of the building. When they were outside, she removed her heels quickly, grabbed Ash's hand once more and led him away from the winding path into the rather large, grassy field which surrounded the mansion. When they were at last several hundred feet away from the building, with the entrance gate less than a speck in the distance, Ash yanked his arm away.
"Where are you taking me?" he questioned, completely confused.
Opening her small purse which she'd kept clutched in her right fist, she pulled out a single pokéball and dropped the bag to the ground.
"You don't think you're ready?" she asked loudly and demandingly, her eyes ablaze even in the moonlight. "Then battle me right now."
"Battle you?" Ash asked, even more confounded. What was she talking about?
"You heard me Mr. 'I'm not good enough to beat some wimp with purple hair'. If you really think you're so weak then prove it! Lose to me in a battle!"
"I'm not gonna battle you Mist," Ash replied slowly backing away. He didn't know why she was doing this. He wanted comforting words, not belligerent harassment.
"Ash, why are you so afraid of losing to Paul?" Misty asked, her voice just as stern, but at a lower decibel.
"Because everything I worked for will have been for nothing."
"That's not it," Misty refuted. "You've had everything you've worked for demolished dozens of times, but you were always eager about the upcoming battle and the future in general. Why are you so afraid of losing to Paul? Where's your confidence?"
Realizing that she was right, though not shocked by the finding, Ash admitted the truth. "Because he's got strong Pokémon. I haven't battled seriously since my match with Cynthia…what if I don't have the talent anymore?"
"That's why we're gonna battle," Misty replied determinedly. "To see if you really do have the talent anymore. I've been your coach for the last seven years, and I'm one of the best trainers around." Ash did not take this as the time for an argument over that. "If you've lost your talent, then I'll know after battling you. So choose your Pokémon!"
At her order, a small grin pervaded Ash's lips. He took off the expensive tuxedo jacket which he'd paid special attention throughout the night to not stain, and threw it on the ground beside him. Reaching to his left waist, he grabbed a pokéball, not even sure which battling companion it withheld, and enlarged it. Holding it in front of Misty, he challenged her. "Bring it on."
Smiling herself, Misty threw her shoes next to Ash's jacket, and the two ran in opposite directions before finally deciding they had enough space between them for an adequate battlefield.
"You ready to lose Ketchum?" Misty yelled from across the open field.
"I'm never ready for that!" Ash cried back, feeling his heart begin to race as a real test of his skill began to unfold. Loosening his bowtie, he took a deep breath before launching the red and white sphere high into the air. "C'mon out!"
In a blaze of white light, Ash's Croconaw appeared, immediately taking a battle stance.
Not bad for a random choice, Ash thought as he quickly drew up a mental strategy. Since he was a water type, he would only be weak to electric and grass attacks, which Ash was confident Misty's Pokémon were not capable of. However, Croconaw didn't have any moves which would be super effective against Misty's water Pokémon either, so the battle was going to require some creativity.
"Then I choose Gyarados!" Misty cried. Upon his release, the blue monstrosity roared approvingly of his master's choice. Looking down upon Ash's big Jaw Pokémon, the teenage boy could almost swear he saw the water creature smirk.
"Headbutt!" Misty ordered before Ash could think through his plan. In response, Gyarados brought back his long neck before launching his head directly into Croconaw. Ash's battling partner was pounded into the ground underneath the weight of the attack, and as Gyarados lifted himself back up, Croconaw struggled to regain his balance before another offensive move was made by his opponent.
"Croc, use Screech!" Ash ordered. Opening his massive mouth, the blue Pokémon emitted a high pitch squeal that caused both trainers and Gyarados to flinch.
"Now use Ice Fang!"
Running up to Gyarados' large underbelly, Croconaw's teeth glowed an eerie blue-white color as he opened his mouth and viciously tore into Gyarados. The flying and water type cried in pain, louder even than his opponents Screech.
"Hey, what's going on out there?" someone asked in the distance, though both trainers were too focused on what they were doing to care.
"Protect, Gyarados!"
His eyes glowing red, the atrocious Pokémon released small shockwaves from his mouth down to Croconaw, who was momentarily shocked before letting go of his opponent. "Now use a Hydro Pump!"
Opening his mouth, the dragon-like Pokémon unleashed a torrent of water, aimed perfectly at Ash's friend.
"Use Hydro Pump too!" Ash ordered. Reenacting his opponent's actions, Croconaw shot a large jet of water at Gyarados', resulting in the two fountain's collision. For several seconds, the force of the jets seemed contained to directly between the two Pokémon, but slowly Ash noticed that the area where the two jets met was closing in on his Croconaw.
Thinking quickly, Ash remembered a move both his Squirtle and Dawn's Piplup had used which may help. "Croconaw, Hydro Pump the ground!"
Obeying his master, the Pokémon redirected his attack and was instantly launched into the air before the opposing Hydro Pump could make contact with his body. Though Piplup had done this with a Water Gun, Ash reasoned, Croconaw would have to use a Hydro Pump in order to keep up his heavy body weight.
Landing on the ground once again, Croconaw stared at Gyarados fiercely as he awaited the next order. Gyarados reciprocated the action, and both Pokémon breathed a little heavier after having used such powerful water attacks for such long periods of time.
"Gyarados, use Body Slam!" Misty commanded, not wanting to waste anymore of her Pokémon's precious water power until absolutely the right time.
Leaping forward, Gyarados straightened his entire body and fell directly on top of Croconaw, who still stood waiting for an order.
"Use Crunch!"
Opening his large jaw once more, Croconaw waited for the Pokémon to fall on top of him. When he did, it appeared that Ash's Pokémon had been completely enveloped beneath the weight of his opposition, but Ash knew better. After several seconds of watching Gyarados' face directly in front of him, the champion saw what he'd been waiting for; a flinch. Lifting his massive upper-half off the ground, Croconaw was found holding a death grip onto Gyarados' body, which caused the Pokémon to roar in pain once again. However, this time Croconaw was much higher on his neck, and Ash realized the inadvertently gained potential of the situation.
"Use Protect again!" Misty commanded, though this time Croconaw was too near his head for Gyarados to shoot him off.
As Gyarados tried to unsuccessfully rid himself of the pesky Pokémon, Ash took advantage. "Slash attack Croconaw!"
Raising his right claw, the Pokémon scored critical damage by striking the area directly under the water and flying type's chin.
"Keep doing it, buddy!"
Croconaw repeatedly slashed through the scaly surface of Gyarados' body, emitting larger and more revealing roars of pain.
After this continued for at least another minute, Gyarados seemed to lose patience with his master's inability to think of a proper move, and he began to thrash about and wave his head at a dangerous speed.
Ash recognized the Thrash attack and realized that despite his strength, his Pokémon would not be able to hold on much longer. When Gyarados was relatively still for a moment, Ash ordered his companion to let go. Croconaw landed back on the ground, and now Gyarados had a clear aim.
"Finish him quick!" Misty commanded, afraid her Pokémon might act up again if she did not take charge once more.
Charging a Hyper Beam as he opened his mouth, Croconaw looked back at Ash, who decided to take on the attack with his own.
"Croconaw, when he shoots, use Hydro Pump!"
Though his Pokémon's eyes widened a little in shock at the order, he nodded and turned back, waiting for the attack to complete charging. With another roar, this time of power, Gyarados shot the large beam of light downward, which Croconaw stopped with his own Hydro Pump. However, it was obvious to all that the water attack wouldn't be sufficient to hold off the impending ray of light, seeing as the Hyper Beam was drawing ever-nearer, and Misty ordered Gyarados to continue. "He's almost finished!"
Waiting until the last possible second, when Croconaw's entire face was illuminated by the bright light of the attack, Ash told him to jump out of the way. Doing just that, the Hyper Beam plummeted straight into the ground. Breathing hard, and having taken large damage from Croconaw's biting attacks, Gyarados growled menacingly as he saw his attack had been ineffective.
Knowing that a recovery time would be necessary before he could strike again, Ash ordered a joint Ice Fang and Slash attack on Gyarados. Running to his underbelly once more, Croconaw took another large bite of his opponent and began slashing away, causing more and more pain.
Ash didn't know how he was able, but Gyarados remained up for another minute; though he was completely incapable of using any of the moves Misty was commanding of him. Despite his resilience, after taking so many direct hits from his opponent, the Pokémon started to sway, and eventually fell over on his right side.
Grinning, Ash realized what had happened. He had beaten Misty's much stronger Gyarados with Croconaw!
Pumping his fist in the air, he cheered, and Croconaw ran over to him and jumped at him, causing Ash to fall over. He was too happy to care though, and while they celebrated a hard fought victory, Misty consoled her Pokémon who looked at her with apologetic eyes. Returning him to his pokéball, she noticed the sound of voices. Looking to her right, she saw that much of the party was standing and applauding the excellent show.
"What a great battle!" one gentleman exclaimed.
"Your Gyarados did a great job!"
"I couldn't believe how powerful that Croconaw was!"
"I guess there's a reason he's the Sinnoh Champion."
Ash recalled his Pokémon and was about to make his way over to Misty, who was already surrounded by a group of VIPs congratulating her on her performance and commenting on how well she'd trained such an unpredictable Pokémon. He hesitated, seeing how much she appreciated the praise, but just as he debated how best to approach her, Misty turned and saw him staring at her. Her face broke out into a beautiful smile and she shot him two thumbs up, her eyes glittering triumphantly in the moonlight.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Laughing, the two teenagers entered the hotel lobby. It was past midnight, and they'd just come from the Pokémon Center where both Croconaw and Gyarados were going to spend the night and receive some well-deserved rest and relaxation.
"We really became the life of the party, huh?" Misty asked as they walked into the elevator. Ash pushed their floor's button and agreed.
"Yeah, we were pretty popular."
"So do you feel nervous anymore?" Misty questioned.
"No. I think you were right. That battle was exactly what I needed to help calm my nerves down."
"I'm glad to hear I was right…as usual," Misty kidded. As the doors opened, the two walked down the hallway towards Misty's room, still joking and laughing. However, their laughter ceased when they saw a door open and Dawn walk out in her pink pajamas.
"There you guys are!" she cried, sounding relieved. "Why were you out so late? I thought you said you wouldn't be that long."
"Well, the party was more interesting than we thought it would be," Misty answered truthfully. "So we decided to stay a little longer."
Not liking Misty's tone, which sounded slightly vindictive to her ears, Dawn ignored the answer and looked at Ash. "Well, Pikachu fell asleep playing with Piplup and Buneary. Do you want him to just stay with me for the night?"
"I guess so," Ash answered with a smile. He was glad to know that Pikachu's services hadn't been required. "I don't wanna wake him up if I don't have to."
"So are you guys going to bed now?" Dawn asked, hoping to deflate the situation. She could tell from their delighted expressionsthat something special had happened, and she couldn't help but try to break up their late evening fun before it got out of hand. "Or do you wanna stay up and watch T.V. or something?"
"Uh, no," Ash answered. He couldn't help but feel like Dawn was rushing him and Misty to their respective room, and her presence felt oddly intrusive. "It's pretty late, and I have to get up early in the morning."
"Yeah, I guess we'd better go to bed," Misty reluctantly agreed, wishing Dawn had never heard them coming down the hallway. She'd hoped to maybe reenact the scene from a few nights earlier, but the blue-haired coordinator had all but completely obliterated that possibility. "I'll see ya tomorrow Ash."
"Hold on Mist," Ash said, catching the gym leader off-guard. "Uh, Dawn, could you give me and Misty a sec? Y'know, uh…alone?"
Misty's and Dawn's hearts leapt at the news, but for different reasons. "Uh, s-sure Ash," she replied shakily. "Goodnight, you guys."
Shooting daggers through Misty with her eyes, she turned and went slowly back into her room. Once the door was closed behind her she pressed her ear tightly to the smooth wooden surface, listening intently and hoping to catch what the champion was saying.
"Mist, I just wanted to say thanks for tonight," Ash said gratefully, looking directly at the redhead trainer. "If you hadn't been there, I think I'd still be worrying about this battle, but you knew how to help me."
"It's no problem Ash," Misty answered with a blushing smile. "It was just a lucky guess."
"No, it wasn't," Ash refuted, shaking his head. Placing a hand on her shoulder, he continued. "You knew that I needed my confidence back, and you knew how to give it to me."
"Okay, Ash," Misty answered, trying to laugh a little, but finding it hard to breath with his hand draped over her shoulder like it was, and with him in such close proximity to her. "Th-thank you."
"I guess what I'm saying Mist, is just…I dunno," Ash continued, starting to feel idiotic. He couldn't express what he wanted to say, and he accredited this mainly to his limited vocabulary. However, to Misty, he was saying more than he ever had before. "I guess I'm just trying to say thank you."
Though he'd concluded his speech, neither teen moved, and he kept his hand locked onto Misty's shoulder.
"I guess we should go to bed, huh?" Misty whispered after a moment. This was the last thing she wanted, but she didn't want them to stand there until it became awkward, and she wanted Ash to decide whether he wanted this night to end or not.
"I-I guess so," Ash responded, whispering as well. However, he felt the powerful urge he'd felt a few nights earlier rise within his chest like a balloon, and he knew he wanted more than a simple "goodnight".
Taking Misty by surprise, the hand on her shoulder pulled her closer to the champion, and leaning down quickly, as if afraid something might ruin the moment at any second, Ash pressed his lips to hers, causing a sensation which neither teen had felt.
Though it was their first kiss and thus a little awkwardly placed as their lips meshed together, both Ash and Misty could've sworn that it was the most romantic and electrifying event of their lives.
Continuing to hold her shoulder in his right hand, Ash's hand crept unconsciously around Misty's waist as her eyes fluttered shut, her fingers threading into his long hair. Ash responded by pulling her closer and pressing his lips even harder onto hers.
Though it couldn't have lasted more than a minute, when the two separated and stared at each other with wide eyes, they both could've sworn from their heavy breathing that they'd been going for several hours.
"Wow," Ash stammered in a shaky breath after he somehow found the ability to speak amongst the millions of thoughts whirring through his head.
"I know," Misty replied after a second more of catching her breath. She seemed equally shaken by the event, but she couldn't help the grin which suddenly emerged. She felt as if she were flying as she looked over at the boy who was now staring at the ground and had a face as red as a tomato berry.
"Thank you," she whispered, leaning up once more and pecking his cheek lightly. She gazed at him for a moment longer with an irrepressible smile, her eyes dancing with happiness, before biting her lip and turning away, flushing like an embarrassed child. Her long red hair streamed out behind her as she ran for the safety of her own quarters, but once in her room Misty didn't even bother to take off her shoes, though they'd been rubbing her feet for the last several hours. She simply flopped onto her bed and stared blankly up at the ceiling, loving the thrilling sensation which still plagued her lips as she replayed Ash's words and gentle caresses over and over again in her mind. A silent squeal escaped her as she covered her face with her hands and turned to bury her head in her pillows, knowing that there was no chance she'd sleep that night.
Ash simply continued to stand for a moment in the hallway trying to understand what had taken place. He then walked in slow, measured steps to his room and carefully closed the door behind him. He clutched the handle for several more seconds before the enormity of his emotions engulfed him and he began jumping up and down in celebration. He felt as if he were soaring on Charizard's back, and he couldn't stop dancing for quite a while.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Dawn heard the far off sound of a door closing and retreated towards her bed in disappointment. She had no idea what had happened. They'd started whispering shortly after starting their conversation, so she could only assume they'd gone to bed by now. Still, she didn't like how they'd been acting upon their arrival, and as she laid back down in her bed between Pikachu and Piplup, she realized that action would have to be taken quickly if she was going to win Ash from Misty's clutches.
And now she had the perfect opportunity.
Author's Notes: I know, I know, you all wanted Dawn and Ash to hook up, but I just thought this would really throw you for a loop. Ha,ha! Anyway, I really don't know what to say about this chapter, because honestly, I think it speaks for itself. Please REVIEW and tell me what you thought (be it good or bad), because I'm desperate to improve this story for y'all's enjoyment.
Okay, as was warned to Caesar upon the Ides of March; here are this week's recommendations!
"Journey of Legends" by livezinshadowz – Honestly, this is one of the best written stories I've found on this site in a while. This guy is very descriptive (which y'all know I'm a fan of), but the plot's stellar as well (pokeshipping). Please, if you like well-written stories that will just make you want to read more, go to his fic by putting this title in the search bar. He's only gotten a few reviews (can't understand why), and we absolutely need to encourage him to continue this awesome story for…uh, well, me. I really want to see what happens. Ha,ha!
"Pokémon Origins: Training" by silentlysnowing – Another great story which I've just started but promises to keep me hooked. It's an original character fic, and has a very unique plotline as well. Also, just like the first, this one is very well-written and easy to read. Keep up the great work SS!
"Pedestal" by Digital Skitty – I've only just started this over 90 chapter fic (wow!), but it really interested me. Again, it's an original character fic (I like reading about other people's interpretations of the Pokémon world), and the author's really starting off strong about a story of a young girl who's starting her own journey. After you read the first two recommendations, give this one a try.
Okay, well that's it for this week.
Oh, and before I let y'all go, I want to steal something from licoricejellybean (she owes me so much for editing her story anyway, I'm sure she won't mind…even if she does, oh well). I've decided to take my own poll, and I want you, the readers, to answer in the review section. How awesome an author am I on a scale of 9 to 10; with 9 being extremely awesome, and 10 being unbelievably, unrealistically awesome.
As I said before, please, please, whether you're a member of the site or just an anonymous viewer, leave a REVIEW! We're so close to 400 now guys, and comments continue to fuel my creativity and better my writing skills so all of you can get the most out of your reading experience. Alright, now that my rants over…have a Happy Easter and a good couple of weeks!