One week after meeting Butterfree again, our heroes finally reached Mt. Silver. Every single participant in the Johto League got to stay in a hotel room for free for as long as the tournament lasts for them. There, they had a two-person bed for all candidates and their partners, if they had one, some beds for guests in a separate room, a video phone, a television, a toilet and any other basic needs. The Pokemon League Agency wanted to make sure every candidate could prepare himself or herself as well as possible, while also relaxing enough to clear the mind.
And so, this morning, Ash woke up early. He knew this was a very special day. This was about more than just this first League battle late in the afternoon, and more than finally finding out who his first opponent would be, which would be revealed at the end of this morning. While Pikachu, Togetic and Misty were still asleep, he made breakfast for himself and his girlfriend, while putting Pokemon food on the table for Pikachu and Togetic, while adding ketchup to it for Pikachu. He wasn't able to put together a big party for Misty like on his own birthday, simply because he lacked the money and wasn't able to invite enough people. Yeah, he could've invited the Sensational Sisters, but after Misty's recent arguments with them, he didn't think that would've been a very good idea. Meanwhile, he didn't think May, Drew, Max, Dawn, Zoey, Iris or Cilan would want to come all the way to Johto for someone they met only once, twice or three times, while Bonnie, Clemont or Serena never even met Misty. Meanwhile, Tracey was too busy filling in for Professor Oak at the laboratory, who had to go on a trip to Johto together with Delia, Ash's mother, not telling Ash what they were going to do. However, in a phonecall some days ago, Brock and Lucy promised to visit Ash for his Johto League entry and Misty's birthday. They would be there today, but didn't tell Ash when exactly they would be there. He didn't tell Misty about this, in order to keep this a surprise.
And so, at half past eight in the morning, Ash went to the bedroom and shouted "HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MISTY!" Then, his girlfriend woke up.
"Um... Thanks..." the sleepy girl replied. "I'll be in the living room in thirty minutes." Then, she quickly took off her pyjamas, took a shower, brushed her teeth and put on the black summer clothes Ash seemed to like a lot. Then, she came in the room like promised, where Ash, Pikachu and Togetic were waiting for her. After quickly eating their sandwiches, it was finally time for some presents.
"Misty, do you remember how I bought something for you in Blackthorn City's shopping mall? Well, I've got two tickets for a train trip to Humilau City in Unova! I know you like Water Pokemon and travelling, and I know you've never been there yet, so I thought you'd like going to a sunny beach city with Water Pokemon where you've never been before!" Ash said happily, while handing over the two tickets.
"Ash, that's amazing! Thank you so much, we'll have a great time there!" Misty responded. "I've got to admit I was afraid you'd have some unromantic present, but this is perfect!" Meanwhile, Pikachu and Togetic fantasized about romantic beach days together.
"There's more," Ash said. "This morning, before you woke up, the mailman of the League hotel brought me this, it's for you."
"A letter? I wonder who sent it to me," Misty said. Then, she quickly opened it and read it aloud for Ash.
"Dear Misty,
I know you must be at the Johto League hotel at Mt. Silver now, because the Johto League is starting at the day this letter should arrive at Mt. Silver's League hotel.
It was nice to be your rival for a year. Right now, Rudy and I are heading for Sinnoh. I've heard you're going to Hoenn with Ash after the Johto League, so we won't see each other anymore for a very long while. I want you to know that I really cherished our friendship and rivalry, and I hope you and Ash will keep having a great relationship. Rudy and I are getting along very well, he's such a romantic guy. He bought me roses yesterday, and he's a great kisser. But even though Ash isn't that romantic, I know he's still a nice guy and I'm sure he's the right one for you. Anyways, even though I'm sad to end our rivalry for the time being, I won't say goodbye forever. I hope to see you again someday. Then, we'll battle for sure!
Sincerely,
Marina (and Rudy)
P.S. Happy birthday!"
"Will you miss her a lot?" Ash asked.
"We didn't see each other that often, but it was still nice to see her every now and then. She's a kind person and a nice opponent in battles as well," Misty said. "By the way, Ash, do you think Sinnoh could be an interesting region for us to travel once we've been to Hoenn?" she asked.
"I'm not sure... There's not much related to Water Pokemon there, Hoenn is a more watery region, the entire east of Hoenn consists of water and islands," Ash answered. "But I suppose there must be a tournament like the Whirl Cup there, so it could still be interesting. And besides, you've never been there, seeing new parts of our planet is always interesting for you, I suppose."
"Yeah, I suppose," Misty said. "I'm just really looking forward to our holiday to Humilau and our journey through Johto. But first, this League. Have you already seen who you'll battle now?"
"Not yet," Ash said. "I'll go look at the Pokemon Center now, the fixtures should be revealed there now." However, when he opened the door, two people he knew stood in front of him. A slightly tanned man with black hair and squinted eyes greeted him, and so did a black-haired woman Ash once battled.
"Hi Brock and Lucy," Ash said. "Thank you so much for coming!"
Then, Brock walked up to Misty. "Happy seventeenth birthday!" After that, Lucy congratulated the birthday girl as well.
"Thanks," Misty said. "Why did you two come here?"
"Ash called us, he thought it would be nice if we'd visit you on your birthday," Lucy explained.
"And besides, we want to see Ash's battles in the Johto League, we're staying here for the upcoming weeks," Brock added to that.
"Brock, do you and Lucy also have a present for Misty?" Ash asked.
"Ash, that's a very impolite thing to ask!" Misty snapped.
"It's fine, it's understandable. Anyways, yes, we have a gift for her," Lucy said, while handing Misty a small book.
"Oh, awesome! It's the Water Pokemon Guide, Hoenn edition! Thank you!" Misty said, while looking at the gift.
"What's it about?" Ash asked.
"In that magazine, you can read what Water Pokemon can be caught in what locations, you can look up the natural habitats in Hoenn of the Water Pokemon in the region," Brock explained.
"We bought this because we knew you're going to Hoenn with Ash soon," Lucy said.
"That sounds like a really useful gift," Ash said.
"Also, Ash, did you already look to see who you will battle today?" Brock asked.
"Not really, you two arrived just when I was about to look," Ash answered.
"Well, I checked it out for you. At four o'clock, you're going to battle Casey for the first pre-round in stadium A," Brock said. This location had four stadiums: A, B, C and D. In the past, small battlefields were used for early pre-rounds, but now, the Pokemon League Agency passed a rule that forced League organisations to host every single official battle that's part of the tournament in a big stadium, in order to make room for a bigger audience.
"Thanks for looking," Ash replied. "Now let's see, what Pokemon do you think she'll use?" he asked.
"I suppose she'll use Electabuzz. That's her favourite Pokemon," Brock said.
"What Pokemon shall I use?" Ash asked.
"How about Bayleef?" Lucy suggested. "She can take any Electric attack with ease, and she's one of your strongest Pokemon."
"That sounds like a good idea to me," Misty said. "Anyways, Brock and Lucy, we haven't seen you in a while, how are you and Lucy doing?" she asked.
"We're doing great," Brock said. "I help Lucy with giving her Pokemon the right food and lots of other things I've learned as a Pokemon Breeder, while also being able to cure her Pokemon when they're ill. In my new job as Lucy's personal assistant, I can use both my Doctor and Breeder skills."
"Isn't it weird to have your boyfriend as your personal assistant?" Misty asked.
"Not really, she isn't like a boss to me, and it means she can safely trust me with anything," Brock assured.
"Yeah, we're running the Battle Pike together. Sure, I'm doing the battles, but Brock is doing just as much work as I am, if not more. We own the Pike together and both have equal authority over things at our Frontier Facility," Lucy said.
"Brock, did you also see if any other people we know besides Casey participate in the League?" Misty asked.
"Yes, I did," Brock answered. "I didn't look over the entire fixtures, I just wanted to see who your opponent would be, but I saw Gary, Harrison and Paul being in the tournament as well. Oh yeah, and also Melody!"
"Melody? Oh no, this is bad..." Misty said.
"Why?" Lucy asked. "Is she that hard to beat for Ash?"
"I hate that b*tch!" Misty screamed. "She constantly flirts with Ash, she just can't stop!"
"Yeah, then I can understand why you don't like her," Lucy said. "But is there really a reason for you to truly hate her?"
"Um... Something painful that happened some months ago increased my hatred towards her," Misty said, trying to get out of the questions. She didn't want to talk about her anger problem again, and didn't want to tell Brock and Lucy about how Ash was close to doing something intimate with Melody, which is the main reason for her hatred.
"What is it?" Brock asked.
"That's none of your business," Ash snapped, referring to the way Ash and Misty temporary broke up between Mahogany Town and Ice Path, and how Melody almost shared the bed with Ash. He knew Misty didn't want to talk about this experience to others than Ash.
"Um... Okay then, it's obvious to us that something embarrassing happened..." Brock said.
"Why can't you just stop talking about it?" Misty asked.
"Because I'm curious!" Brock shouted.
"Oh well, Ash, shall we tell him?" Misty asked.
"Alright then," Ash agreed. "Otherwise Brock won't stop..."
"Well, it all started just before Ash and I were in Mahogany Town," Misty started explaining. "Just when Ash tried to catch a stupid wild Venomoth, Robert, the lure maker on the Whirl Islands suddenly appeared and tried to kiss me. I didn't want it and was barely able to shove him away, but Ash thought I was cheating on him. He didn't believe me, while I should've tried harder to convince him and explain things. We both were furious at each other and broke up. Melody, who caught the Venomoth Ash wanted, saw everything, and she got together with Ash..."
"Wow, that's painful," Lucy said. "Is that why you hate Melody so much?"
"Well, it's just that she won't stop, and also something painful Ash will tell you about now," Misty answered.
"Hey, why me?" Ash asked.
"Because you actually experienced this," Misty snapped.
"Alright, alright, calm down..." Ash moaned. "Anyways, Melody and I were getting along well, and I developed a little crush on her. After beating Pryce, she and I were going to sleep just in front of Ice Path. Then, Melody wanted to get intimate with me. However, then, I remembered how awesome things were when I was with Misty, and knew I needed to get her back. So I ran inside Ice Path to hide from Melody. Then, Pikachu and I fell asleep, and I don't remember what happened after that. Maybe Misty could explain that."
"Wow, that's heavy," Brock said to Misty. "I think I get why you hate Melody now..."
"Yes, that's it," Misty admitted. "Anyways, meanwhile, I was looking for Ash all the time, and then saw Melody, who told me Ash ran towards Ice Path the last time she saw him. And so, I went in there too, and saw Ash, who was stupid enough to go to sleep in the coldest spot of Johto. He was frozen, so Togetic and Gyarados tried to defreeze him with their Flamethrower. However, that wasn't enough to wake Ash up, I was afraid he froze to death. However, then, Azumarill used Hydro Pump on Ash's face, waking him up. And so, we got back together."
"I can understand why you wouldn't tell this story to anyone," Lucy said. "I won't tell anyone about this."
"Sorry for pushing you so hard," Brock said softly.
"No hard feelings," Ash replied.
"Yeah, you're our best friend, I know we can trust you with this," Misty said.
"Thanks," Brock responded.
Some hours later, Brock, Lucy and Misty were sitting on the coaching bench just behind the place where Ash stood, joined by the cheerleading Pikachu, Togetic, Hoppip and Azumarill. "Go, Ash!" Misty shouted.
"Thanks," Ash said. He just shook hands with Casey, his opponent. The battle, conducted on a Grass field, was about to begin.
"Trainers, ready? Choose your Pokemon!" the referee shouted. This was a one-on-one battle, which meant Ash could only choose one Pokemon, which he had to register half an hour before the battle.
"Bayleef, I choose you!" Ash said, while hurling a Poke Ball. Meanwhile, he saw how Casey sent out her Electabuzz, just like expected. Then, from the other side of the field, he was somewhat able to hear her singing the Electabuzz Song.
"This is gonna be a cakewalk," Ash thought.
"Trainers, begin!" the referee shouted.
"Electabuzz, let's start with a Thunderbolt!" Casey commanded, causing her Pokemon to attempt to zap his opponent. However, her typing prevented the attack from having any effect.
"Bayleef, use your Sweet Scent!" Ash said. And so, the Grass Pokemon started to spread a mild aroma from the big leaf on her head, causing Electabuzz to be distracted and mellowed out.
"Electabuzz, come on, put yourself together!" Casey shouted. However, Electabuzz didn't hear his trainer, only paying attention to the sweet fragrance.
"Bayleef, use your Headbutt!" Ash said. The Pokemon with the leaf ran at the baseball mascot of Casey's favourite team, smashing him against the wall with her head. The Electric-type was hurt, but was able to stand up and go on.
"Electabuzz, use your Thunderpunch!" Casey shouted. "If zapping Bayleef won't work, at least the punch can damage her," she thought. And so, Electabuzz ran at Bayleef.
"Bayleef, use your Vine Whip on his arms!" Ash said. The Grass-type stopped the Electric-type in its attempts to punch. Then, following her trainer's commands, she smashed Electabuzz up and down a few times. Then, the opponent stood up.
"Now, finish it with Razor Leaf!" Ash shouted, causing Bayleef to hurl sharp leaves at Electabuzz, who was too weak to properly avoid the attack, causing him to collapse.
"Electabuzz is defeated, Bayleef is the winner!" the referee announced. "Ash is the winner of the first pre-round, he'll advance to the next round, which takes place tomorrow."
"I did it!" Ash thought, while running at Bayleef for a hug.
"Wow, that was easy," Misty said to Brock and Lucy.
"Maybe a bit too easy," the Pike Queen moaned.
"How come?" Brock asked.
"If he wins too easily, he might get cocky and think the next opponent will be as easy as Casey today, while he just got lucky he had a type advantage. And because it was a one-on-one match, Casey had no other Pokemon to deal with Bayleef," Lucy explained.
"It wouldn't be the first time Ash would do that," Misty said, referring to a moment on the Orange Islands almost seven years ago. Back then, he was on a winning streak and felt invincible. However, then, he suffered a horrible loss against Prima. "And if the battles aren't official, it's not a big deal. But during a tournament like the Johto League, it could ruin his challenge and cause him to lose..."
"Yeah, but how do we make him realize this victory wasn't anything remarkable?" Brock asked.
Later that day, in the evening, Ash and Misty were in their two-person bed, while Brock and Lucy had their own in the guest room. Pikachu and Togetic were already asleep.
"Misty, did you have a nice birthday?" Ash asked.
"Yeah, I think so," Misty replied. "Your gift, Brock and Lucy being there, you winning your first match... that's all nice, as long as you don't get too cocky about your win now..."
"No, I promise I won't," Ash said quickly, to get rid of the topic related to his behaviour after the battle.
"Good night, Ash," Misty said.
"Not yet," Misty said. One hour later, in which Ash gave Misty an unexpected last birthday gift and some hugs, the couple fell asleep.