Hey Everybody! Well, a week late, but here is the next chapter! I am actually very happy with how this one came out. Sometimes you just feel good when writing an installment (the plot and dialogue come easily) and this was one of those chapters. I've already started groundwork for the next chapter and fully intend for it to be out on time in two weeks (barring any school shootings, of course).
A couple of things. First, for obvious reasons, I have not written my last reviewers individually (or at least, not all of them). However, I will do so for this chapter, so if I did not respond to your review, please don't give up. I always appreciate your support, but I was just a little too busy getting this chapter ready to find the spare time to write all of you. However, this time I will MAKE time.
Also, I want to remind everyone that if you're a member of any Pokémon-related websites, please bring this fic up to other members if you get the chance. The mission of this fic is to spread the love of AAML to as many people as possible, but that can only happen with your help. Of course, reviews are always helpful too. After asking for a little more review help a few weeks ago, I got a recent record of over thirty reviews in less than 48 hours, so I appreciate y'all's support and love for this fic. Let's see if we can get even more for this chapter! The more reviews a fic has, the more respectability it generally has. Also, the more input you give, the better I can tailor to your wants and needs as readers!
Last of all, I want to give a huge shout-out to my reader Hikaru-Pichu for drawing the first scene of my story (where Ash receives the Champion cup in chapter one). Unfortunately, she doesn't have a website, so she e-mailed me the pic directly. I will create a Photobucket account soon so I can upload all fanart for everyone's enjoyment, but for now I've temporarily made her awesome pic into my profile picture so everyone can enjoy. She's agreed to draw several more scenes from the story for me (to help in visualizing the story), as have my other loyal readers Sapphire Addict (who is currently drawing my new PERMANENT profile pic), and iluvpokemon101 (who's working on a scene from chapter 16). So basically, thank you guys so much! Not many authors are fortunate enough to have people who sacrifice their own leisure time to draw pictures for their story, and I truly count myself fortunate because of them!
Anyway, as always, 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: 22
Misty: 18
Delia: 41
Oak: 56
May awoke from her deep slumber to the sound of a clacking keyboard. Lazily stretching in her sleeping bag, she rolled over and found Misty immersed in Ash's laptop, typing at what appeared to be light speed.
"You sure are dedicated Misty," the tired teen commented, yawning and rubbing her eyes. She reached over for her pokénav and flipped it open. "Already hard at work at six A.M.?"
Misty shook her head, still not taking her eyes away from the screen as she continued clicking away. "Actually this isn't research for the gym leader thing. I'm working on something else right now."
"Really? What is it?"
"Oh, it's nothing." Misty suddenly stopped typing and tilted the screen downwards as May tried to look over.
The brunette blushed in response. "Whoops. Sorry for being so nosy. I shouldn't have just asked like that."
Misty blushed. "Oh, it's not that! You weren't being nosy. It's just that…well, it's a little weird."
May's curiosity piqued, she insisted the redhead tell her. "I promise I'm not gonna laugh at you or anything."
"Well…"
"C'mon, Misty. We're good friends! How can you not tell me?" Despite having just woken up, the brunette's sunny demeanor made the gym leader smile. How could she refuse?
Sighing, Misty opened back up the laptop. "Alright, but remember that you promised not to laugh." After May drew a little "x" across her heart, she continued. "I'm trying to apply for college."
May's excited expression instantly evaporated and was replaced by what appeared to Misty as almost a sulky expression. "That's the secret? I thought you said it was embarrassing. Why would that be embarrassing at all?"
"Why do you sound disappointed?"
May shrugged. "I woke up early to find that out. It's not exactly the most exciting thing, you know?"
Misty laughed at the girl's frustration.
"Why are you keeping this a secret anyway? It's not anything to be humiliated about…it's college!"
Misty shrugged. "I dunno. I guess I just feel a little weird being out here in the forest writing an essay on why someone should let me go to their school. It feels like I'm eleven all over again doing homework on the road with Ash. Also, and you can't let Ash know this, it's kind of hard. I've always thought of myself as pretty smart, but some of the topics for these essays are kind of odd."
"Like what?"
"Well, this one asks me to write about which plant I would be if I could choose and why. And it has to be at least two-thousand words long."
May laughed. "That is kind of a strange question. What did you say?"
"A waterflower, of course." Misty laughed along with May, and Drew began to shuffle in his sleeping bag on the other side of the burned out campfire. The redhead quieted down and motioned for her friend to do the same.
May lowered her voice. "Well, I think it's cool you're thinking about going. Where do you want to go?"
"I'm trying for Vermilion University in Kanto."
"I've never heard of it, but I've been to Vermilion before. It's beautiful there with the beach and everything! Good choice."
"Yeah. Also, Ash said that's where he's going, so it seemed like the first place to try. If they accept me, I wanna try and get on their Pokémon battling team for a scholarship."
May looked slightly puzzled. "A scholarship?"
"Yeah. It's basically when a school pays you to attend their place because of a skill you have. If I can prove that I'm good enough, then they might pay for me to come so I can afford it, you know?"
May grinned. "That's awesome! You're one of the best trainers I know. I'm sure they'll beg you to come."
"Let's see if they even accept me first," Misty remarked with a smile. "Of course, I'd really appreciate it if you kept this quiet for now."
"You really shouldn't be embarrassed just because you're having trouble. I bet Ash'd be proud of you!"
"It's not that, to tell the truth. I just don't want everyone knowing I'm trying to get into college and then let everyone down if it doesn't work out. I'd like to wait until I'm guaranteed getting in before spreading the news."
May nodded. "I get it. I'll keep my mouth sealed."
Misty thanked the coordinator before closing the laptop. "I think I'm done for now." Eyeing the boys, who were, all three, still sleeping peacefully in the brisk morning air, she gave May an impish grin. "Don't you think it's about time that the boys wake up?" She reached over to her sleeping bag and pulled out her pillow.
"I dunno Misty. They might be pretty mad if-oh!" She caught on and quickly grabbed her pillow from beneath her head, unzipping from the plush pink bag. Slowly, she and Misty inched their way towards the trio tip-toeing carefully so as not to accidentally step on a twig or crunchy leaf.
"On the count of three." Misty held up one finger. Then two. And finally, after what felt like years to May, three.
"Ah!" cried the boys in unison as Misty and May beat their respective counterparts down.
"Time to wake up, lazy," Misty announced as several feathers came fluttering from her sleeping accessory. "You wanna spend the whole day snoozing, or do you wanna get back to civilization finally?"
"You too, Drew," May mentioned, mimicking Misty. Though she was normally much more timid and gentle with her boyfriend, it seemed that being with her old friend brought out the devilish girlfriend in her. "We have to get back to the city so I can have a nice, hot bath finally. I'm tired of nature!"
"Guys, stop it!" Ash cried holding his hands up in defense.
"Pika-pikachu!" cried the electric Pokémon, jumping up on all fours as electricity surged from his small pouches.
"Ahhhhh!"
The relatively low wattage sizzled the four and instantly ended the barrage of pillow fury.
"Th-thanks Pikachu," Ash mumbled as his Pokémon ended the assault and grumpily laid back down. "But next time, can you j-just aim for the girls?"
"What?" Misty asked, standing high above the trainer and threatening another semi-deadly blow.
Ash was sincerely frightened after seeing the adverse effect of Pikachu's electricity upon her fiery locks, and he instantly backed down. "Uh, nothing. It was just a joke!"
"I'm sure…"
Drew spoke up, trying his best to mat down his hair from the small fry at the same time. "Believe it or not, I'm glad we did wake up earlier. I'm ready to get out of this stupid forest and back to reality, like May said. Why're we staying in sleeping bags like peasants when we're with a Pokémon Champion?"
"Drew, remember all of the reporters who kept knocking on our doors? We couldn't get a single minute of sleep with all of that going on. Personally, I'm glad we came out here just so I could rest…though I am ready for a room now." She blushed a little as her stomach rumbled at the thought of the meager rations they'd lived on the past few days. "…and some food, I guess."
"That's true. I'm sure the hype has died down by now though, don't you think Mist?" Ash propped himself up on his elbow.
"I don't think so. I mean, we have to get back to the city since we've caught everything on your list, and we're actually completely out of food, but I don't think the press is done with us yet. They're pretty persistent."
"Why don't they just get a life?" Drew moaned, folding his hands behind his head and staring at the foliage above. Two Furret were fighting over a pecan above. "Seriously, I've never had this kind of problem, and I'm the best coordinator around."
"One of the best coordinators around," May interjected.
Drew scoffed. "Behind who? Solidad? I beat her in Goldenrod, remember?"
"I'm talking about me, Drew. I beat you before we met Ash and Misty!"
"That was a fluke," he replied with a shrug. He closed his eyes and pretended to doze off once more, supposedly ending the conversation. However, May angrily huffed and tapped him on the shoulder.
"That was a fluke, huh? Then how about we have a contest right here? Misty can judge."
"No problem!" Drew retorted. He opened his eyes and reached for a pokéball beside his pillow. "Roserade could use a Blaziken-shaped punching bag to knock around before breakfast. Also, Ash should judge."
"Why Ash?"
"Because I don't want Misty judging. Then it'll be some stupid girl-power thing, and I won't get any points."
"You will too. Besides, who says Ash won't give you extra points just because of your male ego or whatever."
He rolled his eyes. "It's not an ego if you know you're the best, May."
"Misty, wouldn't you be a more fair judge?"
Drew looked up at his male comrade. "No she wouldn't, and you know it. Tell her, Ash!"
However, both teens gave each other a confused look before glancing back at their friends. The last thing they wanted or needed was a fight between themselves and the bickering couple.
"Uh, I don't know if right now's the best time for a contest, May," Misty started. "I mean, it's early and we wanna get outta here."
"That's true," Ash agreed. "And with all of the trees around here, you wouldn't be able to have a fair contest anyway. We should wait until we get to a regular battlefield."
"Definitely."
After a moment of tense quiet, May reluctantly took a deep breath and muttered a "Fine."
"We can pick this up later. You're just lucky Misty was here to bail you out for now."
"Yeah right, May." Drew stood up to face his rival-turned-girlfriend. "You'll always lose to me."
Unfortunately for the green-haired teen, May never heard his reply because she was too busy cracking up. After a moment, Ash and Misty joined in after following the direction of her pointed finger. Looking down, Drew was more than slightly mortified to realize he'd slept in his boxers all night and was currently displaying the checkered underwear to the three teens and Pikachu.
"Uh-um." Embarrassedly, he covered himself and slowly went behind a tree with his pair of jeans.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Finally back in Slateport, the trainers all left their Pokémon at the Center, excluding Pikachu.
"I think he's hungry guys." Ash pet the small electric type on his shoulder as they walked down the busy marketplace. "We should stop and get him something to eat."
"Ash, we fed him in the Pokémon Center twenty minutes ago," Misty reminded the trainer.
Ash glared at the redhead. "So he's not allowed to be hungry again? He deserves all the meals he can eat after how many battles we fought in that forest."
"Pikachu," Misty lifted the mouse off of his master's shoulders and looked him straight in the eye, "I need you to be honest with me. Are you hungry?"
Though a little shaky on her full context, the Pokémon quickly picked up on the word "hungry" and shook his head, remembering the full meal he'd had earlier. "Pika-pikachupi."
"I thought so. And is Ash a big stinky liar?"
This time Pikachu simply stared at the redhead, unsure of what she desired, but certain she hadn't commanded an attack or was talking about food.
"I think his silence is loud enough. Thanks Pikachu." She gave him a wink before he jumped back onto his friend's shoulder.
"Fine then. I'm hungry, alright? I just didn't wanna say anything because I knew you'd say something like 'but we just ate!'"
"But we did just eat. And if I remember correctly, you had a bigger lunch than any of us."
"You did eat a lot Ash," Drew commented from behind the pair, holding hands with his girlfriend after having reconciled hours earlier. "You need to watch your weight if you wanna be in top battling condition."
Ash rolled his eyes. "Thanks, but I think I know what I need to eat. I am a champion, in case you forgot."
"How can we forget? You mention it like every ten seconds." Drew rolled his eyes. "Maybe I'll start talking about how I'm the Sinnoh Grand Festival Champion constantly from now on."
"It's not my fault I'm a great battler Drew. Maybe if you were as dedicated to contests-"
"I'm a thousand times more dedicated to contests. Contests just aren't as popular because they take more intelligence and sophistication to appreciate than battles do."
"Hey!" Ash and Misty cried in unison, stopping their stroll and turning on their heels. The redhead was the first to react.
"Are you saying we don't work just as hard as you for our titles?"
Drew shrugged. "I'm not saying that exactly. I'm just saying that in contests, we work a lot harder for the win, but we don't get all the fame and glory you guys do sometimes. When you're in a contest, it requires a lot more skill because you have to battle and look nice doing it. You said so yourself Ash, remember?"
"Yeah, but I wasn't saying I have it easier than you! Battling is tougher because it's all about the fight."
"That's right! We don't get to play dress-up with our Pokémon like you do. We're too busy trying to win the battles."
"Misty! You never told me you thought that way about contests!" May appeared shocked at what her friend had said. "I'm with Drew. Contests are way harder to win than some Pokémon battle."
"Well, it doesn't really matter since I've won both," Ash mentioned, earning even sterner glares from the other couple, but a little admiration from his girlfriend for the quick response. "Remember May? We tied for a ribbon."
"I was younger back then. If we went at it now, I'd definitely win!" May declared confidently. Having her boyfriend beside her gave the extra determination needed in the declaration.
Feeling his ego take over, Ash smirked."Maybe you could beat me at dressing up your Pokémon, but I'd win when it came to the battle."
"You need more than just strength to win battles in contests," Drew reminded with a smirk. "I've seen your Pokémon battle, and the one thing they're not is graceful."
Pikachu gave a low growl at the slightly-understood insult. The reaction on his master's face helped him realize that anger was, indeed, the correct response to Drew's words.
"Are you kidding? My Pokémon are smoother than any of yours."
"Well then why don't you prove it? The contest here is a doubles contest. Just sign up with a partner and see how long it takes before you're thrown out." Drew smirked. "Of course, if you're worried about losing in front of everyone, then I understand."
Ash tightened his fist and glared in growing determination at the coordinator. "I never worry about losing. You wanna do a contest, Pikachu?"
"Pika!"
"And I'll be your partner!" Misty added. "I've never been in one before, but it shouldn't be too hard."
"It's a lot harder than it looks." May gave the redhead a heated glance.
Misty frowned. Though they had many differences, the one thing she and Ash shared was a slightly over-the-top confidence. "Still, I'm pretty sure we'll win."
"We'll see."
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
"Can I have your autograph?"
"Yeah, me too!"
"Please kiss my baby!"
Ash continued to grunt and shake his head as he fought his way through the contest hall to the front desk. Misty was holding onto his hand for dear life as the two tried to sign themselves up for the contest. Though while in the open market the teenagers were able to somewhat blend in, the second the glass doors shifted open for their arrival to the hall, everyone seemed to instantly recognize the fame in their presence.
When he reached the front desk, the older woman seemed just as surprised as the dozens of fans crowding the pair. "You're Ash Ketchum!"
"Yes I am." He stumbled slightly as the crowd pressed in around him. Pikachu clung tightly to his cap as he swerved.
Looking behind the raven-haired teen, her eyes grew wider at the sight of Misty. "I can't believe it! You're both here! I was just reading about you guys!" She held up a gossip magazine with a picture of the two when they were still kids high-fiving.
How'd they get that?
"I think you guys are the perfect power couple. That's what the author was saying too. She said that there probably hasn't been a better couple in the Pokémon League since Sabrina and Koga! But you guys are definitely the stronger couple. They have some pictures in here from some of your gym battles, Ms. Waterflower, and you look really tough."
The redhead blushed. "They do? Well, thank-" She was interrupted as someone held a magazine with her on the cover directly in front of her face. Shoving the magazine out of the way, she tried to hear what the woman asked Ash.
"So you guys are really gonna compete in this doubles contest? That is so cool! I don't think we've ever had so many important people compete." By now, the middle-aged woman had completely lost her professional demeanor, but her statement had not gone unnoticed by Ash.
"Who else is competing?"
"Well, apparently there's this really strong couple from Hoenn – Drew and May, I think – who've been travelling in Johto and Sinnoh. They're making their latest debut in Hoenn at this contest. Everyone's been talking about them around here. Of course, now that you guys are competing, I'm not sure they've got a shot anymore."
Misty and Ash didn't heed the compliment however, as both shot each other a nervous look at the news.
"Well, anyway, do you need a pass Ms. Waterflower?"
"Huh? Oh, yes, please."
Fighting through the crowd, Misty eventually found herself in a room behind the front desk where her picture was taken and her due paid. As she sat and enjoyed the momentary silence, knowing that Ash was suffering out there as his many fans harassed him for a strand of hair, the receptionist interrupted her thoughts.
"So have you guys been planning to enter this contest for a while?"
Misty shook her head. "Actually, it was kind of a last minute idea. I've never even competed in a contest before, to tell the truth."
"Oh, okay." The woman continued to work on cropping Misty's picture as she spoke. "Like I said out there, though I don't know if you could even hear me with all the noise, you guys came at a perfect time. May and Drew are some of the best coordinators around. I'm sure it will come down to you two couples in the final round."
"So they're pretty well-known, huh?"
"Of course! Drew won the Grand Festival in Sinnoh earlier this year, and May has apparently come in second at Johto's and Sinnoh's. She even beat Drew recently, I heard, so the two of them as a team is pretty powerful. We actually had quite a few people cancel their spots in this month's contest just because they knew they'd have to compete for a ribbon against those two. To tell the truth, we wouldn't normally be able to squeeze you and Champion Ketchum in this late, except for all the empty spots we have now."
Misty gulped a little. Though contests weren't as popular as battles, they still had a large following, and she was beginning to wonder why she'd never paid attention to the latest contest rankings when watching the news.
If I had, maybe I wouldn't have been so arrogant.
"Anyway, here's your pass." The woman gave Misty the laminated I.D. card, identifying herself as a certified Hoenn contest participant.
Thanking the woman, Misty braced herself before opening the door and facing the onslaught of obsessed fans.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
"I think we might really be in trouble here, Ash. I'm not kidding about this!" She gave the teenager a stern glare as he continued to smirk.
"Just because one lady at the contest hall knows who they are doesn't mean we're gonna lose. I know that May's a great coordinator. I travelled with her for two years, remember? But I also tied with her in a contest, and Dawn beat her in the Wallace Cup!"
Misty sighed. "Ash, people get better as time goes on. You beat her when she was twelve...three years ago. And even then it wasn't a victory. You said you guys just tied. Also, Dawn's a really good coordinator, which explains how she beat May, but I don't think even she'd stand much of a chance anymore. That woman said May came in second in both the Johto and Sinnoh Grand Festivals, and Drew won the Sinnoh one."
"But you're a gym leader and I'm the Champion."
"That doesn't mean a whole lot when you're battling in a contest. Like Drew said, your Pokémon aren't exactly graceful."
Ash gave a sarcastic snort. "And you're saying that yours are? Gyarados can barely stay in the battlefield most of the time!"
"Don't make fun of Gyarados!"
"I'm just saying that some of my strongest Pokémon are my smallest ones, but yours is a gigantic dragon that loses its temper constantly…which I guess kinda makes sense." He gave the redhead a goofy grin at his own wittiness.
"What are you saying?"
"Sometimes Pokémon take after their owners, is all."
Misty looked almost ready to lunge off her bed and pounce the trainer. However, a sly smirk suddenly crossed her face. "Well, that would explain Snorlax, I guess."
Ash gripped the arm of the chair he was sitting on, desperately trying to think of some comeback. Unfortunately, Misty was too quick.
"Don't hurt yourself there, Ash. Besides, we need to think about how we're going to beat May and Drew if they really are this good."
Now sulking after she changed subjects before he could get in another jab, Ash crossed his arms. "We'll just beat 'em like we'd beat anyone else. I'll go with Pikachu, and you go with Starmie or whatever, and then we'll pretty much be guaranteed the victory."
"Do your Pokémon know any fancy appeal moves?"
Ash shrugged. "It won't be that hard to make one."
"Well, according to this," Misty held the flyer for the contest in the trainer's face, "the theme of the contest is the color blue...which pretty much guarantees you can't use Pikachu."
"Let me see that." Ash reached out, and Misty, who was now facing him upside down while laying on her back, handed him the flyer. Reading it carefully, he realized she was right. "What kind of a theme is blue? That's not even a real thing. It's just a color! Can you imagine if a trainer went to a gym and the leader said they could only use blue Pokémon?"
Misty scratched her head. "Well, it would be pretty easy for me, actually."
"Anyway," Ash continued, annoyed that she seemed to ignore his point altogether, "I've caught tons of other Pokémon now, so it shouldn't be too hard. And I guess this theme is just perfect for you to use Gyarados, right?"
"Actually, I think I've just had a change in plans." Misty gave the champion a mischivious smirk. "There's one blue Pokémon I own that I haven't used since we've hung out with May and Drew. With this theme, they'll be expecting Gyarados, so maybe it'd be better to go with him instead."
Ash squinted his eyes, relaying the known Pokémon Misty owned. She'd certainly caught many water types since she began travelling with him, but most had been sent back to the Cerulean Gym for her sisters' use.
Except… Ash suddenly understood who Misty was talking about and gave her a smile. "Do you really think he'd be ready? I haven't seen you guys train in a while."
Misty nodded. "I just need a few days. I actually sent him back to my sisters so they could practice with him, but I'll give them a call tonight and they can transport his pokéball by tomorrow morning."
Ash grinned again. He couldn't believe he'd forgotten about the Pokémon he'd given to her as a present so many months ago. "You know who I have that would go perfectly with him? My Gabite."
Misty's expression instantly became brighter too. "You're right! He'd be the perfect match, and I don't think May or Drew know about him either!" Rolling back onto her stomach, she gave the trainer a confident look. "Maybe we really can win this thing with all of these 'surprises'."
"You're kidding, right? Of course we'll win!"
Admiring his child-like overconfidence, Misty slowly leaned over the bed to give her boyfriend a small kiss, but was rudely interrupted by a strong rapping on the door.
"Ah!" She quickly regained her balance on the mattress before sending the door a hateful glance. That better not be more stupid tabloid fans.
"Who is it?" Ash asked, getting up and approaching the door.
"It's May! Let me in! It's important!"
Noting the urgency in her voice, Ash quickly unlocked the door and allowed the brunette inside. Running in, she accidentally tripped on one of Ash's shoes which he'd kicked off, and hit the carpeted floor with a small thud.
"May! Are you alright?" Misty hopped up and grabbed May by the arm, wondering what could have possessed the young woman to start running around like a maniac. She noticed that the girl's eyes were wide with excitement, and she was flushed and breathing heavily, as if she'd been running for miles. "Is something wrong? Is it Team Rocket?"
"I'm on it!" Ash declared. "Pikachu, let's go buddy!"
Though normally irritated after being awoken from a nap, Pikachu quickly identified the anxiety in his friend and master's voice, and hopped from the bed in a single leap onto his shoulders. "Pikachu, pika-pika!" Sparks began to eject from his cheeks at the thought of Giovanni and Mallory.
"Where are they, May?" He appeared ready to run out the door without her assistance if necessary.
For a moment, May just stared blankly at everyone in the room. Her gaze shifted from Ash, to Misty, to Pikachu, and then back to Ash. "What are you guys talking about? Team Rocket isn't here! Even if they were, it'd take like two seconds to get rid of them."
Taking a second to comprehend what she said, Ash breathed a sigh of relief. "I'm not talking about Jessie and James. I'm talking about Giovanni and his stronger goons."
"Oh, right. I forgot about them. Whenever I hear Team Rocket, Jessie and James still just pop in my head first. But anyway, it has nothing to do with Team Rocket."
"Then what was the big hurry?" Feeling the adrenaline leave his system, Ash couldn't help the slight irritation he felt knowing May had interrupted what promised to be a fun little kissing session.
"Dawn's waiting for you outside of your room!"
And there went the adrenaline. "W-what?"
"I met her in the lobby. She was nice, but I could tell she really couldn't care less about talking to me. She just asked where you were and I gave her your room number. I decided to follow her up there in case, you know, she killed you or something, but when she knocked on your door, you didn't answer. Now she's just sitting outside your door. It looks like she's waiting to beat you up. Drew said he'd keep her company when he found out what was going on."
Misty sighed before grabbing Ash's hand. "C'mon, Ash. We'll go talk to her together. No one's gonna beat up my boyfriend."
Though the thought of two girls fighting gave him the smallest urge to put a stupid grin upon his face, he quickly quelled the desire and instead shook his head. "Actually, I think it might be better if I just go by myself this time. I don't think she'd be too happy to see…well, this." He motioned to their entwined fingers.
"But what if she really does wanna beat you up?"
"Misty, I can take care of myself." He flexed his bicep mockingly, though there was a noticeable amount of muscle on display. "She's just a fourteen year old girl, after all."
"I saw that fight on the beach, remember?"
"Hey! I almost had that guy! And besides, they were taller than me and Drew."
"I'm just saying…" Misty gave him a small smirk, insuring to him that she was just kidding. "But seriously, what if she tries to steal you back or something?"
"What do you think I would do? I'd tell her no."
Misty nodded. Now that she thought about it, it didn't make much sense for her to be worried. Nothing Dawn said could change how he felt about her, she was sure. "Alright, but just in case, me and May and Drew will be waiting outside your door in case you need help."
Ash rolled his eyes. "I don't need a bodyguard Mist."
I hope.
"Still, I'll wait outside your door just in case." The redhead appeared determined and he decided that she wasn't going to back down.
"Fine, but don't let her catch you."
After she agreed, Ash put on his shoes, and left Pikachu with Misty. Going up in the elevator, he felt his palms begin to sweat. Instantly, he regretted leaving Pikachu with his girlfriend considering the comfort the electric Pokémon normally provided during tense situations.
Stepping out, he walked down the hallway and made his turn. Sure enough, as May had warned, there sat Dawn directly in front of his door. Oddly though, Drew was nowhere to be seen. She was wearing short shorts and a white blouse. She was no longer wearing her hat, but otherwise appeared normal. Approaching slowly, he wondered how he should greet the young woman. She seemed entranced by the complicated pattern on the hallway's carpet.
"Uh, hey Dawn."
That wasn't too hard.
The blue-haired coordinator looked up in surprise at the voice. For a moment, to his surprise, Ash could see the slightest glimmer of happiness in her dark blue eyes. It was as if, for only a second, they were still old friends, reuniting after being apart for quite a while. In fact, in that second, he almost expected her to jump up happily and greet him with a hug as did so many of his past travelling companions when they were reintroduced.
To his disappointment, though, that look was quickly replaced by a sour face as the coordinator pulled a folded magazine from her back pocket silently.
"How do you explain this?" She stood up and shoved the picture of Ash and Misty holding hands on the beach in his face. "I woke up almost a week ago and instantly became the laughing stock of the world!"
"People are making fun of you because I'm dating Misty?"
Dawn rolled her eyes. "No, not because you're dating Misty. It's because I'm the loser whose kiss was called a 'mistake' by the champion! Why'd you guys tell everyone?"
"Why did we tell everyone? Did you read everything they were saying about us? Some people even thought Misty was pregnant! It wasn't fair to keep telling people I didn't like her when I really did." Ash suddenly turned his attention away from the conversation as he heard a door down the hall open. "Let's go inside, alright? I don't want everyone hearing us."
Walking in, Dawn didn't relent. "It doesn't mean you had to call our kiss a mistake, though."
"What could I have said, then?"
"You could have said it was just a friendly gesture or something!"
Ash raised his eyebrows. "That wasn't what friends normally do, Dawn. But if you'd really wanted me to say something else, then you should've answered my calls. I left a ton of messages for you, and you never called me back!"
"How do you call back someone who's broken your heart?" Tears began to swell in her eyes. "I couldn't even stand to listen to your voice on those messages. I liked you before her, but you just completely threw me away!"
Ash's throat constricted as he watched the coordinator stifle a small sob. He couldn't help but feel bad. After all, Dawn was like a younger sister to him. However, remembering all the tumultuous conflicts she had with Misty, and reminding himself of how she'd refused to answer even one of his calls, he steeled his determination to not let her crying effect how he handled the situation.
"Dawn, listen." He sat down on the bed, and motioned for her to join him. Sitting down, she stared at her lap as tears continued to cascade down her cheeks and fall onto her denim shorts. "I thought we already discussed this after the battle. You seemed like you were feeling better."
"Better? It's impossible to feel better from this. I…I loved you, Ash."
Ash sighed. She wasn't making this easy at all, and it almost physically pained him to see her in so much agony.
"Dawn, you know that I love you too, right? You're one of my best friends, and even this hasn't changed that."
Her fist tightened around her knee cap as another tear fell. "That's not the same."
"I know it's not, but it's all I can say. I promise that I'd do anything to be friends with you again. We've been through so much together, you know? People could make movies about some of our adventures!"
She didn't look up, but she wiped her eyes with the back of her palm. "No, we can't ever be friends again. I've just destroyed everything. Misty hates me, you hate me, and I'm sure May hates me too after all she's heard about me. I was stupid to ever fall in love, and now that I did, I lost all of my friends." She gave a low growl of frustration, and began sobbing once more.
Raising his eyebrow at the sudden shift in conversation, he put a reassuring arm around her shoulder. "That's a little dramatic, don't you think?" He pulled her closer so that she could lean against him. "Nobody hates you. In fact, Misty wants to be friends again too. We all just want things to go back to normal. And it's not your fault for falling in love just like it's not my fault for liking Misty. You…well, you just can't help it, I guess."
"But you don't understand. I'm the fool in all of this! Even if I did want things to go back to how they used to be, I couldn't. Everyone will always just think of me as the stupid little girl who had a crush on you one time…and now the whole world thinks of me like that too."
Ash tapped his chin in thought. It was true that perhaps he could have thought of a better phrase than "mistake" to describe the two's kiss, but at the time he hadn't been thinking about anything except sparing Misty's feelings. "Well, what if we fixed it?"
Sniffing, Dawn looked up at him. "What do you mean? There's no way to fix it."
"Sure there is," he assured. "All of these big magazines and T.V. shows keep asking me for interviews, but I haven't done any yet. Maybe me, you, and Misty could all go on T.V. and explain how things happened a little…differently."
Dawn snorted. "I'm sure Misty would love to see me again, much less be on television with me."
"Don't be so sure. I promise that everyone would just like to be friends again, including Misty."
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
"What do you think they're talking about?"
"I dunno," May answered honestly. She was standing beside the redhead as the three stared at Ash's door, waiting for the slightest cry for help. "I wonder if she's still angry at you."
Misty sighed. "I hope not."
"Hey guys!" Drew suddenly greeted, coming around the corner.
May put her hands on her hips. "Drew, where have you been? I told Ash that you were keeping Dawn company out here."
"Calm down, May. I tried to hang out with her, but she was pretty rude. She said she just wanted to be with Ash alone when he got here and asked me to leave. It's like the little kid didn't even realize she was practically talking to royalty."
May rolled her eyes. "We've gotta work on that ego."
"What are you guys doing out here anyway?" He followed their lead and leaned against the wall, next to Pikachu. "Door-staring contest or something?"
"We're waiting for Ash and Dawn to come out," Misty explained.
"Wait, Dawn is in there with Ash right now?"
Misty nodded.
"I hope she doesn't kill him or something. She looked pretty mad when I was with her."
"That's why we're waiting out here."
"Oh."
The four stood there a moment longer, and then May suddenly faced the redhead. "Misty, are we fighting?"
"Huh?"
"You know, about the whole contest and battling thing? I don't know if that was a fight or if we were just caught up in the moment, you know?"
"Oh yeah…that." Misty remembered the small spat from earlier and blushed. Now knowing how skilled Drew and May apparently were, she regretted acting so flippantly about their passion. "Well, I'm willing to apologize for making fun of contests. I'm sure they're not as easy as I said they were."
May smiled. She hoped that Misty hadn't taken to heart what she'd said about battling, since she was pretty sure the redhead would destroy her in a true Pokémon match. "I'm sorry too. You know, for saying that battling's easy. I've done it many times, and I know it's not."
"It's alright." Misty smirked. "Besides, it's all the boys' stupid fault, now that I think about it."
"What?" Drew gave Misty an alarmed look. How could she pin this on him and Ash? "How?"
"You were the ones who started that stupid argument about who had it tougher, then we joined in after you started. Me and May were perfectly happy before you guys had to go and have that stupid fight."
May nodded, remembering how she'd been dragged into the conflict. "You're right. I can't believe we fought because of them."
"Boys are stupid."
Drew huffed, and May felt a pang of sadness for him. "But very romantic," she added with a wink to her counterpart.
"Mine's just stupid, usually."
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
After a half hour passed, it seemed as though the ice was beginning to melt between the two old friends. Ash had even managed to get a couple of laughs from his comrade as they began reminiscing about past adventures.
"So we can do this. We can schedule an interview in a couple of days, and then everything will be fine, right?"
Dawn, her eyes still a little red, gave him a smile. "I think so."
Ash grinned. "Of course it will!" He was glad to be making progress in recovering their relationship, and he decided now was the perfect time to invite the blue-haired teenager back into their group. "So do you think you'd wanna travel with us again? We're always happy to have more people!"
Dawn was surprised by how quickly the champion gave the offer, but instead of accepting she returned it with a sad smile. "I don't think Misty would like that idea at all."
"I already told you, she'll be fine with it. She'll just be glad to know that things are back to normal." He was beginning to grow irritated with how worried Dawn appeared to be about Misty. If he knew the redhead, and he did, she'd just be happy to have a friend back.
"Well, at least they're getting back to normal, but no, I don't think I wanna stay. I mean, I'm glad I came, even though it was originally so I could yell at you. If I hadn't, we probably wouldn't have been able to catch up and start becoming friends again."
"Then why don't you stay?"
Dawn rolled her eyes. "It's still a little awkward, Ash. I mean, I obviously am feeling more comfortable around you again, but I'm still not ready to spend all my time around a guy I loved and a girl who I fought over the guy with."
"Oh…" Ash nodded solemnly. He had rarely found himself feeling awkward in social situations, but that was because, as Misty put it, he was "dense". After spending so much time with them, he understood that women were wired differently, and he could at least partially comprehend her point. "Well, you at least have to stay to watch the contest, right?"
"Oh yeah!" Her mood brightened at the change of subjects. "I heard that May and Drew will be competing in it. It seems like really big news!"
Wow, they really are popular.
"Well, me and Misty are competing too."
"Really?" She appeared confused. "I didn't know you were challenging contest halls."
Ash scratched the back of his head and grinned sheepishly. "Well, we weren't going to originally, but then stupid Drew started talking about how hard he has it as a coordinator and how me and Misty didn't know what we were doing, so I decided to sign us up."
"Well then, I guess I'll definitely have to come to cheer on both teams." Dawn gave a thumbs-up. "With all of you competing, I'm sure someone I'm cheering for will win."
"Awesome! You can stay with us for the night."
Dawn grimaced. "Actually, I have a room at the Center, so I'm good. But I'll see you guys tomorrow!"
"Oh, alright then."
I guess she's still too uncomfortable for that too. Everything had been forgiven, so he couldn't understand why the blue-haired teenager would still feel uneasy around the group, but he decided not to insist.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
"So then I crushed his Abomasnow with Hammer Arm!" Drew reenacted the attack as best he could with sound effects. "Splat! Then I ordered Flygon to take out his Kangaskhan with Flamethrower. But suddenly his Kangaskhan used a Hyper Beam! So I had to think quick."
"Wait a minute." May held her hand up, interrupting the green-haired coordinator, much to Misty's relief. Drew had been reliving some of his greatest battles, and she wasn't sure how much more she could handle. "I was there for this and there wasn't an Abomasnow or Kangaskhan, remember? It was a Butterfree and Aipom."
Drew squinted, as if trying hard to remember the specifics. "Well, it was a year ago, so the details are a little foggy, but it's basically true."
Before May could reply, the doorknob began to turn and all of their attention was instantly diverted. Misty was the first to react, snapping her head towards the door as it slowly opened. She wasn't quite sure what to expect, but she half-anticipated Dawn to come out in a flying rage and maul her. To be on the safe side, she balled her fists.
"Hey guys," Ash greeted, waving in friendly fashion to the four as he stepped out. Carefully he closed the door behind him. "I didn't expect all of you to be out here."
"We decided to keep Misty company…in case she needed backup," May explained.
Ash smiled as he examined all of their faces, including Pikachu's, and the rapt interest they displayed. They were obviously hungry for details, and something inside forced him to take advantage of the situation. "Well, I've decided that I like Dawn now."
For a second, all was quiet in the hallway. If the scene had been in an old western film, Ash could've sworn a tumbleweed would have blown between himself and the others. However, no tumbleweed permeated the atmosphere; just tension.
Again, Misty was the first to react.
Grabbing the teenage boy by the collar, she threw him against the door. Despite seemingly being physically incapable, she somehow managed to lift his feet off the ground as she shoved him further into the door. All of this happened in the blink of an eye, and before he could react she began the longest and scariest tirade he'd ever heard escape her lips.
"Are you kidding me? After all we've been through together? I knew I shouldn't have let you go in there by yourself! You have to be the stupidest person alive! I swear I can't believe I ever liked you in the first place! I'm glad you went in there by yourself, now that I think about it, since now I know what a huge backstabber and flake you really are! I am going to beat you into such a pulp, your own mom won't-"
"Misty! Misty!" Ash cried repeatedly, holding up his hands. From behind, Drew, May, and Pikachu were all calling out to her as well, and she finally appeared to hear their screams.
"What is it?" She turned her head back and gave a deranged glare which struck fear into everyone. "Can't you see I have to beat the crap out of my ex-boyfriend here?"
"It was just a joke, Misty!"
For a second, Misty didn't turn around. She continued to stare at Drew, May, and Pikachu as the words spoken behind her sank in.
Ever so slowly, to Ash's relief, she began to turn back to face her boyfriend. However, once her eyes met his, he wished she hadn't. "What…did you say?"
Gulping, he repeated himself. "I was just messing around Mist. I didn't think you'd take it serious – Ow!"
The slap she gave him across the cheeks seemed to echo in the long hallway. Putting him back on the ground, she put her finger directly in front of his face. "If you ever joke like that during a serious situation like this again, I'll kill you. Do you understand?"
Nodding eagerly, he apologized. Normally he would have been insulted by the way she was talking down to him, but for the moment he was simply happy to still be alive.
"Didn't mean to make you so upset."
"Well you don't joke around like that when you just finished talking to a girl that's in love with you," Misty explained in a matter-of-fact tone. She seemed to have calmed after seeing he was truly repentant. "Not everything has to be a joke."
"So then…" May interjected. Both teens turned to her. "Is she still in there?"
Ash's eyes grew wide as he remembered why he'd stepped out in the first place. "I almost forgot! I came out here to explain what happened." Again, he regained the attention of his audience, all of them excited to hear the outcome of the small rendezvous. "Basically, she wants to be friends again."
"That's it? That's why she came here?" Misty seemed puzzled, as did May.
"I thought she seemed mad, didn't you Drew?"
"Yeah Ash. She didn't seem to be in a real 'wanna be friends again' mood when I tried telling her about my Sinnoh Grand Festival."
Ash rolled his eyes. "No one likes that story, Drew, but you're right that she wasn't here to do that at first. Before, she was mad because I said that our kiss was a mistake, and apparently a lot of people think that means…well, that I thought it was a mistake."
"Which it was," Misty interjected.
Sighing, Ash agreed. "Yeah, but I probably could have put it better, you know?"
"Maybe you could have…if she'd ever returned your calls." Misty appeared predisposed to disliking Dawn, and Ash was beginning to hope she wouldn't prove him a liar in refusing to befriend the blue-haired coordinator again.
"I know, and we already talked about that. We know that she was heartbroken, and she said that she just didn't wanna talk to me because it would have been, you know, awkward for her."
"So now she wants to be friends why?"
"Um, well I explained that we can fix what I said so it doesn't sound like I don't like her at all, and she told me that she's not just upset about that. She's sad because she feels like she's lost all of her friends because of this mess. I mean, she lost Misty and me, and she thinks May won't like her anymore after hanging around Misty."
May nodded. "Actually, I really don't like her that much after hearing what happened."
"See though? That's why she's so upset. She's willing to get over me, but she really wants to be friends with everyone again. So I told her that we'd go in there and prove that everything's fine."
"How do we do that?"
Ash shrugged. "I dunno. I guess just say hi to her or something."
Misty huffed angrily. "Well you should have asked her. What do I do? Go in there and say, 'Oh, I don't mind that you tried to steal Ash away from me and that we fought over him for a month'?"
"Well, kinda like that, but maybe less mean."
She rolled her eyes. "I don't even know why I have to do this."
"Because I told her that you just wanna be friends with her again, like me. She didn't believe me, but I told her it was the truth."
"Why would you tell her that? We were archenemies!"
"But you're not supposed to be anymore! I would have thought you'd be glad to have the chance to get an old friend back!"
"I would be, but it's just so awkward! And how do we know she won't try to steal you away from me? She's already kissed you before."
Ash sighed. "I travelled with her for two years, Misty. I know her well enough to tell when she's lying or faking, and she's not. I really wanna save our friendship, but I can only do that if you go in there and at least smile at her. She's not mad at you anymore, so why can't you be okay with her? You did win, after all."
"Some prize I won," she remarked sarcastically. However, she knew he was right. If Dawn was willing to forgive and forget, then Misty had no excuse…especially since she did win.
After a brief moment, she relented. "Fine! We can go in there, I'm not mad at her anymore."
Ash's mood instantly brightened. "Perfect! Let's go!" Grabbing her by the hand, he opened the door and in the blink of an eye, she found herself standing before her former rival.
Though she'd already expected it to be awkward, it seemed even weirder than she'd anticipated as she stared the coordinator down.
For a moment, all seemed quiet and tense. Ash watched nervously as the two seemed to walk a fine line between greeting and screaming. Deciding to be proactive, he cleared his throat. "So…Dawn, Misty wanted to come in here to say she wants to be friends."
"I-I would really like to be your friend again too." And with that, any doubt Misty had of her intentions evaporated. She'd remained suspicious of the coordinator's true motivation, but hearing her say those words, and looking her directly in the eye as she spoke them, gave her instant confidence that Ash was indeed correct. There was nothing but sincerity.
Smiling, and without conscious effort, Misty replied. "I want to be your friend too. Ash really loves you as one of his best friends, and I never want to be in the way of him and his friends. I know we didn't know each other well before, but he's always had a good taste in who he travels with, and I would have hated to never gotten to know you just because of this…stuff."
Dawn smiled. "You mean it? You're not still angry?"
"Nope. Ash was, for the first time, right. It would be stupid to lose a friend when you don't have to. He said that you guys have some plan so that we can make it look like it wasn't a mistake that you kissed him, and I was wanting to hear what it is. I'd be happy to help however I can."
Ash smiled. Though he couldn't say so aloud, Misty was actually a lot like him. She'd do anything for a friend.
Now if only she was a little less violent.
Author's Notes: Welp, what did you think? I thought it was pretty good. I know the ending seemed a bit short, but that was because I don't wanna give away the big plan for how they deal with the media or anything. As always though, if you didn't like it (or any other part of the story), then please let me know in a REVIEW!
I'm gonna go now (it's almost four in the morning), but before I do, I have to say something about a very special author. This woman actually inspired me to write this story in the first place, and without her help, I would never have been as popular and as good a writer as I am (though I'm not that great, haha). Spruceton Spook is her pen name. She wrote what was, hands down, the best AAML story (a trilogy, actually) ever. I remember reading her story way late into several nights, and at the end of it, I decided to start an account and my own story on this site about 18 months ago now. She was such a huge inspiration to me that to this day I consider her to be my sole reason for starting this fic, and if you look on my profile page you'll see that she's one of only two favorite authors I have. Anyway, I bring her up because, after a six year hiatus, she's continuing her trilogy! I seriously almost had a heart attack when I saw it! I am SO UNBELIEVABLY EXCITED ABOUT THIS! I know I sound like a crazed fan…because I am, but she is seriously the best author on this site ever, and so now I have to ask that you guys read her story. If you haven't already, then start with her original trilogy series (it starts a little rough but gets good quickly). The first part of the series is entitled "Stars Fell on Pallet Town". Just please read those, and then read and review her newest installment. I've written her now, but unfortunately she's never written me back (sob), but that's cool. She's such a great author, I figure she's too good to pay attention to a dinky wannabe like me anyway, but that's how AWESOME she is. Even my massive ego is squashed by her abilities, so please give her fic a look and see what REAL writing looks like.
Ahem. Alright, that's all I've got. Have a great couple of weeks y'all!
P.S. Also read EchidnaPower's awesome fic entitled "AAML: Diamond and Pearl Version". It's a great read, and the author puts so much effort into capturing the shows essence (while including Misty), that you'd think they actually worked for the show's writing staff themselves.
Okay, now I'm really done, but that was just too good a story to not include in these notes. Haha!