Author's Note: Third-Person Point-of-View

"Ok, hot or not? Lt. Surge."

"Hot! Totally hot. Those muscles…"

"Not. Yeah he's got the muscles, but that nose belongs on a witch! Definitely not."

Misty tried to block the sound of her sisters' stupidity out as she continued to swim laps. It was really difficult. Not because their voices were that loud, more because their stupidity was just that hard to ignore.

"Hot or not?" Daisy drawled. "Lance."

"Hottt! He's a Champion for Ho-Oh's sake!" Violet gushed. "And the way he swings that cape!"

"Not!" Lily countered. "Yeah, he's got the cape thing going, but red hair is just too flashy for my taste."

Misty stopped her swimming as she reached the end of the pool, feeling a vein throb in her head.

"Lily, you have red hair! How can you think it's too flashy?!"

Lily turned her head at the sound of Misty's voice as if she hadn't known her younger sister was there. The older girl blinked, took a lock of her own hair in her finger, and stared at it as if to confirm what Misty had said. Misty lifted herself out of the pool, looking at her sister pointedly.

"Yeah, well…" Lily spluttered, trying to come up with a comeback. "You have red hair, too!"

Misty tried not to palm her own forehead at the senselessness of her sister's comeback. Before she could calmly explain to Lily why her statement was not a valid argument, Daisy interjected.

"Hate to interrupt your debate, girls, but you got some mail, Misty."

Daisy held out an envelope toward Misty and waved it obnoxiously.

"You sure?" Misty asked skeptically. She wasn't expecting mail. "You said I had mail yesterday, too, and then you changed your mind when you checked again. Sure you don't want to double check this time?"

"Ha, ha, ha, little sis. Laugh it up, but I swear there was an envelope for you yesterday before it decided to disappear," Daisy said, sure of herself.

Misty rolled her eyes and took the envelope from Daisy, tuning her sisters out as she walked to the side and examined it. She did a double take. It was from Tracey.

Misty frowned, turning the envelope over and pulling it open. Tracey came by often enough to help out around the Gym; he'd told her he was going on vacation this week so she shouldn't expect him. But then why was he sending a letter?

Misty found two sheets inside. The first was a beautiful sketch, the best Misty had ever seen Tracey do. It was of a Lapras, and the lifelike drawing stole Misty's breath away. She realized that Tracey must've seen a Lapras on vacation and done a sketch, and knowing how much Misty loved Water Pokémon he must've sent it to her. Misty nodded appreciatively, looking to the second sheet of paper. It was blank except for one line of text.

Always go for what you really want.

Misty blinked, not quite understanding. Since when was Tracey so forthcoming with advice? And why was he sending it now, like this? It made no –

Misty's eyes flashed to the sketch of Lapras. She felt blood rush to her face as she connected the dots.

On her adventures with Ash through the Orange Islands, she couldn't count the number of times they'd crossed the ocean on Ash's Lapras; she'd always sat directly behind Ash, looking over his shoulder at Lapras' neck. From the biggest spot to the smallest scar, she knew that neck like the back of her hand.

That's how she knew the drawing in her hand was of Ash's Lapras. Tracey had somehow met their old friend and was reminding her of the memory to push her to… to pursue…

Misty could feel her face burn. She shook a mental fist at Tracey. Who did he think he was, telling her to act on her feelings? The nerve.

Misty absently registered the sound of the doorbell ringing and snapped at Daisy to get it. She was too lost in thought to be bothered by it.

Yeah, Ash had been on her mind more lately. To be honest, she didn't ever go long without Ash crossing her mind. But after she'd watched him on TV at the Lily of the Valley Conference, and for some reason after Daisy had mistakenly announced she had mail yesterday, Misty hadn't been able to get the raven-haired Trainer off her mind. And the envelope in her hand certainly wasn't helping.

Misty was about go to her room to get her thoughts in order when loud whispering broke out behind her and Daisy's voice sounded out.

"Misty… Someone's here for you."

Misty spun quickly, irritated at being pulled out of her thoughts. "The Gym's closed today, remember? Tell whoever –"

Misty had turned to face her sisters and now she froze. Apparently Daisy had decided to bring the visitor into the Gym right behind her while she was lost in thought, despite the fact that she wasn't seeing challengers today.

The thing was, when the Gym was closed to challengers, the four sisters usually hung out, chatted, and swam in the Gym pool. And along with swimming in the Gym pool came wearing swimsuits, obviously. And along with it being just the four of them came rather immodest swimsuits. Misty had always resented having to wear anything at all while swimming, so while she was just with her sisters at the Gym, she took advantage of it and went with the skimpiest bikini perhaps in existence. So Daisy had brought the visitor in on a day when the Gym was closed, without consulting her, while she was practically naked. But that wasn't even the worst part of it.

"Hey, Misty."

The visitor was Ash.

"A- A-" Misty wished she could disappear. This wasn't how their reunion was supposed to go at all. She'd always imagined her battling him pridefully, or attending one of his award ceremonies dressed like a princess, or at least being dressed in some capacity.

"Eep!" It was all Misty could manage as she hugged herself and jumped sideways into the pool to cover herself. She felt her body calm considerably once she was immersed in water. It had that effect on her.

But it didn't mean her face wasn't still burning as she surfaced.

"H- Hey, Ash!" she said as nonchalantly as possible. She did a double-take and groaned inwardly. Her sideways jump into the pool had apparently closely resembled a cannonball, and Ash was soaked. Could this get any worse?

Ash was looking down at himself, arms outstretched. Most of his jacket had avoided soaking, but his pants were drenched. Beside him, Misty's sisters had also gotten splashed, but this wasn't a problem as all three had on outfits similar to Misty's.

"Good thing Pikachu didn't come, or he'd light the place up at this," Ash said casually, playing it off easily. "But I guess I'm wet enough for the both of us."

Misty watched in horror as her sisters seemed to roar to life, powered by the presence of a good-looking adolescent male who had made himself vulnerable.

"Really?" Daisy twirled a lock of her blonde hair, sidling closer to Ash.

"How wet are you, exactly?" Violet followed, flanking him on the opposite side.

Lily approached from the front, crossing her arms and looking at Ash's pants. "Maybe taking those off would help."

Misty felt a vein in her forehead throb. She was about to pull herself out of the pool when Ash cut in.

"Good idea," Ash said smoothly, throwing off his accessories and bringing his arms to the hem of his shirt.

Misty's eyes bugged as Ash practically began stripping. In a few seconds his jacket was in Daisy's hands, his undershirt in Violet's hands, and his pants in Lily's, with the Sensational Sisters cheering him on. Their cheers turned to groans as it turned out Ash was wearing swim shorts underneath.

Ash grinned lopsidedly. "I thought we might be swimming."

Without warning Ash launched himself into the pool. It was all Misty could to shield herself with her arms as she was hit by an explosion of water from Ash's cannonball. An involuntary high pitched giggle escaped Misty's throat.

Her giggle was replaced by a gasp as hands slid around her waist, and suddenly Ash's body was pressed against her in a tight hug.

"I missed you, Misty."

Misty would've probably sighed contentedly and rested her head on Ash's shoulder upon hearing that, only her three older sisters were directly in front of her, making kissy faces and doing questionable things with Ash's discarded clothing. Misty stuck her tongue out and mouthed – quite emphatically – for them to go. The three girls rolled their eyes and groaned, but eventually cleared out, leaving Ash and Misty alone.

Unfortunately by the time the three left and Misty was about to wrap her arms around Ash to reciprocate the hug, Ash decided he'd held it long enough and pulled away. Misty cursed her sisters silently.

"Misty…" Ash held her shoulders lightly, looking into her eyes. Misty blinked, taken aback by his intensity. "How are you?"

Honestly, Misty was still reeling from the fact that Ash was there. If it wasn't for the touch of his hands on her skin, she might not believe it at all. Somewhere off to the side of the pool, the message Tracey had sent to push her forward was lying on the ground, only halfway considered before Ash had showed up himself.

She snapped herself out of her reverie, meeting Ash's gaze head-on and placing her hands on his torso lightly. He'd looked good at the Lily of the Valley Conference on TV, and Misty could see now that it was no trick of the camera. He was taller and stronger, his features were sharper, and his aura was so much more intense. The last point was so pronounced that it confounded Misty; it was far more intense than what she'd perceived on TV, but she didn't see how that much change could've occurred to Ash in such a short span of time. It was as if he'd had an incredible breadth of experience she had no idea about.

Misty was surprised at how easily she spoke in the face of his intensity. "I'm doing alright, Ash. Holding the Gym down, at least. Congratulations on Sinnoh! I watched the Lily of the Valley Conference on TV."

Ash grinned, pulling his arms away so he could rub the back of his head sheepishly. "Thanks! It was a blast, even if I did fall short in the end."

Misty frowned. "Fell short? The Final Four is the farthest you've ever gotten! You should be proud."

"Yeah, well…" Ash looked away, obviously not happy. "It's not where I want to be."

"Hey." Misty splashed Ash with water roughly. "Since when were you such a crybaby?"

Ash bristled. "I'm not a crybaby."

"Really? I can throw you a pity party if you want."

"Hey –"

"Do you whine like this to your other friends, too? It's a wonder you still have any –"

"No. Just to you."

Misty stopped, taken aback.

"Just to you. If I whined to anyone else, they might actually give me pity. But you'd never. So I save all my whining for you."

Misty opened her mouth and closed it, not sure what to say. "Thanks?"

Ash chuckled and then looked around at the empty pool. "Hey, bet I could beat you in a race."

"Ha!" Misty scoffed. "I said to be proud of your win, not arrogant."

Ash raised an eyebrow. "First one back wins," he said, pushing off the side of the pool.

"False start!" Misty protested, but she was already grinning, right behind him.

Misty won the race, much to Ash's disbelief. And the next five he challenged her to. She smirked and rubbed it in his face every time.

Finally Ash had enough of the mocking and lifted her out of the water and dunked her back in, which started a splashing war so intense Misty lost track of time. By the time they were done, Misty's face and stomach were both aching from all the laughing; she was also sure she'd set a personal record for the amount of squealing she'd done.

"Got you," Misty quipped, finally pinning Ash against the edge of the pool. He smiled back at her silently, acknowledging his defeat.

Acknowledging his defeat? Misty frowned. That couldn't be right.

"Mist…" Ash said softly. Misty felt goosebumps rise on her body at his use of her nickname. She met Ash's eyes, and saw that they'd turned a soft, chocolate brown. She stared into them, realizing how much she'd missed the sight.

But it must mean he was feeling emotional. Misty's heart beat faster as he opened his mouth to speak.

"Mist, listen, I've been thinking real hard lately about you. I've been through a bunch of regions, a bunch of Gyms, a bunch of League conferences with a bunch of traveling companions, but I can't ignore the fact that you were the first person I met on my journey."

Misty caught her breath. This was it. This was what she'd been waiting for so long, for Ash to say how he truly felt about her.

"Brock and Tracey were obviously there, but through those first three regions, you were the one who was there start to finish, who mentored me through some big first battles and refused to let me quit when I didn't make it the first time through. And even after you had to leave, you always sent me your support however you could, and in some ways it felt like you never left."

Misty heart was about to pound out of her chest. It was really happening. This was what she wanted.

Right?

"Misty, I want to you know that I –"

"Stop right there, Ash."

Misty closed her eyes, already regretting what she was about to do. But she had to. Ash was staring back at her, bewildered.

"Right now, there is nothing I want more than for you to finish that sentence. But deep down, I know I shouldn't let you."

Ash stared at her. It took all of Misty's willpower to hold his gaze without breaking down.

"Because if you finish that sentence and you say what I want you to say, I won't be able to let you go, Ash. Not when it's all out there, in the open. I'll tie you down here, and we both know you can't end your journey yet."

Ash was silent.

"And if you say… the opposite, I don't think I'll be able to pick up the pieces afterward. Not after I've waited so long. But I guess that's my fault."

"Misty…"

"Turn around, Ash."

He did as she asked, turning to face the edge of the pool. Misty sighed and snaked her arms around Ash's waist, resting her cheek against his back.

Had his back always been so broad? Misty wasn't sure.

"Ash, you're going to leave now. You're going to leave to another region, get new traveling companions, challenge more Gyms, and compete in another conference. You'll do it again and again, until you get wherever you want to be. Then you'll come back here, and then you'll finish that sentence, and then…"

Misty tightened her arms around Ash protectively. She felt him touch one of her hands tenderly, and she took a deep breath.

"But until then, you'll have a lot of battles to win, and a lot of challenges to overcome. The one thing I want you to remember through all of that is that, even if I won't be directly at your side or in front of you, I'm always – always – at your back, always sending you support and strength and… and love… from behind. Remember that."

Misty exhaled deeply, feeling a load come off her chest. Ash's hands tightened on her own and Misty realized she'd made him too serious with her monologue. She smiled against his back.

"Also remember that, no matter where you go, who you meet, or how many Pokémon you catch, I caught you first. That first day of your journey, I fished you out of that river with my line, so you were my catch and I was your first official friend."

Misty felt Ash's body loosen up with the lightening of the mood. "Well, technically, Gary was –"

"Ash."

"Fine, fine."

"Say it."

Ash groaned. "You were my first."

Misty blushed and detached herself from Ash, suddenly very self-aware. "Y- Yeah. That's right."

The two pulled themselves out of the pool. Misty suddenly didn't care anymore that she was mostly bare in front of Ash. She didn't attempt to cover herself as she wiped herself down and passed her towel to him.

He dried himself and reached for his clothes, which her older sisters had been kind enough to leave behind. He pulled on his pants and undershirt quickly and reached for his jacket.

"Uh-uh," Misty said, grabbing the garment before Ash could and slipping it over her head. "That's mine."

The jacket was slightly long on her, coming down just past her hips to about quarter-thigh. To Misty's surprise, Ash looked unfazed, putting on his accessories and shrugging.

"Looks better on you, anyway."

Misty blushed.

She walked to the door beside Ash slowly, trying to savor every last second with him. For all her efforts, it felt like they were at the doorstep in the blink of an eye.

"Mist…" Ash said, obviously not sure what to say.

Misty closed her eyes, trying to burn the sound of her name on his lips in her memory. She would be ok. With that sound in her mind and his scent on her body, she would make it.

"You don't have to say anything, Ash. I'll be ok."

Ash nodded and Misty embraced him tightly. When they finally pulled apart, Ash walked backwards a few steps, waving at her before finally turning and walking away down the path.

Misty watched his retreating back silently, already feeling the warmth of his company fading. She clutched at his – no, her – jacket, controlling her emotions as best she could.

She wasn't startled when her sisters came up behind her, standing at her side silently.

"You're so strong, Misty," Daisy said softly. Violet and Lily hummed in agreement.

Misty smiled slightly. They were mostly ditzy, but she could always count on her sisters in times like these.

"Hey girls, want to play a game?" Misty asked.

"Of course," Violet responded.

"Hot or not? Ash Ketchum."

"Hot," Violet shot back, resting her head on Misty's shoulder.

"Totally hot," Lily followed, bringing her head to Misty's other shoulder.

"Hot, hot, hot," Daisy finished, wrapping her arms around Misty's waist comfortingly.

"Can't argue with you guys there," Misty said ruefully, watching Ash about to turn off the path from the Gym.

He turned around suddenly, looking straight at her and opening his mouth. Misty smiled. She should've known he couldn't keep his mouth shut. That's why they'd always bickered so much; they couldn't hold anything back from each other.

"I'll be back, Misty!" Ash yelled so she could hear. Then, without another word, he took off running down the path out of Cerulean.

Misty laughed. That idiot. Running wouldn't get him started on his next journey or bring him back significantly faster. He always did such senseless things.

But so did she, she thought. Because even though there was no way he would be able to hear her, she still responded with a whisper.

"I'll be waiting, Ash."

Author's Note

Misty kicks it off for the girls! What do you think? Over a day late on the update... Hope I didn't scare anyone, haha.

Tentative Update Schedule

June 11, 11:00 PM UTC: Epilogue 8

June 15, 10:00 PM UTC: Epilogue 9

June 19, 9:00 PM UTC: Epilogue 10

June 23, 8:00 PM UTC: Final Chapter

Many many thanks to guests Xadhoom boy and bro, and users stars90, Commando2341, jg13145, PsychicEevee0103, pikachewy1, redandready45, Firehedgehog, and DAgency for your feedback. The response last chapter was outstanding, so please keep it coming! To everyone continuing to follow this story as is hurtles towards its conclusion, thank you! Enjoy!