Why Did You Fall For Me?, a pokémon fanfic

Why Did You Fall For Me?

Por Fox McCloude

Cerulean City…

The weather forecast for today said there was only ten percent probability of rain, so they decided to spend it outside. Something relaxing like a picnic, eating together quietly, relaxing with nobody to disturb them.

And so it was, until the sky opened wide and the downpour started, forcing them both to run across the flooded streets of Cerulean, back to the Gym to find shelter. Though they had to stop on a street that practically became a river, as they tried to find a way to cross it without getting their feet too wet.

"It's no use, we're gonna have to leap across," Misty observed, holding the boy's hand tightly. "On the count of three?"

"Whatever you sau," Ash replied, gesturing the soaked Pikachu to hop back onto his shoulder. The mouse obliged instantly. "One…"

"… two…"

"THREE!"

Both jumped as far as they could, trying to avoid the torrent flowing down the street, and continued running the rest of the way until they reached the Gym. They entered without missing a beat, feeling the relief of having a roof over their heads, and the building's inner heat.

What a way to end a date that had otherwise been perfect.

"We better change," Misty suggested. "Do you have spare clothes? Tracey left some for when he stays the night, but…"

"Don't worry," Ash said, as Pikachu started shaking off his fur like a dog. "I've got a change in my backpack."

Okay, that solved a problem. He'd been enough times at the gym and knew it by heart, so Misty didn't need to point him to the shower and the dryer. Shaking off the cold with some hot water and get his wet clothes dried was all he had to do for the time being.

…

A few minutes later, while Misty was at the shower, Ash had stayed in the living room, gazing out the window along with Pikachu. He'd already donned his spare clothes and left the rest trying, and he couldn't help but feel a little upset.

Being the outdoor type, it was annoying to be forced to stay locked up inside, and the rain had all but ruined his picnic day with Misty. Especially when the weather forecast had announced sunny and clear skies for that day.

"Ten percent probabilities of rain?" Ash complained. "You can't trust weather forecasts."

Unless there was a Kyogre, Thundurus or Tornadus nearby, which was highly unlikely, there was no explanation for that sudden rain to fall. Unless, maybe, the weather guy intentionally erred so as to annoy people who wanted to spend the day outside.

And as if it couldn't be any worse, a lightning bolt struck right then, and Ash saw that it hit one of the electric posts on the streets, which immediately cut off all energy in the area, leaving the Gym in the dark. That was weird; from what he knew Gyms usually had backup generators, to continue working during electricity failures.

"Ash? You here?" his girl called him out a few minutes later, coming with a handheld lantern. "Bad news; the backup generator has no fuel to run. I told Daisy to fill the tank this month!"

"Ah, great, just what we needed," the boy said.

"Well, at least we won't have to be in the dark, but without electricity we won't have heating," the redhead pointed. "It's gonna get really cold in here."

"Don't worry, I got something for that."

The Pallet Town trainer grabbed his backpack and started rummaging through it. Luckily for them, he'd brought along a few presents sent by Clemont to make his existence a little more comfortable during his travels, one of which was an emergency lamp that also doubled as a good substitute for a campfire. Just in case he ran out of matches to light them up, or in interior places where you couldn't set things on fire for security reasons.

And the best part, it had a terminal to charge up with Electric Pokémon attacks.

"Okay, Pikachu, do your stuff."

"Pika… chuuuuuu."

The yellow electric rodent generated a low-intensity discharge, just enough to charge the lamp's battery. Ash kept his eye on the charge bar until it topped off, and told his friend he could stop. With that done, he finally turned it on to light up the dark room.

"Wow, this is really handy," Misty said. "How long will the battery last?"

"Fully charged, about ten hours," Ash replied.

"You're lucky to have Pikachu to light the way, huh?" the redhead joked. "Well, that should be enough until the lights are back. Because with this rain, I doubt they'll fix the electricity for quite a while."

Now they could see, both trainers went to sit on the couch. Pikachu rested on his best friend's lap, while Ash caressed him until he fell asleep a few minutes later.

As for him and Misty, they had nothing to do, and unlike Pikachu, Ash wasn't feeling like taking a nap right now. Maybe they could chat or something to kill time.

"Hum… Misty?" the boy asked, making the redhead turn around. "Don't you wanna… get a bit closer?"

The redhead glanced at him, seemingly confused, but she complied and got a little closer to him with a smile. He, for his part, tried to slide a hand behind the couch to get it around the girl's shoulder, but at the last minute, he didn't dare make contact.

Now that it wasn't cold thanks to the lamp, Ash made a gesture trying to come even closer, and he couldn't use the "Hey, it's a little cold in here" excuse to do so. Misty seemingly noticed this, and with a smirk she came even closer, leaning her head on his shoulder.

"Ash… you don't need an excuse to hug me," she said. "I'm your girlfriend after all."

After hearing those words, he finally lost any fear and hugged her, bringing her closer to him. That was true: she was his girlfriend. They'd been together for almost a year, but he still found it hard to get used to that. Which was why he rarely dared to do normal couple stuff, like holding hands, hugging… and kissing.

Why was it so hard? Why now he still hadn't grown used to the fact she wasn't just his closest female friend anymore? Not that he wasn't happy with their current relationship, but… sometimes he found it hard to believe how they'd came to that point.

From her following him so he'd pay her bike, to her just tagging along because she enjoyed his company, and finally, to become his best friend. They had to spend a lot of time separated to realize how important they were for one another, and for him to understand his true feelings. Hers, in hindsight, had always been very obvious, why hadn't he ever noticed?

"Hey, Misty… can I ask you something?" he said quietly.

"You've just done it," she jokingly replied. "Don't worry, you can ask me anything."

"Alright. Just don't take this the wrong way, okay?" he added in a nervous tone. "We've been together for so long and… well, sometimes I wonder, how did you fall for me?"

Misty glanced at him, seemingly a little offended. Nervousness almost got the best of him, but he fortunately calmed down enough to mutter a coherent answer.

"Don't get me wrong. It's just that… well, I know we didn't exactly get along when we first met. Even now, sometimes I wonder how a girl as amazing and beautiful as you could fall for a guy like me."

"A guy like you?" Misty asked. "I don't get what you mean, care to elaborate on that?"

Ash sighed. "C'mon, you know what I'm talking about."

In response, the girl made a gesture to get a little more comfortable, namely to sit on his legs. Knowing it was pointless to resist, the boy caught the message and carefully grabbed Pikachu to avoid waking him up, depositing him on the armchair next to him. The redhead then sat on his lap as she caressed his cheeks, giving her most tender and sweet look.

Even though sometimes he'd put his foot in his mouth and say otherwise, the truth was that he'd always considered Misty to be very cute, and she knew how to exploit that to make him lower his defenses. Today was no exception.

"I can't imagine Ash Ketchum feeling unsure about something," the girl said. "After all, you're on the Top 10 of strongest trainers in Kanto, and you're a strong favorite for the next World Coronation Series. And that's without taking into account the times you've saved the world."

"C'mon, Misty, stop messing around," Ash quipped. "If it's about being a Pokémon trainer, obviously I am confident in my skills. But for everything else… you know me better than anybody. You know how I used to be when I first started my journey, and deep down I'm still that brash kid I was then."

"Is that a bad thing?" The girl playfully slid her finger across his chest, tickling him. "Even then you were kind of charming, even if sometimes you could get on my nerves."

Ash chuckled. That was exactly what he talked about. They had gotten off with the wrong foot; they had a hard time being civil to each other and frequently had squabbles over childish and stupid things. But as time went on, both grew to tolerate and even enjoy each other's presence, and became best friends. Ash himself had said it, that their meeting was no coincidence, but it was fate that brought them together to meet and become friends.

"Misty, I'm really happy we're together. It's just that sometimes, I think back of those times I was so immature, reckless and… well, clueless to your signs."

Many others from the outside could tell she felt something for Ash, and he, for his part, despite having a bit of a crush on her back then, never really noticed how direct were her indirects. Also, he'd frequently run off his mouth and said things that could be taken the wrong way. Like that time he saw her in bikini and only said "You really look like a girl". He meant that as a compliment, and in hindsight, he now understood why she got so mad about it,

"Hey, that doesn't matter anymore," Misty said. "But, if you really need to know… there are plenty of reasons I fell for you. I could say that I always admired your determination to achieve your goals, how much you cared for your Pokémon, and more importantly, that it was always fun to hang around you. The moments I shared with you as we traveled are my most precious memories."

The boy flushed slightly after hearing those words. He'd known Misty since they were kids, and while he knew better than anybody why he shouldn't make her angry, whenever she was in a good mood she was one of the sweetest and kindest people he'd ever met. Over time, she'd let out that side of hers more often, especially when they were alone like now.

"So then, how about you telling me now why you fell for me?"

"Eh?" The girl's question caught him off-guard. "And why do you want to know?"

"Come on, you asked me that question, it's only fair that I do too." She pouted a little.

Again, she knew how to charm him into dropping his defenses, but he couldn't argue against her logic. Even so, that day his inner child felt like toying a little, so he didn't give an immediate answer.

"Hmm… I don't know. I mean, you've always been the smartest of us two. You should know already what I like about you."

"Ash…" The girl gave him an annoyed look, but he refused to back off. For a moment, it became a staring contest where neither wanted to even blink. "Come on… sure as you have things you like about me, there must be some that you don't, am I wrong?"

"Why do you think that?" the boy inquired.

Misty sighed. It wouldn't be easy for her to say that, but she softened her expression before she began talking again.

"You do remember I was a bit vain when we met, right? It wasn't easy to grow with three older sisters more talented and beautiful that I was, you know? They even called me the runt and all."

Of course he knew. That was another thing that brought them together: when they began their journeys, both had an inferiority complex and a strong desire to prove themselves and to those who put them down (in Ash's case, his rival Gary, and in Misty's, her sisters). Living in someone else's shadow wasn't easy, and maybe that helped them bond with each other.

"So? You know they didn't mean it seriously."

"Yeah, but… there were times I almost believed it," the girl confessed. "I know I sometimes lacked on femininity, and I tried to be more girly, but I wouldn't always succeed. It didn't help that the boy I liked sometimes did some hurtful remarks about my looks."

Ash let out a nervous chuckle, gulping. He knew it was pointless to say he was sorry about that, having been so long since then. Rather, there was another thing he could do.

"If it helps… I never actually thought you were ugly," he said. "Some of us… have a hard time accepting when we like someone. You know about that too, don't you?"

"Yeah, but it would still hurt sometimes. Don't think I've forgotten how you mocked me when I had a makeover at Team Rocket's salon."

"I regret nothing about that," he bluntly admitted, almost making her angry. But he immediately added: "Hey, if I made fun of you, it's because you looked like a clown. I don't get why you'd do that, especially since you didn't need it."

Misty raised her eyebrows upon hearing that. He seemingly had caught her attention, so he took the chance to capitalize on it immediately.

"What I mean is… you're naturally beautiful, and you don't need any make-up to look wonderful. I know I didn't say it as I should, but back then I liked you the way you were. You didn't need any makeovers."

The redhead stared at him. She looked like she still didn't believe those words from him. She always had a bit of a complex over her sisters, and thus tried to compensate in other ways. Of course, over time she got over it, but sometimes there was still a remnant somewhere.

"Not even a little? Wouldn't you like to see me with a different look?"

"Welll… perhaps wearing your hair loose and grow it a little longer?" he suggested.

Admittedly, while he never actually thought of Misty as ugly, he always considered that wearing her hair loose and long increased her physical appeal, making her look more feminine. Then again, that was his own personal opinion. Not that he wouldn't appreciate seeing her wearing other clothes, like that time she wore a yukata for dancing or at the Princess Festival, not to mention those Goldeen and mermaid costumes. He wouldn't dare to say to her that, more than once, he had pictured her older wearing said costumes, as he wasn't sure how she'd take it.

"That said, I was asked once what kind of girl would be my ideal type. Looks aside, since that's not important here, my ideal girl is someone who is talented, a loyal friend, adventurous and caring. Someone… like you."

The comment drew a smile in the redhead's face, whose cheeks had turned even redder than her hair, making her look even more charming. Ash never considered himself an expert in that kind of flattery, always saying what he felt at the moment. But it seemed to work.

"That's really sweet, but I'm sure you have things you don't like about me," she said. "I mean, I know how my temper gets the best out of me, and that I can be very jealous and clingy with you."

"So what? I mean, so am I, and even with that you still love me," he replied without a hint of shame. "I say that makes the two of us even."

Misty giggled. Truthfully, both had been very jealous and clingy with one another, even as kids. In hindsight, Ash didn't get why he got so mad when he saw Misty get attention from other boys, or why she would do the same when he was within proximity of another girl. Years had to pass before he realized he was jealous because he loved her, perfectly normal behavior.

That was the only "flaw" they had neither of them wanted to renounce to, and that was fine. It was just another proof of how much they loved one another.

Both stared into each other's eyes. Outside the occasional glance he'd give her legs and rear, Misty's most attractive physical trait for him was her eyes, those aquamarine orbs. He'd always allow himself to get lost in them whenever he had the chance, and she'd do the same with his own eyes.

"Ash…"

"Misty…"

Almost without realizing, both leaned closer to each other slowly, closing their eyes until their lips made contact, feeling each other's smoothness and warmth. It was a soft and brief kiss, given in the heat of the moment before they glanced into each other's eyes again… and it wasn't enough, as they immediately embraced each other to kiss once more, this time much more passionately.

They were forced to separate to get some air, and upon looking at each other's face once more, they both smiled. Misty decided to cuddle against Ash's chest while he stroked her hair gently. Outside, the storm raged on, which meant energy would surely take much longer to be reestablished.

"Looks like we'll be stuck in here for a while," Ash said.

"I don't mind," Misty answered. "For all I care, we can stay all night long this way."

Ash giggled, flushing a little. Stay like this all night long… if it wasn't because they were just resting and hugging on a couch to keep each other warm, he'd though she meant something else. Maybe in the future, when they chose to go… further in their relationship. And without Pikachu or any other Pokémon around to avoid making them uncomfortable.

But for now, it was fine this way. Having each other close, embracing to give one another some warmth and enjoy the company, as they took shelter from a rainy day. They needed nothing else.

Maybe they'd just told a few reasons why they fell for each other, but there were many more. And surely enough they'd continue to discover them as time went on and they got to know each other better, discovering more about themselves and the other.

FIN.

Author's Notes:

What's up, people? Alright, here I got another minishot of Ash and Misty I had in my head since months ago, and I wanted to get it out. Nothing complicated, just got the random idea of having them locked up together in a rainy day without electricity, and have them chat. It was hard to choose a topic, but then I figured they could talk about the things they like from one another, something brief and sweet without any drama or complications. At the same time, it highlights how much these two have in common, and how it brought them closer as friends and traveling companions, and maybe more given enough time. What do you think?

Maybe this year I'll do take part on the PokéShipping Week, as I have many loose ideas. With luck, some would fit in the chosen themes and I'll get something out. Till next time, later!