Three Magic Words

Author:- IndianKnight

Hey guys. A huge thanks to all who reviewed, followed and favorited my story, that meant a lot! T~T

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon!

Ash slammed the door as soon as he entered his room, glad he could avoid May's questions. He was also glad to see the Greek styled double bed with soft mattress and pillows, he couldn't wait to finally sleep. Busy in admiring the room's ambience, he didn't notice the extra luggage kept right behind his luggage. He collapsed in the bed, which was so soft it kept bouncing for a few minutes even after he closed his eyes and sighed. He thought of Pikachu, who will be under supervision and care of Nurse Joy for the rest of the wedding, and wondered whether he was already asleep in the Pokémon centre.

When his mind was almost thoughtless and he thought he'll fall asleep any moment, a voice crashed in his ears, "Hey! How dare you to enter my room, Ketchum!"

He sat up with a jolt and rubbed his eyes to see Gary standing in front of him, angry. He looked much different than the last time they met. He looked pale and thin. He also grew a little beard. "What do I look like I'm doing? Practicing my death? And why are you shouting?" Ash replied lazily, still laying on the bed.

"This is my room." Gary grunted.

"So it looks like we have to share the room."

Gary raised his voice, "Unfortunately, yes!"

"Keep it down chuck." He called him by his childhood nickname.

"Stop calling me that. Red."

"At Least my name is better than yours." Ash snickered and closed his eyes again as if the conversation was over.

Gary was pissed at the realization that Ash managed to outsmart him, he suddenly had an urge to say something that will hurt Ash. "At Least I don't run away from my family." He muttered angrily.

Ash's eyes snapped open and he glared at Gary. "Is this the time and situation to say something like that?"

Gary smirked, "The truth doesn't need-" he did the air quotes gesture, "-a right time to hit the liar."

Ash sat up. He knew that Gary and him could never become good friends, but they learned to tolerate each other. At Least they tolerated each other until Delia's accident. Until Gary saw how Ash didn't even come to see Delia when she was in her deathbed. How, even after Delia survived, Ash took care of her just for a few weeks and left as if nothing happened. But it was all Ash's fault. His mistake. His life. And Gary had no right to hold a grudge against Ash. At Least that's what Ash thought.

Ash shook his head in disbelief, "Why are you so rude to me?"

"Ha! I being rude? And what are you? Let me guess, the polite and responsible one, right?" He rubbed his chin, "Maybe that's why you didn't come, right? When Delia was-"

"Shut up." ash said, rather sternly but in a low voice. "She's my mother. I care for her and I don't feel the need to prove that to you. I came to see her as soon as I could, don't speak when you don't have the information."

"So? Yeah, you came, such an honor to her. She owes you a big one, Ketchum!"

"I am already in a swamp of guilt. For God's sake don't make me feel that way anymore. Okay! " He felt a lump in his throat, it was difficult for him to believe this change of behavior in the person who was once his childhood buddy. Gary hated him now. He sighed, feeling helpless. Maybe some sleep can help.

"MAY! Wake UP!" Dawn tried her best to wake her friend, but it seemed impossible as she was sleeping like a Snorlax, "man! She is no better than Ash!" dawn whined.

"Are you done, now?" Misty asked the self proclaimed professional wedding planner.

"She is impossible!" Dawn complained.

"Now, lemme do this" the red head stood up from the couch she was sitting on, then folded the sleeves of her mint green colored shirt, held May by her arm and started to shake her vigorously. But the brunette didn't bother to move an eyelid. Misty stopped and turned to dawn, "Close your eyes, or don't scream"

"Misty? What are you doing?" Dawn gulped. When Misty folds her sleeves, one should know that thing's are either going to be just fine, or worse than one can imagine.

"Just wait and watch." As she said this, she took out a Pokéball from her backpack, and called the respective Pokémon, "Staryu! I chose you!" The red light beamed and the star shaped Pokémon appeared, and looked (if that's possible) to his trainer to give him commands.

When Dawn saw this, she could bet on her life Misty was going to something chaotic. "What are you doing? Pokémon aren't allowed here!"

Misty snickered. "I know." she put her hands on her waist and commanded the Pokémon, "Staryu, water gun on May, but be careful", it nodded and turned to may's direction, and then...

SPLASH!

When the water hit her, May gasped for air and jumped out of the bed, eyes still closed and started running, "Whaaaaa! Flood! I am dead! Dead! Dead! Run- wait!" She stopped when realized that someone was pulling her back by her shirt. Opening her eyes, she scanned the room. Her eyes stopped on her friends who were barely holding their laugh. Misty! Dawn! It's not a flood, is it?"

"Drew's gonna regret it", Dawn commented, and they burst into laughter. May was rubbing her eyes lazily.

"I hate you guys" she complained and picked her pokégear from the side table and her eyes were now fully opened. "Oh my God! It's eight thirty five! Why didn't you guys wake me?! I am late for my own present ceremony!" She screamed and jumped from her place to grab a towel and rushed to the bathroom like a Ponyta.

When May finally dressed up, they left for the ceremony.

It was May's family tradition in which Bride's family and friends give her roses as good luck, and give her presents for her future life. That's why they called it the "Rose ceremony" or "present ceremony". The lawn had a beautiful chair decorated with flowers where May had to sit patiently and smile to everyone in front of her face.

The lawn where the ceremony was supposed to take place was filled with, as expected, Roses. Some were decorated on the fence, some just placed on the ground around the chair where May sat. And even though Roses were present as far as the eyes could reach, they needed more.

Misty left the lawn to grab some more from the storage area. While she was walking absent-mindedly, she saw a familiar figure behind one of the pillars.

"Ash? Is that you?" called Misty.

Ash, who looked like he was trying to avoid any human contact, froze in his place and turned to face Misty. "Hey Mist!" He greeted her in the most natural way he could.

She walked closer to him. "As per I know, the present ceremony is on the lake side, may I know why you were sneaking around?" she stared at him suspiciously.

He grinned, "I was going to explore the nearby places and all...wanna come?" he replied like it was no big deal.

Rolling her eyes, she huffed. "Come on! You're here to attend May's wedding not for exploring!"

"Come on Mist", he complained childishly. He always did, and the most interesting fact was that he usually did in front of Misty or Brock. In front of others he was the smarter one, he continued, "and, she won't even know that I wasn't there."

"Maybe, but I think that May will be happy if you'll attend it."

"Maybe..." he smiled, defeated. "That's a good trick, right? If nothing works, just blackmail emotionally…" Misty giggled. "Let's go then?" he sighed and started to walk towards the lake side. Misty just looked at him from the back. Smiling. But something got her mind.

"Wait! Are you gonna go there like this?" She pointed at his outfit. He was wearing a dark blue jacket-style upper with black jeans and boots, with his trademark, black fingerless gloves to complete the outfit

"What's wrong with this?"

"It's not a formal outfit. And it's not even pink!''

His brows furrowed, ''Why does it have to be pink?''

"Cause it's the dress code," she informed.

"But I haven't bought anything pink here, so am I not going?"

Misty chortled, "Nice try! But I have the solution. Just follow me," she told him and started to walk back to the store room, which was provided by the management to keep all the stuff which can't be stored in rooms.

Ash followed her, "And what is your solution?"

"We have extra shirts of all sizes because I suggested that some people might need them." She said while walking.

"Wow! That's greaaaat!" He squeaked sarcastically.

Misty rolled her eyes.

A minute passed in silence as they walked distantly.

"We are here!" Misty announced as her feet stopped right in front of the store room. Technically, it was a store hall. She entered the hall after glancing at her best friend who still had a pout.

Ash followed her as he entered the hall as well but he was immediately caught up in admiring the amount of things that were stuffed in there so elegantly. Most of the things were baskets of gifts, bouquet of flowers, bundles of shirts in mint green, baby blue and pink. Lightest shade of pink. Some dresses and sweets. They were typically stuffed in gift baskets. It looked like a store room of some Royals!

"These looks so amazing!" ash marveled looking at the sweets, whose back was facing Misty.

THUMP!

"Hey!" the black haired trainer complained as he felt something hit his head, "What are you doing mist?!" He said, rubbing his head.

"Don't complain. You got hit by a packet of shirt, not with a rock or something," she continued, "Now remove that thing," he said pointing at the upper he was wearing.

"A little too desperate to look at my abs, huh, Mist," he joked picking the packet of the shirt.

"Very funny!" she deadpanned, "Now shut up and wear it," he said while arranging the flowers in the bouquet.

Tearing the wrapper apart, he unfolded the shirt to get a proper view of what he was going to wear.

"Mkay..." he replied childishly.

There were huge almirahs just two steps away from him, at one side of the room creating a perfect place to hide a human. He chose to change behind them.

He started to walk towards the almirahs while taking a quick glance around. "Have you seen the wedding card mist?" he can't be silent for a single minute. Can he? "They haven't left a single color. Every color is used." He was a little frustrated too, may be because he should be training right now. may be that's why complains were coming out of his mouth so constantly. "And look at these dresses, what are these for? Using disco lights? Or used as LED bulbs?" She was just listening him. Simply. Snickering.

As he reached there, he placed the pink shirt on the table nearby, so he could remove the upper. When he was doing so, Misty managed to take a glance on his muscular upper body while stranding the flowers. He didn't notice this though, because he was a little too busy to fight with the buttons of his pink shirt. He somehow managed to unbutton the shirt, but after wearing it, it seemed impossible to button it again. Not that he was fat, but the buttons were really stubborn.

"Uhh...Misty... How does this work?" he asked sheepishly, still struggling with the buttons.

"Ash! Wear your pants!" She closed her eyes tightly, a deep blush covering her face. (A/N: did I forget to mention when he removed pants? Yes? Then... Use your own imagination. Thank you. Back to the story.)

"Oh-oh, my shy lady!" The black headed trainer chuckled seeing Misty's response to his no-pants. He grabbed the pants, which were kept with the shirt only, and wore them hurriedly. "Done."

The red-head finally opened her eyes, "Better. Idiot. Now, lemme do this…" she said, placing her hands on the buttons, trying to concentrate just on buttons, nothing else, not even his best friend's bare, muscular chest. Nope. Only buttons. She didn't dare to look up, because she had to face his chocolate brown eyes so closely. His eyes made it harder for her. Firstly she was buttoning Ash Ketchum, Secondly they were standing really close. Aren't these reasons enough to distract her?

"You know?…" Misty said, "Those multicolored cards, May chose them very excitedly because she found them pretty. And those disco light dresses were chosen by Dawn and me."

Ash's expressions immediately changed to guilt. "I'm sorry..." he stammered.

"So much complaining Ash. Everyone worked so hard for the wedding."

Ash lowered his eyes. "I'm sorry, I can't help it. I have a rushed situation... It's like my life has shifted from a thriller movie to a family drama!" Her hands stopped hearing this.

"What do you mean?" she finally, finally looked in His eyes.

"It's like, when I was back there, training... I was dying to meet everyone...I was afraid of regrets...I was dying to come here, but when I am finally here...it's...like..." he paused to take a deep breath, then continued, "It's like.." Misty waited him to continue, she knew Ash had something, which was bothering him. Badly. "Like...I should be back there. Back to my training. Back to Kalos Elite four... It's like I want to be here but need to be there. I was not even going to come here because what if I don't enjoy the wedding or things do not go the way I expected them to be it'll be a waste of time."

Misty smiled, "I know...but believe me... You'll definitely enjoy the wedding. Just be you. Be in the moment.", her hands started their work again. She didn't know what he meant by 'there' and from where Kalos Elite Four came but she definitely understood what he wanted to say. How he felt. She didn't force him for explanations, she decided to give him some time. His mind and heart works at it's own pace, if he wants to tell her something then he'll tell her.

"Done!" She finally announced completing the task.

"Thanks, Mist!" he smiled thankfully at his best friend. But not for buttoning his shirt. Definitely not.

"Now, tuck it in your pants."

"Misty...can ya help me with this too," He asked mischievously.

"Shut up."

"Ash? Misty? What are you guys doing here?" came a new voice. Both turned their heads to the entrance.

"LEAF!"

Surpriseeee! Leaf's here. Yeah! Know what that means? More secrets of the past can be revealed! I know this chapter was not an actual progress to the story but, hey! I love some light fluff! Please review, cause it makes me HAPPY!

-IndianKnight