Pokémon: Union
Chapter Two – Breaking the News
Ash smiled as he walked back with Misty to their hotel. 'I still can't believe I did that,' he thought as he looked at the girl holding his hand. 'I can't believe she said she!'
"Ash?"
"Yeah, Misty?"
"When should we tell the others about this?"
"I dunno," Ash shrugged. "I thinking about calling Mom tonight."
"How about we do that as soon as we get back?" she suggested. "That way, she won't get mad at being the last to find out."
"Okay," Ash agreed, "but what about your sisters?"
"Oh, I think we can tell them when I go back to Cerulean this weekend."
Ash nodded in agreement.
Misty leaned her head on Ash's shoulder. "Misty Ketchum," she sighed. "I like the sound of that."
Ash turned his head and kissed her forehead. Misty then started giggling.
"What?" Ash demanded. "Did I kiss you wrong?"
"No, it's not that," Misty laughed. "I was just thing about Ash Waterflower."
"What?" Ash shouted.
Misty giggled at Ash's reaction. "You this is the twenty-first century, right?"
Ash was dazed from that remark when Misty pulled away from him and step in front of him.
"I was just kidding," she laughed.
"Why you," Ash said with mock anger. He leaned forward and kissed the laughing girl to silence her.
Pikachu was busy watching a movie with Togepi when Ash and Misty stumbled through the door. Pikachu noticed how they were hanging on to each other and sighed.
*Get a room you two,* he called.
"Hey," Ash replied, "we got one, and you're in it."
Pikachu rolled his eyes. Ash had been in a constant state of worry for the past month. It was nice to see him enjoying himself again, but this was too much.
*What's that on Mom's finger?* Togepi asked pointing to Misty's hand.
*A ring,* Pikachu nonchalantly replied. Then the realization kicked in, *A ring!*
He looked back at the couple kissing in the doorway.
*Ash, what did you do?* Pikachu demanded.
"Nothing much," he grinned as he and Misty walked to the couch. "I just asked Misty to marry me, that's all."
*Marry?!* both Togepi and Pikachu shouted.
"Yep," Misty smiled as she held her hand out to display the ring. "Ash proposed tonight."
*Yes!* Togepi cheered.
Pikachu, however, eyed the couple. *Maybe we should head back to the Pokémon Center.*
"Why?" Ash asked. "You were the one who wanted to stay in the hotel?"
*Well, I changed my mind,* Pikachu replied.
Ash scratched his head in confusion until Misty whispered in his ear, "I think he wants to make sure nothing happens tonight."
Pikachu glared at Misty but nodded yes.
"Come on," Ash pleaded.
"That's okay," Misty sighed. "I forgot who much a prude Pikachu can be."
*You two can wait little bit longer,* Pikachu told them. *I have it writing remember.*
"Besides, we should save something for the honeymoon," Misty said as she kissed Ash's cheek.
"Yeah," Ash replied as he tried to hid a nose bleed.
"Let's go call your mom, Ash," Misty laughed when she saw Ash's predicament.
"Sure," Ash replied as he wiped away the blood from his face.
Delia Ketchum was finishing a book when the phone started ringing.
"Always when I get to the juicy parts," she sighed as she placed the book down and walked over to the phone. "Ketchum residence."
"Mom?" the voice replied.
"Oh, hi, sweetie," she greeted as she turned on the video link.
Ash and Misty both appeared on the screen. "I see finally caught with Misty," she smiled.
"Yeah," Ash nervously replied. Delia looked closely at her son and Misty. They both seemed a bit on edge.
"Is something wrong, dear?" she asked.
"No, everything is doing great," he hurriedly replied. "Just great."
"You seem upset, that's all," she stated as concern covered her face.
"Well, it's just we have something important, to tell you," Ash replied.
"What is it?"
Ash took a deep breath and said, "We're getting married."
Delia held her breath. She had completely froze up.
"Mom?" Ash called.
"Mrs. Ketchum?" Misty said a minute later.
"Ash…married," she stated.
"Maybe we should have waited to tell her in person," Misty sighed.
Delia shook her head to clear her thoughts. She turned back to the phone with the biggest smile her face would allow.
"My little boy is all grown up," she beamed.
"Mom," Ash blushed.
"There's just so much to do," she said as she pulled out a notepad from under the table. "Need to get a cattier, florist, photographer. Need to make a list of guest, get dresses for the bridesmaids…"
"Mom?" Ash called as Mrs. Ketchum quickly jotted down a list of things on the notepad. "Mom?!"
"By the way, have you set a date?" she asked.
"We really haven't thought that far ahead yet," Misty replied for the stunned Ash.
"Well, we can plan this when we all get together," Mrs. Ketchum smiled. "Are you still going to Cerulean this weekend?"
"Yes," Misty replied. "We want to tell my sisters when we get there."
"Then I'll met you there," she told them. "Oh, I'm so happy for you two."
Misty blushed at the attention she was getting. 'I wonder if Mom would have acted this way, too.'
"Well, I better let you two spend some time together," Mrs. Ketchum said. "Goodnight, Ash, Misty."
"Goodnight, Mrs. Ketchum," Misty replied.
"Please, call me Mom, dear," Delia smiled.
"All right," Misty smiled back, "Mom."
Delia hung up the phone and smiled.
"Mimey, go pack up!" she called.
"Mr. Mime?" Mimey questioned.
"We're heading to Cerulean to plan a wedding," she replied as she went upstairs to pack her suitcase.
Ash yawned as he looked at Misty resting on his shoulder and Togepi fast asleep in his lap.
*Don't you make the perfect family,* Pikachu smirked as he walked from the mini-bar.
Ash shook his head, which disturbed Misty.
"What time is it?" she yawned.
"About one," he replied. "That movie must have knocked you out."
"Too boring," she said as she stretched her arms. "I've seen that one a thousands also."
Ash picked up Togepi, trying not to wake her.
"Where do you me to put her?" Ash asked.
"I have a bed for by mine," she answered.
Ash found the little bed and gently laid the egg on it.
"Guess, we better head to our room, Pikachu," Ash yawned. "We'll see you in the morning, Misty."
Ash gave her a kiss goodnight, which earned a few chuckles from Pikachu. Ash sighed and opened the door for his little friend.
"You're something else, Pikachu," Ash commented as he unlocked his door.
*Somebody has to lookout for you,* he replied.
Ash rolled his eyes as he closed the door.
Brock greeted the morning the way he usually did.
"It can't be nine already," he moaned as he rolled out of his cot.
He grumbled as he waited in line for the showers. He envied Ash for staying in the hotel with Misty. By ten, he finally managed to finish packing his gear. Misty had offered him a ride to Cerulean, but he had to be ready to leave by one.
Around noon, Ash and Misty arrived at the Pokémon Center. Brock saw that they were holding hands, but after dating for several years, he really did not think much of it. Pikachu and Togepi ran in front of them and headed straight to the nurse's station.
Brock sighed as Nurse Joy picked them up and carried them to the rejuvenator. After their lunch yesterday, Joy had barely spoken two words to him.
"Hey, Brock," Ash called.
Brock reluctantly pulled himself away from the nurse's station and walked over to his friends. He noticed something different about Misty as he got closer, but he could not put his finger on it.
"Your different somehow today, Misty," he commented to her.
"Oh, how so?" she smiled.
"Hmm," Brock hummed as he glanced over her. "I got it."
"Yes?"
"You're wearing a new shade of lipstick," he triumphantly shouted.
"Guess again," Misty replied.
"Uh, new shoes?"
"Wrong," Misty said as she held out her left hand.
"Give me a minute, and I'll figure this out," Brock said as he thought about it harder.
"Brock, have you looked at my hand?" Misty said as she gritted her teeth.
"That's it, new fingernail polish," he answered.
"Look closer," she suggested.
Brock took a closer look at her hand and saw a light sparkle.
"A ring?" he guessed.
"Brock," Ash interrupted, "I asked Misty to marry me last night."
Brock's jaw dropped to the floor. While he had been expecting that, it was still quite a shock. It only took him a moment to shake it off. He enthusiastically shook each of their hands.
"I'm so happy for you," he cried as rivers of tears fell from his eyes. "I knew from the start that you two were meant to be."
"Calm down, Brock," Ash said as he tried to free his hand.
"You have to let me cater your reception," he begged them. "I know just the thing to prepare. I found this nice French recipe that I know you'll love."
Ash and Misty glanced at each other and sweatdropped together.
"I hope they all don't react like this," Ash sighed.
"Me too," Misty agreed.
The trip to Cerulean was pretty much uneventful. Brock chattered about what he could make for the reception, and Misty's tour manager constantly begged her to postpone the wedding so they could fit another tour in before the blessed event.
After about half an hour of listening to the two, Ash and Misty retreated to the back of the bus to be alone. For the rest of the trip, they spent most of the time either talking about nothing or staring at each other's eyes.
As the bus pulled in front of the Cerulean Gym, Misty grasped for Ash's hand. Daisy had already been married a year and had moved to the other side of town. She still worked as a gym leader but had stopped performing since she found out she was pregnant. That had left the everyday operations of the gym to her two younger sisters until Misty returned from her concert tour.
"Come on," Misty said as she pulled Ash inside.
Ash and Misty found all three of her sisters relaxing by the pool.
"Welcome back, sis," Lily greeted. "I see you, like, brought back one of you groupies."
"Very funny, Lily," Misty replied. "Actually, we have something to tell you."
"What, did you two elope or something?" Daisy asked.
"How did you know?" Misty smiled.
"WHAT?!" all three shouted.
"No, we didn't elope," Ash quickly replied when he saw the looks Daisy, Violet, and Lily were giving him. "I just proposed to her."
"That's better," Daisy huffed. "'Cause there's no way we would let you rob us of going to our baby sister's wedding, right?"
"Right," Ash said as he nodded his head.
"Good," Daisy replied as her frown melted into an ecstatic smile. "Now, show us the ring."
Misty held out her hand for sisters.
"Not very big," Lily commented. She received an elbow from both Daisy and Violet.
"At least she has one, old maid," Daisy laughed. Violet frowned at her since she was older than Lily.
The family reunion was disturbed as Brock came in with Pikachu and Togepi and saw Misty's sisters.
"Oh, what beauties," he sighed as he floated towards them.
"I see you brought him along too," Daisy commented. Brock was about to tell his undying love of her until he noticed she was bit rounder than when he last visited. He moved on to Violet who tossed him in the pool.
Ash leaned over to Misty and whispered in her ear, "You thinking what I'm thinking?"
"Yeah," she sighed. "You should've eloped."