DISCLAIMER: I don't own Pokémon.
A/N: I would upload two today since I missed out last night (sorry about that, I was watching a documentary, didn't realise it went on for two hours!) but I have run out of time at the prospect of my holiday! Oops. So here is one chapter at least, yay!
Chapter Nineteen - Christmas blues.
December loomed up on me like an inevitable calm that followed the storm, a calm I was eternally grateful for. Every day it was just Ash and I, lost in our own little world and only brought back to reality with the baby business, as we both started calling it. Two more interviews had ensued after the Sandersons of Cinnabar and neither were much more promising. One couple had pretty much made it clear that they wanted a playmate for their four-year old son and that they couldn't be bothered going through another pregnancy themselves.
Extra good news - my cast had come off at long last. The freedom I had forgotten about was once again returned to me and I used it to my full advantage, dancing, running, tramping and mostly risking breaking it again with the amount of physical activities I went through.
It got cold. Really, unbelievably, sub-zero cold. Coming from the north, I was not used to the 'Southern Sting' of Pallet Town and especially not used to snow. This was pretty evident when the first bucketful lavished the house and I immediately ran outside to dance and catch snowflakes on my tongue. Ash, although somewhat amused, was undeniably embarrassed at his girlfriend making a complete nut of herself in his front yard.
"It's just snow" he muttered when I returned covered in the frosty particles. "And it's damn cold. That can't be good for the baby."
"The baby is fine" I said as I removed my coat and shook out my hair. My stomach was now impossible to squeeze into jeans, cruelly protruding from the seams when I could barely do up the buttons, so I had now resorted to…dungarees. Now I'm not one to be particularly fashion conscious, but dungarees?! It was either that or huge dresses, which resulted in a Misty Popsicle in temperatures such as these, so I stuck with the heinous fashion statement.
"How do you know the baby is fine?" Ash asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Because I have woman's intuition" I grinned, ruffling his hair as I passed him on my way to the kitchen. What did I feel like scoffing today? Ice-cream looked absolutely delectable but far too cold, so I put it in the microwave to melt.
"Ahhh, Misty! You don't put ice-cream in the microwave!" Ash exclaimed in horror.
"You've never had ice-cream soup?" I asked in shock.
"No…" Ash replied uncertainly.
"Neither have I, so I'm about to." Ding. The microwave stopped and my sugar-liquid delight was ready, much to Ash's disgust.
"It's called ice-cream for a reason" he mumbled.
"Yeah, and you're called Ash for a reason - cos your mood is about the same colour as your name. Lighten up, would you? It's snowing, we've got three interviews out of the way, and…" I paused, counting up numbers in my head. "It's twelve days until Christmas. So where's my partridge in a pear tree, true love?" I teased.
"It's in the mail" Ash swore with genuine eyes and I laughed at the expression on his face. "I can get you something better than a partridge in a pear tree. I can get you 365 mistletoe and hang them over your head every day, so you'd be forced to kiss me every day for an entire year."
"That's a sweet idea but it's kinda dumb" I commented as I wrapped my arms around his neck.
"Why is it dumb?"
"Because I don't need an incentive to kiss you every day for a year or more" I said softly. I proved it through the kiss I bestowed upon him and my temporary forgetfulness regarding my ice-cream soup. But the kiss was cut short when I felt a strange sensation in my stomach and pulled away from him with a puzzled look on my face
"Everything okay?" Ash asked.
"I dunno…" I said uncertainly. The feeling hit me again and I gasped as I realised what it was. Should I tell him? Was it for the benefit of us all if I did? Or would he be unforgivably angry? I looked into his eyes and knew I had to tell him. It wasn't even a big deal but I knew it would be for him. I silently took his hand and, drawing in a deep breath, placed it on my oversized stomach, much to his surprise and curiosity.
"What's this all about? Are you in labour or something?" Ash asked worriedly.
"No no no" I laughed. "Just wait a sec." He waited as patiently as he could before he felt it at the same time I did and jumped back in surprise. "You do know what that was, don't you?" I grinned.
"I think so" Ash replied. He seemed almost dazed and was looking at me curiously, which only caused me to let out a few more giggles.
"It's okay Ash, I haven't instantly become a freak of nature in the last minute. Dr. Jenkins said the baby would start kicking about now, it's nothing to be worried about. Kinda nice actually."
"Nice?" Ash inquired. "You think someone kicking you from inside is nice? Doesn't it hurt?"
"Not at all. It's a five month old fetus, it's not exactly gonna be striking for Brazil anytime soon. Keep your hand there, it's your child's way of communicating with you" I explained.
"You been reading textbooks or something? And besides, I thought we weren't supposed to be getting attached to this baby in any way possible" Ash reminded me as he placed his hand back on my stomach.
"I know, but…" I sighed when another kick shot through me. "Sometimes I do actually listen to Barney the Dinosaur. All that crap about how fun it is to use your imagination."
"You're losing it, Misty, heeding advice from a purple dinosaur who looks like he's been stoned half his life" Ash said, rolling his eyes as he spoke. I beamed a smile at him before swiveling my head round at the sound of Delia's sudden but undeniable high-pitched squeal.
"Is it kicking?!" she asked, her voice still a few octaves above its usual timbre.
"Yup. Only just started" I said proudly.
"Okay, make way, grandmother coming through!" Delia declared as she practically shoved her son away to replace his hand with her own. There were a few seconds blissful silence before the baby decided to live up to its grandmother's expectations and gave a hearty jolt, much to her delight.
"Enjoy it Mom, you're not gonna be a grandmother for long" Ash sighed.
"Well you certainly know how to put a dampener on things, don't you?" Delia asked rhetorically. Ash shrugged and, seeing her son in such a flat mood, Delia turned around to face him. "Is anything the matter, sweetie? You're awfully…well, unlike yourself."
"I just don't see what you're getting so excited about. In four months we'll be giving up that baby for good and then we'll probably have to bury this whole thing in the back of our minds forever, as though it never happened" Ash explained. There was a drawn out silence after his comments, considering they were all depressing and all true.
"Ash, you've gotta remember that no matter what, this child is yours. No matter where it goes or who it lives with, it will always be a Ketchum and a Waterflower. I don't need to give you the responsibility lecture because the both of you are being extremely responsible and brave for going through all this" Delia said soothingly.
"Why couldn't we be responsible at Washbay, when it mattered?" Ash asked sarcastically.
"It matters now. I know this is tough on you baby, but you've come this far, don't give up now. Especially this close to Christmas, because…" A devious grin appeared on Delia's face and Ash raised an eyebrow.
"Because…?" he repeated.
"Follow me" Delia instructed, leading us out of the kitchen with a quick pace into the living room, where I drew in a sharp breath at what was in front of us. A towering Christmas tree stood proudly against the wall, undecorated and radiating the unmistakable scent of pine, and a large box sat underneath it.
"A real tree?!" Ash asked in astonishment.
"I thought we'd give the artificial one the biff this year" Delia announced. "With my son home for Christmas and my near-daughter with him, I decided it would be nice. You two can decorate it any way you want, as long as the angel goes up the top. That's the only rule in Christmas decoration in this household, right Ash?"
"Absolutely" Ash nodded in excitement. Christmas always brought the child out in him, I remembered with a smile as I watched him run over to the cardboard box. "Come on Misty, don't you think the tinsel should go on first?"
"Sure" I agreed, walking over to join him under the tree. Maybe, I thought as I started sifting through various ornaments, my first Christmas away from home wouldn't be so bad after all.
*******
More snow fell and more cold Palletonians made their last minute Christmas shopping dash in the dropping temperatures as I began to get more and more into the festive season. Mistletoe went up everywhere at the Ketchum household, causing Ash to receive embarrassed pecks on his cheeks from the two women who loved him most when he least expected it, and I strung all the Christmas cards around the lounge and placed any incoming presents under the tree.
There were four for me, one that was unidentified that had come through the mail, one from Ash, one from Delia and an envelope. The envelope really baffled me. No return address or anything.
Christmas Day was a day to remember for so many reasons. For one thing, it was one of those rare days that Ash arose from his slumber before ten in the morning - in fact, he woke me up at 7 - and I got to open presents the traditional way, with carols playing in the background and the three of us sitting by the tree. I'd never done this before. In my household, it had been a mad frenzy of wrapping paper for five minutes before a round of grateful acknowledgements and an immediate trip up to one's room to discover one's new treasures.
"Open mine first, Mist!" Ash insisted in pure exhilaration. I laughed and did as I was told, slowly and delicately unwrapping the carefully packaged gift. It looked small, and I correctly assumed that it was some sort of jewelry, but not a piece so breathtaking that I could only stare at it in sheer shock. "You don't like sapphires?" Ash asked worriedly.
"I…I love sapphires" I whispered. It was sapphires alright. A whole chain of them in the form of a bracelet. Seven perfect heart shaped sapphires linked by a simple gold chain that was now adorning my wrist as Ash snapped it on. "Oh Ash, it's beautiful…it must have cost you a fortune…" I said, my voice trembling like the tears in my eyes that were threatening to spill over.
"It didn't cost that much, and you shouldn't worry about that anyways. It's yours and…well, did you read the letter?"
"Letter?" I repeated. I peered back in the box to find a square of paper folded up four times and slowly took it out. "What's this?"
"Duh, it's a letter" Ash laughed. "You don't have to read it now. I wrote it when I was up at Indigo. That's where I bought that, so hopefully no one else in Pallet will have one." I lost words with the valuable piece of paper sitting limply in my hand and instead threw my arms around him in total gratitude and love. It was an embrace that spoke more volumes than words could and I finally pulled away to find Ash's lips meeting mine.
"Now you hafta open mine" I quietly instructed. "Though I don't know how the hell it's gonna compare to this…" I trailed off. I flashed my wrist up to Delia, who was on the phone to her aunty in Celadon City, and she beamed me a shocked smile.
"Okay, what have we got here" Ash muttered as he began tearing away the wrapping paper from my present. I wasn't sure if he would like what I got him but I could only pray for the best. He opened up the box the present was in, his eyes widening in an emotion I think mingled shock and happiness.
"Do you like it?" I asked cautiously. "I know it doesn't really compare to jewelry or anything expensive like that, but -" I was cut off when Ash initiated another kiss between us, much to my surprise and delight.
"It is the best present I've ever received" he mumbled as he pulled away.
"You're a terrible liar" I giggled.
"I'm serious, Mist. I love it, I honestly love it. And I love you" Ash smiled. I don't know how he could've been so happy over an enlarged photo in a frame, but he seemed over the moon about it. The photo was one Delia had taken of us about a month ago and on the back of the frame I had left a small note tucked in the corner, which Ash was now reading.
Ash - I know it's not exactly materialistic, and I'm sorry for that. This is probably more difficult to carry around than your wallet pic but I thought you'd want something a bit more updated. I love you and will never be more grateful to you. Merry Christmas. All my love in the world, Misty W. xxoo
"You get me a bracelet and I get you a photo. Anyone else seeing the contrast here?" I asked as Delia got off the phone.
"Shush Misty. How many times do I have to tell you I love it? And you're absolutely right, I do need an update from that wallet pic" Ash grinned.
I opened the rest of my presents, discovering that Delia had bought me a beautiful blue silk scarf that I'd had my eye on for a while, and that the unidentified present was from my sisters. They had sent me some money and a globe of Cerulean that danced in snowflakes when I shook it. They had also enclosed a short letter, which made me smile and almost want to cry at the same time.
Hey Misty!
We miss you sooo much, so here we are sending you pointless Christmas crap. We know it's a little disappointing, a stupid globe, but maybe you'll like it. Things here are same old, Mom is being her usual bitchy self and your name isn't allowed to be mentioned in her presence so we keep quiet about you. Please be careful, Mist. You know what she can do. How is chilly Pallet Town? How is hot Ash? Haha, sorry, that was Lily's doing. Hope you're holding up okay, email us sometime, we always love hearing from you. Have an awesome Christmas and keep your head high. We love and miss you heaps! Stay cool!
Your ultra awesome sistas, Daisy, Violet and Lily.
I handed the letter over to Ash, who read it with a few laughs and a smile at the end of it. "You're lucky they're on your side, since your Mom obviously isn't."
"Can't change the spots on a leopard" I shrugged. Mom wasn't really a concern for me. I had saved the intriguing envelope for last, and cautiously opened it only to discover a simple Christmas card. I wasn't disappointed or anything, just even further intrigued until I opened it up and discovered a lot of writing on the left side. Familiar writing that immediately caused my eyes to well up.
Dear Misty,
I don't quite know where to begin with this because so many thoughts are going through my mind and it's hard to get them down on paper. Every day without your presence is another twist in my heart, but at the same time so is what you did. I never imagined someone like you would become a statistic like teen pregnancy. It's saddening, yet at the same time that night you came home I saw it in your eyes. You do love that boy and he loves you. Love is a gift that shouldn't be tarnished and while your mother is trying to achieve this, I can now say that I am not totally against your boyfriend, even in spite of what he - the both of you - have done. He makes you happy, and that is all I ever wanted for you. Happiness and love are the two most important things in the world. With you I got both, and with Ash you will get both, so all I can do is be happy for you now. These are horrible circumstances for the both of you to be under but I want you to know that I am eternally sorry for the way I behaved when your mother
told me and that I'll always love you as a daughter and a friend.
Be happy, and have a Merry Christmas. Hoping to see you soon.
Dad.
"Oh God" I choked out, wiping the tears off my cheeks. Ash eyed me quizzically and I answered by handing him the card, which he quickly read over and then became incredibly silent. A comforting arm suddenly went around my shoulders and I buried my head in Ash's chest, not sure whether to be happy or be overwhelmed with grief at the thought of my forgiving father so far away. "At least he likes you" I sort of whispered, not sure if he had understood my words at all.
"And I like him. He's an incredible man who's the complete opposite to your mother. I can see where you get all your traits from now" Ash said softly. I nodded, not quite sure how to respond, when the phone rang.
Delia answered with her usual cheery disposition, despite my tears, and then turned to me with a puzzled look on her face.
"Misty, it's for you."
"Got any idea who it is?" I asked as I stood up to grab the phone. Delia shrugged as she handed me the phone and I drew in a deep breath before answering. "Hey, this is Misty."
"Miss Waterflower, what a pleasure to talk to you at last" a male voice replied. I raised an eyebrow, not quite sure where this was going.
"Um, okay" I stammered.
"I'm a reporter for the Pallet Sunday Star, and I -"
"Reporter?!" I screamed, eyeing Ash in a panic. Oh shit. Reporters were never good.
"Calm down, I only want to ask you one question."
"Why me? Are you doing a survey or something? Has something leaked to you guys?" I asked panickly.
"Is something not supposed to be leaked?" the reporter replied deviously. I lost words and waited for him to go on. "All I wanted to ask you, Miss Waterflower, is how does it feel to be carrying the child of the world's youngest Pokémon Master?"
A/N: Oooh! Hurrah! I am now handing the duties of uploading and such over to Geodude, so no worries, you'll still get to read it even if I'm across the Tasman Sea! Hope you enjoyed, thanks for the reviews, and I'll be back to hear what you guys have to say overall! Cheers everyone!
A/N: I would upload two today since I missed out last night (sorry about that, I was watching a documentary, didn't realise it went on for two hours!) but I have run out of time at the prospect of my holiday! Oops. So here is one chapter at least, yay!
Chapter Nineteen - Christmas blues.
December loomed up on me like an inevitable calm that followed the storm, a calm I was eternally grateful for. Every day it was just Ash and I, lost in our own little world and only brought back to reality with the baby business, as we both started calling it. Two more interviews had ensued after the Sandersons of Cinnabar and neither were much more promising. One couple had pretty much made it clear that they wanted a playmate for their four-year old son and that they couldn't be bothered going through another pregnancy themselves.
Extra good news - my cast had come off at long last. The freedom I had forgotten about was once again returned to me and I used it to my full advantage, dancing, running, tramping and mostly risking breaking it again with the amount of physical activities I went through.
It got cold. Really, unbelievably, sub-zero cold. Coming from the north, I was not used to the 'Southern Sting' of Pallet Town and especially not used to snow. This was pretty evident when the first bucketful lavished the house and I immediately ran outside to dance and catch snowflakes on my tongue. Ash, although somewhat amused, was undeniably embarrassed at his girlfriend making a complete nut of herself in his front yard.
"It's just snow" he muttered when I returned covered in the frosty particles. "And it's damn cold. That can't be good for the baby."
"The baby is fine" I said as I removed my coat and shook out my hair. My stomach was now impossible to squeeze into jeans, cruelly protruding from the seams when I could barely do up the buttons, so I had now resorted to…dungarees. Now I'm not one to be particularly fashion conscious, but dungarees?! It was either that or huge dresses, which resulted in a Misty Popsicle in temperatures such as these, so I stuck with the heinous fashion statement.
"How do you know the baby is fine?" Ash asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Because I have woman's intuition" I grinned, ruffling his hair as I passed him on my way to the kitchen. What did I feel like scoffing today? Ice-cream looked absolutely delectable but far too cold, so I put it in the microwave to melt.
"Ahhh, Misty! You don't put ice-cream in the microwave!" Ash exclaimed in horror.
"You've never had ice-cream soup?" I asked in shock.
"No…" Ash replied uncertainly.
"Neither have I, so I'm about to." Ding. The microwave stopped and my sugar-liquid delight was ready, much to Ash's disgust.
"It's called ice-cream for a reason" he mumbled.
"Yeah, and you're called Ash for a reason - cos your mood is about the same colour as your name. Lighten up, would you? It's snowing, we've got three interviews out of the way, and…" I paused, counting up numbers in my head. "It's twelve days until Christmas. So where's my partridge in a pear tree, true love?" I teased.
"It's in the mail" Ash swore with genuine eyes and I laughed at the expression on his face. "I can get you something better than a partridge in a pear tree. I can get you 365 mistletoe and hang them over your head every day, so you'd be forced to kiss me every day for an entire year."
"That's a sweet idea but it's kinda dumb" I commented as I wrapped my arms around his neck.
"Why is it dumb?"
"Because I don't need an incentive to kiss you every day for a year or more" I said softly. I proved it through the kiss I bestowed upon him and my temporary forgetfulness regarding my ice-cream soup. But the kiss was cut short when I felt a strange sensation in my stomach and pulled away from him with a puzzled look on my face
"Everything okay?" Ash asked.
"I dunno…" I said uncertainly. The feeling hit me again and I gasped as I realised what it was. Should I tell him? Was it for the benefit of us all if I did? Or would he be unforgivably angry? I looked into his eyes and knew I had to tell him. It wasn't even a big deal but I knew it would be for him. I silently took his hand and, drawing in a deep breath, placed it on my oversized stomach, much to his surprise and curiosity.
"What's this all about? Are you in labour or something?" Ash asked worriedly.
"No no no" I laughed. "Just wait a sec." He waited as patiently as he could before he felt it at the same time I did and jumped back in surprise. "You do know what that was, don't you?" I grinned.
"I think so" Ash replied. He seemed almost dazed and was looking at me curiously, which only caused me to let out a few more giggles.
"It's okay Ash, I haven't instantly become a freak of nature in the last minute. Dr. Jenkins said the baby would start kicking about now, it's nothing to be worried about. Kinda nice actually."
"Nice?" Ash inquired. "You think someone kicking you from inside is nice? Doesn't it hurt?"
"Not at all. It's a five month old fetus, it's not exactly gonna be striking for Brazil anytime soon. Keep your hand there, it's your child's way of communicating with you" I explained.
"You been reading textbooks or something? And besides, I thought we weren't supposed to be getting attached to this baby in any way possible" Ash reminded me as he placed his hand back on my stomach.
"I know, but…" I sighed when another kick shot through me. "Sometimes I do actually listen to Barney the Dinosaur. All that crap about how fun it is to use your imagination."
"You're losing it, Misty, heeding advice from a purple dinosaur who looks like he's been stoned half his life" Ash said, rolling his eyes as he spoke. I beamed a smile at him before swiveling my head round at the sound of Delia's sudden but undeniable high-pitched squeal.
"Is it kicking?!" she asked, her voice still a few octaves above its usual timbre.
"Yup. Only just started" I said proudly.
"Okay, make way, grandmother coming through!" Delia declared as she practically shoved her son away to replace his hand with her own. There were a few seconds blissful silence before the baby decided to live up to its grandmother's expectations and gave a hearty jolt, much to her delight.
"Enjoy it Mom, you're not gonna be a grandmother for long" Ash sighed.
"Well you certainly know how to put a dampener on things, don't you?" Delia asked rhetorically. Ash shrugged and, seeing her son in such a flat mood, Delia turned around to face him. "Is anything the matter, sweetie? You're awfully…well, unlike yourself."
"I just don't see what you're getting so excited about. In four months we'll be giving up that baby for good and then we'll probably have to bury this whole thing in the back of our minds forever, as though it never happened" Ash explained. There was a drawn out silence after his comments, considering they were all depressing and all true.
"Ash, you've gotta remember that no matter what, this child is yours. No matter where it goes or who it lives with, it will always be a Ketchum and a Waterflower. I don't need to give you the responsibility lecture because the both of you are being extremely responsible and brave for going through all this" Delia said soothingly.
"Why couldn't we be responsible at Washbay, when it mattered?" Ash asked sarcastically.
"It matters now. I know this is tough on you baby, but you've come this far, don't give up now. Especially this close to Christmas, because…" A devious grin appeared on Delia's face and Ash raised an eyebrow.
"Because…?" he repeated.
"Follow me" Delia instructed, leading us out of the kitchen with a quick pace into the living room, where I drew in a sharp breath at what was in front of us. A towering Christmas tree stood proudly against the wall, undecorated and radiating the unmistakable scent of pine, and a large box sat underneath it.
"A real tree?!" Ash asked in astonishment.
"I thought we'd give the artificial one the biff this year" Delia announced. "With my son home for Christmas and my near-daughter with him, I decided it would be nice. You two can decorate it any way you want, as long as the angel goes up the top. That's the only rule in Christmas decoration in this household, right Ash?"
"Absolutely" Ash nodded in excitement. Christmas always brought the child out in him, I remembered with a smile as I watched him run over to the cardboard box. "Come on Misty, don't you think the tinsel should go on first?"
"Sure" I agreed, walking over to join him under the tree. Maybe, I thought as I started sifting through various ornaments, my first Christmas away from home wouldn't be so bad after all.
*******
More snow fell and more cold Palletonians made their last minute Christmas shopping dash in the dropping temperatures as I began to get more and more into the festive season. Mistletoe went up everywhere at the Ketchum household, causing Ash to receive embarrassed pecks on his cheeks from the two women who loved him most when he least expected it, and I strung all the Christmas cards around the lounge and placed any incoming presents under the tree.
There were four for me, one that was unidentified that had come through the mail, one from Ash, one from Delia and an envelope. The envelope really baffled me. No return address or anything.
Christmas Day was a day to remember for so many reasons. For one thing, it was one of those rare days that Ash arose from his slumber before ten in the morning - in fact, he woke me up at 7 - and I got to open presents the traditional way, with carols playing in the background and the three of us sitting by the tree. I'd never done this before. In my household, it had been a mad frenzy of wrapping paper for five minutes before a round of grateful acknowledgements and an immediate trip up to one's room to discover one's new treasures.
"Open mine first, Mist!" Ash insisted in pure exhilaration. I laughed and did as I was told, slowly and delicately unwrapping the carefully packaged gift. It looked small, and I correctly assumed that it was some sort of jewelry, but not a piece so breathtaking that I could only stare at it in sheer shock. "You don't like sapphires?" Ash asked worriedly.
"I…I love sapphires" I whispered. It was sapphires alright. A whole chain of them in the form of a bracelet. Seven perfect heart shaped sapphires linked by a simple gold chain that was now adorning my wrist as Ash snapped it on. "Oh Ash, it's beautiful…it must have cost you a fortune…" I said, my voice trembling like the tears in my eyes that were threatening to spill over.
"It didn't cost that much, and you shouldn't worry about that anyways. It's yours and…well, did you read the letter?"
"Letter?" I repeated. I peered back in the box to find a square of paper folded up four times and slowly took it out. "What's this?"
"Duh, it's a letter" Ash laughed. "You don't have to read it now. I wrote it when I was up at Indigo. That's where I bought that, so hopefully no one else in Pallet will have one." I lost words with the valuable piece of paper sitting limply in my hand and instead threw my arms around him in total gratitude and love. It was an embrace that spoke more volumes than words could and I finally pulled away to find Ash's lips meeting mine.
"Now you hafta open mine" I quietly instructed. "Though I don't know how the hell it's gonna compare to this…" I trailed off. I flashed my wrist up to Delia, who was on the phone to her aunty in Celadon City, and she beamed me a shocked smile.
"Okay, what have we got here" Ash muttered as he began tearing away the wrapping paper from my present. I wasn't sure if he would like what I got him but I could only pray for the best. He opened up the box the present was in, his eyes widening in an emotion I think mingled shock and happiness.
"Do you like it?" I asked cautiously. "I know it doesn't really compare to jewelry or anything expensive like that, but -" I was cut off when Ash initiated another kiss between us, much to my surprise and delight.
"It is the best present I've ever received" he mumbled as he pulled away.
"You're a terrible liar" I giggled.
"I'm serious, Mist. I love it, I honestly love it. And I love you" Ash smiled. I don't know how he could've been so happy over an enlarged photo in a frame, but he seemed over the moon about it. The photo was one Delia had taken of us about a month ago and on the back of the frame I had left a small note tucked in the corner, which Ash was now reading.
Ash - I know it's not exactly materialistic, and I'm sorry for that. This is probably more difficult to carry around than your wallet pic but I thought you'd want something a bit more updated. I love you and will never be more grateful to you. Merry Christmas. All my love in the world, Misty W. xxoo
"You get me a bracelet and I get you a photo. Anyone else seeing the contrast here?" I asked as Delia got off the phone.
"Shush Misty. How many times do I have to tell you I love it? And you're absolutely right, I do need an update from that wallet pic" Ash grinned.
I opened the rest of my presents, discovering that Delia had bought me a beautiful blue silk scarf that I'd had my eye on for a while, and that the unidentified present was from my sisters. They had sent me some money and a globe of Cerulean that danced in snowflakes when I shook it. They had also enclosed a short letter, which made me smile and almost want to cry at the same time.
Hey Misty!
We miss you sooo much, so here we are sending you pointless Christmas crap. We know it's a little disappointing, a stupid globe, but maybe you'll like it. Things here are same old, Mom is being her usual bitchy self and your name isn't allowed to be mentioned in her presence so we keep quiet about you. Please be careful, Mist. You know what she can do. How is chilly Pallet Town? How is hot Ash? Haha, sorry, that was Lily's doing. Hope you're holding up okay, email us sometime, we always love hearing from you. Have an awesome Christmas and keep your head high. We love and miss you heaps! Stay cool!
Your ultra awesome sistas, Daisy, Violet and Lily.
I handed the letter over to Ash, who read it with a few laughs and a smile at the end of it. "You're lucky they're on your side, since your Mom obviously isn't."
"Can't change the spots on a leopard" I shrugged. Mom wasn't really a concern for me. I had saved the intriguing envelope for last, and cautiously opened it only to discover a simple Christmas card. I wasn't disappointed or anything, just even further intrigued until I opened it up and discovered a lot of writing on the left side. Familiar writing that immediately caused my eyes to well up.
Dear Misty,
I don't quite know where to begin with this because so many thoughts are going through my mind and it's hard to get them down on paper. Every day without your presence is another twist in my heart, but at the same time so is what you did. I never imagined someone like you would become a statistic like teen pregnancy. It's saddening, yet at the same time that night you came home I saw it in your eyes. You do love that boy and he loves you. Love is a gift that shouldn't be tarnished and while your mother is trying to achieve this, I can now say that I am not totally against your boyfriend, even in spite of what he - the both of you - have done. He makes you happy, and that is all I ever wanted for you. Happiness and love are the two most important things in the world. With you I got both, and with Ash you will get both, so all I can do is be happy for you now. These are horrible circumstances for the both of you to be under but I want you to know that I am eternally sorry for the way I behaved when your mother
told me and that I'll always love you as a daughter and a friend.
Be happy, and have a Merry Christmas. Hoping to see you soon.
Dad.
"Oh God" I choked out, wiping the tears off my cheeks. Ash eyed me quizzically and I answered by handing him the card, which he quickly read over and then became incredibly silent. A comforting arm suddenly went around my shoulders and I buried my head in Ash's chest, not sure whether to be happy or be overwhelmed with grief at the thought of my forgiving father so far away. "At least he likes you" I sort of whispered, not sure if he had understood my words at all.
"And I like him. He's an incredible man who's the complete opposite to your mother. I can see where you get all your traits from now" Ash said softly. I nodded, not quite sure how to respond, when the phone rang.
Delia answered with her usual cheery disposition, despite my tears, and then turned to me with a puzzled look on her face.
"Misty, it's for you."
"Got any idea who it is?" I asked as I stood up to grab the phone. Delia shrugged as she handed me the phone and I drew in a deep breath before answering. "Hey, this is Misty."
"Miss Waterflower, what a pleasure to talk to you at last" a male voice replied. I raised an eyebrow, not quite sure where this was going.
"Um, okay" I stammered.
"I'm a reporter for the Pallet Sunday Star, and I -"
"Reporter?!" I screamed, eyeing Ash in a panic. Oh shit. Reporters were never good.
"Calm down, I only want to ask you one question."
"Why me? Are you doing a survey or something? Has something leaked to you guys?" I asked panickly.
"Is something not supposed to be leaked?" the reporter replied deviously. I lost words and waited for him to go on. "All I wanted to ask you, Miss Waterflower, is how does it feel to be carrying the child of the world's youngest Pokémon Master?"
A/N: Oooh! Hurrah! I am now handing the duties of uploading and such over to Geodude, so no worries, you'll still get to read it even if I'm across the Tasman Sea! Hope you enjoyed, thanks for the reviews, and I'll be back to hear what you guys have to say overall! Cheers everyone!
