Chapter 13: Ash's Proposal and Misty's Answer
The next morning, Ash awoke from his slumber feeling more rested than he had felt in a while. Ash quietly stretched and took the remote control and turned the television on low enough that only he could hear it because the others were still lost in dreams and he wanted to make sure that he didn't wake them. Ash became so wrapped up in the television show that he was watching that he didn't even hear Brock beginning to wake until he saw Brock's head drop down from the bunk above and it scared him badly enough to cause him to jump.
"Morning, Brocko. I didn't wake you up when I turned the television on did I?" Ash smiled at his friend once he had regained his composure.
"Nah. The television didn't wake me. Sorry if I scared you sticking my head down when I heard you, Ash. Personally if I were on the bottom bunk and saw someone's head appear out of nowhere I would be a little freaked out too. You been up long?" Brock said bringing his voice down to the quietest audible whisper when he noticed that he and Ash were the only ones awake.
"About thirty minutes. You wouldn't have normally scared me if I hadn't been so wrapped up in the television. So are we going to head up for breakfast?"
"Nope." Brock smiled and shook his head. "Tracey and I were talking about it last night after you two fell asleep and we thought that since we have a whole day at sea today to do whatever that we could call in room service for breakfast so that we could sleep in a little."
"That sounds great to me. Hey, Brock. Isn't tonight the formal dinner in the dining room that we were going to?" Ash asked.
"Yeah. It sure is."
"Great!" Ash's enthusiasm about something formal took Brock by surprise.
"Ash, are you feeling okay? Why are you so jazzed about a formal dinner? You have hardly taken that hat off a day since I've known you." Brock asked as he climbed down off of the bed.
"I'm fine. I have my reasons why I am excited about it but I can't tell you right now." Ash smiled.
"And I suppose that you have your reasons why you can't tell me and reasons why you can't tell me those reasons as well, right." Brock rolled his eyes.
"Yep. How'd you ever guess?" Ash laughed as Brock began laughing along with him.
A few minutes later Ash felt something move beside him and he turned to Misty and gave her a little kiss.
"Good morning, beautiful angel." Ash smiled as he looked into Misty's blue eyes.
Brock just chuckled and put his head in his hands to give the couple privacy as another voice broke the silence.
"Oh brother." Tracey yawned sleepily as Ash chucked a pillow at him and hit him square in the face.
"HEY!"
"Well, maybe next time it'll teach you to make sarcastic comments like that to Ash." Misty laughed and Tracey smiled.
"Morning, Trace. Sorry I had to do that." Ash said.
"Good morning, Ash. It's really no big deal. I probably deserved it. I'm just grateful that you just threw a pillow in my face rather than doing something more drastic like having Pikachu electrocute me again." Tracey grinned, sticking his tongue out at Ash.
"Pi pika pi chu, Pipichupipika. Pi pikachu." (Do you want me to, Tracey? I'm ready.) Pikachu had woke up a few minutes before and now stood looking at Tracey with mild sparks on his cheeks.
"Pikachu. That's enough of that buddy." Ash said as he lifted his Pokemon into his lap.
"Pika, Pikapi." (Sorry, Ash.) Pikachu lowered his ears and hugged his trainer.
"Don't worry. Pikachu was just joking with me, Ash. Weren't you, Pikachu?" Tracey spoke up as he sat up.
"Pika." (Of course.)
"Hey, you guys. I don't know about you but I'm hungry. Let's order something to eat." Ash's stomach growled as he spoke.
"I'm all for that. There's a menu right over here with a list of everything that they have available." Brock said as he picked up the menu and let the others look over his shoulder.
After everyone made up their minds what they wanted to eat for breakfast, Ash made the call to room service and was told that someone would be down very soon. Five minutes later someone knocked on the door of the room. Misty went to answer it, thanked the steward, and gave him a tip as she took the food and went back in the room. When they had finished breakfast the group tried to decide what they wanted to do for the rest of the day.
"I think that I just want to go swimming and lounge by the pool today so that I can try to work on my tan." Misty said happily.
"That sounds like a good idea, Mist. I think I'll come with you. We've done such a good job of wearing ourselves out the last couple of days that it'll be nice to have just a lazy day to relax by the pool." Ash agreed as he took Misty into his arms and hugged her.
"I think I'll join you guys in a little bit. First I'm going to go jogging for a while up on deck." Brock said as he headed out the door.
"What about you, Tracey. What did you have in mind for today?" Misty asked.
"Well, I don't know what I'll do later but for right now I'm going to take another quick snooze. I'm not used to getting up at 7:00 in the morning and I'm still tired. You guys go on ahead up to the pool and enjoy some time alone. After I catch a few winks then I'll probably come join you." Tracey said with a yawn.
"Okay, Trace. You can go back to sleep for a while and not have to worry about us disturbing you. Whenever you wake up you're more than welcome to come join us." Ash grinned as he and Misty headed out into the hallway.
"See you later, Tracey. Pleasant dreams." Misty whispered as she closed the door behind them. But Tracey hadn't even heard what his friends had said because as soon as he had finished talking, he had laid down on the empty bottom bed and drifted away into peaceful dreams.
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At the pool, Ash and Misty put their towels on two chairs to stake their claim. It was very nice for them to get to have some time together where it was just the two of them. It was so early that they had the whole deck to themselves.
"Hey, Mist. You do remember that there is a formal dinner tonight don't you?" Ash asked.
"Yep. I can't wait to see the look on your face when you see what I'm wearing. It's going to be a surprise I think." Misty teased with a wry smile.
"Oh, no you don't. You're going to tell me about your dress. You know I can't stand suspense." Ash retorted.
"I won't tell you. You'll just have to wait until tonight." Misty knew what she was going to have to do to keep Ash quiet about this and she was just waiting until the right moment.
"Come on, Misty." Ash pleaded.
Just then, Misty decided that it was time to make Ash realize that he could not keep pestering her. As his punishment she decided to use the one thing that Ash feared most of all. She walked over to where an unsuspecting Ash was sitting in one of the lounge chairs and sat on his legs.
"Misty, what are you doing?" Ash asked nervously.
"You've been very bad by pestering me like that and now you have to be punished. I happen to know that there is one thing that you can't stand more that suspense." Misty said with an evil smile as she reached down and removed Ash's sandals, causing him to freak.
"Now wait a minute, Misty. You wouldn't actually do what I think you're thinking of doing to me, would you? You wouldn't actually be mean enough and evil enough to put me through that. Would you really resort to tickling me." Ash was really starting to squirm and he put his bottom lip between his teeth. He was extremely ticklish and because of his vulnerability being tickled was something that he feared.
Misty just smirked and nodded as she reached down and started to lightly run her fingers down Ash's feet and watched his eyes bug out of his head though she hadn't succeeded in making him laugh yet.
"I can't believe that Misty would do this. It tickles terribly but I think I can hold back. As long as she doesn't get me on one of my worst ticklish places. If she figures that out then there's no way I'll be able to stand it." Ash thought as he tried desperately to keep from laughing as Misty continued to tickle his feet.
"Hmm. I think someone's trying to keep me from seeing how ticklish he actually is. I guess I'll have to see if I can find a weak point." Misty taunted as she moved her tickling fingers up toward Ash's toes causing him to sweat. "Uh oh. Looks like your toes are one of your tickle spots. We'll see." Misty held the top of Ash's foot back and began to very lightly scratch her fingers under his toes. Seeing the look in Ash's eyes she knew that she had struck a nerve and he wouldn't be able to hold it in much longer.
Ash felt like he was about to jump out of his skin. Even though he tried he couldn't take it anymore with Misty tickling under his toes and he let loose with the laughter he had been holding in. "Ha ha ha ha ha. Please.. stop… Mist. Don't… tickle… my… toes. I.. can't… stand… it. Ha ha ha ha ha. You… know… how… ticklish… my… feet… are… ha ha hee hee hee. Pleeeease… stop." Ash pleaded through a fit of ticklish laughter. He had to convince Misty to quit tickling him. Ash didn't think he could stand anymore.
"Okay. I won't tickle your toes anymore." Misty said as she preceded to lift Ash's arms over his head and give him even lighter, more unbearable tickling under his arms which she knew were even more sensitive than his feet.
"Nooooooo. You… can't… tickle… under… my… arms. I… can't… take… much… more… of… this. Hee hee ha ha ha hee hee hee. Plehehehehehease… stop… tickling… meeeee." Ash was beginning to feel lightheaded.
"I'll only stop tickling you if you promise to be a good boy." Misty teased as she continued her torture.
"Okay…. I… promise. Just… please… stop." Ash said breathlessly as Misty finally stopped tickling him.
After resting and catching his breath for a moment, Ash decided to get back at Misty for what she had done to him. He picked Misty up and headed over to the edge of the pool.
"Ash! What are you going to do? Put me down!" Misty screamed.
"Sure thing, doll." Ash laughed and with that he jumped into the pool with Misty in his arms screaming like a wild thing.
Ash surfaced a second before Misty and swam to the edge of the pool and waited for her. When she finally surfaced, Ash reached out to her and when she grabbed his hand he pulled her to him and kissed her.
"Gotcha!" Ash smiled as Misty hugged him tightly.
"That wasn't nice, Ash." Misty said.
"And you think that what you did was." Ash was smirking at her now just to show that he wasn't angry. At that moment, Brock showed up and surprised them.
"CANNONBALL!" Brock screamed as he splashed into the pool causing a wave to wash over his friends.
"Hey, Brocko. What took you so long to come join us? I could have used your help earlier." Ash asked Brock when he surfaced next to them.
"Sorry. I had to go back to the room and change. Why would you need my help, though."
"Never mind." Ash countered as Misty smiled at him. "By the way, Brock, did you see Tracey when you were at the room?"
"Yeah. He was still sleeping when I was down there. He seemed pretty wiped out when we left him in the room this morning so my guess is that he'll sleep for a while longer." Brock smiled at his friends as they all climbed out of the pool and lay on the deck chairs.
"I think we should all just relax here and take advantage of the sea air and the sunlight." Ash said, closing his eyes. After the ordeal that Misty had put him through Ash was completely exhausted so he made himself comfortable as he dropped off to take a nap in the sun.
"Ash, are you okay?" Brock asked as he glanced at his friend.
"Shh. Not so loud, Brock. Ash is taking a nap it looks like." Misty said as she put her chair right up next to Ash's so that it connected with his and held him tightly as he dozed next to her.
A few minutes later, Tracey emerged on the deck to join his friends. He had rested up and he felt a lot better now. Tracey looked around and noticed his friends. "Hey guys! There you are!" Tracey shouted as he approached.
"Hey, Tracey. Did you have a good rest?" Misty asked as Tracey quietly sat down with them.
"Yeah. It felt really good to get a little extra sleep. Now I'm ready to have fun! What's wrong with Ash?"
"Nothing's wrong with him exactly. He just dropped off about twenty minutes ago. I guess he was tired." Brock said.
"Yeah, I guess so. Should we just leave him and let him rest." Tracey asked.
Just then Ash woke up and yawned as he opened his eyes. "What a great nap. I feel so much better and I got a lot of my energy back." Ash nudged his girlfriend in the arm and Misty grinned. "Oh, Mist, I forgot to tell you earlier because we got preoccupied but your not the only one who can keep surprises. I might have one for you too."
"Really. Well we'll just see. I'm just glad that you're here with me. I don't think this would be the same without you." Misty whispered as she snuggled closer to Ash.
"Same here, Mist. I'm glad you made it here, sweetheart. I just want to make sure you know that I'm here for you and I will always be here. I'm not going anywhere." Ash said as he pulled Misty into his arms and held her close to let her feel his love for her.
"I don't know what I would do without you, Ash. I love you so much. Brock, Tracey, I'm so lucky to have you guys as well. You are the best friends that any person could ask for. Thanks so much to both of you for always being there for me and Ash no matter what we were going through. I love you guys too." Misty said as she broke down. At this point it tore Ash's heart out to see his love in such emotional distress and he began to cry as well. Ash and Misty broke momentarily from their hug to reach out to their friends. Brock and Tracey, who were already tearful from the touching things that Misty had said to them, approached their friends and were welcomed into a group hug. For some moments the four close friends stood there embracing each other and cried together in each other's arms for what Misty had gone through. For that one brief moment in time, they all felt the pain and emotional turmoil that Misty had gone through for the past seven months and they all bonded together to comfort each other.
After a few moments of tears and emotion, the group finally broke out of their embrace and were silent for a few lingering seconds. Ash turned to Misty and dried her tears before wiping away his own.
"Hey, I hate to break this emotional moment but we have to get ready for the formal dinner in a few hours so we need to start having fun until then." Tracey said as he wiped his tears away with the back of his hand.
"I have an idea! Why don't we play chicken in the pool? Tracey, you can be on my team and Ash and Misty, you guys are on the other team." Brock smiled as he walked over to the pool.
"That's a great idea, Brock. Come on, Misty. Let's kick some tail." Ash laughed as he jumped into the pool and dunked himself under to allow Misty to climb on his shoulders.
"It just so happens that I was the reigning chicken champion back when we were in high school. Ash and I were an unstoppable team. Who's my first opponent?" Misty pronounced toughly.
"I'll take you on, Misty. Let's go! I'm going to try to break your winning record. Prepare to lose." Tracey shouted a challenge as he got on Brock's shoulders and went into fighting stance.
"Before we get started we should make a few rules. First there is to be no rough fighting and no violent shoves. Second this should be a clean fight so that means no dirty tricks. Finally nobody can throw the fight. Now make this a good hard fight and may the best chicken win." Brock said.
Misty and Tracey launched into an all out fight. At first it was a pretty even battle with both of them pushing and shoving each other and then Misty got the upper hand. She caught Tracey off guard with a hard sideways shove that sent both him and Brock toppling into the water.
"Huh. You're a lot tougher than I thought. Good battle. That was fun." Tracey laughed as Misty gave him a high five. "Wanna trade positions so you can take her on Brock?"
"You bet. I'm rock solid just like the Pokemon I train. She'll have a hard time knocking me down." Brock grinned as he and Tracey switched places.
"We'll just see about that, Brock. Remember that rock is weak against water and I'm in my element here. You're going down." Misty laughed back as the battle began.
Brock and Misty battled each other like they fought Pokemon battles, hard, fast, and furious. At first it seemed like Brock was winning out over Misty but she pulled a surprise attack that caught him totally off guard. When Brock grabbed Misty by the shoulders to try to throw her off balance, she got hold of his arms and pulled him forward, totally throwing off his center of gravity and causing him to plunge over Tracey's head and into the water.
"Good strategy, Misty. I guess rock is weak against water." Brock laughed. Then he looked to Tracey and saw him holding his neck and suddenly Brock became concerned. "Are you okay, Tracey? I didn't hurt you too bad did I?"
"Not really. It's just that you gave my neck an abrupt stretch when you fell over my head. I'll be fine." Tracey smiled reassuringly.
"Hey, guys. It's about time for us to head back to the room and get cleaned up for dinner. There are four of us that have to get ready after all." Ash commented as he swam to the edge of the pool and climbed out.
"Ash's right, guys. We should get going." Misty smiled.
A few moments later they were all gathering their things and heading back down to their room. They had an hour and a half to get ready and head to the dining room for dinner. As they were walking down to their room Ash couldn't think about anything except the big surprise he had planned for Misty. He kept imagining the look on her face.
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An hour later, Ash was standing outside the room with Brock, Tracey and Pikachu waiting on Misty to finish getting ready. Ash couldn't wait until the perfect time to surprise his beautiful girlfriend.
"Why in the world does it take women so long to get ready. What is she doing in there." Brock rolled his eyes. "What's up with you, Ash. You look nervous."
"Yeah, Ash. I've never seen you look this nervous about anything." Tracey commented.
"I am nervous about something. All I can tell you about it is that I have a very big surprise for Misty and I really hope that she likes it." Ash whispered to his two companions.
"I'm sure that she will. Misty loves anything you give her. Look at how she reacted to that necklace you bought her yesterday." Brock tried to reassure Ash.
"Yeah. I think she'd love it if you gave her a cold." Tracey laughed.
At that exact moment Misty opened the door and emerged into the hallway to join the guys. Ash was completely shocked when he saw Misty and his eyes popped out of his head and he started drooling.
"Take it easy, buddy. You're starting to act like me." Brock smiled.
"Wow! You look great, Mist. You are absolutely breathtaking sweetheart." Ash said when he recovered his voice.
"That's right. Man, Ash, if she wasn't your girl I'd make a move on her myself." Tracey said.
"Hey, guys. Wait on me a sec before we head up. I think I forgot something. I'll be right back." Ash said as he disappeared back into the room.
Once he was back in the room, Ash went and rummaged through his suitcase and pulled out a blue velvet jewelry box. He momentarily opened it and smiled when he looked at the elegant diamond ring settled inside it. Then Ash closed the small box, placed it in the pocket of his tuxedo jacket and went back to join his friends.
"Did you find whatever you forget, hon?" Misty asked as Ash took her hand.
"Yep. Let's go."
Then Ash, Misty, Brock, Tracey and Pikachu all walked up to the dining room and were soon seated around the table getting ready to get their dinner.
While they were eating, Ash kept fidgeting around in his chair as he tried to determine the right time to make his proposal to Misty. After dinner as they were all sitting around talking, Ash made up his mind that it was time to put it out there and see what happened. He turned to Misty and took her by the hand.
"Misty." Ash said softly.
"Yeah, Ash." Misty was clearly startled by her boyfriend's sudden change of demeanor.
"There is something that I have been meaning to ask you for some time and now, I think, is the perfect time." Without giving her a chance to say anything, Ash pushed back his chair, pulling out the ring box in the process, and got to one knee before Misty. Pikachu immediately got out of the way, somehow sensing what his trainer was up to. Brock and Tracey glanced at each other and then looked on with their mouths hanging to the floor in shock.
"Mist, you know that I love you more than anything and would gratefully give my life for you in a second. You are the most important person in my life and you would make me the happiest man in the world if you would be my wife so what I am asking is this. Will you marry me, Misty." Ash said with amazing ease that made it obvious that he had been rehearsing.
"Oh, Ash. You don't know how long I have been waiting to hear you say those words to me. Yes, I will marry you, Ash. Nothing would make me happier than to become your wife and spend my life with you." Misty threw herself into Ash's arms and hugged him harder than she had ever hugged him in her life.
After a few minutes Ash pulled back from Misty and slipped the diamond ring on her finger as she admired it with a smile that was almost as bright as the diamond that she now wore.
A little while later the newly engaged couple were walking on the deck with their friends and enjoying spending time together. After a few minutes a quiet voice broke the silence.
"Hey, I'm really kinda tired and it looks like you two want to be alone so I'm gonna head back to the room and rest." Brock said, a tinge of sadness in his voice. "Congratulations guys."
"Thanks. Goodnight, Brock." Ash said as Brock turned and walked away.
The three remaining friends walked around for about ten minutes until Tracey spoke up about something that was getting to him.
"Did something seem wrong to you a few minutes ago. Brock seemed pretty down on the world when he left. I'm a little concerned so I'm gonna head back to the room and see if he's okay and maybe if he'd like to talk to me about it." Tracey said as he headed to the elevator taking Pikachu along with him.
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Back in the room that he shared with his friends, Brock was lying on his bed thinking. Since dinner when Ash had proposed and gotten engaged to Misty, Brock had lapsed into a slight depression. He found himself wondering if his day would ever come to even get a girlfriend. Just then, the door opened and Tracey slowly walked in.
"Hey, Tracey." Brock sighed.
"Hi. Are you okay? You seemed a little upset when you left earlier. Is something wrong, Brock? Why don't you talk to me about it?" Tracey sounded very concerned. He knew that Brock was hurting for some reason and needed a friend. Hopefully Tracey could draw him out.
"What's wrong with me, man. I just don't get it." Brock asked as a tear escaped from his eyes.
"I don't understand what you mean by that. There's nothing wrong with you as far as I can tell. You seem perfectly normal to me." Tracey said in an attempt to comfort his distraught friend.
"That's not what I mean. I'm really beginning to think that I'm never going to find any sort of love. I mean I know I have the love of three great friends." He paused and looked at Tracey who gave him a small smile. "That's all well and great but it's just not the same." Brock was barely able to finish speaking as he broke down and wept uncontrollably.
"I know how you feel. But I promise you that things will be all right. There's a girl out there somewhere who's looking for a guy like you to treat her like a queen. You just need to be patient and roll with time and let time do what it's going to. Right now, though, I think it's a good idea for you to try and get some sleep." Tracey said softly.
"I wish I could sleep. The only problem is that I already tried and every time I shut my eyes I see the type of girl I've always wanted to be with and it brings everything home all over again." Brock shook his head.
"Would it make a difference if I told you that I can guarantee that you won't have to have any dreams at all?" Tracey asked as an idea popped into his head.
"Sounds like an idea but I don't understand how you can make a guarantee like that. It's pretty much impossible." Brock was very doubtful of what Tracey was saying.
"It's simple. When I was sleeping on the plane I didn't have a single dream the whole time. I took one of my pills and I was out like a light and my mind was totally blank. I didn't remember anything until I woke up. So I was thinking that since I have plenty of those left for the flights back home I could let you have one of them so you can get some sleep in peace. What do you think?" Tracey was feverently hoping that Brock would go for the idea.
"That sounds like a good idea. Are you sure that you don't mind and I won't be putting you short? Those things are more important for you than me." Brock was very touched by Tracey's gesture.
"Pipichupipika pi pikachu, Pikapichu. Pi pika pikachu ka pi pika." (Tracey is right, Brock. You really need to get some sleep.) Pikachu had been standing silently in the corner watching but now felt compelled to say something.
"You don't need to worry about shorting me. If I weren't sure about this I never would have offered. Besides what's important right now is that you get some rest." Tracey walked over to his backpack and removed one of the sedatives Professor Oak gave him from the tube and handed it to Brock along with a glass of water.
"Thanks a lot, Tracey. You're one of the good ones. I really appreciate this."
"It's really no problem. I'm glad to be able to help. You should get comfortable because that pill's gonna start to relax you in a minute. You'll be out before you know it." Tracey smiled.
"You've got that one right. I'm already having a hard time keeping my eyes open. You were right about something else too. That thing made me really sleepy, really fast. Goodnight, Tracey." Brock said drowsily. He was already beginning to drop off.
"Night, Brock." Tracey said though Brock had barely heard. Thanks to Tracey's generosity he had moments before spiraled away into a dreamless sleep.
Tracey smiled to himself as he noticed Brock was going to be able to get some rest without disturbing dreams. Then he decided to turn on the television at a low volume and wait for Ash and Misty to return.
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Meanwhile, Ash and Misty were standing together on the deck looking at the stars that twinkled in the sky. Ash pulled Misty into his arms and held her close to him and enjoyed the feeling of having her in his arms. He was extremely elated that Misty had accepted his proposal and now he got to plan to make her his wife.
"I still can't believe that I have the most beautiful woman on the ship as my fiancé. I love you so much, Misty. Thank you for accepting my proposal." Ash said as he kissed the top of Misty's head as he held her.
"Did you ever doubt that I would do anything else?" Misty laughed. "I wonder if Trace was able to figure out what was bothering Brock."
"Well, I have an idea. Let's go back down to the room and check on our friends shall we. It's 11:30 so we really should be getting back anyway." Ash suggested.
"Yeah. That sounds like a good idea. Let's go." Misty smiled as she and Ash walked inside hand in hand and took the elevator down to their room.
When they got to the room Ash and Misty found both of their friends there as they expected. Brock was sound asleep in bed and Tracey was lightly dozing with the television on. Upon hearing Ash and Misty walk in, Tracey opened his eyes and sat up.
"Oh, sorry. We didn't mean to wake you, Trace." Ash apologized.
"You didn't. I actually wasn't sleeping. I had just closed my eyes for a second and I might have dozed off but that's really all." Tracey answered tiredly.
"Okay. Hey, did you ever figure out what was wrong with Brock? He seems to be all right now." Misty asked.
"Hardly. The reason why he was upset was because he feels lonely. I guess it really hit home for him earlier. He was depressed when I came down here and at one point he got so upset that he was crying. He couldn't sleep because of dreams that haunted him so I gave him one of my sedatives and it put him out to the point where he won't be troubled by dreams. I have a feeling that rest is what he needs now." Tracey said.
"Oh. At least he'll get plenty of that. He'll be out cold for hours. That was a good idea to share with Brock. You can tell he isn't having dreams. He seems kinda peaceful actually." Ash looked at his friend and smiled a little.
"Yeah. You're right." Tracey said with a yawn as his head began to nod slightly. "Listen guys. I'm beginning to feel a little sleepy too so I think I'm gonna turn in now. Night, Ash. Night, Misty."
"Goodnight." The couple said together as Tracey closed his eyes and drifted into a sound sleep.
Ash then flopped down onto the bed and Misty sat beside him. Pikachu was already asleep at the foot of the bed.
"You know something, Mist. I actually think I'm too exhausted to sleep. We're going to dock at the next island in the morning so we need to get some sleep. Hey, I have an idea." Ash looked to his fiancé. "Do you think that I can manage to get room service down here without disturbing those guys." he asked as he glanced at their two friends who were totally oblivious to the fact that they were even in the room.
"Somehow I don't think they'd even notice." Misty laughed as Ash got up off of the bed. He then dialed the number for room service and sat on a chair and waited until someone knocked on the door a few minutes later. When Ash ran to answer the door he took a cup from the steward and gave him a tip and went back in the room and noticed that Misty was giving him a very baffled look.
"What's that?" Misty asked.
"Oh. It's nothing really. I just ordered myself something hot to drink." Ash smiled at her harmless curiosity.
"Why did you do that, Ash?"
"It's actually quite simple my dear. When I get myself like this where I'm too tired to rest then I make something hot and drink it. Works like a charm really. Relaxes me and puts me to sleep every time." Ash said as he sipped from the cup in his hands. A few minutes later Ash finished his drink and climbed back in bed and sat next to Misty who was sitting up in bed with her laptop resting on her legs.
"What a day!" Ash whispered as he stretched his legs out and rested his back against the rail of the bed.
"Yeah. We laughed, we cried and you and I got engaged. It has been kind of interesting at that." Misty smiled as Ash bent over to kiss her on the cheek.
"What is that you're working on, love? If you don't mind my asking of course." Ash asked as he settled down to rest his head on the pillow.
"Oh. This is just one of the programs on here that I keep sort of a journal on. There's not much that can't be done with technology these days. It really is amazing." Misty whispered. Just then she noticed that Ash was nodding slightly and trying to stay awake to finish the conversation. "I guess you were right that drinking something hot always succeeds in being able to lull you to sleep. So I have a very nice idea. Why don't you just close your eyes and let your mind drift away."
"Hmm. Yeah, that does sound pretty nice. I'm too tired to stay awake any longer. Night, Mist. I love you." Ash muttered sleepily as he closed his eyes and cuddled closer to Misty.
"I love you too, Ash. Sweet dreams. Sleep well my love." Misty bent down and kissed Ash on the forehead as his mind clouded over with darkness and he slipped off into a very restful sleep.
As soon as Misty was sure that Ash had nodded off, she turned her attention to her laptop again. She clicked on the journal file that she had minimized and began to write. This is what the entry said:
Dear Journal:
I am sitting here in the room now and I am the only one awake.
Brock and Tracey have been asleep for some time and Ash has
just now drifted off. I can't believe what happened today. Ash
actually proposed to me at dinner tonight and I said yes. He is
now my fiancé. I am even now glancing down at him sound
asleep by my side and I can't believe what has happened. He
seems so peaceful while he sleeps and he is very beautiful.
Anyway, goodnight journal. I am going to sleep now.
Misty saved what she had written and then powered the computer down and placed it on the table right behind the bed. Then she settled into bed and lay down. As she did, Ash shifted slightly and laid his head on Misty's chest. Misty just stroked Ash's hair and closed her eyes and she too fell asleep, dreaming of finally becoming his wife.
The next morning, Ash awoke from his slumber feeling more rested than he had felt in a while. Ash quietly stretched and took the remote control and turned the television on low enough that only he could hear it because the others were still lost in dreams and he wanted to make sure that he didn't wake them. Ash became so wrapped up in the television show that he was watching that he didn't even hear Brock beginning to wake until he saw Brock's head drop down from the bunk above and it scared him badly enough to cause him to jump.
"Morning, Brocko. I didn't wake you up when I turned the television on did I?" Ash smiled at his friend once he had regained his composure.
"Nah. The television didn't wake me. Sorry if I scared you sticking my head down when I heard you, Ash. Personally if I were on the bottom bunk and saw someone's head appear out of nowhere I would be a little freaked out too. You been up long?" Brock said bringing his voice down to the quietest audible whisper when he noticed that he and Ash were the only ones awake.
"About thirty minutes. You wouldn't have normally scared me if I hadn't been so wrapped up in the television. So are we going to head up for breakfast?"
"Nope." Brock smiled and shook his head. "Tracey and I were talking about it last night after you two fell asleep and we thought that since we have a whole day at sea today to do whatever that we could call in room service for breakfast so that we could sleep in a little."
"That sounds great to me. Hey, Brock. Isn't tonight the formal dinner in the dining room that we were going to?" Ash asked.
"Yeah. It sure is."
"Great!" Ash's enthusiasm about something formal took Brock by surprise.
"Ash, are you feeling okay? Why are you so jazzed about a formal dinner? You have hardly taken that hat off a day since I've known you." Brock asked as he climbed down off of the bed.
"I'm fine. I have my reasons why I am excited about it but I can't tell you right now." Ash smiled.
"And I suppose that you have your reasons why you can't tell me and reasons why you can't tell me those reasons as well, right." Brock rolled his eyes.
"Yep. How'd you ever guess?" Ash laughed as Brock began laughing along with him.
A few minutes later Ash felt something move beside him and he turned to Misty and gave her a little kiss.
"Good morning, beautiful angel." Ash smiled as he looked into Misty's blue eyes.
Brock just chuckled and put his head in his hands to give the couple privacy as another voice broke the silence.
"Oh brother." Tracey yawned sleepily as Ash chucked a pillow at him and hit him square in the face.
"HEY!"
"Well, maybe next time it'll teach you to make sarcastic comments like that to Ash." Misty laughed and Tracey smiled.
"Morning, Trace. Sorry I had to do that." Ash said.
"Good morning, Ash. It's really no big deal. I probably deserved it. I'm just grateful that you just threw a pillow in my face rather than doing something more drastic like having Pikachu electrocute me again." Tracey grinned, sticking his tongue out at Ash.
"Pi pika pi chu, Pipichupipika. Pi pikachu." (Do you want me to, Tracey? I'm ready.) Pikachu had woke up a few minutes before and now stood looking at Tracey with mild sparks on his cheeks.
"Pikachu. That's enough of that buddy." Ash said as he lifted his Pokemon into his lap.
"Pika, Pikapi." (Sorry, Ash.) Pikachu lowered his ears and hugged his trainer.
"Don't worry. Pikachu was just joking with me, Ash. Weren't you, Pikachu?" Tracey spoke up as he sat up.
"Pika." (Of course.)
"Hey, you guys. I don't know about you but I'm hungry. Let's order something to eat." Ash's stomach growled as he spoke.
"I'm all for that. There's a menu right over here with a list of everything that they have available." Brock said as he picked up the menu and let the others look over his shoulder.
After everyone made up their minds what they wanted to eat for breakfast, Ash made the call to room service and was told that someone would be down very soon. Five minutes later someone knocked on the door of the room. Misty went to answer it, thanked the steward, and gave him a tip as she took the food and went back in the room. When they had finished breakfast the group tried to decide what they wanted to do for the rest of the day.
"I think that I just want to go swimming and lounge by the pool today so that I can try to work on my tan." Misty said happily.
"That sounds like a good idea, Mist. I think I'll come with you. We've done such a good job of wearing ourselves out the last couple of days that it'll be nice to have just a lazy day to relax by the pool." Ash agreed as he took Misty into his arms and hugged her.
"I think I'll join you guys in a little bit. First I'm going to go jogging for a while up on deck." Brock said as he headed out the door.
"What about you, Tracey. What did you have in mind for today?" Misty asked.
"Well, I don't know what I'll do later but for right now I'm going to take another quick snooze. I'm not used to getting up at 7:00 in the morning and I'm still tired. You guys go on ahead up to the pool and enjoy some time alone. After I catch a few winks then I'll probably come join you." Tracey said with a yawn.
"Okay, Trace. You can go back to sleep for a while and not have to worry about us disturbing you. Whenever you wake up you're more than welcome to come join us." Ash grinned as he and Misty headed out into the hallway.
"See you later, Tracey. Pleasant dreams." Misty whispered as she closed the door behind them. But Tracey hadn't even heard what his friends had said because as soon as he had finished talking, he had laid down on the empty bottom bed and drifted away into peaceful dreams.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
At the pool, Ash and Misty put their towels on two chairs to stake their claim. It was very nice for them to get to have some time together where it was just the two of them. It was so early that they had the whole deck to themselves.
"Hey, Mist. You do remember that there is a formal dinner tonight don't you?" Ash asked.
"Yep. I can't wait to see the look on your face when you see what I'm wearing. It's going to be a surprise I think." Misty teased with a wry smile.
"Oh, no you don't. You're going to tell me about your dress. You know I can't stand suspense." Ash retorted.
"I won't tell you. You'll just have to wait until tonight." Misty knew what she was going to have to do to keep Ash quiet about this and she was just waiting until the right moment.
"Come on, Misty." Ash pleaded.
Just then, Misty decided that it was time to make Ash realize that he could not keep pestering her. As his punishment she decided to use the one thing that Ash feared most of all. She walked over to where an unsuspecting Ash was sitting in one of the lounge chairs and sat on his legs.
"Misty, what are you doing?" Ash asked nervously.
"You've been very bad by pestering me like that and now you have to be punished. I happen to know that there is one thing that you can't stand more that suspense." Misty said with an evil smile as she reached down and removed Ash's sandals, causing him to freak.
"Now wait a minute, Misty. You wouldn't actually do what I think you're thinking of doing to me, would you? You wouldn't actually be mean enough and evil enough to put me through that. Would you really resort to tickling me." Ash was really starting to squirm and he put his bottom lip between his teeth. He was extremely ticklish and because of his vulnerability being tickled was something that he feared.
Misty just smirked and nodded as she reached down and started to lightly run her fingers down Ash's feet and watched his eyes bug out of his head though she hadn't succeeded in making him laugh yet.
"I can't believe that Misty would do this. It tickles terribly but I think I can hold back. As long as she doesn't get me on one of my worst ticklish places. If she figures that out then there's no way I'll be able to stand it." Ash thought as he tried desperately to keep from laughing as Misty continued to tickle his feet.
"Hmm. I think someone's trying to keep me from seeing how ticklish he actually is. I guess I'll have to see if I can find a weak point." Misty taunted as she moved her tickling fingers up toward Ash's toes causing him to sweat. "Uh oh. Looks like your toes are one of your tickle spots. We'll see." Misty held the top of Ash's foot back and began to very lightly scratch her fingers under his toes. Seeing the look in Ash's eyes she knew that she had struck a nerve and he wouldn't be able to hold it in much longer.
Ash felt like he was about to jump out of his skin. Even though he tried he couldn't take it anymore with Misty tickling under his toes and he let loose with the laughter he had been holding in. "Ha ha ha ha ha. Please.. stop… Mist. Don't… tickle… my… toes. I.. can't… stand… it. Ha ha ha ha ha. You… know… how… ticklish… my… feet… are… ha ha hee hee hee. Pleeeease… stop." Ash pleaded through a fit of ticklish laughter. He had to convince Misty to quit tickling him. Ash didn't think he could stand anymore.
"Okay. I won't tickle your toes anymore." Misty said as she preceded to lift Ash's arms over his head and give him even lighter, more unbearable tickling under his arms which she knew were even more sensitive than his feet.
"Nooooooo. You… can't… tickle… under… my… arms. I… can't… take… much… more… of… this. Hee hee ha ha ha hee hee hee. Plehehehehehease… stop… tickling… meeeee." Ash was beginning to feel lightheaded.
"I'll only stop tickling you if you promise to be a good boy." Misty teased as she continued her torture.
"Okay…. I… promise. Just… please… stop." Ash said breathlessly as Misty finally stopped tickling him.
After resting and catching his breath for a moment, Ash decided to get back at Misty for what she had done to him. He picked Misty up and headed over to the edge of the pool.
"Ash! What are you going to do? Put me down!" Misty screamed.
"Sure thing, doll." Ash laughed and with that he jumped into the pool with Misty in his arms screaming like a wild thing.
Ash surfaced a second before Misty and swam to the edge of the pool and waited for her. When she finally surfaced, Ash reached out to her and when she grabbed his hand he pulled her to him and kissed her.
"Gotcha!" Ash smiled as Misty hugged him tightly.
"That wasn't nice, Ash." Misty said.
"And you think that what you did was." Ash was smirking at her now just to show that he wasn't angry. At that moment, Brock showed up and surprised them.
"CANNONBALL!" Brock screamed as he splashed into the pool causing a wave to wash over his friends.
"Hey, Brocko. What took you so long to come join us? I could have used your help earlier." Ash asked Brock when he surfaced next to them.
"Sorry. I had to go back to the room and change. Why would you need my help, though."
"Never mind." Ash countered as Misty smiled at him. "By the way, Brock, did you see Tracey when you were at the room?"
"Yeah. He was still sleeping when I was down there. He seemed pretty wiped out when we left him in the room this morning so my guess is that he'll sleep for a while longer." Brock smiled at his friends as they all climbed out of the pool and lay on the deck chairs.
"I think we should all just relax here and take advantage of the sea air and the sunlight." Ash said, closing his eyes. After the ordeal that Misty had put him through Ash was completely exhausted so he made himself comfortable as he dropped off to take a nap in the sun.
"Ash, are you okay?" Brock asked as he glanced at his friend.
"Shh. Not so loud, Brock. Ash is taking a nap it looks like." Misty said as she put her chair right up next to Ash's so that it connected with his and held him tightly as he dozed next to her.
A few minutes later, Tracey emerged on the deck to join his friends. He had rested up and he felt a lot better now. Tracey looked around and noticed his friends. "Hey guys! There you are!" Tracey shouted as he approached.
"Hey, Tracey. Did you have a good rest?" Misty asked as Tracey quietly sat down with them.
"Yeah. It felt really good to get a little extra sleep. Now I'm ready to have fun! What's wrong with Ash?"
"Nothing's wrong with him exactly. He just dropped off about twenty minutes ago. I guess he was tired." Brock said.
"Yeah, I guess so. Should we just leave him and let him rest." Tracey asked.
Just then Ash woke up and yawned as he opened his eyes. "What a great nap. I feel so much better and I got a lot of my energy back." Ash nudged his girlfriend in the arm and Misty grinned. "Oh, Mist, I forgot to tell you earlier because we got preoccupied but your not the only one who can keep surprises. I might have one for you too."
"Really. Well we'll just see. I'm just glad that you're here with me. I don't think this would be the same without you." Misty whispered as she snuggled closer to Ash.
"Same here, Mist. I'm glad you made it here, sweetheart. I just want to make sure you know that I'm here for you and I will always be here. I'm not going anywhere." Ash said as he pulled Misty into his arms and held her close to let her feel his love for her.
"I don't know what I would do without you, Ash. I love you so much. Brock, Tracey, I'm so lucky to have you guys as well. You are the best friends that any person could ask for. Thanks so much to both of you for always being there for me and Ash no matter what we were going through. I love you guys too." Misty said as she broke down. At this point it tore Ash's heart out to see his love in such emotional distress and he began to cry as well. Ash and Misty broke momentarily from their hug to reach out to their friends. Brock and Tracey, who were already tearful from the touching things that Misty had said to them, approached their friends and were welcomed into a group hug. For some moments the four close friends stood there embracing each other and cried together in each other's arms for what Misty had gone through. For that one brief moment in time, they all felt the pain and emotional turmoil that Misty had gone through for the past seven months and they all bonded together to comfort each other.
After a few moments of tears and emotion, the group finally broke out of their embrace and were silent for a few lingering seconds. Ash turned to Misty and dried her tears before wiping away his own.
"Hey, I hate to break this emotional moment but we have to get ready for the formal dinner in a few hours so we need to start having fun until then." Tracey said as he wiped his tears away with the back of his hand.
"I have an idea! Why don't we play chicken in the pool? Tracey, you can be on my team and Ash and Misty, you guys are on the other team." Brock smiled as he walked over to the pool.
"That's a great idea, Brock. Come on, Misty. Let's kick some tail." Ash laughed as he jumped into the pool and dunked himself under to allow Misty to climb on his shoulders.
"It just so happens that I was the reigning chicken champion back when we were in high school. Ash and I were an unstoppable team. Who's my first opponent?" Misty pronounced toughly.
"I'll take you on, Misty. Let's go! I'm going to try to break your winning record. Prepare to lose." Tracey shouted a challenge as he got on Brock's shoulders and went into fighting stance.
"Before we get started we should make a few rules. First there is to be no rough fighting and no violent shoves. Second this should be a clean fight so that means no dirty tricks. Finally nobody can throw the fight. Now make this a good hard fight and may the best chicken win." Brock said.
Misty and Tracey launched into an all out fight. At first it was a pretty even battle with both of them pushing and shoving each other and then Misty got the upper hand. She caught Tracey off guard with a hard sideways shove that sent both him and Brock toppling into the water.
"Huh. You're a lot tougher than I thought. Good battle. That was fun." Tracey laughed as Misty gave him a high five. "Wanna trade positions so you can take her on Brock?"
"You bet. I'm rock solid just like the Pokemon I train. She'll have a hard time knocking me down." Brock grinned as he and Tracey switched places.
"We'll just see about that, Brock. Remember that rock is weak against water and I'm in my element here. You're going down." Misty laughed back as the battle began.
Brock and Misty battled each other like they fought Pokemon battles, hard, fast, and furious. At first it seemed like Brock was winning out over Misty but she pulled a surprise attack that caught him totally off guard. When Brock grabbed Misty by the shoulders to try to throw her off balance, she got hold of his arms and pulled him forward, totally throwing off his center of gravity and causing him to plunge over Tracey's head and into the water.
"Good strategy, Misty. I guess rock is weak against water." Brock laughed. Then he looked to Tracey and saw him holding his neck and suddenly Brock became concerned. "Are you okay, Tracey? I didn't hurt you too bad did I?"
"Not really. It's just that you gave my neck an abrupt stretch when you fell over my head. I'll be fine." Tracey smiled reassuringly.
"Hey, guys. It's about time for us to head back to the room and get cleaned up for dinner. There are four of us that have to get ready after all." Ash commented as he swam to the edge of the pool and climbed out.
"Ash's right, guys. We should get going." Misty smiled.
A few moments later they were all gathering their things and heading back down to their room. They had an hour and a half to get ready and head to the dining room for dinner. As they were walking down to their room Ash couldn't think about anything except the big surprise he had planned for Misty. He kept imagining the look on her face.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
An hour later, Ash was standing outside the room with Brock, Tracey and Pikachu waiting on Misty to finish getting ready. Ash couldn't wait until the perfect time to surprise his beautiful girlfriend.
"Why in the world does it take women so long to get ready. What is she doing in there." Brock rolled his eyes. "What's up with you, Ash. You look nervous."
"Yeah, Ash. I've never seen you look this nervous about anything." Tracey commented.
"I am nervous about something. All I can tell you about it is that I have a very big surprise for Misty and I really hope that she likes it." Ash whispered to his two companions.
"I'm sure that she will. Misty loves anything you give her. Look at how she reacted to that necklace you bought her yesterday." Brock tried to reassure Ash.
"Yeah. I think she'd love it if you gave her a cold." Tracey laughed.
At that exact moment Misty opened the door and emerged into the hallway to join the guys. Ash was completely shocked when he saw Misty and his eyes popped out of his head and he started drooling.
"Take it easy, buddy. You're starting to act like me." Brock smiled.
"Wow! You look great, Mist. You are absolutely breathtaking sweetheart." Ash said when he recovered his voice.
"That's right. Man, Ash, if she wasn't your girl I'd make a move on her myself." Tracey said.
"Hey, guys. Wait on me a sec before we head up. I think I forgot something. I'll be right back." Ash said as he disappeared back into the room.
Once he was back in the room, Ash went and rummaged through his suitcase and pulled out a blue velvet jewelry box. He momentarily opened it and smiled when he looked at the elegant diamond ring settled inside it. Then Ash closed the small box, placed it in the pocket of his tuxedo jacket and went back to join his friends.
"Did you find whatever you forget, hon?" Misty asked as Ash took her hand.
"Yep. Let's go."
Then Ash, Misty, Brock, Tracey and Pikachu all walked up to the dining room and were soon seated around the table getting ready to get their dinner.
While they were eating, Ash kept fidgeting around in his chair as he tried to determine the right time to make his proposal to Misty. After dinner as they were all sitting around talking, Ash made up his mind that it was time to put it out there and see what happened. He turned to Misty and took her by the hand.
"Misty." Ash said softly.
"Yeah, Ash." Misty was clearly startled by her boyfriend's sudden change of demeanor.
"There is something that I have been meaning to ask you for some time and now, I think, is the perfect time." Without giving her a chance to say anything, Ash pushed back his chair, pulling out the ring box in the process, and got to one knee before Misty. Pikachu immediately got out of the way, somehow sensing what his trainer was up to. Brock and Tracey glanced at each other and then looked on with their mouths hanging to the floor in shock.
"Mist, you know that I love you more than anything and would gratefully give my life for you in a second. You are the most important person in my life and you would make me the happiest man in the world if you would be my wife so what I am asking is this. Will you marry me, Misty." Ash said with amazing ease that made it obvious that he had been rehearsing.
"Oh, Ash. You don't know how long I have been waiting to hear you say those words to me. Yes, I will marry you, Ash. Nothing would make me happier than to become your wife and spend my life with you." Misty threw herself into Ash's arms and hugged him harder than she had ever hugged him in her life.
After a few minutes Ash pulled back from Misty and slipped the diamond ring on her finger as she admired it with a smile that was almost as bright as the diamond that she now wore.
A little while later the newly engaged couple were walking on the deck with their friends and enjoying spending time together. After a few minutes a quiet voice broke the silence.
"Hey, I'm really kinda tired and it looks like you two want to be alone so I'm gonna head back to the room and rest." Brock said, a tinge of sadness in his voice. "Congratulations guys."
"Thanks. Goodnight, Brock." Ash said as Brock turned and walked away.
The three remaining friends walked around for about ten minutes until Tracey spoke up about something that was getting to him.
"Did something seem wrong to you a few minutes ago. Brock seemed pretty down on the world when he left. I'm a little concerned so I'm gonna head back to the room and see if he's okay and maybe if he'd like to talk to me about it." Tracey said as he headed to the elevator taking Pikachu along with him.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Back in the room that he shared with his friends, Brock was lying on his bed thinking. Since dinner when Ash had proposed and gotten engaged to Misty, Brock had lapsed into a slight depression. He found himself wondering if his day would ever come to even get a girlfriend. Just then, the door opened and Tracey slowly walked in.
"Hey, Tracey." Brock sighed.
"Hi. Are you okay? You seemed a little upset when you left earlier. Is something wrong, Brock? Why don't you talk to me about it?" Tracey sounded very concerned. He knew that Brock was hurting for some reason and needed a friend. Hopefully Tracey could draw him out.
"What's wrong with me, man. I just don't get it." Brock asked as a tear escaped from his eyes.
"I don't understand what you mean by that. There's nothing wrong with you as far as I can tell. You seem perfectly normal to me." Tracey said in an attempt to comfort his distraught friend.
"That's not what I mean. I'm really beginning to think that I'm never going to find any sort of love. I mean I know I have the love of three great friends." He paused and looked at Tracey who gave him a small smile. "That's all well and great but it's just not the same." Brock was barely able to finish speaking as he broke down and wept uncontrollably.
"I know how you feel. But I promise you that things will be all right. There's a girl out there somewhere who's looking for a guy like you to treat her like a queen. You just need to be patient and roll with time and let time do what it's going to. Right now, though, I think it's a good idea for you to try and get some sleep." Tracey said softly.
"I wish I could sleep. The only problem is that I already tried and every time I shut my eyes I see the type of girl I've always wanted to be with and it brings everything home all over again." Brock shook his head.
"Would it make a difference if I told you that I can guarantee that you won't have to have any dreams at all?" Tracey asked as an idea popped into his head.
"Sounds like an idea but I don't understand how you can make a guarantee like that. It's pretty much impossible." Brock was very doubtful of what Tracey was saying.
"It's simple. When I was sleeping on the plane I didn't have a single dream the whole time. I took one of my pills and I was out like a light and my mind was totally blank. I didn't remember anything until I woke up. So I was thinking that since I have plenty of those left for the flights back home I could let you have one of them so you can get some sleep in peace. What do you think?" Tracey was feverently hoping that Brock would go for the idea.
"That sounds like a good idea. Are you sure that you don't mind and I won't be putting you short? Those things are more important for you than me." Brock was very touched by Tracey's gesture.
"Pipichupipika pi pikachu, Pikapichu. Pi pika pikachu ka pi pika." (Tracey is right, Brock. You really need to get some sleep.) Pikachu had been standing silently in the corner watching but now felt compelled to say something.
"You don't need to worry about shorting me. If I weren't sure about this I never would have offered. Besides what's important right now is that you get some rest." Tracey walked over to his backpack and removed one of the sedatives Professor Oak gave him from the tube and handed it to Brock along with a glass of water.
"Thanks a lot, Tracey. You're one of the good ones. I really appreciate this."
"It's really no problem. I'm glad to be able to help. You should get comfortable because that pill's gonna start to relax you in a minute. You'll be out before you know it." Tracey smiled.
"You've got that one right. I'm already having a hard time keeping my eyes open. You were right about something else too. That thing made me really sleepy, really fast. Goodnight, Tracey." Brock said drowsily. He was already beginning to drop off.
"Night, Brock." Tracey said though Brock had barely heard. Thanks to Tracey's generosity he had moments before spiraled away into a dreamless sleep.
Tracey smiled to himself as he noticed Brock was going to be able to get some rest without disturbing dreams. Then he decided to turn on the television at a low volume and wait for Ash and Misty to return.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Meanwhile, Ash and Misty were standing together on the deck looking at the stars that twinkled in the sky. Ash pulled Misty into his arms and held her close to him and enjoyed the feeling of having her in his arms. He was extremely elated that Misty had accepted his proposal and now he got to plan to make her his wife.
"I still can't believe that I have the most beautiful woman on the ship as my fiancé. I love you so much, Misty. Thank you for accepting my proposal." Ash said as he kissed the top of Misty's head as he held her.
"Did you ever doubt that I would do anything else?" Misty laughed. "I wonder if Trace was able to figure out what was bothering Brock."
"Well, I have an idea. Let's go back down to the room and check on our friends shall we. It's 11:30 so we really should be getting back anyway." Ash suggested.
"Yeah. That sounds like a good idea. Let's go." Misty smiled as she and Ash walked inside hand in hand and took the elevator down to their room.
When they got to the room Ash and Misty found both of their friends there as they expected. Brock was sound asleep in bed and Tracey was lightly dozing with the television on. Upon hearing Ash and Misty walk in, Tracey opened his eyes and sat up.
"Oh, sorry. We didn't mean to wake you, Trace." Ash apologized.
"You didn't. I actually wasn't sleeping. I had just closed my eyes for a second and I might have dozed off but that's really all." Tracey answered tiredly.
"Okay. Hey, did you ever figure out what was wrong with Brock? He seems to be all right now." Misty asked.
"Hardly. The reason why he was upset was because he feels lonely. I guess it really hit home for him earlier. He was depressed when I came down here and at one point he got so upset that he was crying. He couldn't sleep because of dreams that haunted him so I gave him one of my sedatives and it put him out to the point where he won't be troubled by dreams. I have a feeling that rest is what he needs now." Tracey said.
"Oh. At least he'll get plenty of that. He'll be out cold for hours. That was a good idea to share with Brock. You can tell he isn't having dreams. He seems kinda peaceful actually." Ash looked at his friend and smiled a little.
"Yeah. You're right." Tracey said with a yawn as his head began to nod slightly. "Listen guys. I'm beginning to feel a little sleepy too so I think I'm gonna turn in now. Night, Ash. Night, Misty."
"Goodnight." The couple said together as Tracey closed his eyes and drifted into a sound sleep.
Ash then flopped down onto the bed and Misty sat beside him. Pikachu was already asleep at the foot of the bed.
"You know something, Mist. I actually think I'm too exhausted to sleep. We're going to dock at the next island in the morning so we need to get some sleep. Hey, I have an idea." Ash looked to his fiancé. "Do you think that I can manage to get room service down here without disturbing those guys." he asked as he glanced at their two friends who were totally oblivious to the fact that they were even in the room.
"Somehow I don't think they'd even notice." Misty laughed as Ash got up off of the bed. He then dialed the number for room service and sat on a chair and waited until someone knocked on the door a few minutes later. When Ash ran to answer the door he took a cup from the steward and gave him a tip and went back in the room and noticed that Misty was giving him a very baffled look.
"What's that?" Misty asked.
"Oh. It's nothing really. I just ordered myself something hot to drink." Ash smiled at her harmless curiosity.
"Why did you do that, Ash?"
"It's actually quite simple my dear. When I get myself like this where I'm too tired to rest then I make something hot and drink it. Works like a charm really. Relaxes me and puts me to sleep every time." Ash said as he sipped from the cup in his hands. A few minutes later Ash finished his drink and climbed back in bed and sat next to Misty who was sitting up in bed with her laptop resting on her legs.
"What a day!" Ash whispered as he stretched his legs out and rested his back against the rail of the bed.
"Yeah. We laughed, we cried and you and I got engaged. It has been kind of interesting at that." Misty smiled as Ash bent over to kiss her on the cheek.
"What is that you're working on, love? If you don't mind my asking of course." Ash asked as he settled down to rest his head on the pillow.
"Oh. This is just one of the programs on here that I keep sort of a journal on. There's not much that can't be done with technology these days. It really is amazing." Misty whispered. Just then she noticed that Ash was nodding slightly and trying to stay awake to finish the conversation. "I guess you were right that drinking something hot always succeeds in being able to lull you to sleep. So I have a very nice idea. Why don't you just close your eyes and let your mind drift away."
"Hmm. Yeah, that does sound pretty nice. I'm too tired to stay awake any longer. Night, Mist. I love you." Ash muttered sleepily as he closed his eyes and cuddled closer to Misty.
"I love you too, Ash. Sweet dreams. Sleep well my love." Misty bent down and kissed Ash on the forehead as his mind clouded over with darkness and he slipped off into a very restful sleep.
As soon as Misty was sure that Ash had nodded off, she turned her attention to her laptop again. She clicked on the journal file that she had minimized and began to write. This is what the entry said:
Dear Journal:
I am sitting here in the room now and I am the only one awake.
Brock and Tracey have been asleep for some time and Ash has
just now drifted off. I can't believe what happened today. Ash
actually proposed to me at dinner tonight and I said yes. He is
now my fiancé. I am even now glancing down at him sound
asleep by my side and I can't believe what has happened. He
seems so peaceful while he sleeps and he is very beautiful.
Anyway, goodnight journal. I am going to sleep now.
Misty saved what she had written and then powered the computer down and placed it on the table right behind the bed. Then she settled into bed and lay down. As she did, Ash shifted slightly and laid his head on Misty's chest. Misty just stroked Ash's hair and closed her eyes and she too fell asleep, dreaming of finally becoming his wife.