By: Sailoranime
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Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon. If I did, I'd be rich.
Author's Notes: First of all: Thank you. This was my first story that I ever wrote, and you guys all made the experience wonderful. I haven't written any pokeshipping, or in fact read any, lately. In fact, I think my last one was written in March! I received a flame yesterday. I must say, it was my first one in over 2 years od writing fanfiction. I'd already planned on doing something like this, actually, but that particular review made me speed up the process. This was my first story. I re-read it a couple of weeks ago, and I just re-read it now ( I cringed through most of it, I assure you!). This story was sappy as hell and a very cliche romance, but I won't delete it. For one thing, it was my first one and the reviews I got for it inspired me to keep going.
I will now address every review individually and answer any questions they people might have had ( I doubt any of these people still read fanfiction, after all it's been two years, and I know I've moved on). And in addition to that, I have rewritten the story and you will find it below my ramblings. While I no longer write stories where they confess their love to each other ( I think I only have two, anyway), the main idea was for them to do this, so I will have to include it. IF you've read the first part, please compare it to the second part and you can see just how much I've grown as a writer and how my style improved after my 3rd story. If not, just take my word for it. ^_^
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jesse:I'd love to rant and rave at you (after all, you ruined my 'no flames in 2 1/2 years' thing) but I won't. You are, of course, entittled to your opinion. However I really saw no need to resort to name calling. You didn't like my story. Oh, well. You don't have to insult me. And I did understand the picture. I'm quite familiar with smilies.
Original review:(-o-) (yawn) Boring... And if your too dumb to get what the little picture is about at the beginning of this, it's of someone yawning you dumbass!
Story Weaver1:Thanks. Yep, sorry for the confusion. I forsaw it (somewhat) and that's why I put a list at the top. But I guess it gets annoying to have to scroll up that much, huh?
Original review:Cute! But writing the Japense names is kinda confusin for someone who hasn't heard them before.
Nova S.Aw... thanks.
Original review:Awww that was sooo sweet! This is the first of your works that I'm reading....now I'll continue on to the next one. Till then.
Jammie-Bro:Thanks! ^_^ Yes, the re-written version and all my other stories have the english names.
Original review:that was good..... but i got a little confused with the japenese names. please keep with the English names!!!!!
Kitty Meow: I think I read one of your stories after I got this review. I don't remember it being too bad or anything... I know it was rushed and could have been better, but it was my first one. And because I'm something of a perfectionist sometimes, I'm re-writing it.
Original review:Ummm...well...truth be told, that was a bit to short in my opinion and well, I think it lacked description and some character building. But hey, who am I to talk, my fanfics can't even compare to yours!
Treble Clef Julianne: Miharu was just a little mixup. I was writing a CCS character page at the same time I was doing this, so I got brain-dead and mixed her up with Chiharu. ^_^ I used the english names for the pokemon beause I figured not a lot of people would know the japanese names, and I didn't want too much confusion. And yes, it was rushed, but it was my first one. I think you have read some of my other work too, so at least you (hopefully) didn't judge my abilities on this story alone.
Original review:Lovely. Even though some parts were confusing (who's Miharu? Why did you use some Pokemon's English names when you used the people's Japanese names?), and it was a little rushed, I still liked it. Good job!
qe:The re-written version has the english names. Thanks for reviewing.
Original review:Please make those Jap names AMERICAN!
AngelicFairy:Ah! Honesty, well, sorta! You've read some of my other work, so I have the comfort of knowing that you didn't judge me by this fic alone! ^_^
Original review:Ur first romance fic? Well, that was pretty good for your first. *Maura*
SoulSister:Ah! I take it you understood the japanese names? Yay! Thanks for reviewing!
Original review:that was really kawaii.
something:Thanks!
Original review:sweet
Fire Angel:Thaaaaaaaaaaaaaaank youuuuuuuuuu!!!!!!!!!!!
Original review:HOW CUTE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ark9:Thanks! ^_^ There was a little list at the top that had the jap names. All my other stories use the english ones because of the confusion in this one, though.
Original review:Cute! I liked it! I didn't know a lot of the Japanese names, though. ^_^;; Silly me...keep it up!
Angelstars: My first reviewer. Wow. I remember your review came in about 5 minutes after I posted the story. Really encouraging. Many thanks.
Original review: Well I thought it was very cute! well done! I liked it a lot! not many authors use their Japanese names, so great! ~Angie*
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Misty sat by the lake in deep concentration. She wasn't quite sure why, but she'd been thinking about Ash much more than usual as of late. The little brat was too much of an enigma for his age...
" What are you doing?"
'Speak of the devil.' she thought with a sigh.
" Ash, What are you doing, sneaking up on people like that?" he tone was weary, and he instantly knew something waas wrong. Damn him for knowing her so well!
" Sorry. You okay? You seem... out of it.."
" I'm okay. I've just been thinking about something..."
" What were you thinking about?" Damn him for asking so many question. Her brain didn't seem to be working, so she answered the first thing that came to mind. Well, actually, the second. Her first though was 'you', but she wasn't about to tell him that.
" I was thinking that maybe I should visit my sisters at home."
" Do you really want to go? I mean, a little break from training won't be too bad or anything. We could leave tomorrow morning." he answered, settling himself down next to her.
" No... that's okay." she answered. Visiting her sisters was the last thing on her list of priorities. She glanced at their reflection in the water, sitting side by side. They even looked right together. She slapped herself mentally. That wasn't something she should be thinking.
"Aren't you coming to dinner?" he asked her softly. She shook her head.
" Not hungry." she answered his questioning look with a shrug. Her stomach growled slightly. He raised an eyeborow and she grinned at him sheepishly.
" Well, maybe in a little while."
" Fine." he answered with a nod and stood up. She gave a soft sigh as he walked back to camp.
" What are you doing here by yourself?" Misty groaned inwardly.
" I'm not in the mood, Jesse." there was a hint of a growl in her voice.
" Really, now. Where are you manners?" James asked in mock tone.
Misty raised an eyebrow. Who were they to lecture her about manners?
" Well, we can see you're not in a good mood, twerp, and normally we'd let you go, but we have orders." Jesse snapped.
" From the boss himself!" Meowth put in. Without warning, James threw a net over her and he and Jesse rushed foward to pick her up. Before she could protest, they had unceremouniously thrown her inside their hot air balloon.
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" Are you sure she's coming, Ash?" Brock asked with a frown.
" She said she was. Do you think I should have left her alone?"
" Well, I doubt anything happened to her, but I would think she would have come to eat already-"
" Team Rocket, let me go!"
" That's Misty!" Ash jumped to his feet, followed by Brock.
Team Rocket's balloon was already rising, and the three 'villains' were looking very smug.
" We're sure to get a bonus! Look how easily we got her!" Jesse was saying triumphantly.
" Stop right there, Team Rocket." Brock yelled. The three looked down at Ash and Brock, barely noticing their arrival.
" To protect the world-"
" Skip the motto! Let's just go!" Meowth said impatiently.
" Misty! You okay?" Ash yelled.
" Yeah, but not for long if somebody doesn't save me!"
" Tell you what, we'll make a deal. Give us Pikachu, and you can have your girlfriend back!" James yelled.
Ash and Misty both turned beet red at this remark. Kasumi was suddenly finding the clouds fascinating, and Ash seemed to have taken a similar interest in his feet. After they both recovered from their blush attack, Ash finally made a move.
" Who should I use? Chikorita?" Ash asked Brock. Brock shook his head.
" Misty is too heavy for her to handle." he explained.
" Hey, I heard that!" Misty yelled. Ash seemed to consider the situation, for once.
" Er... Pikachu, shock them!"
" No way! What if he gets me too?" Misty asked wide-eyed.
" Oh, crap!"
" Let me handle this. Go Onix! Go underground and send them flying!"
James and Jesse were wide-eyed. " Tell you what, we let the girl go, and you put that thing back in its pokeball." Jesse said in an attempt to negotiate. James took the net began to lower it quickly. As soon as she was safely on the ground, Brock put onix back in its pokeball and Team Rocket's balloon disappeared into the sky.
Brock helped Misty out of the net. Misty turned around.
" Thank you so much for your help, Ash." she said sarcastically. But he wasn't there. She frowned.
" Where's Ash?"
" I don't know. Maybe he went back to camp to finish eating."
" That insensitive little brat!"
Misty frowned. She wasn't quite sure why she was upset at him. She had built this 'knight in shining armor' image, but this incident was disproving it. But it wasn't her fault. It was his. It always was. He wasn't at camp either.
" Ash?" she asked softly. No answer.
It took her a minute to walk back to where she had been captured by the lake. Sure enough, there he was.
" Ash?"
" Oh. I guess Brock sorted everything out?" there was a definite bitterness in his voice.
" Kinda. Team Rocket chickened out when he took out Onix."
"Oh."
An awkward silence followed the statement. Ash was clearly lost in his own thoughts, so it was up to her to break it.
" You feeling okay?" she asked tentavely. He nodded. "Come one, Ash!" she practically yelled as she rolled her eyes. " Something is wrong. Why are you upset? was the one who nearly got kidnapped by three of the biggest idiots of all time."
This, apparently, hasd been the wrong thing to say because Ash bowed his head and started to dig his finger into the dirt.
" Ash." she said in a warning tone. Her exasperation was showing quite clearly. It was minutes before he answered, but he finally did.
" I was useless. I couldn't do anything."
" Well, it was a unique situation. Usually they take Pikachu, not people."
" Well, if it had been anyone else... I mean... I don't lose it in those situation, but when it's someone you... " he hesitated. "...know, then it's just different."
Misty nodded understandingly. She was slightly disappointed at his choice of wording, though.
" Well, it's always harder when it's someone we care about, I guess." she answered tentavely. He nodded.
" Even now when I think of what I could have done, my mind is still blank. And a good Pokemon Master should know how to deal with everything. Even when it involves someone he loves." Ash's eyes widened and his expression was one of someone who had just put his foot in his mouth and said something they hadn't meant to.
"Well," she stuttered slightly, " you know, you've still got a lot to learn, and years to do it in... I mean... it doesn't all come at once, does it?"
Ash sighed with relief, greatful that she had not, or at least pretended not to, have noticed what he had said. At the same time, he caught the double-meaning of her words. It seemed like they had the same problem.
" I guess it doesn't. I mean, I guess you're right. We've got years to learn." he answered with a smile. She smiled back.
" Yeah. I guess we do."
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AN: Better? I think so. Anyway, reviews are always welcome. Comments on the differences of the two versions are greatly appreciated. I'm going to be doing this for most of my stories, but I'm not sure how long it will take. 'Experimenting' already has the author notes and thank you's, but I don't think it will be re-written. Any comments or anything can be sent to sakura_super_kawaii@yahoo.com
Thank you for reading! ^_^