"Rise and shine, Aunt Misty! You don't want to be late for your wedding day!"
Misty Waterflower opened her eyes and found herself face-to-face with a gurgling, drooling baby.
"Hi, Shelly," Misty smiled at her six-month old niece. "And hello, Daisy."
"Shelly and I didn't want you to oversleep on your big day," explained Misty's older sister, who was holding her daughter above Misty's face. "Not that we got much sleep last night. Shelly's teething."
"Hey, at least you had to give birth to only one child," moaned Daisy's younger sister, Violet, as she came waddling into the bedroom. Violet was hugely pregnant with twins.
"Oh, don't complain so much, Violet," Daisy said. "You only have two weeks left to go. The end is near."
"Look at me," said Violet, examining her profile in the mirror across from Misty's bed. "I'm as big as a house."
"At least you're over morning sickness," said a pale-faced Lily, who came into the room and sank down on Misty's bed. "I just threw up again. That's the second time this morning."
"Didn't you try the crackers and lemonade like I told you?" said Daisy.
"No, ginger ale is the way to go," said Violet.
Misty smiled to herself. In a little over three years, all three of her sisters had gotten married and, with Lily's announcement last week that she was pregnant, all three were now embarking on motherhood.
So that's why you have to hurry up and marry Ash, Daisy, Violet, and Lily had teased their baby sister. Otherwise you'll miss out on the baby boom.
But Misty wasn't ready for motherhood just yet. When the Pallet Town gym was finished, she and Ash would have their hands full running the place. After all, Ash had told her, no other gym had a husband-and-wife team who were both Pokémon Masters.
Just think, Misty -- people will come from miles around to train with us. Ash Ketchum, the world's youngest Pokémon Master, and his beautiful wife, Misty, the world's greatest Water Pokémon Master. We'll have so many students that they'll be lined up for miles just waiting to get in.
"…And pretty soon, your boobs will be so huge that Todd won't be able to keep his hands off of you." Daisy was continuing to tell Lily what to expect during her pregnancy.
"And then your ankles will swell and you'll have to go pee every five minutes," groaned Violet. "Speaking of which…" She headed down the hallway to the bathroom.
"Oh Misty, maybe you'll get lucky and get pregnant on your honeymoon," Daisy gushed. "Then you can get to have all the fun we're having with babies and being pregnant." Daisy cuddled her infant daughter, who cooed happily in reply. "Speaking of which, do you have everything packed for your honeymoon?"
"Right over there," Misty said, pointing to the suitcase sitting in the far corner.
"Misty, surely you're not going to wear this on your wedding night, are you?" Daisy said with disgust, holding up the white lace gown that was sitting atop the clothes in the suitcase.
"Well, yeah…I was."
"No, no, no," Daisy said, throwing the gown on the floor. "Your wedding night is the most memorable night of your life. And you don't want Ash to be disappointed, do you?"
"Daisy's right, Misty," said Violet, who had just returned from her trip to the bathroom. "Honeymoon sex is the hottest sex you'll ever have. You have to wear something like…like…"
"Leather, whips, and chains?" Misty replied sarcastically, resenting her sisters' interference. All her life she had to deal with them bossing her around, and she wasn't about to let them run her honeymoon.
"Boy, that would be an unforgettable wedding night," Lily giggled tiredly. "I can't wait to see Ash's face when you break out the ropes and tie him to the bedposts."
"No. You need to wear something like this," Daisy said, holding up a skimpy red bustier trimmed with black lace. "Something that'll make Ash's eyes pop out."
"Thanks, but I'm wearing the white gown," Misty said firmly, getting out of bed and re-packing her suitcase.
"Well, at least let us give you a makeover," Daisy said, reaching for a bright red lipstick. "We're going to make you look so amazing that Ash won't even recognize you."
That's what I'm afraid of, Misty shuddered.
"Daisy, that's really sweet of you, but I'm going to take a shower first and then have some breakfast," Misty replied, heading for the bathroom.
"Ugh, don't mention food," Lily groaned.
"Just wait until the cravings start," Violet told her younger sister. "Then you'll be eating all sorts of weird stuff like anchovies and pickles mixed with chocolate fudge ice cream. Then you top it off with hot sauce and relish."
Lily turned a pale shade of green, clamped her hand to her mouth, and dashed down the hallway, knocking Misty to the floor in the process.
"Sorry, Sis," Lily said, bolting into the bathroom.
While Lily proceeded to throw up for a third time, Misty sighed and leaned against the bathroom door. Even though she and her sisters had been out on their own for years, whenever they came together it was always the same – her older sisters would always interfere with her life one way or another. And even though it was her wedding day and Misty was determined to not let her sisters run the show, it looked as if that wasn't meant to be. Early that morning, all three of them had converged on the small house in Pallet Town where Misty was spending her last night as a single woman.
"Come on, Togetic," Misty told the white Pokémon that was looking up at her questioningly. "Let's go have some breakfast. I think Lily's going to be in there for a while."
To be continued…