"Ash, you've been battling all day! It's time to let Lelia rest!" Misty reprimanded her companion.
And the mostly pointless bickering continued. As always.
Lelia looked from one to the other, and slowly an idea started to form in her feline head.
She floated pointedly up to them, "Mew!"
"What is it, Lelia?" Ash questioned, breaking off from whatever insult he had been throwing at Misty.
The Pokémon started moving north, towards the hills, and urgently mewled again. Obviously, she wanted them to follow.
Momentarily forgetting their disagreement, the curious duo (Brock was at camp, cooking, while Pikachu kept both eyes on Togepi) followed the Pokémon.
Gradually, Lelia picked up speed, so that the two humans were finally running to keep up. "What is...it...Lelia?" Misty gasped.
The Pokémon in question kept up her speed, but looked back and saw that Ash was ahead. She veered sharply to the right, and was followed by her trainer. Then she sped up, and floated over a sharp hill.
Perhaps sharp hill isn't the correct term. The words "short cliff" would probably describe it better. Basically, a semi-cliff with a two foot drop loomed before them.
Ash halted on the edge of the cliff, barely noticing that it wasn't actually a hill in time. Misty, however, was not so lucky. She rammed into him, surprised by his sudden stop, and the two tumbled off of it and onto the fortunately soft grass.
With their surprisingly soft landing came an uncomfortable predicament. Somehow Ash had managed to twist in the air and land on his back, and Misty landed right on top of him. Though the Psychic-type was hiding in the tree branches, Lelia had a good view of the two, and she giggled quietly. She went out into the open momentarily, and did a quick victory somersault in the air, and then she was back in hiding.
The two humans' faces were mere inches from one another, and for a while they merely stared into each other's eyes, not moving.
Finally, Ash groaned, although it was sounded forced. "Ow."
Breathless, Misty agreed, "Yeah." But her confirmation was as false-sounding as his. A billion alarms were going off in her head, as well as a strange feeling of happiness. Trying to buy some time, her gaze shifted to Ash's cheek, and her eyes widened. "You're bleeding." Her statement was almost accusatory.
"Unh? Oh, it's just a scratch," Ash tried to shrug it off. How in the world did I scratch myself in the fall? he wondered. I didn't feel it...
"No," Misty disagreed, licking her finger, an action that caused the trainer under her to swallow nervously. "Here," she gently rubbed at his face, removing some of the blood that was about to trickle off of his jaw in a mini-river.
"Thanks," stammered Ash.
"No...prob...lem," Misty's voice faded with the last word as she lost herself in Ash's big brown eyes. They were startlingly deep pools that one could get lost in if one wasn't careful...
Ash was studying her eyes as thoroughly and in as awed of a manner as she was his.
Trying to break herself free from her reverie, Misty laughed nervously, "Thanks for breaking my fall."
"Fall?" Ash was momentarily confused. "Oh! Yeah...Speaking of our fall...Where is Lelia?"
Misty shrugged. "Beats me."
Ash Ketchum shifted. As many times as he had secretly dreamed of a position like this --well, something like this-- now that it had finally happened he wasn't quite sure how to react. He wasn't as clueless as he acted.
His first instinct was to follow the advice that his whole being was shouting at him inwardly. Kiss her!
But remembrance of the painful punishment that her mallet handed out when someone did something to her that she didn't like caused him to wince inwardly.
A sly voice tugged at him, But you may never get this opportunity again...Can't you enjoy it right now? It'll be something that you will remember for the rest of your life...
A more cautious part of himself warned, She may never speak to you again if you do.
But you're not satisfied with just being her friend. Are you?
But you don't want to lose her, the cautious voice whimpered.
Giving in once won't hurt, the sly voice insisted.
She might hate you forever...
She won't leave you until you get her a new bike, the forceful voice pointed out.
But she might never talk to you again if you do kiss her, the second voice warned.
You know you want to, the first voice pulled at him again.
Ash shook his head slightly, the two strangely divided parts of himself dissipating almost as quickly as they'd come.
People didn't live forever...One had to live for the moment...
Right?
Ash was just trying to make up excuses to himself, but all his worries temporarily left him when their lips finally met in an explosive kiss that shocked both of them with the electric current that it brought about.
It was a mutual kiss, though both parties were hesitant about it at first. Quickly enough though, all tentativeness vanished, and its intensity was magnified tenfold.
Hope for the future, joy for the present, wonder about their foolish dancing around their feelings in the past...Those were things that the kiss consisted of...Along with many other emotions too numerous to mention.
But even animated characters can only hold their breath for so long, and the two finally had to break free, gulping for air.
Their mouths gaped open just noticeably, as they tried to think of something to say, and Ash finally smiled, and teased, "Are you getting off of me? Or were you just getting comfortable?"
Misty grinned back, "I don't know." She seemed to think about it hard. "Do you deserve to have your blood-flow return to normal?"
He jutted out his lip and gave her puppy-dog eyes, nodding continuously. "Pleeaassee?"
"All right," Misty mock-huffed, getting to her feet.
Awkwardly, Ash also stood, and looked around. "Where's Lelia?"
Lelia couldn't help but let a few giggles slip out. They looked ridiculously disheveled.
"I think I know," Misty glared at the tree branches, seeing a streak of white amid the green, as well as hearing the Mew laugh. "Come on out, Lelia."
The cat reluctantly left her no-longer-hidden shelter, and floated out to them. Mockfully, she repeated the urgent mewl that she'd used to get them to follow. Immediately after doing so, she rolled around in the air, laughing in a cat-like manner.
"You better watch it," Ash warned. "You know what happened to the boy who called Houndoor. When a real one finally came to snatch one of the Mareep, everyone thought the boy was lying again."
But Lelia shrugged it off, giggling so hard that it was hard for her to do anything else. Ash snatched the feline out of the air, and she let out a startled gasp.
Ash Ketchum then marched pointedly back towards camp, where Brock was undoubtedly waiting for them. "Supper time!" he called over his shoulder to Misty, who stared after him.
That boy was too obsessed with food, she shook her head, smiling and rolling her eyes.
But she loved him all the more for it.
A contented look was etched onto her face, but she erased it and ran after him, yelling, "Ash Ketchum! You had better stop and wait for me!"
The next day, Ash was feeling strangely disheartened. The fact that Team Rocket had the other Psychic cats had finally sunk in, and after it did, there was an instant change in his demeanor. The only thing currently on his mind now was to go snatch all of the Pokémon back. Even though Team Rocket was a gang of criminals, the Pokémon trainer was determined to do so, and had somehow managed to convince his friends that it was the best thing to do. And so, they were on their way to Viridian, for Brock and Misty had heard rumors that Viridian was where the leader of Team Rocket resided most of the time, and they would probably run into Jessie and James on the way, as usual.
"Are you sure you're okay, Ash?" Brock asked for what felt like the five-hundredth time. Ash had been uncharacteristically quiet on the whole journey, and the only time he spoke was when a question was directed solely at him. Brock and Misty had tried comforting him numerous times. Misty was more worried than the Rock-type Lover, thinking that Ash's silence was because of what had happened yesterday. But Ash wouldn't listen to their reassurances.
"Yeah," the young, dark-haired male trainer replied simply.
Misty rolled her eyes in exasperation, and whispered to Togepi something about moody boys. But her pretended exasperation was just to keep her mind off even the possibility of yesterday's incident being the cause of the boy's moodiness.
They walked in silence for a few more minutes, then a girl suddenly appeared in front of them on the road. Misty squinted and blinked her eyes. She was certain that girl hadn't been there a second before. She shrugged inwardly. She was probably so wrapped up in her thoughts that she hadn't noticed her.
The girl was in a long-sleeved white shirt, with a light pink vest over it, and had the same pink on her pants, with white stripes down the sides. Her shoes were primarily white, although they had pink laces that matched her vest and pants. She had light blue eyes, and light blue hair (the same color as her eyes) that was held by two pink bands. The Ponyta-tails held her hair into two balls, making it look almost like two ears on the left and right side of her head. She had a pleasant face, and a startlingly white backpack. She had Pokéballs at her waist, and walked with confidence.
She smiled brightly, "Hiya!" She observed the Pokéballs at their waists, as well as Lelia, Pikachu, and Togepi (though she looked at the white feline a little more than the other Pokémon), and grinned. "You're Pokémon trainers, too, I see! I'm Catherine Enilef...But you can call me Cat!"
"Hi! I'm Misty!" the Water Pokémon fanatic offered with a bright smile, trying to reassure herself that Ash was just worried about the Pokémon that Team Rocket had taken.
"Oooohh! Helloooo!!! I'm Brock, and I'm ever so pleased to meet you!" Brock drooled, instantly hopping on front of Cat.
Misty slapped him, "Snap out of it!" He fell to the ground, beating hearts in his eyes. She rolled her eyes, and nudged Ash, who didn't say anything. She sighed, "This is Ash Ketchum." What's reallywrong with you, Ash?
"Hey, Ash!" Cat smiled flirtatiously at the sullen trainer.
"Pika!" the yellow electric mouse cried out, not wanting to be left out.
Giving Cat a jealous look that quickly evaporated, Misty gave a fake smile. "That's Pikachu, and this is Togepi." She gestured to the egg-like Pokémon in her hands.
"Hello, Pikachu. Hi, Togepi."
"Piii," Pikachu chirped happily. Then a confused look passed across his face. "Pi?" Pikachu sniffed at Catherine's tennis shoes.
She moved away from him a little uneasily, and turned her attention back to the three trainers. "So, do the three of you just travel together?"
Lelia floated closer, and peered at Cat through slitted blue eyes. "Mew?" the Psychic Pokémon whispered quietly.
"I want to be a Pokémon breeder, though I was once the Pewter Gym Leader. And quite a good one if I do say so my--" Brock's babbling was cut off by an elbow in his stomach, courtesy of Misty. He shook his head and cleared it. Partially.
"I want to learn all that I can about Water Pokémon," Misty cheerfully stated, although she threw an annoyed look at the Rock Pokémon lover. Ash didn't volunteer any information, so she spoke for him. Again. "Ash wants to be a Pokémon Master."
Cat smiled, "I love Pokémon battles! Can I travel with you guys? I'm sure I'd see lots of action with you all!"
"Well, uh--" Misty was interrupted by Brock, who interposed himself between the two girls.
"Certainly! We would love to have a pretty young lady like yourself travel with us! We're headed over to Viridian City!"
"But--" Misty was cut off again.
"Great!" Cat cheerfully chimed. A Pokéball at her waist shivered, then enlarged, and a bright red beam of light shot out, and a small Pokémon appeared in the air in front of them.
"Bi!" the two-feet tall flying onion squealed.
"What's that?" Ash asked, in spite of himself.
"Oh, that's my Celebi." The Pokémon let out a happy chirp at hearing its name. "Celebi hates being in a Pokéball...and personally, I don't blame her."
Celebi fluttered her wings and buzzed over to Pikachu. She was about half a foot taller than him. She cooed, giggled, then placed a swift kiss on the yellow Pokémon's red cheek. She quickly flew back behind her trainer, peeking out shyly.
Cat laughed, "I think Celebi likes you, Pikachu."
"Pi," the poor Electric-type's cheeks turned even redder.
"Mew?" Lelia went over to Celebi, who fluttered to its fellow Psychic-type and the two sniffed each other, Celebi looking a little confused.
"Where was it that you're going again?" Catherine Enilef asked.
"To Viridian," Misty volunteered simply.
They walked onward, the ex-Pewter Gym Leader practically falling over himself trying to please the newcomer. About a mile from Viridian, a bright purple flash of smoke appeared in front of them, and two familiar dark shadows.
"Prepare for tr--" Jessie was cut off by Catherine, who screamed and hid behind Ash.
"What's up with her?" James asked, curiously.
Ignoring his question, Ash demanded, "Hand over the cats!"
Surprisingly, instead of Team Rocket commanding the "twerps" to hand over their Pokémon, it was the law-abiders wanting to take their Pokémon.
"Sorry twerps," Jessie shrugged. "They're not with us."
"Liars!" Ash hissed.
"Seriously. Meowth has one, the boss has one, and one escaped. Meowth's not with us, so the Mew isn't with us either."
"Mew?" Misty inquired.
"The cat," James sighed.
"Why isn't Meowth with you?" Brock asked suspiciously.
"He's watching the Mew in Pallet." Jessie answered. "Why?"
"Uh, no reason! Thanks!" Ash shouted, zipping off towards his hometown, Misty, Brock, and Cat following, with some exasperation. Cat easily caught up to Ash, and Misty threw her an evil glance.
Once they were out of earshot, Jessie laughed. "Those stupid twerps will believe anything. Like we would actually tell them where the Mew was."
James snorted, "Yes. And now we've bought the boss some time."
"He's not the only one that we bought time for..." Jessie smiled.