Part XIV – Directly into the Storm
"Ash! What the hell's wrong with you! Didn't you hear a word I said? Do you not care at all that I told you this thing I've been keeping secret for so long! Don't you give one tiny damn!" she erupted at him, leaping off the hood of the trunk in recoil.
Without letting him say a thing, she continued, "Not even an assurance that my feelings have been misplaced all along? Not even the bloody dignity of that! Do you really want me to go on hopelessly doting on you for the rest of my life? You can't just be man enough to set me straight! For crying out loud tell me, 'I didn't mean to lead you on for all this time, but you're just my best friend,' Say something or so help me!" she grew red in the face.
"Pika?" a small inquisitive sound was distinct from inside the car, as the silence gave time to notice the groggy little Pokémon, that was obviously startled, blinking out at them.
Misty huffed in annoyance.
"I don't know if I should be feeling this way, but the more you yell at me, the more I want to just kiss you like crazy. It's like old times - well sort of. Maybe not the whole kissing part, but, oh well –"
"Ash, I'm not in the mood for your jokes! You really want me to throttle you don't you, you insensitive little twerp!" she stomped in her old familiar way, balling her fists up at her sides.
It reminded him of one of the times he'd called her a runt all those years ago. But now, with his opinion changed, coupled with the almost cute pout that she was trying to make look intimidating, his desired course of actions were anything but a joke to him.
Here was the old Volume plus Density equals Mass theory. Misty, being the Volume – her voice gaining it with each new retort. Ash of course always being the Density for obvious reasons. And Mass being the immense misunderstanding and commotion created from said factors.
Ash was somewhat determined to break away from the equation, already displaying some of his Density-free behaviour. He believed, with persuasion, he could swing the other factor in the equation to result in something a little less disordered.
There was one way he knew he could satisfy his pining and quiet her rampage.
So he did, and he proved to her that he was in fact, not joking.
Said action had favourable results.