Part XVI – A Promise and a Compromise (in no specific order)
"Wow, Ash... not charging headstrong into everything anymore, patient Ash... huh, I guess being around you all the time I didn't notice how much you've changed," she smiled warmly.
"Oh, don't get too happy, I haven't changed that much. I'm still just as stubborn and irrational," he poked fun at himself.
"Is that why you took me out here, to this lake?" she smirked.
He blushed, as only Ash can, and it was all Misty could do to not glomp him.
"Well, now that you're going to be following me around, I get to choose all the crazy places we go. What shall your excuse for following me be?" she half-joked.
"Well, let's see, you already took the bike one, ah, hmm... so I can continue getting badges? We can both do that at the same time right?" he asked playfully.
"I don't think there's any rule against it," she shook her head at his absurdity. "So, are you gonna take me home or what?" she nudged him mischievously.
"C'mon, do I hafto?" he put on a fake pout.
"Either that or you've got to go do all the work I'll not have time for tomorrow morning because you kept me out so late," she offered.
"Okay, okay, we're going," he gave in and opened the driver's seat door and got in.
Pikachu greeted him in a half-awake manner on the dashboard before hopping to the back seat again and Misty climbed in the passenger's seat.
"Hey Ash?" Misty called to him as he started the car.
"Yeah?"
"Can you promise me something?"
"What?"
"Can you?" she repeated.
"C'mon Misty, I have to know what I'm promising first. I take those things seriously," he insisted.
"Promise that even if one of us acts stupid from now on that we will still stay together?" she pleaded softly.
"Hey, that's how it's been all along right? I don't plan on changing it now. Besides, I've grown quite fond of you," he smiled at her expression.
"You'd better have, you big goon!" she shook her head and gritted her teeth. Since when had Ash found so much pleasure in mocking her – and since when did he become good at it?!
"Don't think too hard about it Misty, or it'll get to you..." Ash sang teasingly, as if he could read her thoughts, or rather her expression. He turned his attention to the road as they began to drive towards Maria's.
"I think you've already got to me. I've never been so happy or insane before," she noted as a fact.
Ash snorted humorously.