Part 6

Meanwhile, Misty was at Cerulean Gym still at the pool, at the water's edge, letting her feet dangle into the water. She sat there, staring into her reflection. She felt lost in a huge, big, lonely world. She seemed lost and didn't k now what to do. She loved Ash dearly, but it didn't seem like it. She seemed compatible with him, but not anymore. When they were ten, they seemed to care about each other dearly and were a bit naïve at times, but they enjoyed it. But now, she didn't feel like Ash was right for her anymore. Ash was a great trainer, and loved his friends and pokèmon, but Misty felt that it wasn't right. She couldn't act like nothing was wrong. Besides, Ash only made her mad a lot. She sat there, staring at her distorted image reflecting on the water, not knowing what to do. Gary was not at all right for her, and she didn't like the fact that he was arrogant, always needing to win, and so snobbish. But yet, she felt this feeling of desire for him. She got up, looked at the floor, then Lily came and said,

"There's someone for you up at the front."

"Who?"

"You'll see…"

Misty didn't want to bother fighting with her sister, so she put some slippers on and walked up to the front desk of Cerulean Gym. She walked to the front, wiping her neck with a towel. Ash looked at her lovingly. Misty didn't know what to say.

She stood there, her hair dripping water on the floor.

"Ash," she said quietly.

Ash walked up to her, put his hand on her damp shoulder and said, "Misty, I'm sorry if I had made you angry, please just come back home with me," he said, then hugged her.

Misty didn't say anything, she stood there like a wooden stick, letting Ash hug her. She looked the opposite way and had a worried and downhearted expression on her face.

"C'mon Misty, let's go," Ash said again, with Pikachu tugging on Misty's ankle.

Misty looked at the white floor. She didn't want to leave, but at the same time, she did.

"Wait," she said, and ran to her room. She sat on her bed, thinking of what to do. She grabbed a bag and stuffed her clothes in it. She turned to the door, but as soon as her hand touched the doorknob, she thought.

"What is this feeling?" she thought as a picture of Gary went through her mind. "Of all people…"

Meanwhile, Tracey and I were driving on the way to Cerulean Gym. Halfway there, I pressed on the brake. "Why are you stopping?" he asked.

"I should let Misty be the way she is and not interfere with her life," I said quietly, staring at the wheel. I made yet another sharp U-turn and left back to Pallet Town, back to Ash's house. "I really don't see how this is going to get you anywhere if you're going to not say anything," Tracey said.

"I didn't ask your opinion," I snarled and continued driving.

Misty didn't have anything to say the whole time back. It was around six in the evening by the time they came back. Tracey and I were sitting casually on the couch, watching television. When Ash and Misty came through the door, I immediately stood up from the couch.

"We're back," Ash called. His mother came down the stairs, and said,

"Oh you're all here now, I can make dinner now," she said and walked to the kitchen.

Misty stared at the carpet while Ash's hand was on her shoulder. She wanted it to be Gary's hand, but she felt like she couldn't do anything. Half an hour later, we were sitting at the table, enjoying dinner, that is, except for me, who was the only one not carrying on the conversation at the table. Misty wasn't either, but she was probably enjoying herself. Ash of course, was chomping down on food and also slurping soup. Everyone else was eating quietly while Ms. Ketchum asked everyone how their day was.

"Crappy," Misty thought.

"Unbelievably stupid," I thought.

Dinner was finished around eight and Misty offered to wash the dishes.

"No, it's all right Misty, you go up and wash up," Ash's mother said.

Misty walked slowly up the stairs to her room. I sat on the living room couch and watched her go up the stairs. I sighed heavily and walked up to my room. I staggered up the stairs feeling like crap. I didn't want to feel this way even though I did. Tracey watched me wallow in my sadness in my room. "I miss her," I thought to myself, unknowingly that Tracey was standing by the doorframe.

"She is in the room right next to you, you know," Tracey interrupted my train of thought.

"You shut up and leave me alone," I told him.

"Okay, fine… if you really do like Misty, then I wouldn't call it love because you are really a coward," Tracey said, and walked to his room.

"Man, I hate being caught in the middle," Tracey thought, shaking his head as he went to his room.

I thought of what he said, but discarded the thought. I thought that I would let time pass and everything would leave as time went by. I also thought of how petty I looked, liking someone. My competitive spirit somehow left me. I went to sleep after that.

Misty sat on the floor of her room. She did overhear what Tracey and I were talking about. " Gary…" she thought.

The next bright morning, I was the first one to wake up again. I just couldn't sleep. I tried my hardest to think of anything else but Misty, but it didn't really help at all. I just sat sloppily on the couch and stared at the white ceiling.

Misty walked quietly to Ash's room and opened the door. She said to him, "I have something I need to tell you," Misty whispered to him and left his room. She walked downstairs and out the door. I watched out the window. She seemed to be in a rush. As she walked away, a tear fell from her emerald eyes. I wondered why she was tearing, but it wasn't my business anyway.

Misty walked away into the nearby forest, where she stood there quietly, thinking into the deep sky. While I sat on the couch, still sitting like a slob staring at the ceiling, Ash came down the stairs, tripped on the last step like the usual clumsy person he was and walked out the door. I watched him. He must have been going to Misty.

Ash walked to where Misty was, standing at the edge of the forest. Misty stared at the green grass as she knew Ash was coming to her.

"Is there something you would like to say to me?" Ash said in a nonchalant tone.

Misty looked up gradually to Ash's eyes. "Yes Ash, there is," she said very slowly.

"Well, what?"

"I know it's irresponsible and naïve of me to say this, but please hear me out. I realized that… I don't love you anymore. It was true I liked you from when we met each other around here while I was fishing, but I still like you as a very good friend that I would consider to be friends with," Misty said, barely looking at Ash's face.

Ash stood there, very surprised in shock. "…What?"