Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon or any of its wonderful characters. They all belong to Satoshi Tajiri and the Nintendo Company. If I did own it, Gary and Misty would be the ones traveling together…

Summary: Misty's day at a carnival turns from bad to worse, until Gary turns her frown upside down…

Warning: This fanfiction is an egoshippy story. Yes, that would be a Gary/Misty… If this pairing disturbs you, I suggest that you leave… Pokéshippers beware… But if you enjoy this pairing, I warmly welcome you here and I hope you enjoy!

Reminder: The texts in italics refer to either a flashback or a thought.

CHAPTER 2

"What a relief!" exclaimed Misty Waterflower, as a splash of water hit her gorgeous, flowing red hair, which was now free of pudding. She was freshening up in a comfort room located inside the amusement park. It was a convenient coincidence that she was alone inside the bathroom. It gave her time to clean up…time to fix her appearance. She looked around and admired the luxurious room she was inside in. The taps were made of solid gold and were carved in the image of Psyduck. She smiled as she reminisced the times she spent her own Psyduck, who, of course, already evolved into Golduck. She looked around further, and noticed the tiles. The tiles on the floor were a solid shade of blue.

Misty stared at the floor for quite a while… "Wow…such a nice color," she thought to herself as she ran her hand against the nearest wall of tiles…"It reminds me…of something…Where have I seen this particular color before?" she thought. "Oh yeah…it's the same color as Gary's eyes…" She can't help thinking about that particular scene at the parking lot… The time when she broke down…The time she stared at Gary's eyes for a few moments while he comforted her… which were full of compassion…of serenity…of peace. It gave her all those feelings in such a fleeting moment. She just wished that she could have drowned in those pools of blue sapphire… She also recalled the time she wiped her tear away…His touch felt strange… It was sort of rough, not unlike the smooth touch she expected. He was a pampered prince from day one.… "Of course…" The answer came to her instantly…

He was a Pokémon researcher after all… There were instances that he would do some field work, observing and collecting data about wild Pokémon…getting his hands callused and scratched on the process. She touched her cheek, recalling what it felt like…

"Hey, Misty! Quit hogging the mirrors to yourself and come out…. We have to get you some new clothes too, you know?" rang a voice, interrupting Misty's daydream. It was Gary calling from outside the comfort room.

"Wait a minute…" she answered, a little annoyed that he interrupted her silent reflections. Gary Oak was sitting on a bench outside the women's comfort room. He crossed his arms after hearing Misty's annoyed response. "Women…. Can't live with them, can't live without them," he muttered. Being around with girls his entire life, he perfectly knew what was going on inside. He just wished that she would pick up her pace and get on with it.

It was as if Misty had telepathic powers and heard Gary's thoughts. She just came out, smiling.

"Took you long enough… I thought you already drowned yourself in there." he remarked, frowning. "And why would I do that?" she retorted, with a raised eyebrow. He pretended to think hardly, crossing his arms, eyes narrowed in concentration. Misty recognized the impression and laughed hard, clutching her sides. He was doing an impression of Ash when he's thinking, a rare, once-in-a-lifetime phenomenon.

"So, you still mad at him?" he asked. "Of course, I am!" she said, fuming once more.

"Sheesh, calm down will you? All life on this planet will disappear if your head explodes. The explosion of Cinnabar Volcano is pale in comparison to your heck of a temper… I'm surprised on how your body can take that. You should be melting by now." he said wittingly as he smiled.

Misty tried to think of a decent and witty comeback. She smiled. It was peculiar... She liked the bickering… She liked the teasing… Yeah sure, it can get annoying when she was doing it with Ash… But, it was entirely different when it was Gary who was speaking…

"Well, how 'bout you? I'm highly surprised that you can still walk around with that gigantic head of yours. I wonder why the circus hasn't taken you in for their star attraction," she answered, laughing.

The two marveled their own comebacks…

"Come on, we gotta get into that shop over there and get me a decent shirt!" she exclaimed, with newfound vigor. She pulled Gary's arm and motioned him to accompany her to "Corsola's Collection of Cool Clothes", the cheesy clothes store from across the comfort room in which they were located.

"Hmm, you seem to feel better now," noticed Gary Oak, as he and Misty Waterflower entered Corsola's Collection of Cool Clothes. " Yeah, I guess," she replied, with a small smile. Gary couldn't help noticing that his heart felt a little lighter when he heard that… He gave a smile in return.

"Good morning, Sir and Madam! How may I assist you?" chirped the old female storekeeper perkily, as she ran to them. They were taken by surprise by the old woman's speed in approaching them…

"Hmm… Business must be low these days, huh?" he whispered to Misty's ear, snickering. "Shh! Don't let her hear that, you idiot!" she exclaimed as she hit him with a playful punch on the arm. "Just playing around...," he replied, taking the trouble to suppress his voice. Misty couldn't help but smile…

"So! Would you like to see our entire collection of clothes! Or, have you already made a selection?" said the old woman. "I could give you a discount if you want… Or how about a two-for-one sale? What do you say?" she continued. Gary rolled his eyes. The old geezer was unstoppable, as if she was fifty years younger at the sight of a potential customer. "Erm, I'll let her decide…" he replied as he pointed to Misty. At the flash of light, the old lady's eyes diverged from Gary to Misty. Gary let out an innocent smile as Misty frowned on him. "Erm….OK…I'll choose one, then," she said, taken aback by the old woman.

Misty wandered the whole length of the store, but still couldn't make a selection… "Well? Are you going to buy something, darling?" said the old woman. "Err, give me a sec here…" came the reply.

"Aha! Found it!" Gary looked up to see what Misty selected. He was deeply amused by her choice… She selected a lavender shirt, with the imprint of a Suicune in front surrounded by bubbles. The most interesting part of the shirt was the caption of the bottom… It said, "Beware! Babe approaching…", in bold purple letters. Misty winked at Gary… and was glad to receive one in return. "Wait…I'm going to try it first to see if it fits," she continued.

"The fitting room is right there, sweetie," the old lady pointed to a shabby door in the corner. Misty entered. After a few minutes, she emerged. Gary looked up and was entranced. He couldn't help but stare at her beauty… She didn't only change her shirt, but she changed her hair as well. It was now laid down completely. She was walking in a model-like fashion while trying out the new shirt, while winking to Gary. He looked away, blushing furiously. "Man, she's gorgeous! I can't believe I've missed it…" he thought desperately.

"So, Gary…What do you think?" rang a voice. He didn't respond. He was too distracted… "Gary!" the voice snapped. He looked up to see Misty looking at him "Gary, quit daydreaming and tell me what you think of my shirt…," said Misty, annoyed. "I…I… think it looks lovely on you…," he replied meekly, still blushing. "That settles it then! I'll take it!" she exclaimed jovially. "I'll pay for it… How much?" he interrupted. "Do you accept checks?" he continued, whipping out his checkbook. The old lady nodded…" Thank you for your purchase… Come again!"

"Phew… Glad that's over," sighed Gary as they stepped out of the cheesy shop. "Aww, come on… It wasn't that bad, was it?" asked Misty, while holding his hand, now sporting a new look. He smiled. "I was being sarcastic; you know," he said gently.

"What do you want to do now? Do you wanna go home?" Misty stared into Gary's face as she pondered on what she would do……After a few moments, she came into a conclusion… "Erm, if it's OK… Can I hang out with you a little more, please? My sisters are all out and they won't be coming back until this evening. I sorta don't like to be alone right now," she begged.

Gary stared into her emerald eyes for a moment….to Misty's relief… he smiled. "Of course, if that's what you want…" he said. "We might as well try the rides and attractions since we're here…" "Remember our deal though, we'll avoid Ash and Tracey, OK?" pleaded Misty.

"Ehm, sure… And by the way, put that chocolate-stained shirt in the baggage counter. We won't need that while we're wandering about the place..," he added. "Oh yeah," muttered Misty. She totally forgot about the stained red shirt she was clutching on her right hand. She felt strange... She totally forgot about the incident a while ago… In fact, she felt a whole lot better now… As if, nothing happened… She looked at Gary's face… What would have happened to her if he hadn't talked to her in the first place in the parking lot? She shuddered at the very thought… She might have crumbled down to her doom… I owe a lot to him…

"Are you OK?" he interrupted, wearing a concerned look. "Ah no! Everything's fine…," she replied. "Let's get over to the baggage counter then…" he said energetically. "Hey Gary…" said Misty. He stopped and looked back… "Thanks for everything," was all Misty could say. "No problem," he said, with a matching wink to spare.

The baggage counter of the Cerulean City Theme Park was just a few steps away from Corsola's Clothes shop. Misty Waterflower was already making arrangements with the counter on where to deposit her stained shirt for the meantime. A few meters away, Gary Oak couldn't help contemplate about what happened earlier in the shop. "What happened to me a while ago? Why did I react like that when she winked at me? Man, this is the first time I ever got freaked out because of a girl… What's with her that's different from all the other girls " he thought deeply. He racked his large and complex brain for the answer, but to no avail…

"Hey, Gary! C'mon let's go!" shouted Misty, interrupting his thoughts. "So, where d'you want to go first?" he asked, with a raised eyebrow. "I dunno, where do you wanna go?" came the reply. Gary rolled his eyes. "OK…. How about this? I'll pick the first attraction, and then you'll pick the next one. We'll pick alternately, OK?" he said, wearing a frown. Misty thought for a moment. "OK, sounds good to me!" she said, with a small grin.

"OK, I pick...," mumbled Gary, as he checked out the park map. "…. The Haunted House! Wanna go for it, Misty?" he continued, as he flashed Misty a maniacal grin. She blanched. "Erm... Are you sure? You aren't scared, Gary?" she murmured. "Me? Scared? You must be kidding me, Misty," he remarked, as he puffed out his broad chest. "How about you?" he continued maliciously, raising his right eyebrow. Misty took a lot of guts to put on her brave face. "Errm… Fine, if you really want to…," she barely whispered. He smiled childishly, poking Misty in the forearm, eyebrow still raised.

"You aren't scared, are you? But, I don't blame you… Girls can get easily scared…especially my cheerleaders. They always look up to me to protect them." Misty looked up at Gary upon hearing those taunting words. "Let's go then! I'll show that I, Misty Waterflower, am not a coward! That I am different from the other girls you've met before, especially your ditzy cheerleaders!" she said determinedly. Gary let out a small chuckle. He knew the truth. Misty Waterflower was afraid of ghosts…

Misty's steps faltered and got smaller as they approached the creepy looking house. Even though it was three o'clock in the afternoon and the sun was shining, the towering, shady house had an eerie atmosphere to it. "My God, why did I agree to this?" she thought, while scolding herself mentally, as they got closer. "Two, please…" said Gary as he paid the entrance fee to the house. "Enjoy yourselves…," beckoned the cashier guy as he opened the door with a creepy creak. "Oh, we will…," mumbled Gary as he looked at Misty's trembling form, and smiled mischievously. "You go first, OK? she whispered as they entered the dark mansion, clutching Gary's left arm. "You sure about this? We can go back out if you want to," he said considerably. "No way!" she insisted, careful not to show that she was scared. Gary Oak knew better… "If you say so...," he sighed.

They entered into what seemed like the living room of the black mansion. Cobwebs were strewn over the walls. Ghostly sheets covered the seemingly dusty ancient furniture. A rocking chair was rocking eerily, as if someone had just sat there a few minutes ago. A black doll was sitting on it. It looked vaguely familiar to Gary… Misty was on her wits' end. She jumped whenever she heard a strange noise, which was either a faraway creak or even the resounding sound of their own footsteps.

Gary rolled his eyes. "Misty's imagination sure is hyperactive today… This place is such a bore… Watching Magikarp flop around is a whole lot better than this," he thought, yawning and looking slightly disinterested. Misty noticed the yawning and said, "You could at least act scared, you know? If Ash was here, he would already be running around shouting for help," she said with a raised eyebrow. He looked down at her.

"Don't compare me to Ash… You know that I'm superior to him in every aspect there is…," he stated matter-of-factly, grinning smugly. "And newsflash," he continued. "I am not afraid of the dark anymore because of my experiences…. I got used to dark caves and houses when I was asked to research about ghost Pokémon. I even stayed alone overnight at the Pokémon tower once…" he said blandly.

"Wow! Now that's what I would call brave… I wouldn't dare do what he did…" she thought with a shudder, recalling her experiences in the haunted Pokémon tower. Her heart felt considerably lighter. Nothing would scare her when he's around… Or so she thought…

They wandered about the haunted house for a few minutes… They heard occasional howls and screams… Nothing Misty Waterflower couldn't handle… Until they arrived back at the living room. "Man! This is pathetic… I just wasted my money coming in here," Gary muttered feverishly. As if reacting upon Gary's crude remark, the rocking chair in the corner creaked slightly and began creaking as it went back and forth. The couple paused and looked… The black doll that was sitting in it began to stir… Even Gary couldn't believe what he was seeing…. Its red eyes began to glow maliciously as it stared upon them… Misty held Gary's arm tighter, as if he was her last link to reality.

Then, they heard it… A loud thumping from the kitchen area… A gigantic Ariados, ten times than its original size, emerged from the door frame. Misty screamed so loud that Gary went temporarily deaf for a few seconds. The gigantic spider clicked its fangs sinisterly, as if preparing for a sumptuous meal. Misty screamed her head off at the sight of the spider Pokémon. If there was one thing Misty was more afraid of than ghosts, it would be huge bugs… Gary couldn't fathom the reason why that Ariados was freakishly gargantuan. He concentrated on getting Misty out of there…

"C'mon Misty… Back away slowly…," he said calmly while tugging Misty's arm, which clung to his like glue. He feared the worst. She was so shocked at the sight of humongous bug that her feet gave way. She was paralyzed by fear. She was helpless. She couldn't even scream. The spider was coming slowly… Closer and closer… Gary couldn't do anything to make her budge. The spider was coming. He did the unthinkable. He wasn't going to leave her… The spider lunged for the kill… He suddenly darted in front of Misty and hugged her as tightly as he could, his back facing the monster. He looked into her for one last time and closed his eyes. He waited for it… waited for the fangs to sink in his bare flesh. But seconds passed, minutes even… Nothing happened… Gary looked up…The giant spider vanished… Misty was crying softly in his shoulder. "What the?" he said aloud. Misty looked up. "Where did that Ariados go?" she said weakly. "It's gone," he answered, barely audible. Then, they heard a soft snicker… It came from the grotesque doll in the rocking chair.