Misty groaned in frustration as she vigorously ran a towel over her damp orange hair. Gary was due to arrive in less than ten minutes and she was still in her swimsuit. It had all started when a challenger came in at the last minute and asked for a match. She'd seriously considered asking the girl to leave, but the lndigo Plateau Conference was coming up and she didn't want to deny a trainer the chance to compete.

The girl probably had a decent chance at the Conference, given how well she'd battled. Unfortunately, her strategy led to the match lasting long past the gym's closing time—up until just before Gary was scheduled to pick Misty up. This left the young gym leader sprinting up the stairs dripping wet while trying to dry her hair.

Her vision impeded by the towel, the water-type gym leader slammed head-first into her older sister, Daisy, at the top of the stairs, knocking her to the floor. The blonde looked up at her with concern and asked, "Um, Misty, are you okay?"

"Okay? Okay? " Misty asked rhetorically, frustratedly extending a hand to help her sister up. "I have my first real date in less than ten minutes and I'm wearing a swimsuit ." Misty could feel tears starting to well in her eyes.

Once she was on her feet again, Daisy smiled gently at her younger sister and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Come on, Misty, don't cry; you'll get your eyes all puffy before your date. Now, come with me and I'll help you get ready."

Wiping the tears out of her eyes, Misty looked at her sister and stubbornly said, "I'm fine, I can get ready on my own."

Daisy's smile turned into a smirk, and she asked, "Misty, do you even own a blow-dryer?"

Looking down at the drenched towel in her hand, Misty had to admit Daisy had a point. Her older sisters were horrible pokémon trainers, but they were experts in all things fashion. The only reason she hadn't asked them for help earlier was embarrassment and pure stubbornness. Admitting defeat, she said, "Alright, fine, but nothing frilly."

"I promise, everything will be absolutely you," Daisy assured her, taking the still hesitant Misty by the hand and dragging her down the hall.

Misty froze when she saw her sister's bathroom. There were more beauty products—hairsprays, makeup, perfumes, not to mention the appliances—strewn across the counter than she had pokémon. Before she could make a run for it, however, her sister put her hands on her shoulders and firmly guided her to a padded stool in front of the mirror.

"I really am proud of you, you know," Daisy said, picking a blow-dryer up off the counter and switching it on. Speaking louder, she continued, "You're finally growing up and going on a date, with Gary Oak no less. I guess you were just waiting for an amazing catch."

Misty let out a nervous laugh. Barely loud enough to be heard over the blow-dryer, she mumbled, "Yup, that was definitely the plan."

Daisy chuckled as she ran her free hand through Misty's hair. "Oh, please, we all know you were pining for that Ash, or whatever."

"I- What- No, I- We're just-" Misty sputtered anxiously, her face growing red.

Daisy rolled her eyes as she turned off the blow-dryer. "Come on Misty, I'm your big sister; did you honestly think I wouldn't notice something like that?"

Misty had to admit, while Daisy didn't always understand her, that was definitely the type of thing her sister would pick up on. "Fine, I might have had a crush on him," she ceded, quickly amending, "a long time ago."

With a warm, knowing smile, Daisy patted her younger sister on the shoulder and replied, "Whatever you say."

Feeling more than a little embarrassed, Misty said, "Well, um, thanks, but I have to go get dressed, so—"

"Oh no, missy," Daisy cut her off, putting her hands on her younger sister's shoulders and pushing her back down onto the stool when she tried to stand. "I still have to style your hair—you're wearing it down by the way—and then we have to make you up. Don't worry, Violet and Lily have already picked out the perfect outfit for you and will stall your date while you finish getting ready."

Daisy's assurances only made Misty worry more. While her eldest sister had things mostly together, the other two could generously be called flighty. She had no idea what they might consider appropriate attire for a date, and she was legitimately worried that one of them would try to steal Gary rather than stall for time. She got the feeling she didn't have much choice though, and resigned herself to her fate. With a sigh, she groaned, " Fine , just hurry up, okay?"

Daisy smiled and reached for a brush. "I promise, you'll only be fashionably late. Besides, it's good to make a guy wait a little, it gives you power over the situation."

"I'm less worried about power and more worried about having no idea what I'm doing," Misty grumbled without thinking.

Daisy stopped what she was doing and looked Misty in the eye through the mirror. In a surprisingly comforting voice, she said, "You're going to be fine. You're one of the strongest women I know, and I'm not just talking about pokémon battles."

Misty found herself blushing again. "Um, thanks."

"Mom would be so proud of you," Daisy added, a slight hitch in her voice.

Tears blurring her vision, Misty put an arm around her sister and pulled her close, resting her head against Daisy's side. Having never known their mother, the compliment was bittersweet. Really, Daisy was the closest thing to a mother she had, and as ditzy as the blonde could be, she always came through on the big stuff. "Thanks. Not just for that, but, um, for helping me with all this."

"Of course," Daisy said with a heartfelt smile. "We can't have one of the Waterflower sisters looking anything less than sensational, can we?"

Daisy had been true to her word; not only did Misty's hair and makeup do a great job of enhancing her best features without going overboard, the clothes her sisters had picked out were perfect. When Daisy had finished making her up, Misty had hurried to her room to find an outfit laid out on her bed; a yellow sleeveless top, a pair of dark blue capris, practical tan sandals, and a bracelet of different shaped teal stones that matched her eyes. There was even a silver pendant with a water drop design and a socket for her keystone strung on a simple black cord.

Once she was dressed, she hurried downstairs to find her sisters chatting amiably with Gary. The four broke off their conversation and turned toward her as she approached, Lily running up to her and grasping her hands. "Oh. My. God! Misty, you look so good!"

Pulling her hands free from her sister's, Misty laughed uncomfortably and said, "Um, thanks. You guys really didn't have to do all that for me."

Violet smiled and shook her head. "Of course we did Misty, you're our little sister. Besides, if we didn't, who knows what you'd wear."

Misty's face reddened in a combination of embarrassment and frustration. Before she could blow her top, however, Daisy stepped in and walked her over to Gary. Smiling apologetically, the blonde said, "Anyway, you look great." Quickly shuffling Misty and Gary out the front door, she added, "Well, we don't want to keep you. You two have a great time."

The door closing abruptly behind them, Misty turned to Gary and said, "I'm sorry about my sisters. They can be a bit… much."

Gary chuckled and shook his head. "It's fine. It was an interesting experience, although I think one of them might have been hitting on me."

Misty let out an exasperated groan. "I wish I was surprised by that."

Starting down the sidewalk, Gary chuckled and said, "They really were nice though, had only good things to say about you, although your oldest sister did grill me a bit when she came down. I wasn't planning on being disrespectful, but I certainly won't be after meeting her."

Misty felt her lips curl up in a small smile as she walked beside Gary. Her sisters could be a mess, but they really were trying. Mostly. "Sorry I took so long," she apologized. "I had a match run long and was running a little late."

"Don't worry about it," Gary replied, waving a hand dismissively. "Let me guess, a challenger looking for their eighth badge before the Conference starts?"

"Um, yeah. How'd you know?" Misty asked, surprised.

The spiky haired brunette chuckled. "It hasn't been that long since I was competing in the League. I remember scrambling to get my last badge in Johto before the Silver Conference. I don't mind waiting a little to give some kid a chance to compete."

Misty smiled up at her date. He really had matured over the past several years. "Thanks for understanding."

"Like I said, don't sweat it," Gary said, smiling back at her. "Besides, it was definitely worth the wait. You look great."

Cheeks reddening, Misty replied, "You don't look so bad yourself." She meant it too. Gary was striking in a short-sleeve black button-down shirt and dark jeans that complimented his lean physique, accented by the simple keystone bracelet on his wrist.

Gary chuckled confidently, with maybe just a hint of his old cockiness. "Thanks. I really like the pendant by the way, much better than a hair tie."

"Um, thanks," Misty replied, unconsciously bringing her hand to the silver piece of jewelry. Chuckling embarrassedly, she continued, "My sisters actually surprised me with it. I honestly hadn't even thought about what to do with my keystone with my hair down."

"Well, they have good taste. It looks great on you," Gary said, noticeably ignoring Misty's embarrassment.

"Thanks," Misty said, managing to gather herself. "So what are we doing tonight?"

"I was thinking dinner and then maybe a nice walk," Gary replied. "I hear the cape is beautiful at sunset."

Misty's already high opinion of Gary skyrocketed. She loved the Cerulean Cape, and had fantasized about walking hand in hand with a date along the coast since she was a little girl. "Sounds great," she said, managing to keep most of the giddiness out of her voice.

"Thanks," Misty said, sitting down in the chair Gary had pulled out for her. The restaurant was perfect. Nice, but not so nice that they would need a reservation. As Gary walked around the table, she asked, "So, how's the lab?"

"Same as always," Gary replied, a note of resignation in his voice. Sitting down, he explained, "I'm getting some research done, but it's not really what I want to be working on—there aren't exactly a lot of legendary pokémon running around Pallet Town. I'm sure you're busy though, with the Conference coming up."

"Actually, this time of year is my least busy," Misty replied, deciding not to press Gary on a subject he seemed less than thrilled about. "There are a few last minute stragglers like today, but most challengers either have their badges or have given up for the season. There's no use getting your third badge a few weeks before the Conference."

"I guess that makes sense," Gary ceded. "So, what do you do with all that free time?"

"Well, I still have to be at the gym during business hours, so I'm training or playing with my pokémon then," Misty replied, picking up a menu and scanning it. Chuckling, she continued, "Honestly that's what I do most of the rest of the time too. I guess I'm kind of a workaholic."

"I can relate," Gary said, looking at his own menu. "I spend most of my time at the lab, even when I'm not working. Gramps has pokémon from nearly every region on his ranch; I still haven't seen them all."

"You don't spend any time with Tracey? I thought you two might get along, being a couple of guys around the same age," Misty asked.

Gary shrugged. "Tracey's alright, we just don't have that much in common."

"I find that hard to believe," Misty said skeptically. "You both study pokémon for a living."

"I guess," Gary admitted, "but he's just so cheery . It's unsettling."

Misty giggled. "He can be a bit energetic."

Gary sighed and dropped his brown eyes back down to his menu. "Really though, I think I just feel too guilty to hang out with him."

"Guilty?" Misty asked, scanning her own menu one last time before placing it on the table to focus on her date.

Mirroring Misty and putting down his menu, Gary met her eyes and said, "Yeah. He's been working at Gramps' lab for years, then I waltzed in a few months ago and was given the run of the place, including being put in charge of him."

"Waltzed?" Misty repeated with a smirk, trying to lighten the mood.

It apparently worked, as Gary grinned back and shrugged, jokingly replying, "What can I say, I've got style."

"And modesty too," Misty joked back sarcastically. "Seriously though, I've known Tracey for years. He's the nicest guy in the world and he'd never hold that against you. He knows how qualified you are for the job."

"Alright, alright, I'll try to get to know the guy," Gary said, chuckling as he made a show of throwing his hands up in surrender. "You really are pushy, you know that?"

"Well, excuse me," Misty snapped, her temper flaring.

Shooting her a disarming smile, Gary explained, "I like that about you. I can't stand it when people don't speak their mind because they're afraid or think it isn't 'proper'. You don't hesitate to call me out when I'm being stupid or arrogant. As much as I hate to admit it, I need that."

Before Misty could reply, their server arrived. The young man set two glasses of water in front of Misty and Gary, before asking, "Are the two of you ready to order?"

Gary looked to Misty, who said, "I think I'll try the lum berry fettuccine and an iced tea."

Handing the server the menus, Gary said, "I'll have the liechi burger, dry, and a glass of lemonade."

"Excellent choices," the man said, jotting the orders down on his pad. "Your food will be out shortly."

"Thank you," Misty and Gary said, more-or-less in-synch, as the server turned and retreated.

Their conversation interrupted, an awkward silence fell over the two teens. "So…" Misty began, drawing the word out in the blind hope that it would somehow turn into a conversation starter. When it failed to and the silence began to stretch out again, she surprised herself by letting out a short laugh and admitting, "Sorry. I'm new at this, and apparently pretty terrible."

Gary cracked an amused grin, and replied, "How about you tell me about your sisters? They seem like an interesting topic for conversation."

Misty wasn't overjoyed at the grin, but Gary had otherwise avoided giving her a hard time and was even helping get them back on track. When she thought about it, she realized he'd been doing so all afternoon. It was actually pretty sweet, and she couldn't help smiling when she realized it.

Returning her thoughts to the subject at hand, she leaned forward and said, " That's an understatement. I don't even know where to start with Lily and Violet. Those two are flightier than a butterfree."

"What about your other sister? Daisy, I think?" Gary asked, his expression softening a bit.

Misty took a drink of her water and thought for a moment. "Daisy is… better," she finally answered. "A bit at least. She's the only one I can leave the gym to if I can't be there, even if she does end up losing most of her matches. Lily and Violet would just give the badges away."

Gary chuckled. "I remember that . It definitely wasn't how I expected to get my second badge."

Misty dramatically dropped her head and groaned, "Of course you got it that way." Looking up at her date with a wistful smirk, she added, "It wasn't much better with Ash either though. Honestly, the Indigo League was a mess back then. I don't think he earned even half his badges in a fair gym battle." Misty's eyes widened when she realized what she'd just said. She'd been purposefully avoiding mentioning her old crush.

Gary offered Misty a comforting smile, leaning forward to reach across the table and place his hand on hers. "You don't have to avoid bringing him up; he's a mutual friend." His grin returning, he added, "Besides, I'm not exactly intimidated by a guy that's going to school with a bunch of kids."

"He's going to school ?" Misty asked incredulously.

Gary nodded, releasing her hand and sitting back. After a quick sip of his water, he resumed grinning and explained, "In Alola. It's a pokémon school for young trainers that Gramps' cousin runs."

"Well, I guess he could use it," Misty said, finding herself grinning as well.

"He might actually figure out type-advantages," Gary said with a chuckle.

"Don't forget he beat your blastoise with his charizard," Misty reminded her date with a wag of her index finger, getting a little defensive of her old friend. "Ash may lack common sense, but he's creative."

"Think about what he could do with that creativity and a good grasp on the fundamentals though," Gary argued, actually sounding supportive of his old rival. "He might actually win a league. It's embarrassing, but going to school might be the best thing for him."

"I have heard some rumors about someone petitioning to start a league in Alola," Misty said thoughtfully, her raised hand moving to her chin.

"Really?" Gary asked, curiosity clearly piqued. Leaning forward, he pressed, "Is it getting any traction?"

Misty crossed her arms and smirked at Gary's reaction. "Why? Planning on entering?"

Gary chuckled and ran a hand through his spiky hair. "I guess there'll always be a part of me that wants to compete, but no, those days are over," he replied, a certain wistfulness in his voice.

Uncrossing her arms to take another drink from her glass, Misty decided to return the favor and not give her date a hard time. Instead, she answered his earlier question, "From what I've heard, the application is making its way through the League bureaucracy, although the fact that they don't have gyms is slowing things down."

"They don't have gyms?" Gary asked, dumbfounded. "How can you have a league without gyms?"

Misty shrugged. It was something she had wondered herself. Before she could say so, however, their server arrived and announced, "A lum berry fettuccine and tea for the lady, and a liechi burger with lemonade for you sir." Placing the dishes and drinks on the table, he asked, "Will you be needing anything else?"

"No, thank you," Misty answered.

"I'm good for now," Gary echoed.

"Alright. Please let me know if you do. Enjoy your meal," the server said in parting, turning to head back to the kitchen.

"This looks great," Misty said, eying her pasta as she took in the warm scent wafting off of it. It was an almost artful presentation, the noodles beautifully cut and the consistency of the sauce near perfection. Looking up from her meal, she caught Gary staring at her with a genuine smile on his face.

"You really are cute, you know that?" he said, before picking a fry off his plate and popping it in his mouth.

"Um, thanks," Misty said, feeling herself blush as she looked back down at her food. She had never been great with compliments, especially from guys; it always felt like she was being teased. Coming from Gary, it was somehow worse and better at the same time. He was definitely a tease, but some growing connection between them told her he meant it too.

"Definitely cute," Gary repeated with an amused chuckle.

So,

This has been sitting around in my 'to do' folder for, apparently, two years. Sorry about that. This bit has actually been written for some time; I was just planning on releasing the rest in one chapter before, so I never posted it. Now that I've decided to break things up, I figured I might as well post it now. No promises on when the next chapter will come out, if ever. Thanks for reading. Hope you enjoyed it.