a small flock of pidove swoop over head as they near the shopping district ash had spotted. It was on what seemed to be the edge of a small residential block, some smaller houses with cute little yards in amongst a few apartment buildings, some whose windows were lined with hanging flower pots that amassed all manner of vividly coloured plants most likely brought over from floroma town.

The shopping district itself was comprised of a handful of mainstay stores like a butchers and bakery as well as some pop up stalls selling handmade potions and accessories for trainers and pokémon alike. They found a side street that housed some small eateries and misty settled on a little pizzeria that gave off an intoxication aroma of hot breads, meats and cheeses.

Sitting down at an outdoor table under a giant striped umbrella they set about devouring the massive pie that was eventually placed in front of them.

Ash couldn't help but notice during their meal that misty was hardly taking her eyes off of him, the look in her eyes somewhat hungry, but ash could tell now it wasn't exactly for food and brings a light blush to his cheeks.

"so tell me about dawn, what's she like ash?"

"well when I had come to sinnoh the first time, I was attacked by team rocket just as my boat was about to come in to port. They managed to steal pikachu and we were separated for a little while. It just so happened that dawn had just been given her very first partner pokémon piplup, and as she was starting off on her own journey she managed to come across pikachu who was trying his hardest to run away and helped protect him."

"those two were always so obnoxious.. I can't believe they managed to follow you around for so long and didn't get arrested immediately."

"yeah.. Well dawn had managed to knock them in to the stratosphere keeping pikachu safe until brock and I managed to find them in the forest. I was super grateful to her and after that she decided to travel with us thinking that our past experience might help her learn a thing or two."

"you mean the special ash school of falling head first in to trouble around every corner cause you don't look where you're going half the time!" she says jokingly, while winking at ash.

"funnily enough," ash continues while trying to ignore the obvious bait comment, "she tried to catch pikachu at first thinking he was wild and in the process got her own bike blasted by a thunder bolt! So you two may have just a few things in common.."

"I'm not sure that's a great club to be a member of."

"you know, speaking of destroyed bicycles. I still feel the same way I did years ago."

"oh? How's that?"

"do you remember when we were leaving johto? The viridian city nurse joy had returned your old bike to you after it had been repaired and we were about to head our own ways home, I had told you that I didn't think it was coincidence that we'd met. I still feel the same way, even more now than ever."

Misty was starting to blush now, she remembered.

"I was so worried that you only thought I was following you around because of my bike, but that day when you were saying goodbye, I knew then how it was you felt about me, but I didn't have the courage then to do anything about it.."

"that's why I'm glad you found me again." his hand finds hers on the table and clasps it tightly. "I wish I'd been smart enough back then to know what I do know, but it's probably for the best, I was just a dumb kid!" he laughs. "I doubt I'd have been ready for any kind of relationship no matter how innocent back then, but I'm glad you gave me time to grow up a little.."

"ash.." his sudden openness lately was really catching her off guard. She was certainly the aggressor in getting him to finally realize how she felt about him but at every turn she found that there was a lot more the ash had actually picked up than she previously thought. Looking him straight I the eyes with an intense sincerity replied "we both needed time to really get a hold of our feelings, there's still a lot we're going to have to learn about each other and our feelings but we'll do that together. Just don't ever stop being you."

Ash smiles broadly at misty causing her to break out in to a serious fit of giggles.

a bit teary eyed and gasping for breath she eventually calms down.

"sooo, I didn't get to finish asking my questions before you turned the conversation all serious.." she says with a sly wink.

"what else do you want to know?" a mischievous smile still on his face.

"well what was it she wanted to learn from you two?"

"so her mother was one of the region's top contest coordinator and dawn aspired to follow in her footsteps. She was always trying her best to show of her competition skills and work her way to the top, she really wanted to prove herself out there to her mom. Plus she was super good at cheering me on when I battled, she'd even dress up like a cheerleader with her pokémon and put on a whole routine hyping me up during battles!"

Misty's ears perk up at this news, leaning in closer she says in a low seductive voice while rubbing her foot up and down ash's inner thigh "oooh did you like that ash? Someone dancing around in a skimpy little costume just for you?"

His face beet turning immediately beet red he pulls away embarrassed running a hand nervously though his hair trying to brush off the comment.

"well uhh.. I mean it was super nice of her, she was just trying to help me win!"

"come on ash.. You must have at least thought it was a little cute hmm?" she really wanted to push this point, it was so much fun to see him squirm.

"uh, o-of course I thought she was cute.."

"ooh so you thought she was cute? Did ash have a little crush brewing?"

"misty I swear it's not like that at all!"

"so you didn't like her at all?" he'd fallen for the bait hook line and sinker! "This was amazing!" she thought.

"no-no I liked her, but just not like that, I swear!"

Seeing that he was really twisting in the wind on this one she decides he's had enough.

"relax ash. I'm just teasing!" she says with a big smile and a laugh. "seems she really wanted you to do well though. Maybe she was the one who had a crush on you?" even though she was just playing around, she couldn't help but feel a little bit of jealous curiosity at who this fervent supporter of ash was.

"geez misty.. You really had me going there." he says sheepishly, resting his gaze on the table.

"have you heard from her recently?"

"the last time I saw her was when she surprised me at champion cynthia's villa while I was in unova. It was really great to see her then and honestly I'm super impressed to see that it looks like she really hit it big in the contest ring. She looked really great in that poster, but even after all these years I knew it was her."

Even though she knows ash's heart is in the right place a slightly annoyed look crosses her face. She's always been aware of the fact that she gets a bit protective of ash when it comes to other girls, always trying to push them out of the way and not letting them get too close to ash. Or trying to look like she doesn't notice it when other girls give him any sort of attention. She can't keep him from meeting up with dawn, that would be incredibly selfish of her. She just needs to meet this dawn and see what's she's about, maybe they can all get along and have a great time. Besides, ash is clearly head over heels for her so why should she have any doubts?

"she did look really nice in that poster though didn't she? Was that the same piplup she had when you first met her?"

"actually yes. piplup had decided that they wanted to be her piplup forever having made a lot of good memories with her as well as not wanting to be like her mamoswine and disobeying her after it had evolved. so it never did, it'd even used the power that would have caused it to evolve to get them out of a tight spot one time. It was pretty impressive!"

"that's actually kinda sweet of it. so when we finally find out where she'll be next, you promise to introduce me to her?"

"of course! I'm sure she'd really like to meet you, I even think I'd told her that we'd travelled together one time while we were fishing. She even tried to steal the special fishing lure you'd gave me!"

"oh really now, I'm amazed you still had that." the thought of him relying on such a meaningless trinket just because it reminded him of her made misty feel amazing.

"well.. It was special to me, that's all." ash said again suddenly embarrassed by his admission.

"either way, we should see if we can find the contest hall and check out their schedule. You ready to go?"

Their meal done, they grab their packs and head off in search of dawn's possible whereabouts.