Sorry for the minor delay on this one, y'all! I know I've been uploading them on Sundays, but today is a dreary, rainy day, so I had lots of time on my hands to edit and upload. Enjoy the next chapter!

Chapter 5: We Can Survive

Somehow, it was still raining outside.

Misty watched the droplets trickle down Ash's bedroom window, the gloomy gray sky not allowing a single ray of sunlight through. It hadn't stopped raining since she and Ash had gotten drenched on the hill the day before. As soon as they'd returned to Ash's house, soaked to the bone, Delia had ordered Misty to stay the night, not wanting her to travel all the way back to Cerulean in such a storm.

She really is like a mom to me.

Misty smiled sadly to herself as she finally looked away from the window. It must've rained all through the night, too. She'd barely gotten any sleep, and she'd just spent most of the night listening to the howling wind and pounding rain while her mind raced.

She peered down at the floor, where Ash was still fast asleep in a heap of blankets. After Delia's insistence that Misty remain in Pallet Town, Ash had offered her his bed; a common occurrence when the two had traveled together and made occasional stopovers at his home. This time, however, it was different. They were no longer children, and both knew that their feelings for one another had changed. Now, when Ash made the offer, he'd blushed quite furiously and barely been able to get his words out, which had bewildered his mother. Fortunately for him, Misty had stepped in and accepted the offer…without having fully heard it.

Her brain was barely able to process that fact…that they both liked one another as more than just friends. And yet, every time she nearly managed to, the thought of her potential Elite Four interview intruded and sent her right back to square one.

How is it that I finally get what I've been wanting for years and I still can't be happy?

"Mmm…"

Misty blinked and returned her attention to the floor, where she saw Ash beginning to stir from his slumber. He rubbed at his eyes before slowly sitting up, the blankets falling off of his body and landing listlessly over Pikachu's still sleeping form beside him. Ash took a long look out the window, muttering, "still raining? Man…"

Then, as if he'd felt her eyes on the back of his head, Ash looked up and over his shoulder, smiling kindly at the young woman in his bed. "Morning, Mist!"

Misty couldn't help but to return his grin, albeit a bit more softly. "Good morning."

"Didja sleep okay?" Ash asked, shuffling around in his blankets so he could face Misty head on.

"Yeah," Misty lied. "I know you did."

Ash blushed a bit and rubbed the back of his neck. "I must've been snoring again, huh? Sorry about that."

"Don't apologize," Misty replied before smoothly adding, "I'm used to hearing your big mouth day and night, after all."

Ash scowled before firing back, "same goes for you!" His expression quickly changed, however; his mouth twisting and his eyes wandering upwards.

"Something on your mind?" Misty snickered.

Glancing back down at her, Ash asked, "are we still allowed to tease each other if we like each other?"

"Of course," Misty scoffed, not even taking a second to think about it. "That's how you and I work! Besides, we're both too good at it to stop."

Ash raised an eyebrow. "You think I'm good at it?"

"Not as good as me, but yeah."

Ash rolled his eyes, which earned a much heartier laugh from Misty. But then another thought struck him, and he exclaimed, "hey, we never got to finish talking about the Elite Four stuff!"

Misty's smile quickly faded. "Oh, right."

"I still think it's so cool that they want to interview you," Ash sighed, leaning back on his hands. "That means they must know what an awesome gym leader you are!"

"I guess," Misty grumbled. "I just don't know if it's the right fit for me."

Ash tilted his head. "You're being kind of weird about this whole thing. I don't get it. How come?"

Misty shrugged. "I already told you. I'm not really sure if it's worth all the trouble."

"Yeah, but I don't think that's actually true," Ash calmly argued, causing Misty's eyes to widen. "I feel like something else is bothering you. Am I right?"

That simple question caused Misty's mouth to run dry. She wasn't used to Ash being so attuned to her feelings; it was kind of sweet, but in this exact moment, she wished he was as dense as he'd used to be.

"I guess I am, because you look like you just saw a ghost type," Ash murmured.

"What?!" Misty cried. "No, I don't!"

At this, Ash started to laugh. "Hey, you don't know what your face looks like!" Slowly settling down, he continued more calmly, "You know, you can tell me anything, Mist. We're best friends before anything else, after all!"

Misty bristled. There was no use in trying to hide it from Ash now. Without her even realizing it, he had become far too aware of what was going on around him, and if she just continued to hide the truth from him, he would know, and he'd keep bugging her until she finally told him the truth.

Hunching over, Misty shifted her gaze away from Ash and quietly admitted, "I'm scared."

"Scared?" Ash repeated, his expression softening. "Of what?"

Misty sighed and shook her head. "I can't stop thinking…what if I get this spot…and then I have to battle you?"

Ash blinked and remained silent. Misty assumed he was thinking about this possibility, trying to decide how he himself felt about such a potential situation. After all, he'd worked very hard himself to get to where he was. It was probably just as difficult for him to consider the possibility of having to go through one of his best friends, heck, his own crush, to reach the next step of his goal.

"So?"

And then he responded with that.

Misty finally whipped her head around to stare at Ash. He looked about as unbothered as he'd sounded. "So? That's all you've got?!"

"Yeah," Ash replied simply, shrugging his shoulders. "Actually, I think it'd be pretty cool if we got to battle each other!"

Misty was stunned by his nonchalant, bordering on excited, reaction. "How could you possibly think that's cool?!"

"Because every battle we ever have against one another really fires me up!" Ash cheered, pumping both of his fists. "Could you imagine if we got to have a battle in one of those huge stadiums with so many people watching us? It'd be electric!"

Ash's loud voice combined with his use of the word "electric" finally stirred Pikachu from his slumber. The little yellow mouse yawned before stretching and looking up wearily at his trainer. "Kachu, Pikapi?"

The young man glanced down at the Pokémon and blushed. "Oh, I'm sorry, Pikachu! I didn't mean to wake you up."

Pikachu still seemed a little frustrated, but when he instead turned his gaze onto Misty and noticed how aggravated she looked, his mood shifted. He scurried up the ladder that led to the bed where she was seated, settling himself on the gym leader's lap and rubbing against her. Although she was still unhappy, Misty couldn't help but to smile at the caring electric type and began to scratch him behind the ears.

"Yeah, or it could be the worst thing that could happen to us," Misty grumbled, reluctantly looking up from Pikachu and setting her concerned glare on Ash.

"Why?" Ash prodded.

"Because what if I beat you?!" Misty cried. She couldn't believe Ash had matured enough to sense that something was bothering her, but still not enough to see something even more obvious. "And I become the reason you don't get to face the champion?!"

At this, Ash scoffed. "I think you're thinking too far ahead, Mist. There are still three other Elite Four members who could stop me from doing that. I have to make sure I'm on top of my game if I want to beat such talented trainers! If I lose, it's because I didn't deserve to win. Besides, isn't this just an interview? Who says they're even going to hire you?"

Pikachu jolted up, staring slack jawed at his trainer. He might've been a Pokémon, but even he knew that was the wrong thing to say! Even if Ash wasn't wrong, he had worded it terribly. Slowly looking over his shoulder, Pikachu immediately saw just how red Misty's face had gotten, and how bent her brow had become.

"Oh, so you don't think I'm good enough to get chosen?" Misty bit.

"What?!" Ash cried, shaking his head. "I didn't say that! All I said was you might not get it! Isn't that the whole point of being interviewed?"

Misty growled lowly, and Pikachu timidly inched off of the gym leader's lap. "I still don't like that implication."

Ash dramatically rolled his eyes. "Well, I'm sorry. I didn't mean for it to come across that way. But I don't know how else to try and convince you that this is a good thing!" He held his tongue, waiting for Misty to respond, but she never did. After enough beats of relatively awkward silence, Ash continued, "I've got an idea. What if I go with you to the interview, and then - "

That seemingly innocuous offer was what finally got Misty to snap. "I don't need the Indigo League champion to hold my hand; especially not when it comes to official League business!"

He wasn't sure whether it was right or wrong, but Ash could feel all of his patience slipping away as he snapped, "Look, I don't know what you want me to do, Misty. I already told you that I think you should go for it! I don't have any problem battling you, and I don't want to be the one to stop you from going after your dreams. But if you're the one who's going to keep getting in her own way, then I that I have no control over!"

Misty's face somehow managed to get redder. In reality, she knew Ash was right. He wasn't doing anything to stop her…it was all her, and her own intrusive thoughts and feelings. But at this point, she was so frustrated and so upset with the whole situation that she was no longer thinking straight. It was like no one was taking into consideration how she felt. Even if the idea of battling Ash was fine by everyone else, Ash included, it couldn't assuage Misty's own mind, and that was what was sending her spiraling out of control.

With a low growl, Misty climbed down the ladder of Ash's bed and landed with an aggrieved thud before storming towards her backpack in the corner.

"What are you doing?" Ash asked calmly.

"I'm leaving," she replied simply, grabbing her bag and slinging it over her shoulder.

Ash's eyes widened. "You can't leave right now! It's pouring out!"

"I'll be fine," Misty huffed, turning and shooting Ash daggers. "You don't have to worry about me."

"But I do," Ash stressed, jumping to his feet. "Come on, Mist! I was just trying to help you."

"Well, you didn't do a very good job, now did you?" Misty bit.

"I don't know what else to do!" Ash cried.

"I just wanted you to understand my feelings!" Misty stormed. "I know you don't think this is a big deal, but it is to me! Do you know how guilty I would feel if I were to beat you? Or how guilty I would feel if I went easy on you just so you could win? I care about you so much, Ash. As a friend…hell, as more than a friend! Believe me, I know this job isn't a guarantee, but I would love to get it…if only you weren't the person I'd have to battle."

Having spit all of that out, Misty brushed past Ash and out of his room, leaving the young league champion to scramble to his feet so he could follow after her. As soon as his trainer went running, Pikachu hopped down from the bed and scurried to the door but refused to pass the threshold. He had seen plenty of fights between Ash and Misty before, but this one was different, and he didn't like it.

Misty stomped down the stairs, Ash closely trailing her. She made it to the front door and grabbed the knob, but Ash was quick to lean forward and hold his own hand against the door, managing to keep it closed. Misty growled and looked over her shoulder, her eyes dark and filled with tears.

"Just let me go," she rumbled.

"Misty, please," Ash implored, his desperation evident. "Don't do this."

She refused to drop her stern look, however, and Ash knew her well enough to know that now was the time for him to stop pushing. He lowered his arm, allowing Misty to open the door and run out into the pouring rain. Ash just stood in the doorway, watching her run off with her backpack held over her head as a poor umbrella until she was out of sight. Groaning, Ash closed the door and leaned against it, slowly sliding down until he was on the floor. Only then did Pikachu feel safe to descend the stairs and meet his trainer, sorrow written all over his fuzzy yellow face.

"Pikapi…" Pikachu murmured.

"That was a complete disaster," Ash muttered, burying his face in his hands. "Even for me."

XXX

Things were eerily silent at the Pokémon League headquarters on Indigo Plateau.

Misty had expected things to be bustling; after all, the Pokémon League did quite the booming business between not only the recently passed Indigo Conference, but also running the gyms and other battle tournaments across the region. Instead, she had walked into a quiet, subdued office building, where she seemed to be the only person wandering around. She couldn't determine if this was because their biggest event had just passed, or this was simply what the corporate side of things were really like.

Ignoring the haunting feeling of her surroundings, Misty walked up to the elevator the front desk secretary had just directed her to and pressed the 'up' button. It arrived quickly, which she appreciated, and the gym leader stepped inside, now pressing the interior button that would take her to the fourth floor, where the same secretary had informed her Agatha's office was located.

A part of Misty hoped that someone else would enter the elevator and take the ride along with her, but no one did. As the doors closed, Misty rolled her eyes and stared up desolately at the ceiling, cursing the continued silence. With nothing else around to distract her, she was beginning to get lost in her own thoughts, which was far from appreciated at the moment.

She hated the way she'd treated Ash. It wasn't right, and it wasn't fair to him. But she also hated feeling like she'd been backed into a corner. Whenever that happened, Misty's immediate response was to shut herself down and everyone else out. It definitely wasn't the best way to deal with things, as Daisy had reminded her time and time again, but it was a very hard habit to break, particularly when it was something she'd done since childhood.

I got myself into this mess, so eventually, I'm going to have to get myself out. Maybe when all of this is over-

A loud ding startled Misty and finally tore her away from her thoughts. The elevator doors opened, indicating that she had reached her destination. Letting out a brief sigh of relief, Misty exited the elevator and checked the directory that hung on the wall, looking for the exact location of Agatha's office. Once she'd found it, she headed down the left side of the hallway, until she came across the corner room where Agatha's name and title were plastered on the wooden door.

When she walked in, Misty was a little surprised to find that the initial room wasn't actually Agatha's office, but more so a waiting area of sorts with chairs lined up against the walls and an unfamiliar woman sitting at a wooden desk. Just a few feet away from her was yet another door, this one Misty assuming actually led to Agatha's office.

"Good morning!" The kindly secretary greeted.

"Good morning," Misty returned, giving the woman a small nod. "My name is Misty Waterflower, I have an interview scheduled with Agatha."

"Of course, we've been expecting you!" The woman trilled. "I'll let Agatha know you're here. In the meantime, you can just take a seat and make yourself at home until she calls you back."

"Thank you very much," Misty breathed, smiling shakily at the secretary before backtracking to one of the vacant chairs.

It felt like forever until door across the room suddenly opened, causing Misty, who had been tracing shapes on the carpet in her mind to avoid it going elsewhere, to snap her head up. She made immediate eye contact with a woman who, unlike the secretary, seemed distantly familiar to her: stick-straight honey blonde hair, hazel eyes, slender face…

"Misty?" The woman asked.

"Um, yes, that's me!" Misty quickly replied, jumping to her feet.

The other woman smiled softly, bewildering Misty. "You're friends with our latest Indigo Conference champion, aren't you?"

"Oh," Misty breathed, yesterday's argument with Ash creeping back into her mind. "I am."

"I recognize you from the championship," she added, hoping that would clear up any confusion.

Misty's eyes widened. That's where she knew her from! "Ah, right! You're Mr. Goodshow's assistant."

"Zanna," she reintroduced herself, giving Misty a small bow. "A pleasure to formally meet you."

"You as well," Misty replied, returning the courtesy.

"Agatha is waiting for you inside," Zanna continued, motioning through the open doorway in which she was standing. "I'll take you to her."

"Thank you," Misty breathed, nervously following after the woman.

She had never had much interaction with Agatha, if any. Gym leaders in general didn't tend to mingle with members of the Elite Four, even at league events. The lack of familiarity was giving Misty extra trepidation, considering Agatha's status as a well-seasoned, well known trainer.

But as soon as Zanna opened the door, there she was: the elderly, graying blonde woman sitting stoically behind an ashen marble desk. She had apparently been reading over something before her door opened, but as soon as Zanna walked in, Agatha lifted her gaze, an expectant look on her face.

"Miss Waterflower is here to see you," Zanna informed the older woman.

"Perfect," Agatha droned, little emotion behind it. "Thank you, Zanna."

The assistant smiled at the Elite Four member before turning her attention onto Misty, giving the young woman a slight nod before seeing herself out. Misty, on the other hand, just stood in place, unsure of how to proceed.

"No need to block the doorway," Agatha gruffly piped up, causing Misty's heart to speed up. "Please, have a seat."

Agatha motioned towards a couch positioned against the office's left side wall. Nodding silently, Misty walked over to the couch and lowered herself onto it, her timid gaze meeting Agatha's steely one.

"Your resume as a gym leader is quite impressive," Agatha noted, returning to the paper that was on her desk. "The loss to victory ratio really caught my eye. You don't like to lose, do you?"

Misty couldn't help but to smirk at that. "Not really, no."

The old woman's head suddenly snapped up, visibly startling Misty. "And yet you lack the confidence to back it up."

"…I'm sorry?" Misty squeaked, unsure of how Agatha had come to that conclusion.

Agatha pressed her hands together and leaned back in her oversized black leather chair. "Something is holding you back. I can see it in your eyes. Between you and me, I think you'd make an excellent member of the Elite Four. You clearly have the talent. But talent isn't everything, young lady. You'll never be able to reach your full potential if you can't overcome your own personal shortcomings."

Misty bit her lower lip. This suddenly felt much less like an interview and a lot more like an intervention.

"Care to tell me what it is?"

Misty looked back up, her eyes locking with Agatha's. "What?"

Agatha sighed, as though she were annoyed from having to explain. "What's holding you back. Is it something serious? A family matter?"

"Oh…not especially," Misty admitted rather sheepishly. "It's something personal to me, but I think most other people might find it a bit silly."

Agatha's brow crinkled ever so slightly. "I see. And have you spoken to anyone about this…personal issue?"

Misty nodded. "I have, and I've gotten good advice on how to handle it. But for some reason, I just can't convince myself to follow it. It all makes sense, but my emotions always seem to get in the way."

"So, it's a matter of heart over head," Agatha mused. "Understandable, but a bit foolish."

"Foolish?!" Misty breathed.

Grunting, Agatha continued, "following your heart is all well and good in your own life, but when you're a member of the Elite Four, you can't operate on those grounds. Having any kind of doubt in your mind could lead to serious repercussions for your fellow members. And it's a big risk to the league as a whole."

Misty sucked in a breath, unsure of how to respond to that. Apparently, she didn't have to, because Agatha wasn't finished.

"I really do think you'd be an excellent fit to take my place," Agatha sighed, shaking her head. "But this is something I simply can't overlook. If I were to just hand you this position without knowing you can overcome your own self-doubt, then it wouldn't be a wise decision."

"I understand," Misty muttered. After a painfully awkward pause, Misty forced herself to ask, "So…that's a no, then?"

Agatha frowned and refuted, "it's not a no. It's a wait-and-see. I'll get back to you in a few days."

Misty frowned, but eventually nodded her head. She knew the interview had pretty much been a bust (considering it hadn't even really been an interview…) and was just grateful she hadn't been rejected on the spot, even if she knew it was likely coming sooner rather than later. It was abundantly clear that Agatha was disappointed by what she had been met with, and there was no way such a respectable trainer would ever go with someone who didn't match up with her ideals.

And Misty knew she had no one to blame for it but herself.

XXX

The trip back to Cerulean had been anything but pleasant.

There was so much weighing on Misty's mind. Her fight with Ash was still at the forefront, but now that was doing battle with the disastrous meeting she'd just left with Agatha. It really felt like she was losing from every angle, and there was nothing Misty could think of that would take her mind off of it.

She trudged up to the gym, taking out her key to unlock the door. She knew her sisters wouldn't be around, which was fine with her since having to face them right now was the last thing she wanted to do. For the first time since leaving the Indigo Plateau, having a bit of alone time didn't sound so bad, especially if she could spend it taking a couple of laps in the pool to try and clear her mind.

But as soon as she stepped in front of the doors, they automatically slid open, causing her heart to shoot up into her throat. Were her sisters actually inside?

No way, Misty thought begrudgingly to herself. Those three would never hang around here voluntarily.

With a heavy dose of trepidation, she walked into the lobby, looking around to see who could possibly be waiting for her. It was as soon as she laid her eyes on the lounge area to her right that she saw who it was, and she froze on sight.

Ash was sitting on one of the couches, Pikachu sleeping beside him. He had a sheepish smile on his face, looking almost embarrassed to be there.

"Hope I didn't scare you," he murmured. "Your sisters let me in."

Misty didn't even care that this meant her sisters were apparently fine with letting people into the gym unsupervised. All she could do was stare at Ash, hardly able to believe that he was actually sitting there waiting for her.

After the way I've treated him, the way I've behaved…he's still willing to come here and see me.

Ash became a little concerned when Misty said nothing, so he slowly got to his feet, carefully approaching her. As he got closer, Misty realized that he was blushing. "I'm sorry. I know things didn't end well yesterday, but I couldn't stop thinking about you…or your interview today. How'd it go?"

Misty tried to answer, but her breath caught. It suddenly became much harder to breathe, and as the frustration overtook her, her eyes began to fill with tears.

Before Ash could do or say anything else, Misty rushed towards him and began to sob uncontrollably. Although he was initially taken off guard, Ash quickly wrapped his arms around the gym leader and held her close, allowing her to cry on his shoulder without saying a word.