DAY 1: If Ash was aware of his feelings for Misty during their journeys together

It was a hot summer day.

Ash, Misty, Brock, Togepi and Pikachu were walking to the beach. Today was a free day, so they decided to fight the heat by swimming in the cool water. It was busy at the beach, but they managed to find a place.

"Finally!" Misty sighed as they all sat down on a towel under a beach umbrella. She pulled her scrunchy out and let her hair fall down. She pushed through her hair with a loud sigh. "It was getting too warm...I need to cool down!"

"Same here." Brock sat down next to her. "Now, I have packed some sandwiches for today. Delia forgot to do so last minute, so I..."

He stopped talking when he saw Ash and Misty stare at him with a hungry gaze. Togepi chirped and pulled a little at his t-shirt. Brock sighed and pulled the sandwiches from his bag.

"Okay, just eat, you two hungry snorlaxs."

Misty and Ash both hungrily ate their sandwiches. Brock rolled his eyes as he took a bite of his.

After finishing their lunch they all dressed. Ash and Brock wore simply swimming boxers while Misty wore a cute yellow bathing suit.

They all jumped into the water screaming while Pikachu looked after Togepi on the side of the water.

Misty had called out her staryu and swam around with it, while Brock and Ash splashed around in the water, throwing water at each other and acting like boys would do their age.

"Hey Mist!"

Misty stopped swimming and turned her head towards Ash's voice. But he was nowhere to be seen...she only saw Brock, floating on his back.

"Ash?" Misty asked, a little panicked. What if he had gone under? Or what if he had gotten hurt or...

"BOO!"

Misty moved back as a certain boy popped out of the water in front of her. She went under for a minute and when she swam back up to the surface she saw Ash, laughing loudly.

"Buwhahaha, your face!" Ash laughed.

"You jerk!" Misty swatted water towards him and tried to hit him. "I got really scared!"

Ash raised his eyebrows with a teasing smile. "So you got worried for me? I didn't knew that you were such a softy!"

"You're dead!"

Ash shrieked and swam towards land as Misty chased him at tremendous speed.

When he reached the beach, he ran onto the sand. He hoped that Misty had given up, but boy, he was wrong.

The girl caught up to him and grabbed him from behind into a headlock. Ash managed to pull himself free and turned around. He held his hands up in defense and smiled nervously at her.

"You don't need to do this..." Ash said. "Calm down..."

"You're right..." Misty cracked her knuckles. "I don't need to do this."

Ash sighed in relief. "Good..."

"I want to do this!"

Misty pounced onto him. They fell down onto the sand and rolled around. Ash tried to get the upper hand, but eventually Misty ended up on top. She laughed as she looked down at him.

"Gotcha! Now what do you gotta say?" Misty asked.

"You're weird."

Misty leaned in closer to him. Her face was only inches away from his. She glared down at him with an angry look in her eyes.

But Ash wasn't scared.

His heart was suddenly thumping a lot louder than usual. Her marine-blue-green eyes...there was suddenly something about them...he noticed a few freckles on her face and got a sudden urge to kiss them away.

"Ash?"

Her voice caught him out of his thoughts. Wait, what was he even thinking?! This was his best friend!

"Yeah, yeah, you were right! I'm sorry, so get off!"

Misty jumped away from him. Ash blushed nervously and sat up while Misty celebrated.

"Finally!" Misty yelled. "I win!"

"Yeah, yeah..." Ash put his hand against his chest. Pikachu walked up to him and looked at him with a questioning look. Ash kept wondering why his heart was still beating...was he sick?

"Ash, are you sick?"

When they got back to his house Ash his face was still flushed and his body was heating up. His mother had put him on the couch and put a blanket around him. She put her hand on his forehead and frowned.

"I told you not to get in the water." Delia said. "You get sick so quickly..."

"I'm no...hatsjoe!"

Ash sneezed into his elbow. Delia sighed and petted his head.

"Right..."

"Miss Delia?"

Misty walked into the room. Between her hands she held a plate with a bowl of soup. Ash shot up and gulped. If Misty had made that...

Misty noticed his nervous gaze and rolled her eyes. "I brought soup for you and no, Ash, I didn't made it. Brock made some. I'm only here to deliver."

Delia giggled. "Misty, why don't you sit next to Ash and feed him?"

"H-huh?!" Misty yelled.

"Mom!" Ash yelled.

"Come on. My poor boy is too weak to eat himself...and Misty, didn't you say that you would do anything to help her?"

"Yes, but..."

"Thank you dear! Now I can check if Brock won't burn down our kitchen!"

Delia giggled and she ran off. Misty and Ash both sweat dropped. Brock wouldn't do that...

Misty sighed. She sat next to Ash. She grabbed the spoon, filled it with spoon and held it in front of Ash.

"Open up. Aah."

Ash rolled his eyes at her. "Could you be warmer?"

"I'm not going to coddle you. You might be a kid, but..."

"Aaah..." Ash close his eyes and opened his mouth. He opened one eye and looked at Misty.

Misty groaned and put the spoon into his mouth. Ash smirked as he swallowed the bite.

"Don't be all smug." Misty said. "I'm only doing this because your mum told me to!"

"Hm-hm."

After Ash had finished his food, they decided to watch a movie. Brock and Delia decided to join them, but soon stepped away as they weren't a big fan of action movies. Pikachu and Togepi both stayed, but mostly played around on the floor.

But Ash couldn't concentrate on the movie. Instead he found himself glancing at Misty from time to time.

The movie suddenly played a romantic scene with two people kissing. Ash shrieked and covered his eyes. Misty looked at him and laughed.

"Ha, you're such a prude!" Misty said.

Ash pulled his hands away to uncover his eyes and glared at her. "Shut up. As if you're not embarrassed with this scene."

"I'm not. I already had my first kiss."

Ash' heart dropped and he looked down. "Oh...uhm...then..." He scratched his neck and coughed. "Ahem...with...who?"

"Who? Rudy."

"H-h-huh?!"

Misty shrugged. "Yeah, but it was pretty short. And dry for some reason. Why do you ask?"

Ash blushed and averted his eyes. "No reason..."

"Na-ah!"

Misty moved closer to him with a small smile and intriguing eyes. "Come one! Tell me! Why are you suddenly interested in my love life?"

"Well..."

"Well?"

"It's stupid." Ash said and he tried to move away, but there wasn't much space left on the couch.

"No, tell me!"

"It's..."

"Tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me!"

"IT'S BECAUSE I LIKE YOU, OKAY!"

Misty became quiet. She looked at Ash who was now completely red. He pulled his cap closer over his eyes.

"Since..." Misty moved closer. She pulled the cap from his head and whispered; "since when?"

"Since yesterday."

"Yesterday?!" Misty yelled. "Are you sure you're in love with me?!"

"Yes!"

"Then...what do you like about me?"

"Huh?"

Misty put her hand on his arm. "You must like me for a reason, right?"

"Kinda. I mean...I like you because you're awesome. And you are a good trainer."

"And?"

Ash blinked. "And what?"

Misty moved even closer and whispered; "Give me another reason. Come on."

Ash gulped. "So...I also like you because you're feisty and confident. You always know how to cheer me up, you're always by my side and...you're really pretty sometimes."

Misty pulled back. "Okay."

She looked back at the movie. Ash stayed frozen in his seat, baffled. Wasn't she almost about to kiss him? What happened?

"But that's not enough."

"N-n-not enough?" Ash stuttered.

Misty turned her head towards him. "You need to do more to make me fall in love with you, Ash Ketchum. You're game is really weak."

Ash sat up straight and poked with his finger against her arm. "My game isn't weak! I never have a weak game!"

Misty smirked confidently. "Oh really? Because not only did you recite one of my favorite movies, you told me that I was 'sometimes' pretty!"

"You are!"

"Sometimes?!"

"Geez!" Ash grabbed his cap from her hands and put it on his head. "Fine! Then I'll make sure to make you fall for me!"

Misty laughed. "Is that a challenge!"

"You bet it is! I'll make sure to make you mine one day!"

Misty's heart fluttered, but she was a champion at hiding it.

"Good." She said. "Then I'll only have to wait another seven years!"

"Ha! Make that two!"

Ash put his hand out. Misty turned her body and grabbed his hand as if they were preparing for a match.

"You're on!"

"I'll win this match!" Ash said.

"Pfft, as if!"

Pikachu and Togepi stared at the two and sighed. They never really understood their masters. But unlike their Pokémon Ash and Misty both knew that this time it was something much bigger than an usual battle

And it wasn't often that something was.