Locked Away, Chapter 34
Ash spent the morning after they returned home from their battle, comatose on the couch with togepi, chimchar and pikachu nuzzled into his chest. He barely made it through the door before he collapsed from exhaustion onto the green sofa. Misty tried her best to wrap a blanket around him, but he was restless even in his sleep, and kicked it off, rolled onto his stomach, and the sound of chainsaw-snores erupted continuously from the living room.
Daisy, Lily, and Violet were still nestled into their own sleeping arrangements, which left Misty alone to rummage through the house and slowly unpack more.
It was still strange to leave the gym, to wake up early, super early, in today's case, and have no responsibilities—even though she spent the last four months at a training academy for her position of Elite Four, she hadn't gotten used to the simple life yet. Her mind and body were still used to the grind of being up before sunrise, cleaning the filters, and feeding her pokemon.
Now, she had the local pokemon bank watching her pokemon where they sat in stasis until she needed them for a battle, or wanted to have them for short vacations. Their time would be spent inside of a small, metallic ball, instead of swimming freely at the gym. Her pokemon's initial lack of freedom was inherently the greatest problem Misty faced when accepting her new position; while she felt a great deal of accomplishment, she also felt a great deal of stress.
Slipping into the kitchen, she leaned over the counter to fetch the coffee container. The heavenly scent of brown, crushed beans made her mouth water and her brain jump gleefully as she walked to the machine, and flicked a few spoonfuls into the filter area. She took and filled the pot with water, and poured the water into the back before releasing a loud sigh, and hearing the beginning brew. A simple, daily ritual she had forgone for four months, was now the simplest pleasure of mundane normalcy. Oddly enough, unlike her time at the gym, she had no immediate duty to jump to, not school work to complete no exams to study. For once, the Waterflower's plate was empty.
Uncomfortable, she fidgeted through the kitchen stopping at a set of boxes which contained Daisy's prestigious variation of wine glasses, and stacked them onto the counter carefully before tossing the box aside.
Shortly after, she took a seat at the table and rested her fingers over the top anxiously. Her foot rattled under the table and her brows furrowed.
What was she supposed to be doing now? The league party wasn't for another two weeks, unpacking would only take a couple of days, and then after that... what?
Awkwardly, her mind traced back to the sound of chainsaws in her living room where the young man slept, and her entire body shuddered. It was strange, and familiar to have him around again. After an eight month hiatus, she believed they wouldn't fit anymore; like most people in Misty's life, they out grew her. Ash, however, still perpetrated that same dorky smile and insane tryst of loyalty as he had the very fist day they met. She was supposed to be mad that he, for lack of better words, neglected their friendship, like greninja had been, but the moment she saw him—she was glad he was alive more than anything else. Where her fingers pressed against her cheek still burned at the contact of his lips against her flesh. He was so reckless—and sometimes really oblivious, but also very thoughtful, and kind and loving.
She sat forward grabbing her head between her hands and groaning loudly.
"Oh no." She breathed frustratedly. The realization slamming directly into her back like a ten pound weight. Her head hit the table with a loud thump, distorting the consistent sound of chainsaws in the distances for a short moment.
XOXS
They were both stubborn, this much Daisy knew for sure; the duo made a habit of playing the 'who can be the least awkward today' game, only, it was like watching two toddlers sitting in a pit of mud. When Misty would imply, Ash would deny and fall down; when Ash would imply, Misty would deny and get angry.
It had become a constant stress of teenage hormones in the small house that had been void of their lies for the last five years, considering that Misty was the youngest, and didn't seem interested in dating before this. Even now, it was like throwing needles at a brick wall.
Lily and Violet were no help, either. With their constant, jubilee and jabs at Misty and Ash's precarious friendship, they were bordering every single nerve Misty had—she was going to snap one of these days. It hadn't even been a full week when Misty and Ash made a habit of waking up early to train. They had no sooner unloaded the last box from the moving truck when they started practicing. Misty showed Ash the proper ways to be the most effective in battle, introduced him to the trainer database, how to register moves and change them; while Ash showed her better ways to train her pokemon—more intimate ways, one could argue.
He was more about matching the physical movements of the pokemon, such traits he practiced with greninja, while Misty was more into showing her pokemon with the pokedex, and repetition.
Ash would argue that a pokemon is only as strong as the trainer, and shouldn't be expected to make moves the trainer isn't willing to try. And of course, Misty had sarcastically asked him if he was going to start shooting thunderbolts, which resulted in a spew of anger—and round two.
Misty battled Ash with her seadra versus his chimchar, and the results were brutal on the edge of Misty. Before the end of the week, they had both visited the pokemon center twice for several different pokemon, and gotten into two unofficial matches, and three official.
Daisy deduced that it was either some childish way to mute their intimate frustrations, or they were both truly that competitive. When she watched them run laps around the back yard with their weaker pokemon—she wasn't sure anymore. She hadn't seen Misty so riled up about anything since she was a child, and while it made Daisy happy to see her that way—it also reminded her that Misty was growing up far too fast.
The goods news was that none of their fights escalated past the point of training pokemon, and they returned to their mundane ritual of pranking the three sisters, attempting to cook—ultimately being banned from the kitchen again—hosting a marathon of news reports and movies to catch Ash up with pop culture and the world, and finally a few hours a day when they would sit up in Misty's room and talk.
About what? Daisy didn't have the slightest clue, when she tried to butt in, the trainers would shuffle their papers around, tuck them behind their person, and Misty would yell at Daisy to knock. The eldest Waterflower almost wished her sister was more promiscuous so she wouldn't have to worry that Misty and Ash were actually getting into something that might be dangerous. Ash had a way of bringing trouble with him where ever he went, and whether he realized it or not, he had opened that door for Misty as well. It was terrifying.
Sometime at the start of the second week, Ash started sleeping on a cot in Misty's room so the girls would have their living room back—the ability to stay up long nights without fear of disturbing the boy, or vice versa.
Daisy, who had the bedroom closest to Misty's attic bedroom stairs, could hear the two stay up until the dead of the night talking about conspiracy theories with some other trainer on the phone. What time they didn't spend talking about whatever plan they were hatching, they talked about Ash's journeys, and Misty's time at the academy. Those were the ones that Daisy would sit on the last step of the stairs leading to Misty's room and listen to the most; in eight months, Ash saw far more than most people do in their entire lives—he found new pokemon, new techniques and places, and still somehow wound up back here. In crappy Kanto.
While Daisy spent the majority of her time looking for a job applicable to her recently obtained degree, she still watched over her sisters, and her 'adopted' little brother as a mother hen would. Gracefully motherly when she was supposed to be, and insidious the rest of the time. She made sure Lily was still pursing her goals, she watched over Violet in her new job as a bartender, but the two she could never peg down, were leaving in the morning.
The night before their departure, after their travel bags were packed, after their last horrible crafted family dinner, after watching one more practice round between Ash and Misty, and after one more cheesy movie, they were leaving. Again.
Misty was an Elite Four member now, that gave her unprecedented reign over Kanto, and Johto, she was no longer the 'tomboyish mermaid' that she was now an actual public, and political figure that would help shape the regions into a better, or worse place. She was also walking into a strange world full of people Daisy didn't know, and couldn't protect her sister from when things got tough.
Coma-patient Ash was another story entirely, she hadn't known him more than a handful of months, and yet she looked at him like the little brother none of them ever had—the friend Misty missed out on as a child. He was odd, possibly crazy, but he was friendly, and helpful and full of insight that Daisy thought was long lost over the dark years that followed the end of Team Rocket.
He was almost like a story book character, someone who has been given all the right reasons to give up, and sit down; yet, he beat all odds and tribulations, and still managed to keep some semblance of humanity, and happiness. It was a contagious optimism that brought their straying family closer together, but more than that, it brought other people together as well.
When Daisy would hear the stories of Ash and his pokemon, as well as the people he talked to over the course of his few months away, it was like listening to a comic book hero.
...Though, Daisy wasn't exactly opposed to that.
His birthday was coming up very soon at the end of July, and considering the hell he had gone through, the sisters wanted to give him something nice for his twenty-first birthday, something special. Alas, they had nothing to give that would mean more than what he already had; least that was what Misty said.
Daisy thought differently, so on the night before their departure, she walked up the staircase loudly, her way of indicating that she was on her way up without knocking, and poked her head around to see Misty packing a few items into her backpack, and Ash lying on his cot with togepi and pikachu coiled on his back while he flipped through the world news.
"Hey, you two."
"Hey, Daisy." Misty tossed naturally, waving slightly at her sister while returning to her business. Ash didn't speak, but he looked up to acknowledge her appearance.
"So," Daisy started, twisting her fingers together. "Any plans before you go?"
"We're going to stop in Viridian City to visit Cole, annnnd then after that I think it's straight to the league." Misty mused, dusting her hands to indicate that she was finished with her task. The moment she had, her eyes finally locked onto the object between Daisy's intertwined fingers, two neatly wrapped boxes, no larger than a credit card, no thicker than inch.
"What are those?" She asked modestly, maybe a little worried. Daisy chuckled in response.
"Gifts." She said flatly, and gestured for Ash to come to her. He wasn't sure what to do, so he shifted carefully so that togepi and pikachu would fall onto the cot gently, though both clearly still in distress that their sleep had been disturbed and walked to Daisy.
"What for?" Ash asked, blinking innocently.
"Well, the first is from Lily, Violet and I for your promotion, Misty." she handed Misty the red wrapped gift, and then looked at Ash. "And since we know you probably won't be back once Misty leaves for regular attendance of the league...we got you your birthday gift a week early."
Misty snorted, "Better make sure he opens it now, or he might forget." Misty jested while twisted the package in her hands. Daisy pursed her lips, matching Ash's same unimpressed look—he hadn't opened the gift because Misty was nosy and would likely try to rummage through his things to find it, though Agatha clearly told him not to open it around the redhead.
"Har har." Ash mocked, and then returned his smile to Daisy while taking the gift. "Thank you, Daisy, I'm not sure what to say. It's been so long since I've celebrated my birthday, I almost forgot that it existed." he said with a laugh while scratching the side of his face.
"Just say thank you." She frowned deeply. "I can't believe I won't be able to see you guys off tomorrow morning."
"It's not our fault you're leaving tonight, you could have rescheduled for tomorrow morning yourself." Misty chided while quirking an eyebrow.
"Oh Misty, don't talk like that. You know I can't wake up before eight." Daisy said coyly, looking absurdly at Misty while she nodded sarcastically and shook her head. Ash scoffed but stifled his laugh in favor of thumbing the thin parchment.
"Well, open them." Daisy she gestured, pushing the packages closer to each person.
Misty looked sideways at Ash, a look her returned innocently, and then they both tore through the packaging a second later. Misty cracked her box open first, followed secondly by Ash, and they both looked at the contents with a vague expression of surprise.
"I saw that you gave your necklace to Ash, so I figured it would be okay if I got you a new one..." Misty removed the silver pendant from the box, blinking to the closeable object that reflected back at her. Meanwhile, Ash removed a small, square photo in a frame about the side of a card, and blinked at it. Inside the pendant, and the frame was the matching picture of the four of them standing at one of the tournaments Misty attended during Ash's first stay with them, and Ash chuckled at his appearance.
Misty smacked her lips. "Aww, Daisy." She mused, and then grabbed her sister in a fitful embrace that she returned with a great deal of fervor.
"I'm going to miss you both so much." Daisy whimpered into her sisters neck, echoing down the younger woman's.
"You act like we're going to die or something." Misty commented, and patted Daisy on the back dutifully. Ash snorted, fighting the enormous grin on his lips. Daisy pursed her lips and separated from Misty a moment later.
"You better not die." She warned, then looked at Ash with that same terrifying scowl Misty had—by now, he had deduced that it was most definitely a genetic trait. "That goes for the both of you." she added, recalling the stories she overheard.
"We'll be fine. And thank you." Ash said confidently, taking another glance at the frame. Pikachu squealed beside him so Ash squat down to share the picture with the rodent. "This was right before I found you." he noted, pointing to togepi who was being carried by Misty in the photo.
"Chaaa~" The pokemon cooed, taking the note from his trainer and rushing back to place it in a safe place in his back-pack, otherwise, Ash would likely break it. Ash felt his mouth twitch at the insinuation.
"I have to ask what made you so nice all of a sudden." Misty chided, eyes narrowed. Daisy puffed her cheeks.
"Well, like, Lily and Violet wanted to buy you two condoms, but I thought we needed a little more class than that." Daisy motioned, waving her hand while Misty's face turned a bright scarlet, she tossed the box at Daisy's hair, and shouted.
"Get out of my room!" Misty screamed, all the while Ash fell to his knees and held his face in embarrassment.
Daisy grabbed Misty's flailing arms and squeezed her. "Don't fight it baby sister, just let it happen!" Daisy groaned as Misty all but dead-lifted the woman down the stairs to dispose of her.
Leaving Ash alone to chuckle, his mouth twitched worriedly as he heard inconsistent scowls and grumbles from all of Misty's sisters as they teased and moaned that she was leaving on a 'great' 'adult' adventure without them.
Sometimes, Ash was grateful he didn't have any well-known siblings. He heard the sound something glass shatter before the muddled sounds of their screaming hit his ears and he fell onto the foot of Misty's bed and crossed one leg over the other, and cupped his jaw. Other times he wondered what kind of crazy siblings he might have had if he wasn't comatose for ten years—would Cole still be as enamored with him as they were, or would they fight like cats and dogs like Misty and her sisters.
He grinned, knowing well that they only fought so much because that was their way of showing affection. It was weird, and sometimes a little dangerous, but he wouldn't have them any other way.
"Ash!" Misty hollered after hi from down stairs and his face paled while he toyed with the idea of escaping through the open window. He could survive a three story drop, right?
...other times, he was scared for his life.
XOXs
Morning came too quickly. While Ash managed to sneak away two hours before Misty, the redhead spent the majority of the night crashed on the couch between her three sisters who were catching up through photo albums and favorite romance movies. He wondered why the separation was such a huge deal—but then remembered that Misty's new position wouldn't leave a lot of room for anything else. She did mention that she wouldn't be around much anymore when she first showed Ash the house—he just didn't think she meant it.
He completed his morning routine long before Misty even flinched. She slept through two alarms, and by the time the third went off, she had thrown the alarm clock across the room, nearly hitting Ash on his way back up the stairs to fetch her. Togepi was with pikachu downstairs, sorting out their 'rations' of pokemon food.
"Misty, if you don't get up, we're going to miss the train." He muttered, walking over to her and shaking the bed she was sleeping in. She growled, not unlike a demon, and sat up. Her short hair was a mess, knotted in several different directions with a few strands stuck to her mouth. Her eyes were still blurry, full of sleep when she rubbed them to clear her vision.
"What time is it?"
Ash thought for a moment for the perfect response while shouldering her pack, and lifting her suitcase. Since she would likely have to spend a few weeks at the indigo pleatue, she packed for the occasion, but her clothes for the day were on top of her long dresser.
"...mmm." he narrowed his eyes. "Too damn early?" He offered finally with a mocking grin. Misty pointed to her stairs.
"Get out." She groaned, flopping down and covering her face with her blankets.
Ash's brow furrowed, and twitched.
"Misty! Get up!" He shouted like a child, and then yanked on her covers, though immediately wished that he hadn't. She wasn't wearing pants and he saw more than he wanted, and she reacted accordingly.
One carefully aimed pillow to the face later, he jolted out of her room while she yelled at him.
"Ash, you pervert!" When she was gone she rubbed her head, it ached from the lack of sleep she had over the last couple of days and she pulled herself out of her covers. This would be the last time she tried to sleep comfortably with someone else in her room—the nerve of that man sometimes!
Breakfast was eaten in silence, coffee was thrown into thermos'; they didn't talk about the incident, that was probably safer for the both of them, and they went on their way. Misty locked up the house on her way out, all three of the sensational sisters were out for the morning. Because of her negligence, they were in a rush to the other side of town to reach the train station, so Ash called a taxi cab to come pick them up, rather than walking to the meadow and grabbing one there.
When their bags were thrown into the back, pikachu and togepi were loaded and Ash and Misty scoot inside of the back seat, the taxi driver looked to them and raised his eyebrows. They were huffing from rushing around, and his mouth pursed.
"Where are you lovers off to so early?"
"We're not—you know what-" Misty hissed, and Ash scoot slowly away from her, taking togepi and pikachu into his arms protectively. He could almost hear the steam brewing from her ears as her anger levels rose. "Cerulean City Train station, please." She forced a grin out, though it looked more menacing than pleasant.
XOXS
They barely reached the train station in time, the train was already moving when Misty slugged her suitcase onto the train, then practically threw Ash on after moments later. Her strength still terrified him in some aspects. It seemed so beastly compared to the rest of her figure—though, he did see Misty as more of the athletic type.
She hopped on after him, squishing pikachu, togepi and him up against the far wall as she huffed loudly. The train was already moving when they jumped on, and her mouth was dry from thirst.
"Wooo." She chimed sarcastically. "Who says nothing exciting never happens with me?" She laughed, nudging him in the stomach before walking on wobbly legs to their assigned box.
Ash laughed behind her and followed. Pulling open the thin, wooden door, she tossed her suitcase into the overhead compartment as well as her back pack, and then slunk down into the seat beside the window. Ash mirrored her movements, and then took the seat beside the window opposite of her. They faced one another, and Ash crossed his arms while she exhaled.
Pikachu nestled into her lap shortly after for sweet head rubs, while togepi hopped onto the seat beside Ash.
"See, you shouldn't have fallen back to sleep."
"I didn't mean to." She argued back clicking the call button for services. Apparently, one thermos wasn't enough to get her started.
"Why don't you sleep on the way to Viridian instead of pumping yourself full of coffee and a premature crash later." He paused, looking at the black rings below her eyes. "When did you get to sleep, anyways?"
"Mm?" She asked, blinking heavy eyelids. "Four? Five, maybe?"
Ash's mouth twitched. "So not even an hour before we were supposed to be up."
"'ey, I'm not going to see my sisters for awhile." She slouched, rubbing her temples. "Besides, Lily and Violet were insistent—and I did sleep on the couch for awhile, but it was really just all broken up."
Ash smiled at her and shook his head. "And you get onto me." He mocked slyly and Misty felt herself sigh. She turned away from him, kicked her feet up onto the length of the seat and coiled her arms around pikachu and dipped her chin low.
"Yeah, yeah, Mr. Pokemon Master. We know you're sooo perfect." she said dozing off in her seat.
While they spent the majority of the week training early mornings, talking about the first things Misty wants to change when she enters into the Elite Four, as well as her suspicions of Dr. Abby, and her group meetings with Agatha and Brock; she told him about hours spent at the academy, and he told her about his friends.
"So, are you ever going to tell me what happened between you and Dawn?" Ash asked suddenly, before her head could dip the last time. She looked up to him with bloodshot eyes and inhaled.
"No." She said flatly.
"But she's helping us now? Shouldn't we know?" He asked, and Misty shook her head and leaned against the soft back of the train seat.
"Exactly, she's helping now; so the rest is old news."
Ash bounced in his seat, his fingers curled onto the plush fabric and he inhaled briefly. "And what about my brother?"
"Cole isn't going to be much help. He's seven." She groaned, wanting to go to sleep, but Ash was bursting with energy, knowing he would get to see the child again.
"No, I mean do you think we'll actually get to see him."
Misty all but hissed as she looked over at Ash once more, as if the clear, blood shot eyes, and sleep deprivation wasn't enough, he need her to tell him she didn't want to talk.
"You just told me to take a nap on the way over to Viridian City." she said smoothly, though her voice cracked in confusion. "Do you want to talk, or do you want me to be somewhat of a functional human being today?"
Ash opened, and then closed his mouth before tucking his hands onto his lap. "I'm sorry. I'm just pumped up."
"Mhmm."
Only a few minutes of silence inched between them, where her breathing had slowed into a hum. He watched her while straightening the bill of his hat; it had been washed and cleaned since he returned home, but it still held the tea at the edges. Hats in the real world didn't have an infinite life span, he supposed... much like a lot of other things.
"Misty..."
"What?!" She snapped, this time glaring fully at him, without holding anything back.
He swallowed hard and kneaded his fingers against his knees. "Do you think... that we'll be able to see my mom?" When her eyes met his, they softened right away, and she thumped her head on the train wall.
With a loud sigh she squeezed her eyes shut and pinched the bridge of her nose, gathering her thoughts. "No." She said suddenly. "If there really is someone threatening her, then she's probably disowned you for a reason. It might be safer for her, and you if we don't bother her for now." Misty said smoothly, and Ash nodded slowly before looking out the window at the passing trees. The train had been built straight through the forest, but allowed for the quickest route to Viridian City.
...Now that he knew all of these things about his mother though, he wasn't sure how he was supposed to stay calm. Would it have been too much to tell Cole to run? Ash her straight forward if something was going on—or was she constantly being watched? It made him sick to think that he had somehow gotten his mother tied up with all of this.
As if reading the thoughts on his face, Misty extended her left hand, and slapped him tightly on the knee, and gripped.
"It'll be fine, Ash." She assured him, making sure to make eye contact to deliver the message thoughtfully. "Don't over think it; what's the worst that could happen?" She asked, allowing her hand to slip away.
"Now, I'm going to sleep. Please stop waking me up every two seconds." Misty laughed pathetically, turning away from him and forcing her eyes closed. Where her hand had laid seconds ago burned, and Ash smiled meekly at her.
"Thanks, Mist."
"Shh!" She snapped causing his back to straighten in reaction, but then added with an honest, playful smile. "You're welcome."
XOXs
It was too quiet without Misty. Pikachu took the chance to nap as well, and it was only during days like this did he realize that the energetic pokemon was indeed moving upward in age. He would never tell Ash, but he liked his naps, and his muscles ached in the morning, but Ash would only stroke his head—it's why the raven-haired man was leery of really letting pikachu battle. He wasn't sure he could see the pokemon fatally injured, even if pikachu was him trump card.
Togepi on the other hand, was a ball of energy, much like Ash, who spent its spare time trying to perfect it's coordination and balance, like Ash had trained it to early on. It practiced by jumping up and down from the seat of the train cart, as well as mastering the ability to move quickly, though its body all but prevented it from doing so. Ash spent the majority of the morning listening to Misty sleep quietly beside him, and watching togepi practice.
"You think you're going to be able to battle officially soon, togepi?" Ash joked, but the matter was no laughing matter to togepi, who poked his little arms side to side and chirped loudly. Ash grinned.
"That's the spirit." he said, returning the small bump of their limbs before he settled back once more.
If Misty was going to be at the league where would that leave him? Daisy already assumed he wouldn't be coming back to their house... Ash fished for the pendant Misty gave him, the cascade badge on the end of a necklace. She wore it almost every time he saw her, it was almost a trophy representing her title as the Cerulean City Gym leader... Maybe now that she rejected the title, it was too much of a burden to wear the necklace. Ash tucked it back into his shirt and exhaled silently. Silently, he watched the pokemon continue before rose to dig through his pack until he found the slightly torn and damaged package of the gift Agatha gave him months prior. He laughed at himself for putting it off so long, but felt at some core in his heart, there was a reason.
Everything happened for a reason—those were the words his mother used to tell him when he was young. While he removed the package, he flopped back down into his seat, and double checked to see that Misty was sleeping, and then slowly moved to fumble with the tissue paper inside. Once the initial package was opened, inside was a small, square box, and his eyebrows knit together.
Gnawing the tape off, he thumbed the lid from the small box to reveal the small variation of a purple pokeball, with two red circles over the purple.
"...what?" Ash asked, removing the ball to get a better look at it. There was no mistaking it. This was a master ball—but what on earth would Agatha think to give him a master ball for? He turned it over, examined all sides for some message, as well as the contents of the package, and then stared at the pokeball, recalling Agatha's words.
Don't open it in front of the girl. She had said, but why? What was so important about a master ball? Misty had seen a million of them before—but only in shop windows. They were too expensive otherwise.
Curiously, he clicked the small button at the front, and the button grew white for a moment, and then returned to the normal, grayish tone it was originally. His mouth fell open, and he shook the pokeball, and then clicked the button again—it wouldn't even return to normal size!
"Bbbrrii?" The egg asked beside him, placing his nub arms onto Ash's pants, the trainer pointed the pokeball at togepi, who stared in awe for a short time, and then blinked its mutual confusion.
His next maneuver? Ash did what any person would do, he tried to bite it; only to hurt his tooth and start swearing. His muttered, hushed voices caused the former gym leaders ears to twitch and her eyes fluttered open slowly.
"Mmm, what's going on?" Misty gasped, turning over to see Ash quickly stuff the pokeball behind him, placing it among his other balls on his belt.
"Nothing." He snapped guiltily, and Misty saw the open packaging strewn about the train cart and her mouth gaped.
"Ash, you opened it!"
Ash scoot the packing onto the floor and blinked innocently at her. "Opened what?" He smiled and Misty all but growled while throwing her legs back over the seat to rip into him, but a tired, adorable yawn from pikachu reminded her that it was none of her business. Instead, she hit the service button again.
"I need coffee if I'm going to deal with you today." she rolled her eyes playfully.
Ash frowned and folded his arms. "Gee, thanks."
XOXS
They arrived in Viridian City a quarter after ten, much to Ash's glee. They still had almost two hours to adventure, and since Ash wasn't as sickly as he was his first time through, or driven by a strange sense of devotion to his pokemon, he took in the wonderful scents of the city, and exhaled.
"You have too much energy." Misty groaned beside him, flipping on her sun glasses. In much of the same fashion she always did when she exited the train, her hair was cut shorter than it had been when he first met her, and she wore a red, long sleeved shirt and yellow vest, matched with blue, jean shorts and a pair of sneakers. In just under a year, she looked so different. Ash on the other hand, hadn't changed much at all. He was still wearing his same gray-blue jeans and black tee-shirts, as well as blue light jackets. Unlike before, however, he thought they matched better.
Thoughts straying, he turned back at her with togepi and pikachu on his shoulders as they went to get their tickets stamped.
"You don't have enough energy. You're about to become an Elite Four member, show some more excitement."
No sooner than the words left Ash's mouth, did a basin of dirty looks ranging from the old and the young spring to life in their vicinity, and Misty hissed for him to be quiet as she pushed him to the exit of the station. They walked for a short time before Misty spoke to him again, she was stewing and upset that he would blab like that... then again, she supposed it wasn't really a secret.
"Don't just say stuff like that." Misty sighed.
Ash frowned. "Why?"
"Because, people still don't like them, remember?" She said and Ash nodded slowly.
"I guess it slipped my mind."
"Anyways, since we're here, we should stop in to visit with Agatha before we see Cole." Misty suggested, noticing that with Ash at her side, and possibly the change of clothes, people looked at her much less than they had before. Requiring less bursts of anger. Ash fidgeted uncomfortably.
"Actually, that's a good idea."
XOXS
Taxi fares were expensive in the city, and so they rode the bus to the route leading into the assisted living home. From there, they marched on, with Misty thanking heaven she spent the last two weeks building up her stamina once more, because Ash was walking her to death. The entire trail, he, pikachu, and togepi stayed a moderate three to four steps a head of her, mirroring their first time walking from Viridian City to Pallet Town so many months ago.
"You must have an Olympian's legs or something at this point, Ash." Misty said breathlessly, earning a blush from Ash who shrugged off his anxiety and rolled his shoulders to the woman.
"What's wrong, Mist? Can't keep up." He grinned and her face darkened as she increased her pace. Ash did too, and what was once supposed to be a relaxing trip through the forest turned into a laughing, pointless rivalry.
When they arrived at the assisted living home, they were both sweaty from the summers heat, thirsty from their jog, and tired. Ash wheezed with his hands pressed against his knees, hunched over. Misty placed her hand on his back to keep herself standing, and pressed the other against her left knee. She could feel the sweat settle beneath her long sleeve shirt, and she was suddenly rethinking the sleeves. Her hair matted her neck and she stood up, putting her hands on her hips victoriously.
"See, no problem!" She breathed, and Ash raised his eyebrows at her quizzically.
"So we're walking back, right?" He nudged her on the side and she threw up her arms.
"Hell no, I am paying for a taxi!" She laughed, and stormed inside of the nice, cool facility. Ash and his pokemon followed after her, though both pokemon respectfully kept their space so he could cool down without the added body heat.
Misty waved to the administration offices at the front of the entrance, poked her head inside to earn a smile from the male administrator and they were both sent on their way.
"What happened to the blonde lady?" Ash asked, gesturing to his hair. Misty shrugged.
"They change administrators all the time. He's the one that's been here since I started visiting with Brock." Misty explained while turning the corner to the activities wing; steering clear of Dr. Abby's office, though Ash had other ideas.
"What about Dr. Abby?"
"Let's not worry about her today, okay?" Misty asked smoothly while approaching the nurses station. "Hey, I was wondering if Agatha was in today?" She asked the pudgy woman sitting at the desk. Her eyes turned from her paper work to the red head, and a light hit them.
"Oh, Misty! You're back again!" She practically reached over the counter to hug Misty, but the gym leader wasn't having it as she reeled backwards, complaining that it was 'too hot'.
"And who is this hunk? You always do bring the cute ones with you. I thought you were dating that... Brock fellow, was it?" The nurse cooed smacking her lips in a trollish way. Ash and Misty both raised their eyes, looked at each other and then looked back at the expectant nurse.
"Dorothy, this is Ash."
When the nurse looked back at the man, she adjusted her glasses once more in disbelief, her red lips parted in complete surprise and Ash rubbed the back of his neck nervously.
"No way!" She then sunk to her desk and cursed to herself. "I just hit on one of my old patients...oh how the might have fallen." The woman cursed dramatically, and both Ash and Misty laughed in return.
"Man, what do you do to them? When he left he was just as scrawny as that old woman over there." The nurse hissed the last part quietly as to not get in trouble, and Ash's face fell into a scowl as he looked from the nurse to the woman she gestured to, and then to Misty who was chuckling. Misty tried to stifle her laugh with the backside of her hand, but Ash huffed in response.
"I didn't do anything, he went on some elaborate adventure for eight months." Misty pointed at him and leaned on the nurses station high counter. "Though, I can't see what everyone is saying. He still looks like a kid to me."
She eyed him unprofessionally, causing immediate discomfort from Ash who felt his stomach flop. He could hear it in her voice, she was teasing him with that impish snarl, but he crumbled under her gaze and snapped back to the nurse.
"Is Agatha here?"
The nurse's shared humor with Misty immediately fell and she clucked her tongue while flipping through a few of the most recent reports.
"No, she's out at bingo today. But I can take a message for you?" She asked with raised eyebrows. Ash sighed, and then glared at Misty.
"I'm just going to go, then. It was nice seeing you again Dorothy, thanks." Ash grumbled and turned and walked away from the duo, his face still bright red.
Misty snorted; "I think I hurt his feelings." She joked, and then turned back to the nurse. "Thanks anyways. It was nice seeing you." She offered before catching up to Ash. When they walked away, Dorothy licked her lips and looked down at her notes sullenly, seeing clearly that Agatha's check out form indicated that she was, indeed, at the facility.
For the sake of looking, they poked their heads around the corner to see that Dr. Abby was also checked out of her office and Misty hummed quietly, lost in her own thoughts as they returned to the road.
XOXs
Their rendezvous with Cole was supposed to happen at the ice cream parlor across from his school. Neither felt comfortable asking to see Cole over the phone via Delia, and they didn't want Cole to get caught sneaking out—and neither wanted the cops called on Ash again; so they went this route instead. The only downside was that pikachu could not see his family, because Cole wasn't allowed to bring his pokemon to school with him.
On the hot day, with the sun beading down on their backs, the trip sat happily at a small, yellow wicker table, and listened to the children play on the school grounds across from them. Cole didn't mind that he missed one lunch recess, he wouldn't see Ash very much; this was the best treat ever. Seeing his super hero.
His eyes lit up the very moment Ash arrived at the outside of the school. Misty went in to sign Cole out for lunch with a forged signature from Delia—so no questions would be asked, and then watched the two reunite for the first time. Even though Cole had no idea Ash was his brother, not really, their connection was glaringly real.
"Wow, you really battled two gyarados? Is this true, Misty? Did he?" Cole asked staring awestruck at Ash from across the table where his bowl of ice cream melted onto the table. They only had him for lunch, and then he was back to school.
Misty quirked her eyebrows at Ash and hummed while smacking her lips. "I dunno. 'tis the first time I'm hearing about it, too, kid." She grunted while glaring daggers at Ash.
Ash, pikachu, and togepi all laughed nervously, the later perched happily in Misty's lap while Cole looked at her angry face.
"...You... you're kind of scary sometimes, you know that?" Cole muttered in defense of Ash, and the older boy gestured to Cole with pleading eyes. Misty sat back.
"Scary? How am I scary?" She gasped, insulted.
"You just have this look sometimes. It's the same one my mom has when she catches me sneaking into the fridge past midnight." Cole explained worriedly, and Ash nodded viciously and then smiled at Cole.
"You too? I used to do that when I was a kid." Ash laughed, and Cole grinned and put his thumbs up happily.
"We could be like brothers!"
A stoic silence enveloped the trio as they sat, but it was Misty who cleared her throat.
"So have you been able to practice anything that I showed you?" Misty asked as she dusted Cole's private school blazer off with her thumbs in a motherly fashion. Ash's eyes lingered on the gentle touch before Cole's excitement recaptured him.
"A whole bunch! Mama pikachu can use thunder now, and she's started teaching it to her pichus!" He looked specifically at Ash's pikachu from that point, and rubbed his ears. "She really does miss papa pikachu though. You've been gone for so long..." Cole hummed sadly.
Misty looked hopeful. "Well, maybe when this is all over you'll be able to visit more often."
"When what is all over?" Cole asked innocently, and Misty realized her error a moment to late. Ash leaned forward.
"Misty's going to be the new Elite Four member if Kanto and Johto regions. So if somethings going wrong, she's going to fix it."
Cole gasped, "Like zubat man?"
Ash snorted and alongside pikachu held his mouth to contain his laughter while Misty stomped his foot under the table with an enticing grin. Ash spent a majority of their time talking about battles, letting Cole use pikachu in battle at the small field beside the ice cream parlor, until the thirty minutes they had grew to a close at the ring of the final bell.
Cole, who had been smiling the entire time the duo visited, looked on sadly at his school, and then back to them. "Do you have to leave already?"
"Unfortunately." Misty murmured, though Ash found it difficult to speak.
"Why don't you guys come over later for supper? Mom can't be mad at Ash if you're with him, Misty." He grabbed her shorts, his lip quivering as he looped up at her with brown, doe-y eyes. Her lip quivered in response, and she squat to see him at eye level.
"Things are a little more complicated than that right now, Cole. I'm sorry." Misty hugged him, pat his auburn hair while he rubbed his eyes, trying his best no to tear up. Ash squat beside them both, hands on his knees.
"Cole, cheer up, we will see you again." He tried, but Cole burst away from Misty and shook his head. The bell rang once more.
"But not soon enough!" He hiccuped. "...why can't Ash come with you? You're married aren't you? Mom can't hate him if you're married."
"Married?!" Ash squealed, standing up and backing away from Misty, who laughed, though her face had turned equally as red as Ash's. "Misty, what the heck?"
"It's a long story." Misty waved Ash off and then turned Cole around, not falling for his cutesy tricks of crying. "Your mom told me Gary used to try to cry his way into getting what he wanted, too." She called his bluff, and Ash watched as Cole's tears and lip disappeared in a second, replaced by a cute scowl.
"Go back to school. We'll visit you again soon."
"Promise?" He smiled weakly, glancing at Ash and pikachu and togepi.
Ash nodded. "We promise."
Though, Ash pulled on his collar to try to clear his head from the nonsense he had just been graced with. Both togepi and pikachu rolled on the dirt, laughing while Misty stood and directed Cole back to the school yard. She stayed at the end of the street until he crossed the road safely, and re-entered the building. Only then, did she have the courage to look at Ash.
"Care to explain?"
"Oh, c'mon, we're a little married." Misty said uncouth as she pointed down the street to start their stroll back to the train station. "He made really valid points, and was completely convinced—I wasn't going to be the one to explain to him the difference between friends and couples. That is not my jurisdiction, so I just went along with it."
"So what are you going to do when he tells that to my mother?"
"...scream?" Misty answered with a scrunch of her face. "I hadn't actually thought that far."
Then without a moments notice, she jogged ahead of him while scooping up togepi and whistling. Flabbergasted, he watched her for a time, and then shook his head; his brain finally clicking with her words.
"What do you mean were a little married?!" He gasped, his face turning scarlet once more while she laughed loudly at his confusion.
Behind them, a cloaked figure pressed a quiet a microphone to their lips and hissed incoherently as they watched the duo race to the train station.
XOXs
They arrived at the indigo plateau just in time to get checked into their hotel room, and dressed for the party. Misty was met with a fleet of media cameras when she entered the vicinity of the industrial stadiums and buildings, and was a little surprised to hear that Brock was not going to be meeting her until the party started. Ash was amazed at how different the plateau was compared to his dream; it was nearly void of all trees, with a large, stadium housed at the very center of what appeared to be huge city structures. Misty was lost when she entered, as it was her first time entering the city; so she was a little mad with Brock.
Leave it to Brock to change plans at the last minute.
When they arrived in their hotel room, Misty tossed her suitcase onto the bed and said that she was going for a shower first. Ash took the liberty to claim the left bed from himself by drifting off to sleep for a few minutes before she walked back out in a blur of a white robe. Almost a year, and the rate at which she showered was strikingly nerve wrecking.
"Your turn. Be quick, the party starts at six." Ash looked to the alarm clock beside his bed, which read back to him 3:00pm, and he groaned.
"What's the rush?"
"Ash..." She started. "Please." she said, instead of whatever angry threat she had muted, and he got up and obeyed.
Ash ran his hair under the water. It hadn't been cut since he returned, but he thought that if he tried to do it now, he might make it look worse, or unprofessional; both, as Misty Waterflower's date, would have petrified to the woman. Instead, after he stepped out of the water, he combed it down so his spikes didn't poke in every direction. He caught a glimpse of the healing scar on the right side of his abdomen, and grimaced, praying that Misty never saw the injury. Before he could throw on his old clothes, Misty knocked on the door.
"Don't put on your old clothes." She directed in the nick of time. Ash grumbled, that was his luck.
"Why not?"
"Well, are you decent?" She asked and Ash looked down at himself, and then covered with a towel before cracking the door. Steam hit Misty in the face and she shook her head before trying to pry the door open, but Ash caught it with his foot to keep it closed.
Misty stared at his brown eyes smacked her lips; "I thought you said you were decent."
"That doesn't mean you can just walk in." He scowled while his face flushed. Flustered herself, she didn't see the problem as she held up a neatly wrapped package. Ash's mouth fell open realizing what he was looking at. It was a tailored, black suit, with a cerulean blue vest and tie.
"Then put this on." She muttered. "Do you know how?" She asked again, and he inhaled, reaching through the crack in the door to snatch the garment.
"I can figure it out." He said suddenly, glancing down at her to see that her face was no longer naked, she had on winged eyeliner, hints of deep eyeshadow that made her eyes pop, and cherry red lips. His heart screamed, and he accidentally slammed the door in her face to separate her gaze from himself.
"Ow!" She snapped. "What the hell?!" She added while hobbling away to leave Ash to his devices. He shifted around the bathroom and hung the suit up on the hook behind the door while Misty shouted at him not to 'wrinkle it because it's a rental'. He grinned at that. Of course it was.
XOXs
Ash had never tied a tie before in his life, this only became glaringly obvious when he tried to knot the stupid blue one that Misty gave him. He managed to button the blouse, tuck the shirt, wrangle the vest, but the tie was killing him.
"Misty, I need help." He muttered pathetically with a furious pout while finagling with the long piece of clothing. He questioned what purpose they even served outside of being another obstacle in his life that he could not quite grasp.
Ash hadn't even looked at her when her heels clacked against the ground to indicate that she listening, as well as approaching. His eyes turned forward and his mouth fell open as she stuck out her thin fingers to begin the lassoing of his tie.
He didn't mean to stare, it just sort of happened. She was gorgeous, but practical. Misty fancied herself the idea that all things pretty must also be rational, and her dress screamed that. It wasn't a tight squeeze like some party dress, or a fluffy, princess ball gown that Ash saw in the movies; but it was a simple cerulean blue short dress, cut right above her knees, with a sheer, flowing train curtained down her back to give the simple gown an elegant flow. It was adorned with decorative flowers at the seams where the bustle trailed at her waist, and she had a simple left strap on the heart shape top that brought the necklace Daisy gifted her alive. Against the heavy blues and red air, her eyes beamed bright and green and his chest tightened as if someone was reaching inside to strangle him. He stopped breathing for a beat.
He squawked, rather than making a real comment, because his brain hadn't quite caught up with his eyes, and he was staring at her pale skin while she flipped the last knot of his tie, and tucked it in close to his collar.
"There." she hummed, taking a step back so that Ash could see her clearly. While unintentional, it did nothing to shut his mouth until she folded her arms.
"Pika, pikachuuuuu." The mouse commented while staring at his trainer, implying something that caught Ash by surprise. Gawking ended, he stormed over to the bed where pikachu was perched and rubbed the pokemon's scalp ferociously.
"What did he say?" Misty questioned while flipping around to finish her attire. She pulled on a sheer-white cardigan, and tucked her traditional silver cascade earrings in while looking back at Ash. When she twirled, he could see the black tights beneath her skirting; a faint reminder that while beautiful, she was still Misty.
"He was being cheeky." Ash mused, looking at her while she faced the mirror across the two beds to pull her hair into a carefully twisted french bun. "Mist... you look like a girl." He mused, watching her face fall in her reflection.
"Ash Ketchum, that is the second time you've told me that since we've known each other." She scolded, turning to face him with a bobby pin in her mouth. "Anymore and I'm going to start having identity issues."
He grinned at that and approached her once more, swiping at the strands of her red hair to brush out her work,causing her hair fell back into her face.
"If you include the time I said it in my dream, then that would technically already be three." He grinned, recalling the look from the faintest part of his memory where a scowling Misty looked at him with her short hair framing her face.
"Leave it down." he said nicely, and she quirked an eyebrow in response as her own eyes traveled to view his hair.
Once there, her face scrunched up cutely, realizing she had forgotten something important.
"I forgot to cut your hair." she leered and Ash felt a shiver run down his spine.
"That's okay."
"No, no." She breathed, and brushed against Ash to her bag. He didn't notice until she bumped him, but her hands were shaking. "I'll cut it before we go, so then I can at least gel it, or something." she said while calmly reaching into her pack for a set of sheers.
Ash would have questioned why she was carrying them—but he assumed it was one of those girl things he would never understand.
She gestured for him to sit as she removed the sheets from the bed and wrapped them around him before beginning her cuts. Ash's face scrunched up, trying to see her in the reflection of the mirror.
"You're going to get hair on your dress." he said, realizing how sweaty his hands had become.
She scoffed, cutting the length of his ponytail off with one slice. "It's just a dress."
"Isn't it a rental, too?"
"No, actually." She breathed. "It's one of Lily's old ones."
"Wouldn't she be mad if you ruined it?" he laughed nervously, imagining the screaming match.
Misty smiled gently. "No, she gave it to me because she said blue was more of my color."
"I agree." The words escaped his mouth before he could stop them, and Misty grinned, though her face flushed.
"Do you?" She chuckled. "I always thought reds and yellows were a better match for me."
His mouth felt dry and his face heated up. "You look fine in whatever." he muttered, then realizing it sounded awkward, he quickly added; "I mean, for you."
"What's that supposed to mean?" She snapped with snarl undertone. Ash laughed nervously.
"N-nothing. Forget it." He said, watching pikachu face palm.
A pause.
"How are you so calm?" he blurted out suddenly, much to Misty's surprise. He fidgeted, thinking about all the weird questions that were thrown their way, the time they spent together, the closeness, and how she remained so natural—nonchalant. It was both rage, and craze invoking!
"Years of practice." she admitted, lost in thought as she wrapped herself into the nuisance nature of snipping his hair. "I mean, yeah, I feel stressed out; sometimes a little anxious and cranky, and I have good reason to be. I could very well be walking into a huge trap, infested by Team Rocket who may or may not be controlling everything—and even if they're not, I'm still accepting a huge political role that is life changing." She huffed and fumbled with a few strands of his hair.
Ash's lips pursed, hearing her confession made his skin crawl a little. "And on top of everything else, I have these weird..." She stopped, earning Ash's full attention as he turned around to face her. She looked stunned by her own thoughts before she placed the scissors on the night stand, and dusted her hands off.
"You're done." She said matter of face, smiling while removing the sheet from his person and balling it up before tossing it away to the hamper in the corner of the room. Ash stood up, dusting his white shirt, and vest off and blinked at her. Maybe he wasn't the only one with weird feelings after all!
"Mis-" Feeling the intense nature of his voice, she raised her hand to interrupt him.
"I'm really glad you made it back when you did." Misty turned away from him as she spoke, missing his confidence deflate. "Life is really weird when you're not around. I've gotten so used to you being there." She laughed nervously, approaching him with his suit jacket and helping him into it while buttoning the front, and folding his collar in the right places.
"Sometimes I think that if you hadn't woken up, I wouldn't be standing here right now." her face scrunched up cutely, but her eyes couldn't reach his, so instead she focused in on his tie that she straightened for the second time, making sure he looked prim and proper. "So, thank you, for everything."
Ash's veins pulsed, threatening to rip right out of his flesh when her eyes met his. His mind raced briefly to the emotions he had felt prior to the last two weeks, and his throat tightened. Eyes moving from her eyes to her mouth, he went to speak, to move, but only a strangled sound emerged.
Breaking his thought, Misty jarred him forward and took his arm with a bright smile.
"Are you ready?" She asked chipper, her serious mood flipped.
"..." Ash stared at her, eyebrows knitting as he reminded himself of his duty to her that he would say and do nothing that might derail her thoughts and determination until after the party, and then exhaled.
"No." He grinned while he dropped his hand into hers and squeezed. The movement elicited a blush that he barely noticed as he led her forward. "But if I wait until I'm ready, I never will be!" He repeated her words from when they were leaving the gym, and she grinned proudly.
Author's Note:
When I first started writing this, the whole ten days, ten months, thing after someone's tenth birthday means they start their journey (making Ash's birthday May 22) wasn't known (Or at least I didn't see it) So his birthday is still July 27th, just thought I would put that out there.
They're a little married, don't you think? (That's also a reference to a television show, anyone know it?)
Also, I imagine that 'pokemon' schools would be optional all year round. Just my thought. Haha.