Chapter 2
It ended up being about an hour flight to Lake Mizu, but Pidgeot's wings proved to be built for long flights, easily gliding through long stretches that Charizard would have seen as a challenge. She was also much more comfortable to ride on than Charizard was, covered in thick feathers that were meant to keep her warm at higher altitudes, which made for much softer seating than scales.
The sun was just starting to dip in the west as they approached the lake, the rays gleaming off of the water's surface. Pidgeot took them on an aerial lap above the water before Ash guided her towards the shore. She stared down at the familiar sight fondly– this place feeling like it hadn't changed in the many years they had been coming here, though this was one of the few times she had seen it completely empty. She smiled as she saw a picnic table set up not far from the water's edge, a familiar yellow shape keeping watch over the food.
"Pikachu!" Misty called happily as they landed, having wondered where the mouse was. His ears flicked up, and a huge smile spread over his face.
"Pikachu-pi!" He cried, leaping off of the table and bolting towards them. Ash slide off of Pidgeot's back, holding a hand out to Misty to help her do the same. Pikachu threw himself into her arms the moment her feet touched the ground, nuzzling her. "Cha~"
"I missed you too!" Misty said, kissing his forehead.
"Pikapika!" He replied, touching his nose to hers.
"How come he gets the warm welcome?" Ash asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Because he's a little gentle-mon, that's why," She said, smiling as he crawled onto her shoulder. "Aren't you Pikachu?"
"Pikapika!" He said, tail wrapping around her. He pressed a paw against his chest, looking quite proud of himself. Ash snatched his starter from off her shoulder, grinning down at the mouse.
"Nice try, but she's my date tonight," Ash said with a smirk, to which Pikachu replied with a small electrical shock. The jolt didn't even bother Ash, just grinning as he set the electric type on the ground. The mouse bolted towards the table, scurrying up onto it, and pointing at the food that was set up. "Hungry?"
"Maybe," Misty said teasingly, allowing Ash to lead her over. She felt a strong breeze wash over them, and she glanced behind her to see Pidgeot taking to the sky, wings flapping as she rose up into the air. Her gaze flickered back to the table, looking at the variety of food in front of them. "Who made this? It looks delicious."
"Yours truly," Ash replied, gesturing for her to sit.
"Uh-huh. Brock, I'm guessing? Your mother?"
Ash pretended to look offended. "What, you don't think I could make you dinner? I spent several hours preparing all of this!"
"Really?"
"Really!" He insisted, sitting next to her. "Right, Pikachu?"
"Pikapika," He bobbed his head, picking up a half-empty bottle of ketchup. Misty knew that Ash had brought it specifically for the mouse.
"All by yourself? With no help?"
"...Well, I did get the recipes from Brock and Cilan... and it may have taken me a few attempts to get everything right... but it was me and my Pokemon that made it!"
"If you say so..."
"I really did!"
She grinned, poking him on the nose. "I'm teasing, Ketchum," She leaned forward, giving him a small peck on the lips. "I believe you, and I think it's really sweet that you made all this, so thank you."
Ash was grinning. "Well then– let's dig in!"
Some things never changed– Ash happily piling up food onto a plate. Misty reached for her own, looking again over the food that Ash had made. He had never been much of a cook, but again, neither had she. The fact that he had taken the time to make all this showed so much– and meant a lot more than any fancy restaurant date ever could. Ash was already eating by the time she filled up her plate, and she only shook her head.
"Do you like it?" Ash asked after she took a bite, looking slightly on edge.
"Don't look so nervous, Ketchum, it doesn't suit you," She replied.
"I just want to know if you like it."
She took another bite, purposely chewing slowly, exaggerating a long look of thought as she swallowed. "Hmm... Let's see, do I like it...?" She spoke slowly, fighting against a grin as Ash nervously waited for a reply– while Pikachu broke out into giggles. She leaned up against him, smiling. "I do like it– and you clearly put a lot of effort into this, even when you didn't have to. Thank you– and I'll definitely find a way to make it up to you."
"I think a kiss would be a nice way to make it up to me," Ash said.
"Maybe after dinner, Ashy-boy."
"Don't you dare call me that, it's bad enough when Gary does."
"Whatever you say, Ashy-boy."
Ash rolled his eyes, taking another bite. She watched him closely, slightly surprised that he didn't have a comeback for her, as he often did. He was just smiling thoughtfully, eating a bit more slowly than one would expect from the way he often wolfed his meals down. He caught her eye as she stared, gave her a grin, and then began shoveling his food into his mouth once more.
"Chu...?" Pikachu let out a small whimper, having reached the end of the ketchup bottle. He tried to squeeze more of it out, licking what was on his paws. Misty unscrewed the lid for him, allowing him to reach in with a paw to try to scrape out what remained.
"I bought him that one three days ago," Ash said, shaking his head. "I need to limit him."
Pikachu's ears went up in alarm, clutching the plastic bottle closer to him. Misty scratched him behind the ear. "Don't worry, I'll be sure to get you some more ketchup if Ash tries to starve you."
"Pika!" He cooed, nuzzling up against her arm, leaving a small trail of ketchup on her skin.
"It's kind of startling how quiet it is here," Misty said, looking out over the calm lake. "I don't think we've ever been here alone before. Usually there's at least a dozen people out on the water."
"I'll make sure to rent it out again next year," He said. "Did you bring your Pokemon?"
"My main team, everyone else is back at the gym. You?"
"I've been rotating some of them out as of late, making sure everyone has a chance to get out of Pallet Town. I don't get to battle with them as much now days," He scratched the back of his head. "Can't exactly go up to anyone anymore and ask for a battle like I used to."
"Want to have a battle then?" Misty asked.
Ash grinned. "Oh, you are so on!"
And with that he leapt to his feet, stuffing the last few bites into his mouth as he grabbed a Pokeball from his belt. Her eyes narrowed, recognizing whose it was right away. She pushed herself to her feet as well, already knowing who she'd be using. If he was using one of his strongest, then she had no choice but to use her strongest.
"Rules?" She asked, plucking a Pokeball off of her own belt.
"One on one, and recalling them to the Pokeball counts as a forfeit. Lake and shore are the battlefield, can't go beyond that," Ash replied, looking out at the lake. "Um... also no permanent damage to the lake or anything, I like this place too much."
"You're the one that has the fire hazard," She replied as they headed towards the lake. She tossed her Pokeball up into the air, a large serpentine shape forming out of the red light. Gyarados let out a roar as he was released onto the lake, stretching out his long body. He turned towards them, giving Ash a snort of acknowledgement. "Up for a battle?"
Gyarados gave a single nod, a gleam in his eyes.
"Let's go, Charizard!" Ash called, summoning the lizard from out of the sphere. Charizard rose up into the air as he was released, flying overhead. "It's been a while since you've had a real challenge, hasn't it?"
Charizard gave a roar of agreement, his eye locking onto the Gyarados below. These two had battled several times before, and the matches had always been close. However, it had been quite awhile since their last battle, and the two were clearly eager to test each other once more. Gyarados swam out deeper into the lake so he had room to swim, while Charizard swooped after him.
"Chu..." Pikachu muttered, crossing his paws– clearly having wanted to battle himself.
"Open up with Rain Dance!" Misty called, and Gyarados reared his head out of the water. He faintly glowed as an orb of energy formed in his mouth, which he launched into the sky with a roar. "Hurricane now!"
Dark clouds began to gather right above the lake, droplets of rain began to pour down from the sky. Fortunately Gyarados kept the storm clouds focused right above the lake, keeping those on the shore dry. Charizard grunted in annoyance as the water poured down on him, but otherwise seemed unaffected by the rain.
A wind began to kick up, circling in front of Gyarados as he drew the energy of the storm in towards him. He released a powerful twister of energy out at Charizard, the Hurricane fueled by the pouring rain. Charizard didn't wait for an order, tucking in his wings and diving straight into the cyclone, riding the gale with ease, using the momentum to burst out from on top, avoiding taking any direct damage from the move.
"Hydro Pump!" Misty cried.
"Dragon Rush!" Ash called back, and blue energy began to crackle around Charizard. The light flared out, looking daunting against the blackness of the storm, the silhouette of a glowing dragon surrounding him. The lizard rose up into the air, before diving down at the Gyarados as he released a torrent of water.
The Dragon Rush seemed to slice right through the Hydro Pump, parting the blast of water as Charizard crashed right into Gyarados. The sea serpent was slammed down into the lake, sending waves rolling out towards shore. Charizard rose back into the air, and by the flicker in his tail flame Misty knew he hadn't been immune to the Hydro Pump. Gyarados was keeping the Rain Dance going strong, the dark clouds churning above. She watched as Charizard worked his way through the rain, his single eye narrowed as Gyarados dove beneath the water.
He skimmed along the surface of the lake, scanning the waves for any sign of Gyarados. The Rain Dance showed no sign of petering out, and even flying along the edge of the storm Charizard was still being hammered with rain water.
A dark shape appeared below Charizard, the creature quickly rising towards the surface. Charizard flared his wings open to pull up, but Gyarados reared out of the water, fangs draped in a dark aura as he sank a Crunch attack right into Charizard's neck. He let out a bellow of pain as he was dragged into the water, sending more waves crashing across the lake.
Ash let out a sigh, raising an arm and placing his hand over a band on his wrist. He didn't say a word, but still a bright white light flared up around him as he did so. The key stone began to hum with energy, tendrils of light stretching out from him and towards the Charizard who was attempting to get back into the air. A Shadow Claw was slashed across Gyarados' face just as the light of mega evolution touched the lizard, who gave a wicked grin.
A bright glow engulfed Charizard, the fire type beginning to grow in size. Gyarados let out a hiss, releasing Charizard as the burning energy grew brighter. His tail and wings lengthen, flaring out as he rose back into the air with a triumphant roar. A third horn sprouted up between the two that crowned his head, each coming to a sharp point. At his wrists two wing-like fins appeared, unfurling from his arms just as the light faded from around him.
The mega Charizard bolted up into the sky, an orange aura radiating out from his body. The energy rushed out, vaporizing the storm clouds above. The sunlight once again shone over Lake Mizu, but it seemed to be magnified with the Drought radiating from Charizard.
Charizard opened his maw, releasing a giant plume of flames down onto Gyarados.
"There goes my favorite strategy..." Misty said as Gyarados dove under the water.
"You knew I was sending out Charizard."
"Oh, and who else was I supposed to send out against him, wise guy?" She asked back. Gyarados surfaced on the other side of the lake, and Misty cupped her hands over her mouth. "Hydro Pump!"
Gyarados released the pressurized blast at Charizard, forcing him back as he tried to swoop in with a Shadow Claw, and he dove back into the water. He looked far from worn though, steam curling up from him as his jaws parted, a flash of green forming in front of him. The Solar Beam flared up instantly, the ray of energy rushing at the dark shape below the waves.
Being under water did nothing to shelter Gyarados from the blast, the beam sizzling as it hit the waves, slamming into the water type. Charizard then rose up into the sky, wings flapping furiously to help him gain air. Seconds later Gyarados reared out of the water, fangs snapping at empty air.
"Wait!" Misty called before her Pokemon could dive underwater once more. He stopped at once, but kept his gaze locked on the Charizard flying far above. She reached for her neck, tugging a necklace out from under her shirt. The key stone was warm against her palm, a light dancing between her fingers the moment she touched it.
She noticed out of the corner of her eye that Ash was watching her rather than the battle as she mega evolved her Gyarados. He winked at her, and in reply she rolled her eyes as a burst of light radiated out from her key stone.
Gyarados let out a roar as the energy hit him, transforming into his mega form. The fins on his back split, sprouting up into huge twin sails. His crest lengthen, the segments of his serpentine form thickening as muscles ripped under his skin. The light around him faded, black and red now highlighting his blue form.
"Solar Beam," Ash called.
This was the reason why Misty had held back on mega evolving Gyarados from the beginning of the match– because now Charizard had a super effective move against Gyarados. And with the energy of his Drought still rippling out from him the Solar Beam formed instantly, the ray striking Gyarados right on the crest, sending him back across the surface of the lake.
"Double Dance!" Misty ordered, and the mega Gyarados let out a low rumble. Purple and blue light began to twist about his form, while he launched a blue orb up from his maw. The Rain Dance was released up into the sky, while the energy of the Dragon Dance washed over him.
"Disfuse it," Ash said as storm clouds began to gather overhead. Charizard swooped up towards the forming Rain Dance, while Gyarados once again sank below the water. He continued to Dragon Dance up, the crackling purple light visible through the water.
Charizard's Drought flared up brighter, the orange aura rushing up at the clouds above to cancel out the Rain Dance. Misty had no plans on winning the weather war though, simply needing to stall enough for Gyarados to get a boost from the energy of the Dragon Dance. The forming clouds were dispersed, sunlight once again shining down on the lake, and Charizard banked about in search of the water type.
He fired a Solar Beam, but Gyarados sped out of the way of the attack. Charizard let out a low rumble, swooping after the rushing dark figure under the water, the green orb of a Solar Beam shining in his maw, ready to be fired at will.
Gyarados then began to rise to the surface, a light blue light cloaking him as he rushed up. He burst out of the water, springing up high into the air– coming level with Charizard as he flew above. A torrent of water began to swirl around his tail, which he slammed into the fire type, knocking him down towards the waves. He dove after the Charizard as the Aqua Tail faded, fangs locking around his shoulder, slamming him down into the lake.
Ash gave a low whistle. "That's a new one."
The two Pokemon began to thrash on the water's surface, Charizard slashing with Shadow Claws as he tried to flee back into the air, while Gyarados refused to release him, the Crunch digging into his scales.
"We were too dependent on our Rain Dance strategy," Misty said. "A Sunny Day and suddenly half of our moves were useless. I was hoping to use this strategy against Lance, but a lot of his Pokemon like the rain as well so there was no reason for him to stop it..."
Charizard cracked a Dragon Tail against Gyarados' side, before releasing a close ranged Solar Beam right at his face. The leviathan let a roar of pain, jaws releasing Charizard. The blast of the Solar Beam sent him flying across the lake's surface, and he crashed into the shallows. Misty couldn't help but wince at the scorched marks on his scales. Still he reared up, hissing at the Charizard swooping towards him.
A mass of energy formed in front of both Pokemon– one green and the other black– and two blasts of energy were launched.
The Hyper Beam and Solar Beam crashed into each other, flaring up with a blinding light. The two humans on the shore line raised a hand to block out the flash, while a shockwave of energy radiated out from the clashing moves, stirring up a slight wind. The two Pokemon were panting as the attacks faded. Misty took in a sharp breath, because while both attacks had been energy consuming, Solar Beam was the easiest to recover from. Gyarados' head sagged against the sand, the exhaustion of the Hyper Beam rushing over him, leaving him unable to retaliate as the Charizard rushed at him.
"Sky Drop!"
"Wait– what?" Misty blinked, and Charizard swooped down at Gyarados. Blue light surrounded him, outlining his wings as he dug his claws into Gyarados' side. His wings labored heavily, but yet he still began to lift the giant Gyarados up into the sky. The water type twisted, but before he could recover Charizard threw him ashore.
"Flamethrower!" Ash cried, and Charizard released a plume of fire down onto the serpent.
"That was not a Sky Drop attack," Misty said, rounding on Ash, hands on her hips. "That was a Fly attack– and you didn't even attack with it!"
"Yeah, but it looks more impressive that way..." Ash smirked slightly.
A proper Sky Drop had a Pokemon take their opponent high into the sky, rendering it near impossible to do with heavier targets– which included a mega evolved Gyarados. Charizard had instead used the energy boost of a Fly attack to drag Gyarados up into the air, though nearly not as quickly nor as high as a true Sky Drop would allow.
"Back into the water!" Misty ordered.
"Stop him!" Ash countered, and a Dragon Rush surrounded Charizard. He dove down at the mega Gyarados as he lunged back towards the lake, the fire type barreling into him. He was sent flying back into the treeline, ramming him into several trees. The trunks snapped upon impact, the trees crashing into the ground with the Gyarados.
"You okay?" She called out to Gyarados, who huffed as he reared up, looking down at the trees lying on the ground about him. He let out a frustrated rumble at Charizard, who merely shrugged in reply. "Well, there goes trying not to damage the lake..."
"We'll just chop them up for firewood for whoever comes out here next," Ash said, scanning the treeline. Bushes and grass had been torn up as well in Gyarados' crash. "And, um, I'll get Meganium to freshen everything up too... You want to end the battle here?"
"Yeah," Misty said. "I don't want Charizard setting the forest on fire next."
"It was your Gyarados that knocked down the trees."
"And it was your Charizard that launched him into them!"
They stared at each other for a moment, before they burst out laughing. Gyarados and Charizard began to glow, the mega evolution fading from around them. Both looked worn from the battle, but were far from down. Charizard landed on the shore line, giving Gyarados a nod as he pulled himself back towards the lake. The water type slipped back into the waves, letting out a rumble. The blinding sunlight overhead seemed to soften, the remains of the Drought fizzling out.
"Next time let's battle in a proper arena," Ash said, grinning. "That way we can both go full out."
"Is battling the only thing on your mind?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.
He wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her close. "Nah, I have a few other things in there as well. Like that kiss you talked about earlier..."
She rolled her eyes, before grabbing his shirt and pulling him into a kiss. Her arms soon shifted so they were around his shoulders, while his other arm pressed against her back. She ignored the laughing rumble Charizard gave as they embraced– because it had been too long since she had been with Ash like this. Just to be out in the open, holding him close, no one but them and their Pokemon.
"Pikapika?" Pikachu chirped, leaping Ash's shoulder, causing them to pull back. He was looking at Ash excitedly, small form trembling. "Pikapi chu Pikachu-pi? Pikapika?"
She tilted her head slightly, trying to make out his questioning tone, while Ash simply shook his head. "Later bud, we just got here."
"Chu!" Pikachu whimpered, crossing his arms unhappily, and jumped to the ground.
"What's up next then, Romeo?" Misty asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Well..." Ash said, trailing off in thought. "I was thinking..." He then suddenly scooped her up into his arms, before marching off towards the lake. Her arms tightened around his neck, eyes widening in realization, and he grinned down at her. "How about some swimming?"
The water sloshed around his feet as he took them into the lake. "Ash Ketchum, I swear to Arceus, if you throw me into the lake again–"
She didn't have time to finish, Ash dropping her into the water before she could say another word. She sat up, fortunately still in the shallower part of the lake, sputtering for air. She could hear him laughing, while she shot a glare at him, pushing herself to her feet. Cold lake water dripped from her, clothes clinging to her form.
"What's wrong Mist, I thought you loved swimming!"
"Do you have to do that every year?!"
"It's tradition!"
"It's stupid!" She snarled back, but Ash simply laughed again. Every year, without fail, he always managed to toss her into the lake. Could he be a normal human being and wait for them to change into their swimwear? No, just throw her right in. "Pikachu– a little help here?"
"Pikachu-pi!" He agreed happily, and he began to glow silver. He bolted forward with an Extreme Speed, jumping and crashing into Ash's back, sending him toppling into the water. The mouse looked up at Misty happily, before paddling over towards her. She scooped him up, placing the Pokemon on her shoulder as Ash came up for air.
"Aren't you supposed to be on my side?" Ash asked the mouse, coughing up a bit of water. Pikachu considered this for a moment, before giving Misty a lick on the cheek.
"Aww, who's my little gentle-mon?"
"Cha~"
"Traitor," Ash muttered, before turning and cupping his hands. "Hey Charizard, get over here and help me!"
The lizard banked about, flying out towards them. Pikachu leapt onto Misty's head, cheeks sparking in preparation to defend her should the lizard joined in on their antics. Charizard swooped down as he approached them, jaws opening and releasing a Flamethrower– straight at Ash.
With that Charizard flew away, landing on the shore with a content rumble.
"...Both of you are traitors."
"What's wrong Ashy, I thought this was your idea!" Misty said tauntingly, and he flashed her a glare. "Well, it looks like this is my chance to defeat the mighty champion– Gyarados, Hydro Pump!"
Gyarados was off in the deeper section of the lake, but still close enough to execute his trainer's orders. He turned, releasing a blast of water at Ash. It was nothing compared to the powerful bursts he had released in the battle, but still more than enough to knock Ash back into the water.
"Four against one?" He asked. "How's that fair?"
"All's fair in love and war!" She called back.
"Alright then– Buizel, Aqua Jet!" Ash cried, pulling out a Pokeball from his belt. In the same moment the Pokemon took form one of Misty's Pokeballs opened up, Golduck standing ready as the Buizel glared up at them.
"Dive!" Misty cried back, wrapping her arms around Golduck. He leapt into the waves, surrounding her and Pikachu in an air bubble as he took them deeper into the lake. A quick glance up showed Buizel and Ash hurrying after them, ready to follow them under the water.
On her shoulder Pikachu giggled, clearly having no plans on letting his trainer win this.
"Come on, just a bit farther..."
"Ash, I'm exhausted," Misty groaned, following Ash up the hiking trail, legs aching. "Give me a minute."
"It'll be worth it, I promise you," He said, pausing to allow her to catch up. She sighed, but continued after him. The sun was setting, the last rays shining through the trees, causing her to have to narrow her eyes as their hike continued.
This day had been everything Misty had hoped for– a chance to be with Ash and her Pokemon, to escape the crowds and the stress to just be with each other. They had their excitement with their battle and the swimming war, and had a chance to relax on the lake shore after. The dessert Ash had made had been delicious, though he had admitted it had taken him several tries to get it just right. It had been a perfect evening, and nothing sounded better to Misty then to go back to her cabin with Ash and rest.
But he had seemed nothing but excited about the prospects of this hike, and had eagerly insisted they go tonight. It wasn't too far from Lake Mizu, just a couple of minutes away on Charizard's back, and they had never been here before. In all honesty a hike hadn't sounded appealing at all, her muscles tired and her clothes stiff from how they had dried, but seeing the look in Ash's eyes she had given in.
They encountered no wild Pokemon, even though she was sure they should have seen many more with night not far off. But she had a feeling that a certain shiny Noctowl flying about had something to do with it, a simple Hypnosis being more than enough to keep their trip peaceful.
"Alright," Ash said, peering up ahead. "We're almost there!"
He glanced back at her hesitantly, and she gave him a tired smile. He had put in so much effort for her today, so she most certainly wasn't going to ruin the end of their date with complaining. She forced herself to sit up straight, hiking up the last stretch of the trail without lagging behind. Ash held out his hand as she reached him, and she slipped hers into his as they peaked the top of the incline.
His hand was warm against her as they broke through the treeline, Misty holding up a hand as the sunlight caught her gaze. She took a moment to let her eyes adjust, and then smiled softly at the small outlook in front of her.
The edge of a cliff spanned in front of them, not terribly high nor steep, but still giving them a clear view of the valley below. Spread out in front of them was a picturesque view of Lake Mizu, the sun's rays dancing off of the surface of the water. The horizon was lit with burning oranges and reds, the rest of the sky turning gray as the sun began its retreat.
"Whoa," Misty couldn't help but whisper, because you usually couldn't get a view like this without being on the back of a flying type. And even then the wind was in your face, the sheer speed pulling you right from the calmness of the sight.
"Like it?" He asked nervously, and she gave him a soft smile.
"It's a gorgeous view," She said. "I can see why you wanted to bring me up here."
"Come on," Ash said, squeezing her hand. "Let's go sit down."
A large boulder sat a ways ahead of them, providing them a seat for the sunset. She sat down with a sigh of relief, able to rest at last. The boulder was positioned perfectly, perhaps a bit too perfectly. That, and judging by the claw marks running down the side, she had a feeling that Ash had Charizard move the rock here for them.
"Thank you Ash, for tonight," She said as they settled down, staring out at the lake. "You know you didn't have to do all this, spending time with you was more than enough."
"I wanted tonight to be perfect," He replied. "You don't deserve any less. You've been working so hard lately... and it's amazing to see how far you've come, you know."
"How far we've come," She corrected. "I mean, look at you– going from getting lost every two steps, to being able to find a place like this," She gave him a teasing smirk. "Sounds like progress to me."
"Actually Sceptile found this place," He said. "I had all my Pokemon looking around for a good spot."
She frowned, when did he get the time to come up here to do that? "How long have you been planning tonight?"
"...A while," He admitted, letting an uncertain laugh. "I just needed to find a day that you'd be able to go, but then you requested some time off and I didn't want to disturb you or anything... and yeah."
"Time off from the media, you were always more than welcome to drop by."
"I know, it would be cruel to keep you from seeing my handsome face."
She let out a snort of a laugh at that, playfully pushing him away. "Oh, shut up."
He leaned up against her in response, wrapping a hand around her shoulder, looking down at her with a wide grin. "You love me and you know it."
"I suppose I do... usually," She replied with a grin. "I still don't think I'm ready to forgive you for throwing me into the lake."
"Would you forgive me for a kiss?" He asked, and before she could give a reply he had leaned forward and pressed a kiss against her lips. She let out a soft sigh as their lips touched, pulling him in for longer one before he could pull away. His arms wrapped around her, pressing her up against his chest.
"I wish it could always be like this," She whispered softly as they pulled apart, their faces still close.
He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, and she looked up into his eyes. "I know what you mean," He said quietly, his hand finding hers, their fingers slipping together. He hesitated for a moment. "And you know what I think? I think 'always' sounds pretty good."
He shifted, and Misty's eyes glanced down as she watched Ash reached into his pocket. She caught just a glimpse of a velvety box in his hand, but it was enough to make her eyes widen. Her thoughts began racing, the sudden realization of just what was happening coming down on her in those few moments. Teal eyes flickered back up to Ash, her breath getting caught in her throat as he gave her a small smile that confirmed her thoughts.
Then he was standing in front of her, one hand still interlocked with hers as he slid down onto one knee. She let out a small breathy laugh– barely able to believe this was actually happening, the moment feeling almost sudden– but it yet it was perfect. She just stared into Ash's warm brown eyes, his hand tightening around hers, a sweet and nervous smile on his face.
"Misty, I love you," Ash said softly.
They were words she had heard him say many times before, but as he spoke now she felt tears stinging her eyes. Perhaps in any other moment she would have been embarrassed for going to tears so quickly, but right now she didn't care. Because this was actually happening, right now, right in front of her.
"You've been by my side ever since I've met you– and I don't want to imagine a moment where you wouldn't be in my life," He swallowed. "And that's why I wanted to ask you... will you marry me?"
He held up his hand, allowing Misty to properly see the black ring box he had been holding. The velvet container was opened, a slim silvery ring peering up at Misty, a large blue crystal sitting on top. The detail in the ring was exquisite, smaller white gems inlaid into the metal making it shine in the setting sun.
She had imagined this scene before in her mind, and she had considered even asking Ash herself– but in neither of those instances did she imagine herself with teary eyes. But here she was, wiping away the stray tears falling down her face as she heard those precious words.
And just like that the long hike up here became a treasured moment.
"Yes," Misty softly, no hesitation in voice, and a huge grin broke over Ash's face– that goofy, loving smile that she adored so ever so carefully, he slipped the ring onto her finger, the metal cool against her skin.
She didn't give Ash a chance to say anything else to her– pulling him in for a kiss.