A new chapter for you guys! It's early, I know, but I'm still trying to pack (and I hate packing so this is like pulling teeth) and tomorrow is my sister's marching band show, and I'm leaving on Friday which is when I usually update. So, for this week, we're doing it early again! Next week might be back to normal :P
Last time: Aiden and Michelle were asked by Lt. Surge to teach Ryder how to work better with his was a struggle, but eventually, the two young trainers managed to get through to him. Then, while on their way to Porta Vista for Michelle's next contest, the siblings hear a shocking rumour about their mother: she's been offered a spot in the Elite Four. Is it true?!
Chapter 14: Not So Elite
"It's just a rumor."
"But what if it's true?"
"…I don't know."
Aiden, Michelle, and Brandon were all sitting at an outdoor table at a restaurant located on the coast of Porta Vista's beautiful and expansive beach. Their ferry had just reached the sea town about 45 minutes ago, but Aiden's stomach had been grumbling since before they'd docked, which led to the trio needing an immediate stop for lunch before doing anything else.
They were now waiting for their food, although their Pokémon were all busily eating by their feet. Aiden and Michelle were clearly preoccupied by this newfound rumor about their mother, and Brandon wasn't entirely sure of how to help. He didn't have any famous relatives, save for his Uncle Brock who was famous in a different capacity, so he didn't know how to combat the rumor mill.
"Guys, didn't you say most of the rumors that come out about your parents never turn out to be true?" Brandon finally piped up.
"Yeah," Aiden nodded slowly. "If they were, we'd have about ten other brothers and sisters besides Lizzie right about now."
"And Mom and Dad would have separated and gotten back together at least twice as much," Michelle added.
"So maybe this whole Elite Four thing isn't true either," Brandon offered some peace of mind for his two closest friends. "If the media likes to make up outlandish things about your parents, maybe this one isn't any different."
"Brandon does have a point," Michelle glanced at her brother.
"Those guys sounded so sure, though," Aiden's tone indicated that he was conflicted on the subject. "And they said the reason why was because that Mom is jealous of Dad."
"Jealous?" Michelle repeated in the word in a tone that mixed together disbelief and surprise.
"They said that Mom's jealous of Dad being Pokémon Master because, as a gym leader, she holds a lower position in the Pokémon League," Aiden sounded more and more discouraged as he went on.
"I find that a little hard to believe," Brandon raised an eyebrow, intriguing his slightly younger travelling companions. "If your Mom really was that jealous of your Dad's title, wouldn't she have tried to get a better position 10 years ago?"
"That's another great point, Brandon!" Michelle beamed. She would really like to think that wasn't the reason for her mother to be considering a position in the Elite Four…if even that was true.
"But maybe 10 years ago she wasn't offered to be in the Elite Four," Aiden continued to add onto his own misery. "It's not like getting a position in the Elite Four is super easy. It's by invitation only, and most of the members stay there for most of their lives."
"That's true, too," Michelle obviously deflated.
Aiden and Michelle were both conflicted. They didn't know whether to believe the rumor or not. They thought after all these years of dealing with such frivolous nonsense, that it would become easier to differentiate between the real and the false. But it wasn't. Especially now that they weren't living at home and weren't around their parents all the time. And, even worse than the rumor, was facing it if it happened to be truth.
Of course, they would be overjoyed for their mother if she were to join the Elite Four. That would mean that she was one of the best trainers in the world. But that would also mean that she could no longer be the Cerulean City gym leader; a title she had held since she was 12 years old, which was impressive in itself. A gym leader was all Aiden and Michelle had ever known their mother as. Could all of that now change?
"Pichu!" Pichu squeaked, suddenly running out from underneath the table and darting down the boardwalk where the restaurant's outdoor tables were place.
"Ah, Pichu!" Michelle cried, jumping out of her seat and chasing after the little electric mouse.
"Pipipi!" Pichu continued to shriek as she ran.
"Pichu, quit it!" Michelle scolded. Eventually, she caught up to the Pokémon and gathered the small thing in her arms, glaring down at her. "Come on, Pichu, you can't just run off like that! What's gotten into you, huh?"
"Pipikachu!"
Michelle raised her eyes and gasped. Approaching her was none other than her mother, father, and Elizabeth, who was nestled soundly in her father's grasp.
"Mom?" Michelle's jaw had dropped at this point. "Dad?"
"Hi, sweetie!" Misty ran up to her oldest daughter and gave her a nearly bone crushing hug, kissing her atop the head. "I've missed you so much, darling!"
"I…missed you too…" Michelle puffed, barely able to breathe in her mother's embrace.
"Mist, I'm pretty sure she can't breathe," Ash informed his overzealous wife.
Misty giggled nervously and let go of Michelle, who by now was a little red in the face from being squeezed so tightly. "I'm sorry, dear," Misty brushed through her daughter's hair once they were separated.
"It's okay," Michelle smiled encouragingly at her mother. "I'm happy to see you, too!"
"Shelly!" Elizabeth called from Ash's arms. She had twisted her body in order to see her older sister, since Ash was holding her with her back towards Michelle. The younger girl was beaming, a juice box held in her right hand and Teddi with her left.
"Hi, Lizzie!" Michelle greeted her little sister sweetly. She walked over to her father and took the young girl out of his arms, giving her a hug.
"I miss you, Shelly," Elizabeth buried her face in the crook between Michelle's shoulder and neck.
"Aw, I miss you too!" Michelle giggled. "But look, we're both here now!"
"Yeah!" Elizabeth nodded, holding up her favorite toy. "And Teddi, too."
"Mom?! Dad?! What are you guys doing here?!"
Michelle looked over her shoulder and found Aiden to be standing behind her. He was visibly shocked, looking between his mother and father in surprise.
"Well, we knew that Michelle's next Contest would be in Porta Vista, so your grandparents let us stay in the vacation house so we could come watch her compete live!" Ash answered brightly.
"You were great in your last Contest, sweetie," Misty was beaming at her older daughter. "I know you didn't win, but your performance was what I remembered the most!"
"That's because you're my Mom," Michelle blushed.
"Hardly," Misty giggled.
"Where's Brandon?" Ash looked around.
"I left him at our table," Aiden pointed behind him. "We're still waiting for our lunch to get here."
"All three of you are going to stay at the house with us," Misty informed the twins, sounding very final on the matter. "It'll be good to spend some time together, especially with Michelle's second Contest coming up!"
"Yeah, that sounds great!" Michelle smiled.
"Hey, Mom, while you're here, can I ask you something?" Aiden suddenly sounded a little subjugated.
Misty's expression grew more serious and concerned as she nodded just once and replied, "of course, sweetheart!"
Looking up at his mother with a frown, Aiden inquired, "is it true that you got offered a spot in the Elite Four?"
Misty's eyes snapped open wide. Ash's did as well, but those wide eyes quickly melted into a narrowed state as he set a glare on his wife.
"I…I…" Misty stammered. She clearly wasn't sure what to say. Aiden and Michelle watched in slight horror as their mother's face went completely pale, her lips quivering as she tried to come up with a response.
"What's going to happen to the gym, Mom?" Michelle added, sounding just as concerned as her brother.
Misty closed her mouth and gazed down at the ground, breathing out sharply as her straight red locks fell down in front of her.
"Oh, hey, look at that!" Ash suddenly yelled, pointing out towards the sea before grabbing his wife's arm. "A school of wild Milotic! Don't see that very often! Come on, honey, let's go look at them!"
"But, Ash," Misty finally spoke up, "what about Elizabeth-"
"She loves Aiden and Michelle!" Ash started to drag Misty away, the big smile still on his face. "I bet she's going to love hanging out with them for a little bit! Hurry, before the Mitotic leave!"
Aiden, Michelle, and Elizabeth watched in confusion as their father basically dragged their mother down towards the water.
"Daddy's weird," Elizabeth quipped.
XXX
Down by the water, Misty stared confusedly at the back of her husband's head. As soon as they reached the railing that overlooked the shore, Ash let go of Misty's arm and whipped around, the big grin on his face completely evaporated and replaced by a look that could only be described as betrayal.
"A…Ash…" Misty whispered.
"You were offered that spot again?" Ash asked strongly.
Misty stayed quiet for a long moment, staring deep into her husband's eyes. She was trying to figure out his emotion: was he hurt? Confused? Angry? Misty couldn't figure it out. But she knew she had to answer him. And she knew she couldn't lie. There was no getting around it.
"Yes," Misty replied quietly.
Ash's face relaxed, although he still held a conflicted expression. Sighing, he ran a hand through his wild black mane and murmured, "Why wouldn't you tell me?"
Misty crossed her arms over her chest and shrugged. "I don't know," she muttered.
His shoulders falling, Ash took a step forward and asked, "Were you afraid that I was going to try and convince you to take it again?"
"Maybe," Misty shrugged yet again. She just seemed completely indifferent.
Holding his arms out, Ash pulled Misty into him and hugged her. Pressing his lips to her ear, he spoke softly, "Misty, you know I would never push you to do something that you don't want to do. But I thought that it was your dream to be a member of the Elite Four; to be the master of water Pokémon."
"It was," Misty confirmed dully.
"Then I just don't understand," Ash separated themselves and lifted Misty's head up with his fingers.
"I said it was," Misty repeated, more strongly this time. "That was my dream."
"But, Misty," Ash reasoned with her, "we're not in the same situation that we were 10 years ago. You don't have to feel guilty about following your dream."
"Ash," Misty was about to snap, "how many times do I have to tell you that being a water master isn't my dream anymore?"
Grabbing her hands, Ash yanked Misty forward so their noses were touching. Misty took in a sharp breath and stared Ash dead in the eyes.
"Do you remember 10 years ago, when you were first asked to join the Elite Four?" Ash asked steadily.
Misty held her breath and just kept staring into Ash's eyes. Of course she remembered; it had been one of the most at variance moments in her life. She could vividly replay the entire scene in her head, as though it had just happened yesterday.
It was a warm June day at the Indigo Plateau; all of the Kanto gym leaders were gathered for a meeting. It wasn't of great importance, just the typical "checkup" of each gym, where all of the leaders discussed their monthly win to loss ratios, the state of their Pokémon and training, the gym rankings…it was all tedious and, to be honest, fairly boring.
Misty was more tired than usual, and twice as annoyed. But she couldn't show it. She was hiding a secret from the other gym leaders, and she couldn't let on to anything. Fortunately, the day was coming to a close, and Misty would soon be free to return home, hopefully to the loving embrace of her husband. So long as he still wasn't out doing his own job.
She smiled to herself as she thought about her husband: Master Ketchum. Chills went up her spine every time someone addressed him as that. He had achieved his dream, and it was perfect. Misty had never been happier for anyone than she was for Ash. She was practically living through him and his exhilaration.
As Misty busied herself with returning her poke balls to her light blue bag, the sound of footsteps entering the room caused the gym leader to snap her head up, eyes narrowing in paranoia. She reached into her bag, retrieving one of the red and white spheres she had just so carefully put away, gripping the ball in her fingers and preparing to enlarge it.
"Misty, dear, relax. It's only me."
The water type specialist sighed and lowered her arm, willing her heart to stop racing. When she un narrowed her eyes, Misty indeed saw that the "intruder" was only Agatha, the ghost type specialist and oldest member of the Elite Four.
"Oh, Agatha," Misty breathed out deeply. "I'm sorry."
"Well, you're certainly on edge, young one," Agatha smirked, although Misty couldn't be sure of why. "Is something the matter?"
"No," Misty answered almost too quickly as she placed the poke ball back in her bag, "nothing at all."
"Very well, then," Agatha moved closer to the gym leader, her eyes sparkling. It was mischievous, in a way. Playful, and almost cunning.
"What can I do for you, Agatha?" Misty asked, trying to hide her exhaustion.
"Not a thing," Agatha waved her hand. Laughing just once, she eyed Misty and continued, "I should be asking you that question."
"You…need to do something for me?" Misty wasn't quite sure of what Agatha was doing.
"I would like to," Agatha nodded. "I have a proposition for you, love."
Tilting her head, Misty left her hand on her bag but turned so she was facing Agatha head on. "What is it?"
Sighing, Agatha bowed her head slightly and began, "I think we all know, dear, that I've grown older. I've been at this job for so many years. And I love it, I do, but I think it's about time I give it up. Or…at least pass it on to someone else."
"But…didn't you retire and then return to your position?" Misty flipped her head to move some hair out of her eyes.
"Yes, yes, when I stepped down and they promoted Bruno," Agatha seemed almost annoyed by the inquiry. "That lazy bum couldn't do a thing right, thank goodness he stepped down and I managed to get my position back."
Misty stifled a giggle. She couldn't disagree with Agatha; that one time she had met up with Bruno so many years ago, she would never forget how…lazy he was. For such a strong man and a great trainer, he couldn't do much for himself.
"But I really am getting on in age now," Agatha continued, "and this time, I'm going to pick who replaces me. After the last debacle, I don't trust the League with a single thing."
"I don't blame you," Misty smiled. She was quite familiar with Agatha's short temper. "Is that what you need my help with? Do you need me to talk to someone for you?"
"Not even, dear," Agatha brushed that off. "You see, I've thought about it for quite some time, and I've decided that the best replacement for me would be…you."
Misty's expression went static, all of the blood draining from her face. Her brain was barely functioning; Misty couldn't string a coherent sentence together. Raising a shaking finger to point at herself, Misty blinked just once before stammering, "m…me?"
"Yes, you," Agatha nodded.
"But…" Misty could still hardly think, "why…me?"
"You're a wonderful trainer, Misty," Agatha explained her reason very carefully. "I personally believe that you're the best gym leader in the entire Kanto region. So, why shouldn't the best replace me?"
Misty took a step back, doing everything on auto pilot. "I think you regard me too highly, Agatha."
"Nonsense, I know a good trainer when I see one," Agatha refuted. "I saw the same thing in your husband back when he was a scrawny little pre-teen. Now look at him."
"Pokémon Master," Misty muttered under her breath.
"Exactly my point," Agatha finished.
"I…I just don't know, Agatha…" Misty was curling her fingers, digging her nails into her palms and flexing her wrists.
"I understand this is a big responsibility," Agatha sounded sympathetic. "That's why I didn't spring it on you right after Ash became the Pokémon Master; I knew he needed his moment, and that right after, you'd be busy planning a wedding and a honeymoon and all of that. But with all of that excitement out the way, I figured now was as good a time as ever to present you with this formal invitation."
Misty turned around so her back was facing Agatha. She grabbed her bag with her left hand and her stomach with the right, giving it a gentle squeeze before throwing the arm back down to her side and turning on a heel to face Agatha once again.
"It's…a very kind offer," Misty smiled at the older woman. "And an incredible one as well. Life changing…actually. It's a lot for me to think about."
"I understand," Agatha repeated.
"Would you mind too much if I thought about it for at least one night?" Misty requested. "This is a decision that I feel I can't make without speaking to Ash first. Ever since we got married…we're a team."
"Perfectly fine," Agatha grinned before turning around. As she walked out the door, the ghost type specialist stopped to look over her shoulder, calling, "oh, and Misty?"
The gym leader's head snapped back up. "Yes, Agatha?"
With a smirk, Agatha quipped, "You and Ash were a team long before you two got married, my dear."
It had been a long ride home, and an even longer wait for Ash to return from his daily training. Since they were staying in Pallet Town, Misty was trying to busy herself by helping Delia with chores around the house. But she was barely allowed to lift a finger by the auburn haired woman. All because of the-
"Mom! Mist! I'm home!"
Misty jumped up from her seat at the kitchen table, running to the front door. Delia, who was busy cooking dinner at the stove, simply giggled and kept about her business.
When she reached the front door, and set her eyes on Ash, Misty felt just about all of the air leave her lungs. It was like she had been punched in the chest. She just…couldn't do it.
So she started to cry.
Frowning, Ash hugged Misty and rocked her back and forth, tutting, "what is it, Mist? Why are you so worked up?"
Misty couldn't speak. She was too busy sobbing into Ash's chest, soaking his shirt with her tears and, grossly enough for the gym leader, her snot.
"Do you want to talk about it upstairs?" Ash murmured, eyeing his mother in the kitchen. Wordlessly, and without lifting her head up, Misty nodded in conferment. Patting her back, Ash separated the young woman from his body and held her hand leading her towards the staircase.
Once upstairs, Ash led Misty into the guest bedroom, sitting her down on the bed and craning his neck to examine her face, which was rather hard to see since Misty had her head down.
"Oh, you're a mess," Ash sighed, getting up and walking into the bathroom. He gathered some tissues and brought them back to his wife, holding them out for her. When she didn't take them, however, Ash took it upon herself to wipe her eyes and nose, until all that remained was a red glow around both features.
"Thanks," Misty muttered, rubbing at her eye with the back of her hand.
"Is it your hormones?" Ash asked cautiously. He knew Misty was volatile to snap or cry at any moment; even more so than usual.
"That's probably part of it," Misty confessed. "The crying, anyway."
"What do you mean?" Ash furrowed his brow.
Sighing, Misty stared at her hands which were set in her lap for a few moments before getting to her feet and walking briskly out of the room, At first, Ash just sat on the bed, completely bewildered, but eventually he got up as well and followed his wife, finding her across the hall in his childhood bedroom.
"Misty, what are you doing in here?" Ash blinked.
She was standing in the center of the room, looking around with a sense of adoration. Misty examined everything from afar, her chest rising and falling with her gentle, seemingly at peace breathing.
"You're kind of freaking me out, Mist," Ash decided to be honest with his wife, even for fear of being struck over the head with the oh so familiar wooden mallet. "Is something wrong?"
"No," Misty answered honestly, shaking her head. She walked again, this time towards Ash's bunk bed. Looking it up and down, she giggled softly before sitting down on one of the ladder steps, staring down at her feet in deep thought.
"Could have fooled me," Ash muttered, moving towards the red head.
He grabbed one of her hands, and at the action, Misty smiled. This brought relief to Ash, who was even happier when Misty pulled him in front of her and pushed him down by the shoulders.
"What?" Ash asked innocently.
Misty leaned forward and pressed her lips against Ash's. He was still worried about this whole "pendulum of moods" thing she had going on, but he certainly wasn't about to turn down a kiss from his beloved. Wrapping his strong arms around her body, Ash returned the kiss as passionately as he knew how, loving the feel of Misty's soft lips against his own.
When the need for air arose, the two separated, staring at each other with complete devotion. Misty knew she could trust Ash…why in the world had she freaked out before?
"I…got an offer today," Misty finally spoke up.
"What kind of offer?" Ash raised an eyebrow.
Pressing her lips together tightly as she smiled, Misty looked into Ash's eyes and revealed, "Agatha asked me to take her place as a member of the Elite Four."
Ash's jaw dropped, his eyes widened, and Misty couldn't help but to laugh wildly, as if it were the best thing she'd ever seen.
"Misty!" Ash breathed, pulling her face forward to give her another kiss on the lips. "That's incredible! That's…amazing!"
"I know," Misty was far calmer than her husband on the matter.
"It's your dream, Misty," Ash shook his head in disbelief, still grinning from ear to ear. "That's it, that's the highest level you can get with your type specialty! My wife is going to be a master of water Pokémon!"
"Not so fast," Misty's lips twitched. And not in a good way.
Ash was taken off guard by this. "What do you mean, babe? How could I not be excited for you? This is all you've ever wanted! It's your dream!"
"And I don't think following it would be a good idea," Misty shook her head.
Now Ash was completely stunned. "Misty…how could you say that?"
"Because you and I have a lot more than just us to think about!" Misty pointed at her stomach. "There's three of us in this relationship now. We have to remember that."
"Sweetheart, I didn't forget about the baby," Ash squeezed Misty's hands. "I never would! But just because you're pregnant doesn't mean you should give up your dream."
"That's exactly what it means," Misty sounded stern.
Ash gasped softly and backed down, his eyes glittering with confusion. "But…why?"
Groaning, Misty got off the ladder and began to stalk around the room, nervously wringing her hands together. "Having a baby means you have to sacrifice…sometimes a lot," Misty sighed. "This position might just have to be one of those things."
"It's what you've always wanted," Ash repeated.
"But I got pregnant," Misty replied very quickly. "In 6 months, there's going to be a very tiny baby in this house, who's going to need a lot of love and care. How could I possibly provide that if I'm a member of the Elite Four?"
"You take a break," to Ash, the answer seemed quite simple.
"Ash, it's not that easy," Misty was getting frustrated. "If I'm in the Elite Four, I'll have much more responsibility than I do as a gym leader! There's so much traveling and battling and training involved…you think in a few more months when I'm huge and fatigued I'll want to do that all day? I can barely run the gym as I am now!"
"But it kills me to know you're going to let something you've wanted so badly just slip away," Ash frowned.
Smiling sadly, Misty shrugged and replied, "it happens. You have dreams, but then life gets in the way. That's just how it works. I would love to be a member of the Elite Four, but I'm going to be a mother, and that comes with so much responsibility. It's not all about me anymore."
Standing up, Ash walked over to Misty and gripped her shoulder with his hand. "Are you sure, Misty?"
She didn't seem to want to answer this question. In truth, Misty really did want to be part of the Elite Four. Ash was right…it had been her life's dream. But now that she was pregnant…doing that would just be selfish. Misty knew she couldn't do it. Her dream had to end. And that was that. Looking up, she glanced into Ash's glowing brown eyes and lightly bent her brow, her forehead creasing as her lips bent into a definitive frown.
"Yes," Misty muttered. "I'm sure."
The gym leader sighed, still staring Ash deep in his chocolate brown eyes. He seemed frustrated; not with Misty, but with the situation. He really wanted to help, but he wasn't entirely sure of how.
"You don't have to feel guilty about following your dream anymore," Ash reasoned with her.
"But I do," Misty replied before gritting her teeth. "And it's not my dream anymore."
"Why do you have to feel guilty?" Ash frowned.
"Because Elizabeth is still a little girl," Misty explained. "She's still just a baby to me. And my baby needs me."
"She'll understand it's your job," Ash stressed. Observing the anxious expression on her face, Ash pulled his shoulders back and amended, "unless…Misty…"
"What?" Misty mumbled. She could tell Ash had caught onto her.
"It's not that Elizabeth needs you," Ash raised an eyebrow. "You need Elizabeth."
Misty sucked in a deep breath and shrugged before stuttering, "m…maybe…"
"Is that why you don't care if you're a water Pokémon master anymore?" Ash inquired. "You're happier being a Mom?"
Biting her lip, Misty nodded in an almost shy fashion. Smiling, Ash wrapped his arm around her shoulders and chuckled quietly, setting Misty off. "What's so funny?!"
"Nothing's funny," Ash smiled at his aggravated wife. "I just love you, is all."
"Don't pretend I'm an idiot," Misty shrugged him off and glared at the Pokémon Master. "You're laughing at me."
"I am not!" Ash replied indignantly.
"Then what the hell is so funny?" Misty demanded.
"Nothing," Ash sighed. "I was laughing because I love you so much."
"How is that funny?" Misty didn't seem at all placated.
"You're just sweet," Ash shrugged. "I'm glad you like being a Mom. I like being a Dad. But you can do both!"
Misty twisted her mouth and shrugged. That didn't seem to be such a thrill for her. Ash just couldn't understand why his wife was being so standoffish about all of this. He really wanted to see her achieve her dream, and this was a chance for her to do just that. Giving it up just seemed strange to him.
"I don't want to," Misty shrugged.
"But why?" Ash was going to drag this out of his wife if he had to.
"Because I'm happy being a gym leader!" Misty had finally snapped, her cheeks reddening as she explained her reasoning to Ash. "You're right, I did want to be a water type master! When I was just a gym leader, I wanted a life that was so much more exciting. I wanted to travel around the world again, like I used to do with you and Brock. I wanted to battle all kinds of trainers, from all different regions, and be one of the strongest water type trainers in the world. After watching you become the Pokémon Master, I wanted to realize my own dream even more. I knew I was getting there, that I was so close! But then…I got pregnant. And I can't lie: I was mad at first. I kept it to myself, but I was upset. I couldn't help but to feel that getting pregnant had ruined my whole future. My dream had to be put on hold for something we hadn't planned. Eventually, I felt guilty for feeling that way and I tried to teach myself that it wasn't right."
"There's nothing wrong with that, Misty," Ash frowned. "You could've just told me you felt that way, I would've helped you!"
"No, because I felt so bad," Misty shook her head. "I was blaming a little, unborn baby for something that wasn't even in its control! And then when we found out we were actually having twins…I knew that was it for me. Two babies comes with twice as much responsibility. I started to feel angry again, sometimes, but mostly I was excited. And the more they grew, the more I fell in love with them. By the time Aiden and Michelle were born, they meant the world to me. I didn't want or need anything else but them. Suddenly, being a water Pokémon master wasn't as big of a deal to me. I had made the sacrifice, and it was worth it."
Ash breathed out quietly and looked down at Misty with a sense of complete love for the woman. Wrapping his arms around her, Ash gave Misty a kiss on the head and murmured, "I love you," into her hair.
"You know, it's funny," Misty giggled. "Every time Agatha asks me to take her place, I'm pregnant."
Ash separated himself from Misty, backing away with a look of both shock and horror on his face. "Wait…Agatha asked you 4 years ago…? And you're pregnant right now?!"
"Yes and no," Misty smirked. "She did ask me to take her place while I was pregnant with Elizabeth, but had no idea I was going to have another baby. I never told you because I didn't want to go through the same thing we had the first time, and I knew for sure I wasn't going to take the job. That was only the second time she'd asked me to join the Elite Four. This now makes it the third time, but for the first time, I'm not pregnant."
Covering his heart, Ash sighed and grumbled, "You scared me."
"Aw, sorry, honey!" Misty got up on her toes and kissed Ash on the nose. "I didn't mean to. But trust me, I'm definitely not pregnant. It's my time of the month."
"Thank you for sharing," Ash shook his head, smiling sarcastically as Misty laughed behind her hand. Growing more serious, he added, "but we have to make sure the kids know that you're not joining the Elite Four."
"They did seem pretty freaked out by the idea," Misty mused. "I wonder why."
"We can go find out now," Ash decided. "Let's bring them all back to the house and get some answers."
"Sounds good to me," Misty grinned.
XXX
Once Aiden, Michelle, and Brandon had finished their meals, Ash and Misty brought them back to the vacation home that was owned by Misty's parents. Elizabeth had enjoyed spending time with her siblings, but when Ash and Misty had returned, all she wanted was to be held by her mother. So, Ash and Misty sat with Aiden, Michelle, and Brandon before them, with Elizabeth sitting on Misty's lap and snuggling with Teddi.
"What is it you wanted to talk about, Mom?" Michelle tilted her head.
"That little rumor about me leaving the gym to become a member of the Elite Four," Misty answered easily.
"Oh no," Aiden grumbled.
"Relax, champ, it's nothing bad," Ash smirked.
Nodding, Misty informed the children, "now, just to let the two of you know, it is true that I was offered that spot in the Elite Four. That wasn't just a rumor."
The three older children's eyes widened. Elizabeth, on the other hand, had no idea what the adults were talking about and was far more interested in her stuffed Pokémon.
"Mom…that's really amazing," Michelle marveled.
"Yes, it is," Misty agreed. "But I'm not going to take it."
Aiden and Michelle looked at each other; feeling conflicted. While they were happy knowing that the gym would remain in their mother's care, they also knew that becoming a member of the Elite Four was an amazing, perhaps even once in a lifetime, opportunity, and to Aiden and Michelle, it seemed as if their mother wasn't even considering it.
"But…why?" Aiden finally spoke up.
"I'm very happy being a gym leader," Misty answered honestly, a smile on her beautiful face. "Besides, over the past 10 years, I've become much more used to being at home than traveling around. I like being able to balance my life at home with my job. If I become a member of the Elite Four, it won't be like that."
Elizabeth squeaked suddenly, causing everyone in the room to look down at her. She was fine, however; simply playing with Teddi and making little noises, pretending it was him. Giggling, Misty hugged the girl closer to her and rested her cheek against the top of the child's head, smiling at Ash as she did so.
"So, Mom, does that mean you're not jealous of Dad?" Michelle pointed between her two parents. Misty's head shot up, and she and Ash exchanged stunned faces.
"You're jealous of me?" Ash pointed at himself.
"No!" Misty refuted quickly.
"But that's what the rumor was," Aiden mumbled.
"Aiden, what did you say?" Misty raised an eyebrow.
"That was part of the rumor," Aiden spoke up. "That you were jealous of Dad because he's the Pokémon Master, and that's a higher rank than gym leader. So you wanted to be in the Elite Four to be closer to him in rank."
At this, Misty laughed freely, causing Ash to furrow his brow. "What's so funny about that?"
"Oh, dear, I'm not jealous of you," Misty waved a haphazard hand at her thoroughly bewildered husband. "If I really was jealous that you had a higher title than me, don't you think I would have done something about it in the last 10 years?"
"Yeah, your mother has a point…" Ash glanced at Aiden and Michelle. "Trust me, if she was jealous, she would've gotten ahead of me by now."
"I'm not jealous of your father," Misty made it final, patting the raven haired man sitting next to her atop his head.
"So…the gym stays under your control?" Michelle smiled.
"Yes, sweetheart," Misty nodded. "I'm still the gym leader."
"That's good," Aiden seemed comforted by this piece of information.
"You seem pretty relieved, there, champ," Ash smirked at his son.
"Well, Mom promised me a gym battle," Aiden looked at his mother, who smiled warmly in response. "I'm not going to let her get out of it!"
"I know you wouldn't," Misty giggled.
Aiden, still beaming, got to his feet, his parents staring at him in bewilderment.
"Aiden, dear, where are you going?" Misty blinked.
"To train," Aiden shrugged. "It's what I have to do if I want to beat you one day!" Smiling, he pulled two poke balls off of his belt, releasing Squirtle and Growlithe. "Come on guys, let's go outside and do some work!"
The Pokémon cheered in their perspective languages, following after their trainer. Ash and Misty watched the boy leave, both of them sweat dropping as he hurried out of the room with his Pokémon in tow.
"Well…he's not hard to reassure," Ash chuckled.
"Just like his father," Misty smirked at her husband.
"Shelly! Brandon!" Elizabeth suddenly squeaked. "Wanna' play with me?"
"Aw, sure, Elizabeth!" Brandon grinned. "We'll play with ya!"
"Yay!" Elizabeth jumped off of Misty's lap and ran towards the stairs, Brandon and Michelle giggling as they followed after the young girl. Sighing, Misty leaned back against the couch while Ash laid a hand on her shoulder.
"You did good, babe," Ash flashed his trademark boyish grin.
"Thanks," Misty smiled softly, turning her head to look at Ash. "But it was no big deal, really. You and I both had to sacrifice for our children. There's no reason not to be honest about it with them when the situation arises."
Ash drew back slightly, his lips pressing into a firm line. Misty was right, they both had given something big up 10 years ago.
But Ash wasn't sure that his opportunity would ever arise again.
Yep, Ash had to give something up too. You'll find out what it is later on. Can't give it all away now, can I? ;)
I like incorporating the past in this story, so you'll definitely be seeing more flashbacks throughout the story (we already got one in th third chapter when Michelle caught Butterfree, remember?) It helps to set everything up. And, as you can tell, Ash and Misty are more involved with the twins' journey than most of the other parents in the series were. I like it that way ^^
Next update will be coming sometime next week from my new dorm room! We might be returning to the Friday updates as well. In the meanwhile, why don't you leave a review and tell me what you thought of this chapter, which I'm very proud of, by the way :P You can even tell me what you think Ash's former role was that he had to give up! I'm curious as to what everyone is thinking :)