(Edited.2021.03.07)

Equanimity, Chapter 11

Ash was tired, so very, very tired.

Work wasn't getting any easier. More and more of his time was devoted to standing in front of a camera and being asked silly questions. More importantly, he hadn't had a battle for ages. He was miserable on top of everything else. Or at least, sometimes, he felt miserable. Miserable because he wasn't sure what he was doing, or where he was supposed to be; like he was supposed to be at dinner on time, but no one bothered to tell him when or where it was taking place. Frequently, his body ached for travel, for the grind of a continuous adventure with bright skies, long, warm nights... Man, he missed all of it now that he was trapped in Kalos for what felt like a century.

For the first time that day, Ash turned on his phone to check the time and inhaled once he saw a slew of messages leftover from Misty, his mother, two from Brock, and one from Dawn. It was strange being so reliant on a phone recently when he hadn't needed one for the last eight. Sometimes, he missed the days of letters and snail-mail. To start, he checked the most recent message, which was from Dawn.

"Just wanted to say thanks! I really appreciated your help! I hope I didn't intrude on you and Misty's time too much! Don't do anything I wouldn't!"

Every sentence followed by an exclamation point—that was Dawn if he didn't know any better. Ash's face scrunched up as he flicked through the rest of his messages; his mom always asked how he was doing, reminded him to wash his face, and to keep himself clean for the camera—and to tell him how proud of him she was. Brock liked to update Ash on his school adventures, mostly in terms of his goals; also, in terms of battling. There was also, of course, the thousand questions left by his old friend about how Ash and Misty were doing. Ash tended to ignore those, much to Brock's disappointment. Since Ash got a phone, he seemed to be pretty popular.

Ash flicked through some general replies, ignored voice mails left by the league, and clicked through pointless emails about upcoming events that he had marked in his calendar and found his way to Misty's text messages. His eyes were barely open by this point, dozing in and out of consciousness. He didn't dare look at the clock. He hadn't been able to get back to her until now, and while he felt like garbage, he knew that she understood his circumstances. Ignoring the texts that she sent, he skipped directly to calling her.

Ash didn't care that it was 3:00 am in Kanto, if he got to hear her voice, that would be more than enough. The gentle ring of his phone brought his eyes down heavy and he exhaled as the call finally connected.

"...Hello?" Misty's voice cracked, he could easily hear that she had been sleeping.

"Hey, sorry if I woke you up," he said with a slight cough.

She hummed and Ash heard her roll over, possibly to check her clock. She huffed.

"No, it's no problem." Misty lied. "What's up, Ash?"

Then, his nerves sunk in. Guilty because his only excuse for calling her so late was because he wanted to talk with her. He did not have any major issues or problems. He simply wanted to hear her voice. It sounded so wrong and cheesy in his head that he flopped backward with a sigh. Pikachu was asleep on his custom-made perch, and his ears twitched only slightly at Ash's late-night conversation. Ash spoke quietly.

"Nothing much..." he grunted after a pause, hiding his face in his pillow.

She inhaled. "Ah. What time is it there?"

"Err..." Ash strained, feeling old for being as tired as he was this early. "...nine."

She huffed uncomfortably, and he listened to her move until she was sitting up, probably rubbing her eyes and yawning.

"You're going to have to start calling earlier, you can't keep waking me up this late." Misty groaned over the phone. Ash pouted.

He knew it was late there. Kanto was quite a few hours ahead of Kalos... but... when else was he going to get the chance to call her if he didn't call her now? She wanted him to call her, right?

"I know... but I just finished up with the league stuff and it's the only time I can, you know that." He rubbed the back of his neck anxiously.

"I know..." Misty sighed, "It just sucks is all."

Another pause. Too long to be comfortable, but Ash was not entirely sure what to say. Should he comfort her? Apologize? He twisted his blankets between his fingers.

"So..." her voice was raspy when she asked: "What did you end up doing today?"

"There was a meeting this morning outlining the current state of battlers. I learned that there has been a push to have showcases opened up to both males and females—I attended a tournament greeting ceremony, and signed some papers." He rattled off his daily activities while looking up at his white ceiling, carefully skipping over the not-so-great parts. Like how they were training him to be the next champion, the person that would someday replace Diantha.

Nervously, Ash cleared his throat and asked, "What did you do?"

"Usual gym cleaning and battled a few trainers—won most of those..." Ash smiled at her confidence, "And then I helped Daisy pick colors for her wedding at the end of summer."

"That's good…" Ash hummed, "…What was up with Daisy, anyway?" He asked, trying to force his voice to sound more forgiving than it was. Deep down, he was still upset that Daisy's emergency stole Misty away.

Misty shifted uncomfortably. "Didn't you get my messages?"

"I did, but I might have skipped them and called you instead..." He confessed sheepishly.

Misty snorted. "Really, Ash?"

"Sorry..."

"Daisy is fine, she was just… You know, having an issue about some wedding stuff."

Ash hummed. "Was it really important?" He asked selfishly, but his childish tone made Misty giggle.

"It was important enough. I will see you again soon, don't sound so lonely." She playfully scolded him and then chuckled in a way that made his bones vibrate. Everything still felt so strange... her voice caught his skin on fire. It felt like she was still here, in some ways. Ash shuddered.

"I'm not." He denied with a blush. "It's just that... last time you came back angry..." he trailed off.

Misty didn't sound impressed.

"Then don't screw up and I won't be angry."

"No pressure or anything, right?" Ash laughed and the conversation was put behind them.

Minutes ticked away as they shared stories and information about the day. Before he knew it, he kept her up for a little over an hour. His eyes were shut tightly, drifting in and out of consciousness, yet skillfully still able to carry a decent conversation with the redhead. He had years of practice traveling at small campsites. However, now that she was fully awake, she was content yammering. Her voice rose and fell as she vented about her sisters mostly, as well as the growing regulations the league expected her to learn and then to maintain while running the gym.

"See, this is why you should say screw all of that and come visit meee." Ash slurred, turning over so that his face would mash into the pillow.

"Or..." Her voice dropped unexpectedly, in a low, sultry kind of way that snapped his eyes open. A euphoric feeling slammed hard into his stomach, and he curled onto his side as a deep blush spread over his cheeks. His heart raced, but he had no idea why.

"You could visit me..?" She suggested. Her voice trembled over the phone, shaking Ash's entire body with her tone. Was he imagining the change in her voice?

"Misty," He returned hotly, blinking several times to clear his impure thoughts.

"I can't," he mumbled automatically, to effectively kill any wicked intentions in the redhead's words. She huffed with frustration.

"Well, then... when is the next time I can visit you?"

Ash sprang from his bed, grabbed his mess of documents on the nightstand, and flipped through the pile until he found his calendar. The lady, assistant, who was trying to help him get organized often told him to use his phone to keep track of dates, but Ash didn't want to do that. He preferred pen and paper. However, trying to find the calendar now was terribly frustrating. When he found it, he flipped to the next week and hummed.

"Next weekend?"

"Sure." When she agreed nonchalantly, his heart skipped. His mouth suddenly felt terribly dry.

"But not in Lumoise City," he added as he checked the map beside the calendar and raised his eyebrows. "Ambrette town," he suggested.

Next weekend, he would be in the sea-side town for a meet and greet, and so far away from Lumoise City and the pokemon league, he would have plenty of time to slack off. Besides, Misty loved the beach.

"What's in Ambrette town?" Misty questioned with a skeptical tone. Ash inhaled.

"Lots of stuff, mostly the beach though."

"Ohhh, it's been a long time since I've gone to the beach..." Her voice sounded so dreamy that Ash let out a loud sigh of relief before she followed up an excited tone: "Do you think we can go fishing for some water pokemon there?"

Ash's heart skipped. At this rate, he was going to have a one-way ticket to the hospital in an emergency vehicle. He pressed his palm against his chest to kickstart his heart.

"This is why I love you." He grinned proudly, earning an amused scoff from her.

"Oh please, Ash."

"No, really, it's amazing that we have the same interests. Now I don't feel bad if I say that I wanted to go finishing as well." His excitement started at the pit of his stomach and erupted from his mouth like a scream as he sat up to elaborate further.

"And I haven't had any time to train my pokemon lately. Do you think we can do some quick matches? Oh, maybe I can convince Professor Sycamore to give you a froakie or-"

"Settle down Ash," Misty giggled sweetly. "I can only come for two days. Don't plan too much."

Ash looked down at his calendar, then into the dark abyss of his room; his excitement squashed out immediately. He fought the urge to sigh. Two days? Two days? Who could do anything in two days? ...nevermind their whole 'relationship' started in three... he'd spent less than a full week in person with her since they started dating. When were they supposed to hang out? Catch up? Her last visit wasn't nearly long enough... Realizing silence pooled between them, Ash coughed and reluctantly replied.

"I won't." he grumbled, "...But is two days really all you can do?"

"I have a gym to run, Ash. My sisters don't cover for me anymore so I have to be here. Plus it has been crazy busy with all these new regulations they want us to sort out before the next league starts." She explained herself quickly as if she'd rehearsed this reasoning several times already. "Two days, next weekend, is the best I can do."

"...Yeah, but the plane trip itself is practically one day." He argued childishly, frowning.

A noise escaped Misty that was not the most graceful of sounds like she choked on her words.

"I don't see you flying down here." She snapped, Ash knew he needed to derail the current trajectory they were on or they'd be in arguing territory... and lately, he didn't feel like arguing. He felt like a lot of other things, but not fighting.

"Right. Sorry. As soon as I can." He said.

His response must have surprised her because she didn't reply with any wit like she usually would. Ash licked his lips and regained his composure.

"I'm not great at planning stuff, but I'll try to make it as fun as possible."

He waited patiently for her to speak, and after a few moments, she relented her anger and replied.

"Alright... should I plan on flying to Lumiose City, and then we'll leave for Ambrette Town together... or should I fly directly to Ambrette town?"

Ash looked at his calendar and had no times written down for when he would be in those places. Classic Ash. He rubbed his neck.

"I'll have to ask tomorrow and get back to you on that one. I'm not entirely sure when I'll be leaving for Ambrette Town."

"...Okay..." she clucked her tongue, thinking about the trip. "...but, hey. Don't forget to plan for the most important thing?"

Ash thought for a moment, trying to think of what he could have forgotten. As far as he knew, he listed all of her favorite things. Fishing. Ocean... lake? Water pokemon? other than chocolate, what was he missing?

"...Like what?"

"Romance!" She gasped, then emphasized, "Don't forget to make time for romance, Ash."

"Romance?" Ash echoed in a tone that matched his ten-year-old self a little too much. He heard her slap her forehead.

"Yes, romance! We're dating now, so we should have some romance, right? Pokemon battles and fishing sounds great... but I spend time with pokemon all day, and if we really only have one day..." she trailed off. Ash's eyebrows lowered.

"Aww, but Mist..."

"I know you like fishing, and adventures and battles... but..." She sighed, her confession followed by a loud flop as she hit her sheets. "You can't keep your hands off of me Ash Ketchum! All I'm saying is if you want to do all of that, you're going to have to actually plan something-"

His face grew increasingly red as she spoke until he dropped his phone and had to shuffle around the floor to pick it up while she was midway through explaining how the other stuff sounds nice, but are they really going to have time for it?

"I will behave this time." He promised while sinking down into his covers once again.

"Oh, please do the opposite," she whined and his stomach twisted again as he slapped his forehead.

"Misty!" He shouted in a hushed tone, sparking her alluring chuckle.

"I'm just kidding, settle down," she assured him in a low, teasing tone. "I know you're sooo innocent."

Ash felt his temperature rise, amongst other hormonal changes that were acting up. He shuddered and clicked his tongue against his teeth. She was so forward when she wanted to be. He was hot under his collar.

"Go to sleep, Misty," he said breathlessly.

Clearly sensing his discomfort, her voice oozed with sarcasm. "Oh, no, no, you've kept me up this late, you're stuck with me now."

Ash's voice lowered to match hers as he turned over on his bed and closed his eyes. "I'm going to sleep. I love you, good night." He said flatly before thumbing for the end call button.

"Ashhhh," Misty mused playfully. His thumb froze over the end call. "Don't hang up."

"Miiiissty," Ash whined back. "Don't tease me."

She gasped, but that only made his stomach tighten more. "I would never."

He wasn't as amused as she was, "Then what are you doing now?"

"Well..." she mused and Ash heard her shifting in her bed.

"I didn't—" He paused for a very long time, his breath hitched in his throat. He wasn't sure where his mind went to at that moment, someplace dark and hidden by repressed sexual emotions, but the words:

"...Are you?" slipped out of his mouth.

A very long, and quiet pause followed. Neither of them spoke or breathed... until Misty inhaled and practically burst his eardrum with a shrill cry.

"Ash, you pervert!"

He threw his face under his pillow and felt like disappearing forever until her laughter fluttered into his ears.

"I didn't mean that, like that. I was only asking-uhm, I-I meant that-" He stammered, face boiling hot while Misty inhaled, coming down from her laughing fit.

"I know," she giggled.

Ash sighed in relief.

Of course, he was kidding. Ash would never assume she was doing nefarious activities while she was on the phone with him... where would that thought even come from? Clearly, this was Brock's fault. He fed Ash years of constant garbage about female behavior. Ash needed to wash his brain with soap.

"But, on that awkward note... I need to start gym duties anyway, so I will have to talk to you later." She said shyly, her voice timider than it had been.

Ash knew that if she was here at the moment, she would have ruffled his hair and ran away laughing. Or maybe not. Reading her over the phone was hard. Going simply off her words, and the sound of her voice confused him so much. It would be so much easier if she was here.

"You are so..." he struggled for the correct word. Frustrating wasn't right. Not Confusing... He was confused, but she wasn't confusing. Was she? he wasn't sure anymore.

"Amazing, I know." She hummed, slipping out of her sheets. "Anyways, babe, I'll talk to you later."

Ash yelped at the pet name. "Were you drinking last night, is that why you're so...?"

"I'm so what? You're the one who asked me if I was doing anything weird... Totally out of the blue, mind you!" she was chipper as she teased him. He licked his lips.

"I... have no idea what you're talking about," he replied as stoically as humanly possible, channeling his inner Paul.

Misty's laughter, however, drew that stoicism away, and he smiled genuinely at her glee. At least she was having fun. He felt entirely confused.

"I'm just playing, Ash, settle down," Misty advised innocently, sighing happily. "Anyway, get some sleep and have a good day tomorrow. Try to call me sometime before 4:00 am, okay?"

"Will do." He said pathetically. "Take care, sorry for keeping you so late..."

"Yeah. If you keep calling this late, it might give a girl the wrong idea, Ash."

"Oh my mew, Misty." Ash covered his hot face with his hand. "Shut up," he muttered, unconvincingly.

She was having so much fun teasing him, it didn't sound like she wanted to hang up. Yet, she cut their banter short, shared their goodbyes, and ended the call.

When the call was over, Ash stared at the phone in the palm of his hand and tried to envision her smile or imagine her face. Suddenly, he regretted having never taken a picture of her. All this fancy technology and he didn't remember to take a picture of his girlfriend. His face felt hotter by the second. He wasn't sure what was worse, wanting to have pictures of her, or being one of those people that took pictures of his girlfriend. He used to make fun of people like that. Ash pinched the bridge of his nose... He didn't need a picture of her! He knew what she looked like. She was tall, had nice skin, athletic... fierce green eyes...

Ash swallowed, waited for only another second as his thoughts fell down the buneary hole of what Misty looked like in his mind, and then sprinted to take a mind-numbingly cold shower. From his perch, pikachu snickered. He heard most of the conversation since he wasn't far, but decided to keep that information to himself until Ash emerged from the shower, wearing a pair of shorts and a tank top for sleeping.

"She drives me crazy, pikachu." Ash muttered, knowing that his friend was not truly asleep.

"...chu, pika." the mouse winked and Ash threw a gesture at pikachu he usually reserved for rude rivals. Pikachu belted out laughter.

Before collapsing onto his bed, Ash ran a towel through his wet hair. His heart and mind raced. He turned onto his side, then his other side, and then decided in an attempt to drown out the thoughts of Misty, he would watch some television. He pawed for his remote which was somewhere on his messy nightstand and changed the station to battling, which always cured his impure thoughts in the past. Surely, the flashy battles and amazing trainers would prevent his eye from drifting to his poke gear and help keep his hormones in check.

How did he ever manage before? He felt like he was going fucking crazy right now.

Ash inhaled and sunk into his sheets stubbornly while only partially paying attention to the battle happening on the screen. He stared for an unknown amount of time but his thoughts were everywhere. Never in his life had his attention been so torn. He thought of pokemon, and then he thought instantly of what kind of pokemon Misty caught recently. He forced himself to think of battling, but his mind wandered to Misty battling. If he tried to concentrate on tactics, his brain immediately took a turn from pokemon, to how he and Misty were going to deal with his newly discovered... issues and thoughts.

His lips drew into a very deep frown while pikachu, who knew Ash's emotions all too well, snorted spitefully from his perch.

This simply wasn't okay! Pokemon battling was sacred! Misty shouldn't be able to invade his mind like this! It wasn't natural.

Yet, the second he noticed from the corner of his eye the small green light shining from his phone, he slammed his hand down on top of it.

...Not because he wanted to check if it was Misty. He looked around his darkened room, partially ashamed even though no one was around. No, he wasn't checking his phone for Misty... he wanted to reply to whoever was on the other line... after all... that was the responsible, adult thing to do... right? He checked the message with one eye closed.

Damn it. As he suspected... Misty messaged him. Anxious for no other reason than his own inner turmoil, he opened the message.

All at once, the blood rushed from his head to his stomach, and then somewhere far south that he thought was going to be a problem. Immediately, he dropped the phone and pressed his hands against his face. what was that?

WhAt wAs tHaT!?

Quickly, he scooped up his phone, averted his eyes to the text box instead of the picture she'd sent him, and furiously tapped out a reply.

"Waaht was that?1!" grammar errors aside, he needed to send something to make the image scroll away.

She read his message immediately. Her reply came instantly: "Didn't you get it? Did you want another one?"

"NO" he wrote, his heart beating so fast he thought it would burst from his chest.

He couldn't breathe!

She sent him a few emoji icons he would need to ask about later, and then sent him a winky face with the explanation: "I thought you needed something to spice up your life."

Ash started typing, then deleted it. Started again, and decided that his second sentence could not convey the emotional spiral, shock, and panic she'd given him with a single image. Instead, he inhaled, and wrote back:

"You are not wearing anything..." he really wanted to emphasize the dots at the end, because he wasn't sure what she was going for. Spice up his life? She wanted to give him a heart attack is what she wanted to do!

While she typed, Ash fought the urge to scroll back up. His face was hotter than fire, but the heat in his lower regions faded slowly, allowing him to relax into his sheets again.

"Don't be dramatic. I'm in a bra, that's what I sleep in. Not like you haven't tried getting under it before, anyway." Then she messaged again right after. "I'll make sure I don't pack a bikini because that's apparently too much for you."

Ash read it. Then read it again.

Then again, to be sure he'd read it right the first and second times.

He was not being dramatic! Secondly... yeah, he'd tried to get under it the last time they kissed. He'd also done a little more than that if... Ash blinked at his phone and then surprised pikachu when he tossed it across the room to get it as far away as reasonably possible as the physical realization that he kissed Misty smashed into the front side of his brain. Not only did he kiss her. He'd try to dash off some bases. Now, alone in his room where no one else was around to judge him, he was freaking out? He picked now to freak out? What was wrong with his brain?!

He clamped his hand over his mouth and stared desperately at the television, praying it would save him from these cascading thoughts. Nerves reminded him where his mouth had been on her body. The way he pressed himself against her without restraint, the way she moaned under his touch, and now she was thousands of miles away sending pictures that made him want to rip the butterfree out of his stomach. She wasn't even here and he was worked up to the point he thought... well...

Sleep wasn't happening yet, and he wasn't going any further down that train of thought. He needed air.

Ash threw the blankets off, pulled on some jogging pants, and then took off out of his room for a quick jog. Pikachu hopped from his perch to collect Ash's phone and make sure it wasn't broken.

"...Cha." the mouse sighed, always confused by his trainer's erratic behavior.

XOX

Ash had an interview the next morning, but he would be lying if he said that he wasn't mildly distracted. He managed to get to the television station alright. He walked, rather than be driven, but he wasn't sure how he managed. His head wasn't on right. He didn't get a lot of sleep. Every time he closed his eyes and drifted into his peaceful dreamland, it was invaded by Misty. He'd wake, wash his face with cold water, and try again until morning came, and sleep tugged at the bags under his eyes.

Misty sent a few apologetic messages at the end of her day, which was the beginning of his day. She wrote that she knew better and that she won't send anything again.

That was great, and he appreciated it, but a part of him didn't mind that she sent him such things. ...However, he didn't tell her that because it was that mindset that terrified him.

A few times, he tried to write that it was okay, that he didn't mind. That he overreacted and it was him who should apologize, but, he managed to write none of that. Whenever he thought about Misty sending risque pictures, his head went fuzzy, and he couldn't think straight.

He also couldn't help but feel ironically stupid or immature, or embarrassed for his behavior. He was eighteen, not twelve anymore. It was normal to have feelings for girls, strange, abnormal, impure feelings. It was all apart of puberty, Brock told him it was normal. Brock was surprised Ash didn't have more outbursts earlier on. Gary insisted that Ash was a late bloomer, and was in for a world of experiences. Yet, until Misty, Ash had never experienced thoughts or sensitivity like this. As oblivious he was to the world, or naive he was to people; he wasn't blind. He knew that other girls looked at him, hit on him... and he was especially more aware since having his bubble burst by the fiery redhead. However, the only one who had any effect on him was Misty.

Since beginning to date her, even though it had only been a few weeks... some of the things he dreamed of, or thought would have made his mom cover her eyes in embarrassment. It was like coping with six years of pent of emotions that suddenly spilled out of his guts, and his mind and body were in a constant state of distress.

She had a way of getting under his skin, the voice of an angel disguised as Satan and a mixture of other painful thoughts that made him uncomfortable and hot under the collar. Ash had to regularly remind himself to put it out of his mind. Misty was only supposed to be an addition to his life, but he felt like she was slowly taking over.

If there was one thing Ash wanted more than a battle, it was Misty. Such thoughts were terrifying because even two months ago, the thought never crossed his mind. Sure, he had a few bursts of jealousy as a child, he and Misty had a long history of being teased by their peers but Ash Ketchum in a relationship? He never thought that he would see the day.

Ash rubbed his temples in a tiny, uncomfortable wooden chair located at the back of the studio. A woman who was 'fixing' his hair and applying a cold compress to his eye followed those techniques by spraying him with some kind of weird perfume, and Ash hacked. Wildflowers.

Did it have to be wildflowers? now, not only was he thinking of Misty, he smelled like her. Desperately, he tried to wipe the scent off with his sleeve.

"Can you not?" He asked the woman and then waved her away.

Sighing, he dusted his black button-up shirt free of make-up residue. The stylist tried to put make-up on him, but he'd stopped that. She compromised and pressed cold plastic against his under eyes, which he peeled off. He smelled like a girl. Pikachu didn't like it either, because he pranced around his trainer, lowered his ears, and shook his head.

"I know buddy, we're having a ton of fun..."

Frankly, Ash hated interviews. He never knew what to say. Usually, he made himself, or someone else, look like an idiot.

Ash scratched pikachu's ears optimistically. "...but on the bright side, we get to see Misty this weekend."

"Chaaaa, pikachupi, pika." The mouse quipped saying he was excited to see Misty, but then the mouse continued by asking when they were going to start battling. Ash hadn't used any of his other pokemon weeks.

Ash pinched his nose. "We'll train a little tonight, okay? Let's just get through this."

Before he finished his statement to the rat, he was being ushered into the next room. The producers whispered things to him, told him he was on in three; to be prepared, and so forth. The woman had already given a partial introduction that Ash was too busy being distracted by his own thoughts to listen to. As the woman gestured for Ash, he took a seat on a long couch beside the pretty lady with golden blonde hair. If Ash had to make a comparison, he thought that the woman looked like Misty's oldest sister but he quickly put that thought aside. Was that all he could think about now? how frickin' pathetic. He pinched the bridge of his nose, whispering to himself to focus.

He was only national television right now—his first interview on national television. The local interviews were practice for this one. Every region was going to see this. No pressure... right? Ash gave a broad smile, staring directly at the live audience, and if possible, the tiniest bit of stage fright crept into his chest.

"Hello, Ash Ketchum!" The pretty blonde woman clapped while rising from her seat. All in one motion loud applause echoed from the audience and Ash nearly shrunk away. Pikachu waved at the audience and a few 'aww's' went around.

"Heya." He replied lopsidedly while shifting in his seat to sit as far back as possible. Slowly, the applause and cheers died down, with a very distant 'I love you, Ash!' shouted in the back that caused him to chuckle.

"You seem to be very well-liked." The interviewer suggested happily, flipping through her notes. Ash wasn't the most perceptive, be he saw that the smile she wore on her face was fake to some degree. Ash smiled in return regardless.

"I guess so..."

"Oh, no need to be so modest!" She slapped him on the knee and Ash glanced at her hand and then back at her, trying to recite 'proper' television etiquette. He was stiff, but the woman didn't seem to care. "My name is Kathleen, but we aren't here for me... Tell us about yourself."

Relief washed over him. He could answer that question easily enough!

"Well.. my name is Ash Ketchum," he awkwardly gestured to the crowd. "As you know... I'm from the Kanto region's Pallet Town," He stroked pikachu's head, his nerves slowly dissipating as he grew more comfortable with the scene; these were the practice questions he was given.

"This is pikachu, he's been my partner for a little over eight years now. I've been training pokemon since I was ten, and someday I want to become a pokemon master." He finished strong, mentally patting himself on the back for a wonderful delivery.

"A pokemon master? I haven't heard that one in a long time." She practically sneered, "What does being a pokemon master entail?"

"Someone who is great with pokemon, I guess. It means something different to everyone." Ash said smoothly. The woman nodded.

"And do you think becoming Kalos Regional Champion has affected you in any way? Maybe helped you reach your goals?"

He hesitated, his eyebrows knitted together cutely. He glanced at the camera and the crowd—knew there was only one right way to answer, so he let out a very brief, strangled noise and smiled.

"No." He said, then choked. "I mean, yes."

Her eyebrows rose, interest flashing through her eyes as she smacked her lips together.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Uh, well, you know." Ash cleared his throat.

"Kalos has been... great." he nodded, "Only, sometimes... I kind of feel like I'm trapped here." Ash admitted, puffing one cheek.

In the distance behind one of the curtains, he saw his 'manager' barking at him to be quiet. However, Ash realized that he preferred honestly. What could it hurt to be a little open? He already screwed up his answers. Maybe it was sleep deprivation sitting at the front of his skull.

"I mean, I easily spent eight years on the road. That's what I'm used to. A new town every week. That's stopped these last two months and I've been sitting in Lumoise City watching tournaments, learning about the league, doing local interviews, attending meetings, and signing documents. It's different than being on an adventure catching and training pokemon."

A large grin crossed her face when she spoke next. "You had to have a rematch with Alain to get this title, do you regret that?"

"No, I feel like I earned it," Ash answered smoothly, "But I think lording a million tasks over a new champion who can be changed as soon as the next official conference is strange. In Kanto, the Elite Four and the committee manages most of the public affairs. Entering and winning a conference isn't enough to put anyone in a seat of real power there."

Her mouth opened. "So, are you saying that you don't approve of Kalos League management?"

"Uh... no?" he asked, slightly confused. "I think, um,"

Then the cameras shut off, going to a commercial break. The once-booming audience was quiet, possibly insulted by Ash's words while he tapped his fingers on his knees thoughtfully. Did he say something controversial?

"Mr. Ketchum! What are you doing?" Bellowed the man in a gray suit and blue tie as he came around the corner to stare at the young boy. "You were supposed to rehearse the script we gave you."

Ash looked down. "...yeah, but that wasn't really me answering those questions."

"That's because it's not just you. You're a league champion, and you're representing the Kalos League on National television." he inhaled and rubbed his temples, frustrated. "Do you realize how bad you are making us look?"

Ash's mouth opened and then closed again. "No, sorry."

Looking away sadly, his eyes turned downward at the ground, then to pikachu who shared in his frustration, and then back to the interviewer. He didn't realize he said anything that bad. They did things differently in every region. In the end, the executives of the pokemon league had the official say in what happened, but enrolling any league champion into the affairs of the entire region seemed... a little offputting. Then again, Kalos was known for its prestigious nature. Maybe this was how they maintained it? Anyone who won anything here had to be assimilated into the program. Ash sighed.

"Alright, so we're good to go back on then?" Asked the interviewer, clearly annoyed by the intrusion.

The man looked to Ash who shrugged apathetically and then smiled at the blonde with a nod. Ash figured he should really get this guy's name, ask for someone else to be his social guidance manager next time. After the man aborted the stage, the cameras clicked on once more. This time, however, Ash had taken on a more calm persona, clenching his fists to avoid screaming in frustration.

"Welcome back from that short break." She smiled at the camera as it panned back out. "We're still here with Ash Ketchum, the newest champion of the Kanto Region." She clicked her notes against her knee and smiled at him. "I polled some questions from the audience before you came here today, would you be alright answering some?"

Ash swore internally, that wasn't on the list. He could practically envision the nasty look that the suit guy's face.

"I don't mind."

"Great. A few of our guests wanted to know who inspired you to be a pokemon trainer and if you have advice for other trainers?"

Ash shifted, glanced into the crowd, and forced a smile.

"Yeah, I do. Red, a trainer from Kanto, who helped Professor Oak identify the 150 native Kanto pokemon was one of my biggest heroes growing up. He's the reason I started taking an interest in pokemon." Ash said assuredly. "As for my advice to give to other trainers, I'd say don't give up. It's not easy. I mean, I lost five leagues before I won in Kalos... and technically, I lost that one first, too."

He snickered, surprisingly, so did the audience and the interviewer.

"That's right. It was nice that Alain offered the rematch since it was cut short by Team Flare's interruption."

She licked her lips. "Do you think your popularity stems from your involvement in helping dismantle Team Flare?"

"Partially? I don't know what that has to do with my ability to battle. I've helped save other leagues loads of times." Ash said nonchalantly. This came as surprise to the interviewer though.

"...You've saved other leagues?"

"Uhh," Ash rubbed his neck nervously, wanting to change the subject. "You know, I was offered a position as an Elite Brain in Kanto after participating in the Battle Frontier."

The interviewer narrowed her eyes. "I heard of that, but you refused the offer. Why?"

"'cause I was like, fourteen?" Ash crossed his arms thoughtfully. "It's hard enough getting settled into a job at eighteen, if I tried it back then, I might have gone absolutely crazy."

Again, she laughed gently. "You are very young for a new champion, but you've had a ton of experience. Most trainers in their thirties haven't had the experiences you've had."

"Gotta maintain the hustle I guess." Ash laughed nervously while she nodded.

"...Right. You've even won the... oh, what was it..." She glanced at her notes. "The Orange Islands, was it? That wasn't even an official league for very long."

Ash smiled wide. "Yeah, after I won everyone involved pretty well-abandoned ship." Ash scratched his cheek. "I wonder what that was about?"

"You didn't want to stay then?"

"Ppftt, no way. I was twelve when I won that cup." His eyes widened slightly.

"That is odd, considering most trainers who taste victory in any league, tournament, or otherwise, accepts the first position they're offered and then work up from there." She tapped her fingers against her knee. "You kept starting from scratch. Why?"

Ash made a face.

'Why' was a good question.

He shrugged.

"I dunno."

"That isn't a very sophisticated answer."

Ash shrugged again. "Well, that's because I don't have an answer. I'm a gut-instinct guy. I make decisions in the time it takes me to brush my teeth in the morning. If something doesn't feel right, I don't do it."

"That must drive your girlfriend crazy," she said, shaking her head.

"She doesn't need help with that." He covered his mouth, snorting.

"Oh?" She leaned back in her chair, intrigued. "Your girlfriend is Ms. Waterflower of the Cerulean City Gym, isn't she?"

Ash felt a tingle in his spine. It felt weird hearing that, even now. Directed at him. He blinked a few times. "...Yeah."

"How is that relationship going?"

He shifted, "Okay, I guess."

Was he dreaming? Was he talking about Misty on national television. Nevermind she invaded all parts of his mind, now she was taking over his interviews, too?

"Well... according to some pictures taken of you two over the last few weeks, it's been more than okay." She teased him, he didn't like that. His stomach twisted. "Is this you two, kissing at the top of the Lumoise tower?" She asked, and the screen behind them changed from the image of the city to an image, framed digitally, of Ash kissing Misty in the elevator of the Lumoise Tower. He instantly covered his face.

"You two actually make a very cute couple-"

"I thought we were here to talk about the league." Ash snapped the frills, forced smile, and control over his frustration gone in an instant.

"Do you not want to talk about your new girlfriend? How about your ex? That was only a few days, wasn't it." As she said this, the image of Serena kissing him at the end of his rematch with Alain replaced the one of Misty; and Ash felt his stomach twisted violently.

Deciding in an instant that he wasn't doing this, Ash's frustration boiled over. He stood, removed the mic from his shirt, and waved as he walked off the set. Wide-eyed, Kathleen's wide-eyes watched him leave, and it took a few minutes for her to call for a commercial cut while Ash was getting ripped into by his manager for walking out of the interview.

Something Ash realized as Kathleen attempted to get him back on stage then deciding to call him a 'spoiled brat' when he refused, was that nothing was off-limits to these people. Was he nothing more than a glorified celebrity?

XOX

Over the next week, Ash repeated the interview process several times. He'd learned his lesson from that first interview. He didn't go off-script. He only answered the questions he was told about prior to the interview, and whenever his personal life came up, he changed the subject with the advice Diantha gave him. Mention something similar, tell a joke, and turn it back around on the interviewer. Manipulating an interview was becoming one more skill in Ash's book of experience.

The week ticked by, with several interviews following the first, where he repeated most of the same answers without creativity. His words and time were now being fully managed. Ash did not have more than an entire hour to himself all week while he went through the turmoil of stressful interviews. Each interviewer seemed nice, easy to talk to, at first. Every time, they tried to get him to break by asking a surprising, or insulting question. Ash hated being censored, but he hated his words being turned against him even more. So for now, he allowed them to manage his words.

He sent two texts to Misty that week. That he would meet her in Ambrette Town and that he couldn't wait to see her. He didn't bore her with the stressful details of how miserable he was reading from a script and dealing with snakes, but he was glad that after this week, he wouldn't need to interview again for another month... if they ever wanted to interview him again. After that first one, people called his remaining interviews 'boring' or implied that he wasn't grateful to be interviewed. This was because he largely avoided personal questions.

Nowhere in his contract did it say that he needed to divulge any private or personal information. They could know all about battling and pokemon, but he wasn't going to talk about Misty or Serena.

By the time the week was drawing to a close, and he was waiting at the next studio for his last interview of the week, he couldn't wait to see Misty that weekend and unwind. He could forget all about this terrible week; visit the beach, find some pokemon and get out for a while. Unfortunately, he didn't have time to plan anything, so he was going to have to wing it. He hoped that was okay.

Ash petted pikachu nervously as he waited to be called to the stage. This interview, the last one, was the first to be completely live. No paid audience, no editing. This studio was famous for uploading their interviews in raw format, and for that reason, it was the most nervous Ash had been for any of his interviews. He was also told that if he messed up on a live show, he wouldn't ever have another one. The chaotic part of him wanted to throw the show intentionally. The responsible side knew that he shouldn't.

When they called him, he stood, exhaled, and cleared his mind.

"We got this." He whispered to pikachu who nodded in agreement. "Last one, and then we're free."

The moment his foot hit that stage, the mask went up, the smile crept onto his lips and he walked naturally, waving to the cheering audience with a flick of his wrist. Pikachu joined him by cheerfully waving paws in both directions as they found their way to a large lounge chair opposite another lounge chair with a coffee table in the center. In the back was an image of the Prism Tower to hide the bleeding sun. The fans pointed at the stage nearly froze him.

"Hello, hello Ash Ketchum!" The interviewer cheered as she entered the stage from the opposite side, her red hair sending a vibration down his spine—he hadn't the chance to call Misty since their last conversation, and seeing the woman sent a strange pang of guilt into his chest. Regardless, Ash cracked a smile.

Perhaps it was the nature of the business, but he was finding it easier to smile without really meaning it.

"Hey," he squinted at the name on her lapel. It was a little weird that she was wearing a name-tag.

"...Mandy...?"

"Oh my gosh, that is my name! Have you watched my show before?" she said ecstatically, wiggling in her seat. Her red skirt pulled up slightly to reveal more of her thigh while she pulled her jacket down.

Ash shook his head and pointed to his shoulder area, reflecting where her own name tag was.

"You have a name tag." He said with a coy grin. Her face turned a slight pink when she looked down and then laughed boldly.

"How embarrassing. I forgot to take that off." She laughed, then wiped the tag off the stage like it was on fire.

She clapped and then crossed one leg over the other. Unlike Misty, this woman had an orange-y, fake tan sprayed over her body, and she was wearing a too—tight red skirt, and a red blouse with a white blazer. Other than the spotty spray tan, she seemed very chipper, and well put together. She clapped her hands on her thighs while pikachu shifted onto the table to eat some of the candy.

"My, my, my!" She tsked, "Ash. Ash Ketchum. You have been the talk of the town." She cooed. "What's it like to be so young and the champion? You may be the youngest champion the Kalos league has ever seen."

Peeling his eyes away from pikachu he glanced around the area for the all-knowing note cards he had been drilled into reading for the last several interviews, and when he didn't see them, a brief panic settled in.

"uhh..." he started thoughtfully, looking back at her—her eyes were lime green, and he frowned. Mind off of Misty, Ash. He chanted to himself and then rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

"It's okay. A bit challenging some days, but overall it's been an experience," he said for lack of better words.

"I can only imagine," she said with a sympathetic nod. "I'm a huge fan, I've even kept up with your latest interviews, and I must save you have had some crazy adventures!"

Ash nodded, a little hyped to talk about his adventures—he never had a lack of those to talk about, and sharing them usually ate away at the time, but before he could speak she started once more.

"And you're an amazing battler, as we have all seen."

She gestured to the large screen behind them, where the prism tower turned into a moving image of Ash and greninja during their final line up at the championship; greninja had leaped through the air after breaking out of Ash-greninja mode, and lunged itself ten feet into the opposing pokemon's face, securing an effective K.O. when only seconds prior to that, they were on the losing end of the battle. Ash rubbed his nose, recalling the moment before the final match with pikachu, and found himself grinning slightly.

"You've talked about your strategies a ton of times, you've even mentioned the good and the bad about training—but here, we only have one question for you." She pressed her long fingers together, her long nails tapping while the image of Prism tower took precedent behind them once more. Ash looked at her skeptically.

What's that? He might have asked if she didn't beat him to it. "What is Ash Ketchum's love life like now?"

The darkened scowl that crossed his face didn't go unnoticed by the woman, but she didn't seem to mind as a mischievous grin pulled on her lips.

"I've watched all of your interviews after Mrs. Kathleen's and you avoid that topic like the plague itself. Is there a reason for that?"

This was life. The other mistakes he made were not. Ash blinked, tried to refrain from shouting. "Because it's... personal?"

"Oh, please!" she said, her chipperness finally getting on his nerves. "Nothing is personal anymore. You're famous! You have fans literally chasing you out of your hotel when you leave. You have to avoid major pokemon centers. Nothing is personal anymore."

He glared. "I respectfully disagree."

She, however, did not take the hint, and would not take the hint. she sat back in her chair, shaking her head slightly. She wagged her finger at him.

"Is it really that personal? You're already the talk of the town because of that sweet kiss with the would-be Kalos Princess, Serena. And anyone with an internet connection knew you went back home and reconnected with your childhood sweetheart." She tapped her fingers against her cheek. "Was that before or after you broke up with her?"

"Wow, you're some detective aren't you?" Ash scowled, dropping the smile and pleasantries.

"Oh, I've struck a nerve. Did you want to leave?"

"If this is the topic of conversation. Yes." he said immediately, but she squealed in laughter.

She winked at him, and Ash balked in return. When she started to speak again, images appeared on the screen behind him and he felt raw anger burn at the back of his throat. Images of Serena and Ash's travels together followed—the unspeakable kiss that started this whole ordeal, followed by a few images from the party thrown after, and even a few from when he was at home.

"I'll talk about it with or without you. Speculation is half the fun, isn't it!? In fact, nothing could stop me from saying that you cheated on Serena with, oh, Misty, was it? I could say that, and unless you-"

"I didn't cheat on Serena." Ash hissed, furious.

"Oh, oh..." She laughed. "So you broke up with her after only dating for a week? You used her and tossed her?"

"You're joking, right?" Ash questioned, visibly angry.

A flurry of emotions hit him. Several different kinds at once. Embarrassment not only for himself but for Misty and Serena. Neither of them wanted anything to do with his appearance. They were both happy to have known him, and it was water under the bridge. No hard feelings... except... He inhaled.

"Why would I joke? The people want to know what happened. You chose to stay in Kalos, which you've said before is pompous and over-the-top, but you ditched the Kalos native for someone you, yourself, called crazy?"

"I didn't call her crazy."

She snickered. "But you didn't deny it."

She licked her lips. "It's odd, is all. Was it planned?"

"No. I didn't ask Serena to do anything, I didn't want anything to do with her, to begin with. She started it."

Shit. Shit. Shut up. Ash hissed and then settled back in his chair while the audience gasped and started mumbling before the people managing the crowd silenced them.

"Really? Is that why you two were spotted together again recently?" Ash glanced briefly at the screen behind him. He saw Serena for a few hours while Misty was there. However, he noticed the photos they showed carefully clipped Misty out of the image.

"She's still my friend. Doesn't mean I want to date her."

"Then why'd you lead her on? Wait until you were home to break her heart?"

Ash laughed a little, he was beyond wanting to leave. In fact, he'd never wanted to hit someone before, but he was nearly there. Even the manager who finally managed to get the people to try to call the show couldn't get them to turn the cameras off. Emotions were confusing, he had a hard enough time thinking about it, nevermind voicing it. instead. He crossed his arms.

"Why? Do you want to date her? Do you need her number?"

"Oh, there's that spunk." She snapped her fingers. "Red-heads are more of my type and rumor has it you two are on the rocks, so I'll have Misty's number if you're giving out your exes numbers."

"Excuse me?" Ash asked, scowling.

"Ohhh. Then maybe the rumors aren't true..."

"What rumors?"

"That you two broke up-word on the street is that things were pretty heated." She looked at the images and Ash didn't want to. He and Misty got into a very heated argument several times during her last visit. He didn't know that people took pictures of it, however, worse was the images he knew were going to follow of their 'making up'. That wasn't going to happen. He shared a glance with pikachu, who was puffed up in fury.

"Though, you did seem quite comfortable later... she's a bit mischievous isn't-""chuuu!"

Ash crossed one leg over the other as pikachu's quick lightning shock fried the screen behind them before the images fully loaded and the interviewer's jaw dropped at the destruction. Ash tapped his foot on the ground. He was not going to be ridiculed like this. Nevermind bringing Serena and Misty into it. How dare she insult either of them?

"You done?"

She smiled vindictively, "No, actually. You scared to show the images because a young bachelor like you is likely still playing the field?"

His mouth fell open, then closed. He was appalled—but clearly, everyone was interested in his response. His face flashed a hostile red as the television screen sparked behind them. Ash glared at the woman; he'd never hated someone he just met, but he was sure that the feeling boiling in his chest was somewhere near that. His mother's golden rule was 'if you have nothing nice to say, don't say anything at all' and Ash hopped to his feet.

"Say whatever the fuck you want." He snapped, and then stormed off the set. Mandy's mouth fell open and she pointed.

"What's going on?" She shouted to her stage crew who shrugged. However, after that little event with pikachu, none of the crew went to grab him.

Ash was humiliated for himself, for Misty, and for Serena. He bolted from the stage, dodged a few of the security officers, and stopped at the manager who tried to stop the interview.

"Where are you going?"

"I never agreed to do an interview about this!" Ash hissed angrily, eyes full of fire when he looked at the man responsible.

"To be fair, you agreed to do any interviews we asked you to do when you signed our legal document." He said calmly. "It's just a few short questions for about twenty minutes; you can manage that, can't you? You're halfway done. We'll ask her to tone down the interrogation...and..."

Ash felt his chest burn, but it was pikachu who let out a few electrical sparks to have the man back up.

"No, I think I'm good," Ash stormed out of the building.

Of course, the scene was recorded.

XOX

It didn't take long for the interview to go up.

It didn't take long for Ash to listen to all the nasty things that gossip mongrel, Mandy, had to say about him and his relationships after he stormed out. He should have known better than to do this interview, with this person. He only found out a few minutes ago that she had a reputation of digging into 'celebrities' personal lives like a vulture. After all, relationships, especially messy ones, sold better than sex.

Ash watched the rerun of the interview obsessively, gnawing on his thumbnail while he pestered Misty's phone over and over again, hoping to reach her long before that stupid interview did. He slouched off the rest of his duties for the Kalos League that day: skipped the tournament downtown, ignored the showcase, avoided the fundraiser, and even skipped free mealtime at Walter's Vineyard, because he was too frustrated to function.

He watched the snark woman hatefully. She might have had red hair like Misty, but she was the complete opposite. There wasn't a caring bone in her body unless it was about making a story or ratings. She made assumptions, theories, bland lies, and gossip about him with random trainers Ash ran into before. He figured she'd act like this, but now, they were gossiping that Ash was upset over his break up with Misty, and that's why he was in such a huff. After all, he did not deny that they broke up.

Perhaps his anger wasn't enough of a reaction?

Ash called Misty again and held the ringing device to his head for the thirtieth time.

Usually, Ash kept out of the tabloids, he didn't read the magazines, he didn't care to, but now that he was the star. He read several of them. Four magazines were sprawled across his king-size bed and he was absolutely disgusted in their choice of topics. Apparently, Misty and Serena were nemeses, and the shaming done to both females was gutwrenching. Neither of them did anything wrong. He didn't do anything wrong. Why was this such a huge deal to anyone? Who actually cared about this stuff?

"Hello?"

"Misty?"

"Hey, Ash, you called a million times, is something wrong?" She was breathless, and Ash felt his stomach twist. "Sorry, I left my phone at home today when I left for the gym. I just ran home after your-"

"You saw that?"

"Everyone did." Misty grimaced, he could hear her flop onto her couch and he swallowed hard with a loud sigh. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he thought of the best words he could say, but the only thing that came out was;

"Why didn't you tell me what people were saying about you?"

Her breath hitched, she was about to evade the truth, but luckily, she blew out a sigh first. "I didn't want you to worry. I figured the limelight would get bored of you soon."

"Most of those stupid interviews didn't even touch battling and pokemon unless I mentioned it, they're only-"

"Relationships sell." Misty interrupted.

"That shouldn't matter!" Ash gasped, standing up and pacing his room to ease his mind.

"It shouldn't... but it does," Misty said modestly, Ash breathed a sigh of relief, then flopped back onto his bed where a worried pikachu placidly pawed at him and muttered a brief hello to Misty.

Ash sighed. "I'm sorry. This week has been hell."

"It's okay, Ash." Somehow, hearing her say that made the ache and misery of that interview settle at the pit of his stomach, to be dealt with another day. He sighed.

"At least I get to see you this weekend." It sounded as pathetic as he felt:

"...Right...yeah..." she cleared her throat, the cheerful tone of her voice shifting and Ash put his head back into his pillows and restrained a frustrated sigh.

"I have some bad news... I tried to call yesterday, but..." she trailed off.

"I have to cancel my trip tomorrow... Daisy did some planning with the gym and she's hosting a water ballet this weekend that I need to be present for by the league's standard. If the gym is open, I cannot leave it unattended... even if it is for a show."

Ash tried to mask his disappointment but failed miserably. His voice was harsh, borderline shaky. "What?"

"I'm really sorry. I tried to get a hold of you earlier, but you weren't answering your phone..."

"I was busy," Ash grumbled, sounding angrier than he was. "It's fine though, pikachu and I will go fishing."

Hearing the crass tone of voice Misty shuddered. "I really am sorry. Can we reschedule for next weekend?"

Without looking at his calendar he nodded. "Yeah."

"Do you know where you'll be?"

"The pokemon league. I have a challenger."

"Ooh, your first challenger, that's pretty exciting." She tried to change the subject but he was already frustrated.

Today sucked. Nothing was good about today, and the one fucking-he inhaled. No. Calm down. He exhaled.

"Yeah, whoopee. They'll record it and then still talk about my relationship status." He inhaled. "Man, I don't understand why that's so important—so what? I'm dating someone, it's not like I'm not me. I'm still a pokemon trainer. Who cares if I'm in a relationship!?" He groaned slapping his forehead.

Misty wasn't sure how to answer that, "It's not a big deal, I'm sure it will fizzle out soon, anyway." Misty tried, but Ash wasn't hearing her.

"I mean, I spent eight freakin' years trying to become a champion—and then it gets ruined by the one thing I've been avoiding my entire life! You know, people always asked me why I remained oblivious for so long, and I'm going to start directing them to this nonsense!"

Misty's frustrations weren't so elegantly masked the next time she spoke. "Well, if it's such a problem why did you bother, anyway?"

"Well, it wasn't really my choice, was it? Serena sort of came out of the blue."

"I didn't mean her," Misty grunted painfully, and Ash's eyes opened. He knew that tone of voice, it was her 'I'm upset, but I'm not going to tell you' tone, and he scrambled to gather his thoughts.

"I don't mean that about you at all, Mist."

"Uh-huh," Misty growled.

Too late, damage done.

"It's probably a good thing I'm not going this weekend. It gives you a little more time to go back to the glory days."

"Misty, you know I didn't mean it like that..." He muttered, but she remained unconvinced, having come off a long shift at the gym. Having been dragged by not only Kalos media but also Kanto's. She was called three times by her league officials.

"Are you sure?" She asked, surprising Ash. He blinked once, and then twice. Was he so sure?

She hiccuped. "You hesitated."

"I did not."

"You did, too!"

"Misty-" he tried but her grumpy voice cut him off.

"I'll talk to you later, Ash. Have a good night and take care of yourself." She said quickly, ending the call before he could get another word in.

Ash stared at his phone all of ten minutes, gawking at what had just happened, and then pressed the screen against his forehead and groaned loudly. At least she was still friendly when she hung-up on him. Friendliness meant she was still being civil, none of that irrational ignoring him that she tried earlier. However, if he didn't act now, that would give her the firepower she needed to rip into him at a later time.

Taking the cowardly way out, he pulled open his messages to see that she had left a few scattered ones throughout the week about the gym, as well as a—if he had to say it—gorgeous picture of her and a young trainer who beat her in a battle with the title 'reminded me so much of you!' written across the bottom of the photo. He held his mouth, recalling the first time they battled at the gym—how he 'won' and wondered if that was the way the small boy won. He grinned to himself while flicking over to the image she sent a few nights prior that had him so riled up—to see that it was actually fairly modest.

She was laying in bed, the sun peaked through the curtains of her apartment room to illuminate her face, and yeah she was in that black sports bra, but her shortened red hair was sprawled around her face, and she was winking up at him with her tongue stuck out playfully. Mocking him so carefully with 'have fun, but not too much fun!' written beneath it and his face turned scarlet all over again.

Ash would never send pictures, he was too awkward. He wasn't romantic, even in the slightest, without someone there to guide him—so all he managed was fumbling on his keyboard.

"Don't be mad at me. I swear I didn't mean it like that. I love you if that counts for anything."

He waited a few minutes, and when no reply came, he set his phone down, and laid back onto the magazines, and pressed his palms against his eyelids in desperation. Ash would never understand women, more importantly, he would never understand Misty. He would never understand the media, and he would never understand how he was managing right now. Maybe it was the steady paycheck or the fancy dinners—maybe a small part of him enjoyed all of the attention he was getting.

Why was he putting up with this?

"pika." The pokemon murmured, and Ash opened one eye to stare at him.

"You know... You're right." Ash said. Quickly he shot out of his bed, gathered together some supplies for the day, as well as his cap, and then shouldered pikachu.

"We can't feel sorry for ourselves, let's get out there and battle some people. Screw regulations!" Ash changed, slamming the door on his way out.

Author's Note: (2021-03-06)

Boy. I changed so much about the dialogue between Ash and Misty. The second interview was changed completely to be more direct and interesting. Totally inappropriate, but at this point. who cares. It makes sense now. even if it is crude.

Stuff from previous notes, condensed:

I imagine becoming a champion is a lot like becoming a celebrity. Like celebrities, people would focus less on what they're actually famous for, and more on their relationship status. Misty isn't being immodest. People in relationships send pictures all the time. we aren't about shaming here. Just be smart.

Finding a line between work and relationships is challenging at the start. I can see Ash fumbling on this one in several aspects. Also, hormones, you devilish little emotion you.

NINT