Moments Alone, Chapter Seven, "Miss You More"
By: Ellie
Author's note: Well, in honor of today's being Valentine's day, I've decided to finally post another chapter! I hope you all enjoy it!
Seven o'clock
Beryl slammed the door behind her. She tossed her black bag onto the floor and in her exhaustion, headed straight for the couch. As she sank into the cushions, the young woman sighed. Grasping the remote control, Beryl switched on the television set. She didn't hear Misty come in as she fixed her eyes on Angie Parrish.
"The first of the Mahogany League battles were held today here in the Mahogany League Complex. Water trainer Misty defeated Paul West in his first ever professional match with her Gyarados, and fire trainer Vesta was triumphant over Joanna Jett, though Jett's Jigglypuff put up a great fight. Rock trainer Beryl put up a tough fight over Constance Brown, but Brown's determination and skill eventually gave her the upper hand in the battle," Angie reported.
"Don't remind me," Beryl moaned. "That Constance... she gives me a headache."
"She's good, huh?" Misty questioned, standing above Beryl, behind the couch.
Beryl jumped. "Jeez!" she shrieked.
"Sorry," she said with a smile. She plopped down next to Beryl, and the pair redirected their attention to the television once more.
"...match with Ash Ketchum was quite a sight to see. Ash's quick thinking and cunning skills made it easy for him to win. It sure seems like we'll be seeing this young gentleman defeating the Mahogany League!"
Misty rolled her eyes. "Gawd, Angie Parrish, could you be more star struck?"
Beryl laughed. "She does do her fair share of gawking over him, doesn't she?"
"Well, I'm not so sure she should be making comments about contenders like that. Isn't that reporting false news or something?" Vesta said, stepping into the room.
"Good point! Someone should remind her of that," Misty said with a smirk.
"Oh, hey, Vesta," Beryl smiled. "I didn't hear you come in."
"I haven't been here long. But I'm kinda hungry. Anyone up for some dinner?"
"You gonna cook?" Beryl wondered.
"No way, I'm beat. My 5:00 match left me pretty exhausted. Won, though," she said wearily.
"Yeah, congratulations! It looked like a tough one," Misty noted.
"Thanks, Myst. You won yours too, right?" Vesta smiled.
"Ok, ok, let's not rub it in now, ladies," Beryl said pitifully. "I'm to exhausted to move. If you do end up going out, would you bring me back something?"
"Sure, no problem. Anything for my poor defeated B. I'll pick you up something delicious," Vesta said, patting Beryl's head.
Beryl smiled up at her and replied, "Thanks, love."
"Uh-huh. Myst, you up for some dinner?" Vesta asked.
"Misty, you should probably go with her. Maybe you can get your mind off things," Beryl suggested.
"You're just trying to get rid of me," Misty grinned.
"Yes, well," Beryl said, returning the smile.
Misty grabbed her purse and headed towards the doorway, Vesta close behind.
"Oh, and Beryl," Misty called. "When Silvia gets back tell her that we went out, will you?"
"Your wish is my command," Beryl replied. She changed channels on the television as her friends shut the front door behind them. She snuggled farther into the couch, and pulled a blanket over her body as she decided on what to watch. She finally decided on an old black and white film, Mr. Blandings Builds His Dreamhouse.' She felt herself falling asleep when the doorbell rang.
Beryl jumped at the sudden noise, and looked at the clock. It had been ten minutes since Misty and Vesta left. She realized that she must have fallen asleep for just a few moments. The doorbell rang again.
"I'm coming!" She shouted, dragging herself towards the door. "Hold your horses!" Beryl drudged the heavy door open to find Ash Ketchum smiling up at her.
"Hello again," he said cheerily.
Beryl groaned. "Hello," she forced out.
"Who is it?" a voice from the kitchen called.
Beryl squinted. "Silvia?"
"Who is it?"
"When did you get home?" Beryl asked, dumbfounded.
"Just a minute ago," Silvia answered, approaching the door. She looked at the young man standing on the stoop. "Oh, you again. Come to rub your victory in my face?" she asked wryly.
"Hi, Silvia," he said; now feeling a little guilty for stopping by. "Sorry if I was a little rough on you."
She laughed out loud, then shook her head. "No, I was kidding. You were great today. You've got some incredible skill. I was really impressed."
He smiled, grateful. "That's nice of you to say."
"So can we help you with something, Ash?" Beryl asked, her eyes sleepy.
"Yes, actually, I'm looking for Misty..."
"No visiting till after your match!" Silvia said with a grin.
"What? Seriously?" Ash questioned in disbelief.
"No, I'm kidding. But she's actually not here," Silvia replied.
"Do you want to come in?" Beryl asked.
"It's ok," Ash replied. "Do you know where she went?"
"Yeah, actually, I ran into Misty and Vesta as they were heading out. I'm pretty sure they said they were going to eat at Ho-Jon's or something near there. You might be able to catch them. Do you know Vesta?" Silvia asked.
"No," Ash shook his head.
"She's blonde," Beryl supplied.
"Thin," Silvia added.
"Pretty."
"Every man's dream girl," Silvia trailed off. The girls looked at each other and shrugged.
"Not mine," Ash replied quickly.
"What?" Beryl mumbled.
"Misty's my dream girl," he said as he turned around and headed down the path. "Thanks, ladies!" he called.
"Any time," Silvia yelled.
Silvia and Beryl looked at each other.
"AWW!"
"That was solid cheese," Beryl said cryptically, then headed back toward the couch.
Misty sat in Ho-Jon's Sushi Bar and Restaurant, prodding her food. The warm light of the room caught her reflection in the dark windows that made up two of Ho-Jon's walls. She looked her reflection in the eye, realizing how distracted she must have looked.
"Misty, what's up? You look preoccupied," her friend Catherine pointed out as she put down her chopsticks. Cath had joined them only a few minutes before.
"Ah, nothing," Misty sighed.
"It's a long story," Vesta told her.
"You can tell me," Cath exclaimed.
"It's really not a big deal," Misty mumbled.
"So," Vesta started, trying to change the conversation. "Did you see the matches, Cath?"
"Yeah, the ones I saw were great. I got to see Silvia's and Beryl's. Tomorrow I'll be watching yours," she said with a smile. "They both did great, Beryl really came close to beating her opponent at one point. Oh, and that boy from Palette Town, Ash Ketchum? He was really great to see in action."
Vesta looked over to Misty, hoping for a reaction, but she didn't get one. "Sounds like he's really good. I look forward to battling him."
"Yeah, I'll definitely be keeping an eye on that one," Cath said, sipping her tea. A short silence set in, and Cath looked towards Misty again. "Seriously, Misty, you can talk about it if you want."
"Yeah..." Misty trailed off. It was silent again for several moments until Misty turned towards Vesta and spoke. "You know? I'm not doing anything about it."
"Huh?" Vesta looked at her friend, puzzled.
"I'm just sitting here. Doing nothing. How is anything going to happen here if I just sit and think all the time?"
Cath looked at them both, quizzically.
Misty got up. "I'm going to see him."
"Really? Do you think you can get into the Trainer's Compound?" Vesta asked, setting down her chopsticks.
"Sure, I mean, it's like Silvia said earlier, right? We make the rules," Misty said, pulling her napkin off her lap.
"I think the guard will stop you, Misty. They're pretty serious about the rules," Vesta said with a serious look on her face.
"I don't think he will. I'll just tell him who I am, he's got to let me through. I mean, what if it was an emergency?"
"I guess," she backed down. "Fine. Go. You want me to come with?"
Misty smiled. "No, but thanks, this is something I've got to do by myself."
Cath looked at them both in frustration. "What's going on?"
Misty laughed. "Sorry, Cath. Vesta will explain it to you. And hey, Vesta, don't forget B's dinner. She's in a mood." She grinned at them both, waved, and left the restaurant.
Vesta smiled, and took another bite of her meal. Cath looked at her, almost furious. Vesta looked up and laughed. "Oh! Sorry, sweetheart. Ok, I'll start from the beginning…"
Vesta explained to Cath the entire situation to Kath's intrigue. And just as the story was coming to a close, a young man came up from behind them.
"Uhm, excuse me..." the young man said, standing to Vesta's right. "Are you... Vesta?"
She looked up. "Yes, I am."
"I'm..."
"Ash Ketchum!" Cath said, excitedly.
"Yeah, that's me," he smiled gratefully, though he was slightly frightened. "I'm looking for Misty, and I was told she'd be with you."
"Fancy that," Cath said coyly. "You just missed her, Ash. She went looking for you."
"Really?" he asked in disbelief. "That's great! Well, then again, it's not so great. I guess I missed her. Where did she go?"
"To the Trainer's Compound," Vesta replied.
"Trainer's Compound? But she's not allowed to go there... is she?"
"She's allowed to go anywhere she wants. Just because it's tradition, doesn't mean she's going to stay away from there," Vesta pointed out. "Misty doesn't give a damn. That girl's got a mind of her own."
"Tell me about it," he smiled fondly.
"Well, what are you standing here for?" Cath grinned.
"Huh?" he said.
"Go get her, you fool!" Vesta laughed.
"Oh, right!" he said as he was snapped out of his reverie. "If you ladies will excuse me, I have some very important matters to attend to."
"Go!" Cath and Vesta shouted together.
"Going!" he called out the door.