"I thought it would be a long time until I saw you again."

Misty sighed. "Yeah, well, fate doesn't always work out that way, does it?" She presented the box to Ash, holding it out. "Besides, if I mailed this, they would be melted by the time they got to you, wherever you're at now."

"Melted?" Ash ripped open the box, exposing a package of small chocolates. He looked them over, curious. "These look expensive, Misty."

"I'm sure they were, but I don't want them." Misty blushed. "They were on the Gym steps one morning, just sitting there with a ribbon on them. They were probably for one of my sisters, but none of them were home, and if I kept them that long, they would go stale." She shuddered. "What I find most disturbing is that most people now know they're not home...so I'm worried that box WAS intended for me. That's why I had to get rid of it. And, well, I know you like food..."

Misty was talking to dead air. Ash was popping the chocolates into his mouth faster than some people pop pills. She simply shook her head and began to walk away, headed back toward the gym.

Ash's voice echoed out across the walk. "Wait, Misty! Sorry -- I found the peanut butter ones, and I kind of wanted to eat all of them at one time!"

Misty rolled her eyes and turned around, looking at Ash, who was sitting on the ground, clutching the box. "So typical of you, to ignore everything that's going on and focus on one thing -- be it food, Pokemon battles, the likes. I'm going back to the gym."

"But wait!" Ash held up the box of chocolates. "Are you sure you don't want any? They're really good!"

Sigh. He could be so cute sometimes. "All right, fine, just hand me one of the chocolate ones. And get up off the ground. You look like you're ten again."

Ash jumped to his feet, still holding the box. He weeded through the chocolates until he found the one Misty was looking for, then handed it to her. The redhead put the chocolate in her mouth. "Hm...what do you know?" She closed her eyes, discovering every flavor and swallowing. "This really isn't half bad. Whoever bought these really did put some thought into it, for better or worse. You were right, Ash...for once."

Then, time froze as Misty's mouth was occupied with something other than a chocolate.

Her eyes widened and, after a second of letting it sink in, she backed away from Ash. "What do you think you're doing?" she asked, looking at him, surprised. This was so...uh-Ash.

Ash also backed away from Misty, still holding the box. "Well...I always wondered to myself if you tased better than chocolates. Turns out I was right on that one, too."

Forget going back to the gym. This was going to take a while to figure out...