Chapter 5

"Well, Misty." Ash stated.

"Yes, Ash?" Misty questioned him.

"Shall we go on a little date?" He smiled to her.

Misty couldn't help but smile. "Lets go then Ash."

They went to the lake and had a picnic date. It was a cute and romantic date.

"Well Ash this is such a peaceful place, huh?" Misty smiled.

Ash nodded in deep thought. Misty puzzled by his expression wondered what was wrong with him.

"Ash?" She gently called out to him.

Ash snapped out of his trance and looked at Misty. "Yeah Mist. Beautiful, too. I'm so glad it was you I get to share this with."

Misty smiled delighted. "Oh Ash, that's so sweet."

"Well I guess I better get you home. How about I take you out on a real and better date tomorrow?" He smiled at her.

Misty just stared at him. "Sure thing Ash. I mean this seemed to be a real date to me, but hey whatever." She smiled playfully at him.

Ash just shook his head and stood up. He held his hand out to her. She grabbed it and he pulled her up with ease. He put a little but more power into pulling her up then intended she thought. Then realized it was on purpose because Ash lifted her face up to meet his face. He then leaned in and gave her a simple kiss that left them both breathless.

"Okay Misty lets get going. I can't wait to take you out somewhere just as nice as this place." With that he walked her home and left.

Misty watched Ash go until she couldn't see him no more. Misty then turned to walk into her home. She suddenly stopped because she heard something rattling in the bushes. Before she grabbed a Poke Ball Tracey jumped out.

"Wait Misty!" Misty stopped hearing his voice.

"Oh it's just you. Here lately you have been giving me heart attacks. Would you at least stop hiding in bushes and stuff?"

"Sure thing." He sighed. He seemed much more calmer.

"What did you need? My sisters are probably worried about me right now." Misty folded her arms and gave the language of someone who was being wuite impaitent.

Tracey met her eyes. "Well to tell you the truth. I just really don't think Ash is that great for you! I mean look how he has done to you! I saw it everyday. I seen the disappointment when he doesn't call you often enough. I know you don't want to call him because I can feel that you... That you want to be strong.

I mean if I was you, I'd drop him as a boyfriend figure. He could be a friend but a boyfreind? No. Why did you allow your broken heart to be swayed so easily? I was just so hurt to see you two... Yeah. Besides everytime I'm around him... I just get so fraustrated. For you Misty, I feel like I must show a different side of me. I want to show you that I do truly care. I know I may look stupid or dumb, but at least it shows that I care!

I've gave you hints on how that I like you! I know you did notice because you gently let me down everytime. Ash doesn't get to see the real you like I have over the years! I've got to see your more happier, gentler side. You have grown up so much and I can't just let you go. I don't know what it is about you, but I feel more different around you. I want to be more adventrous sounding. Even if I sound stupid, it gets you to look my way even just for a moment.

What if a new journey arises for Ash once more? Don't you think he will leave you to go take it on? I'm always here or you. I help you in need. Everytime you call for me to help you, I don't mind dropping everything I'm doing to be here with you. I know I don't try to say a lot, but I just want you to know... To know I do have a different side that only you can see and only Ash can bring out. I'm tired of Ash this or Ash that. Forget about him already! He left you a long time ago in a world of pain! I got to see things Ash will probably never know... Misty..."

Misty looked at Tracey a long time. She knew what he was saying without going any further. She had always known that Tracey had started to devolop feelings for her, but she just couldn't get past the friend figure of him. All she could live and breathe was Ash Ketchum. Ash hurt her all right but she had lived through the pain AFTER May had fallen for Drew. Then a new pain had found its way into her heart when she saw Dawn... The figure of a true girly girl...

Her beautiful blue hair... Long and straight. Did Ash like girls with long hair, now? May had her hair up but it was brown... She thought that maybe he was attacted to burnettes now but that wasn't the case. That blue hair had haunted her a real long time. Long, Straight, Blue... Blue close to the waters of something amazing. She was never jealous of their eyes though. She thought she always had the better looking eye color then them.

They reminded her of the sky everytime she looked into their eyes. They seemed kind of air-headed to her. Maybe that's why she saw the sky within them. Misty had the perfect Ocean color of blue eyes. She saw the ocean within her and barely anyone else. Rarely she saw the ocean within someone else...

She would have to ask Ash if he would leave her to go collect more badges though... If he would... She would and might turn to Tracey. If Tracey would allow her to? Now she was getting herself confused... Sighing...

"Tracey... Could you leave please? I'm getting really tired. I need to go in..." Before she could turn to leave Tracey pulled her into a hug. A hug that would be more confusing then they had reailzed.

"Misty I know you do feel something for me... I saw it once and I have been fighting for it ever since then. Ash thinks that I have just told you now how I feel. You know it's a lie. I have told you by giving you my Maril's egg... Going to you for things that you needed support on. You know." Then he let her go and walked away. Now walking, Tracey left and all Misty could think about was how right he was about some things. She walked inside and went to bed.

Misty was walking into her gym. She looked around to see that everything was competely finished for her. She looked around to see that if Ash had done this yet again. Ash seemed to amaze her. She then spotted Tracey swimming in her pool? He looked like a pretty good swimmer! Eh... Where was Ash?

"Hey Tracey!" Misty called out to him.

Tracey looked up to Misty smiling. "Hey Mist! It is about time you got up! Geez I thought I was going to have to wake up my lovely woman." He smiled happily at her.

Misty seemed confused... "Tracey I thought I said I don't like being called Mist by you. Anyway... Where's Ash? I figured he'd be here by now to go on my date with me..."

Tracey swam by her side and jolted out of the water. "ASH AGAIN? Honey are you alright? You bumped your head hard on the pool yesterday during a Pokemon match. All you could say was Ash this, Ash that. Everytime you're in pain you always mention Ash... Or have you forgotten again that we are married?"

Misty blinked in surprise and shock. "Married?"

"Yes... Married. You really must have hit your head pretty darn hard. Okay to sum it up, Ash left you yet again," Tracey rolled his eyes on that one indicating that wasn't anything new, "and left you to deal with the heart ache and pain once more because he dumped you to go on that adventure. He left you for good. He is now living with Dawn and they are happy just like you and me." His smile was extremely gentle.

..."Married? To Dawn? How long ago?..."

"A year ago."

Misty's eyes teared up in the pain... Her fear of losing Ash swelled up and seemed to drain out of her body through the tears. "And.. How long have we been married?" She started to fumble with some of the words while the tears flowed.

"Two years... After he left you and I were so happy. We got married early and..."

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Misty woke up screaming. Her eyes darted around the room trying to find something. Sweat was rolling down her face, she was shaking badly, and breathing hard. Misty started to snivel some. Misty then lifted her hands up to wipe away the tears she felt falling down her face.

"It was only a dream..." She whispered. After calming herself down, she looked around the room lost in thought.

I wouldn't try to marry Tracey for Ash to come back to me would I? I wouldn't be that... That crazy... or would I? I'm so confused. If I had married Tracey to get back at Ash then, I would be a horrible person! I would lead Tracey on, hurt myself for hurting Ash, which would be that bad of an idea... NO! Don't hurt Ash because you were hurt by him! That would be nonsense! UGhh... What time is it?

Misty picked up her alarm clock to read that it was almost time for her to get up anyway. She shut the alarm off and went to go take a shower. She got ready and headed out the door to the gym. Which the gym was only beside her house anyway. She walked in and got ready for her morning. She didn't know what time Ash would be there but... She wanted to aviod Tracey at all costs.

"Hey little sister!" It was Daisy.

"Yo."

"Yo huh? Did you have a nightmare or something last night?" Daisy inquired.

Misty blinked in surprise then shifted it to knowing. "Yeah real bad."

Daisy shook her head. "Like want to tell me about?" She smiled.

"Nah." Misty said.

"It must like not have been that bad then."

Misty shrugged her shoulders and walked off. She saw Lily swimming in the pool with the pokemon. Then she heard laughter and turned to see Violet and... Tracey talking.

Misty darted to somewhere else. She found herself down into the area to watch the pokemon play under the water. She watched them lazily play about. Then she heard footsteps. She turned to see that Tracey had followed her.

Yeah great. Just what I needed. Of course it happens this way. You want to aviod someone, they are always right there when you see them. Ugh. Misty turned to look back at the swimming pokemon.

"Hey Misty." Tracey said happily.

"Yeah Hey." Misty still didn't look at him.

Tracey then too looked at the water pokemon swimming about. "Look I just wanted to stop by and say that I am sorry for the way I have been acting. After last night, I spaced out on what I meant to really do, and that was to apologize to you. So I'm sorry, Misty." Then he turned to look at her. She felt him staring at her wanting her to face him. She gave him what she wanted, she looked up at him. She set her head on the glass while doing this. "Just don't expect me to say it to him. I'm still competing for you. Just don't think of me less when Ash is around. Just because Ash gets the better of me doesn't mean that I'll turn that way on you. I'll see you some other time though, cutie." He winked at her and walked off.

Leaving Misty to blush at his comment. She leaned up off the glass to call out to him. "Tracey! Just call me Misty!" Tracey never once looked back and left. Misty shook her head. "Cutie? Who does he think he is?" Misty was mumbling to herself when Daisy walked up to her.

"Like there you are! Ash just arrived and him and like Tracey were having this creepy stare down. Then Tracey walked off!"

"Okay thanks." Misty walked up the stairs with Daisy beside her.

"So who will it like be, Tracey or Ash?" Daisy teased her.

"It's Ash. I'm dating him at the moment."

"Whooo LIKE WHEN?"

"Just yesterday." Misty rolled her eyes and ran the rest of the stairs up. She saw Ash standing there looking far far away... Far, Far Away... She felt the tears forming when she said those words. She bit her lip to fight them back down and walked up to Ash. "Hey there."

Hearing her voice snapped him out of it. He looked at her and smiled. "Misty." He seemed to breathe in her name. "I've been waiting on you. Ready to go? You look amazing." He smiled at her.

She only had a simple white skirt with a cobalt blue fancy looking shirt. She allowed to let her hair down. She wore white flip-flops though. Wearing metallic silver looking blue lipstick on, and having navy blue eyeliner with glitter in it, she might have looked quite nicely. She smiled at him. "You look just has great, Ash."

"I'm only wearing simple jeans and a black t-shirt, with black sneakers. Oh and the traditional trademark of my hat, I'm just simple compared to your beauty!"

Misty just smiled even bigger. "Ash."

"Well lets get going then Misty." He smiled.

"PIKA!"

Misty giggled. "Yes Pikachu lets go, too."

Misty and Ash made it to the destined place to only find out that it was under attack by none other then Team Rocket...

Ash yelled at them. "Do you ever give it a rest? Go Tepig! Use Ember Attack!"

"TePIG!" It used its Ember attack and it missed its target. Misty looked up and saw Tracey contained in a glass box trying to break out of it.

"TRACEY!" Misty yelled. Tracey looked down to see Misty.

"That's right brats! Yeah have him! We wanted to exchange him for your little Pikachu!" Jessie said.

"NEVER!" Ash yelled. "You can keep him!"

"Ash!" Misty looked at him.

Ash lifted his hands up in defense. "Okay Okay we'll get him out. Don't worry Mist." Ash smiled to her.

Hands then came down and grabbed Pikachu anyway. Ash grabbed a hold of the hands and they were swiftly tooken away together. Ash appeared beside Tracey in the glass box with Pikachu in his hands. Misty just shook her head angirly. She saw Tepig hopping around distraught without its trainer.

"Tepig! Use flamethrower!"

Tepig looked at her and then followed the command, but the balloon was making its way too far up far the attack to hit. "Just great..." Then a rustle came from the bushes. Misty turned to see Tracey's Venoant had been left behind...

"Venonat we need to track Tracey and Ash down!"

"Veno!" He sat there searching for the boys that took into the sky.

"So Ash."

"So Tracey."

"What would happen if you heard of another region you never heard had badges for you to collect, would you go to it? Would you travel once more?"

Ash looked at Tracey. "I wouldn't."

"Don't lie to me Ash! I know you would go for the opportunity arises! Why are you even back for?" Tracey was angry with Ash.

Ash looked a him for a very long time. Sighing Ash finally spoke. "Because I have finally realized that my dream has been fulfilled and I have no longer the heart to travel anymore. I was pondering on how and why I have acted so poorly in the past. I grew up quickly within the past few days. I thought on that it was now time to grow up. I have someone waiting for me and I need to be with them.

I want Misty to be the one I settle down with. Everytime I have thought of liking some girl, Misty's smiling face would appear into my view. I knew and now know she's the one. I know I have caused her so much pain and grief. I'm going to fix that now. I have always loved her. I want her to know that I have always wanted her. So here I am now."

Tracey was still mad. "Ash you will NEVER know how much pain you put her through! Either way, Misty knows that I have always like her. I started and noticed that Misty was someone different after being stuck at the gym. She hates it there! I know she does. She missed you quite a lot.

You fool why did you never EVER call her that often for huh? That hurt her a lot that you wouldn't talk much to her! She hated the girls you were traveling with! She was jealous! I saw the pain within her eyes! You know she is someone who should have be more better vauled with! I wouldn't have left her like that EVER! After I saw the real Misty..."

The boys sat in silence for awhile. Pikachu had went to sleep some time ago.

"Tracey."

"Ash."

"I just hope you know that I'm not allowing you to have her."

"And I'll have you know I will fight for her."

"Right." Ash smiled.

Tracey smiled back. The boys had came to an agreement. Ash was the winner at the momen, but Tracey would try and try again for Misty.

The balloon came to a landing. The boys startled looked around to see what was happening.

"Hey Pikachu, see if you can use Iron Tail to get us out of here."

"Pika!" Pikachu used its move and they busted out of there. Tracey and Ash ran for it hoping Team Rocket didn't notice. They had gained some distance from them and they stopped to take a breather.

"So How did you get caught up by Team Rocket?" Ash asked.

Tracey looked at him. "Well they were attacking trainers. I got their Pokemon back for them but they caught me. They didn't like the idea that I was caught and not Pokemon. Then you guys came along at that time."

Ash nodded his head. The bushes ruslted in front of them and they both waited for whatever was about to hop out of them.

Msity saw the boys and bounced to Ash hugging him. "Oh Ash! Are you alright?"

Ash smiled. "Yes Misty I'm fine."

Misty looked to Tracey and ran to him and hugged him. "Oh Tracey! I was so worried about you two!"

"VENOANT!"

Tracey hugged Misty back smiling over at Ash's direction. Ash didn't show the jealousness, just the happiness that Misty was worried about her friend and boyfriend. "Oh Venoant you helped Misty, huh?"

"Veno!"

"Good job. Return!" The Pokemon happily returned to the Pokeball. Misty had walked back over to Ash smiling and talking with him. Tracey was quite jealous of Ash but they had found their respect back for each other at least.

Everyone made it back to town. Tracey left becasue he had to get back to Professor Oak's lab and told Misty and Ash goodbye for now. Misty and Ash just waved bye.

"So now back on track with our date?"

Misty smiled. "Sure."

Misty and Ash had a wonderful romantic filled date. Misty was smiling to herself hugging her pillow happily. She just let herself giggle and finally fell alseep. Having no strange dreams she slept peacefully. All she could do was smile and be happy.