I chose to ignore such annoying chores like laundry and also sleep to write this. Especially because I have family visiting and before school preparations (which includes dull student gov't meetings -_-) to take care of, so I don't know how much writing time I'll have this week! And this is my last week of summer! :/ Sigh. Anyway, I'm done complaining!

This one's a bit longer than the last, but still sorta short. And in case it isn't obvious, Ash and Misty are not yet a couple here. I know, my timeline goes all over the place. I just change it for like everything I write. XD

Undressed

Ash flopped face first onto the sofa in his mother's living room, taking up more than the entire thing.

"Ashton, how many times do I have to tell you that taking up the entire sofa is rude!"

"Mooomm," Ash whined dramatically into the green throw pillow. "There's no one here! It's not like Pikachu needs all this room! And have a recliner! Oh, and would you stop calling me that?" He felt more than heard his mother approach him from the doorway of the kitchen and inwardly wondered how she always wandered in when he was doing something wrong.

Delia fixed a hard stare onto her son. Taking up the typical mom-pose, she raised an eyebrow and threw her hands on her hips.

"I'll call you George if I want to!"

Ash grunted in response.

"And I don't care if there isn't anyone here! Just because we're not entertaining guests doesn't mean you can forget the manners I have worked so hard to teach you for the last seventeen years," Delia reprimanded in a firm manner. Ash grudgingly lifted his legs off the end of the couch and swung his torso up so he was in a sitting position. Delia tsked upon seeing her son's tattered frontal appearance.

"Ash, you're absolutely filthy! Why would you wear dirty clothes today?" Delia sighed. Sometimes she felt like she was fighting a losing battle with this kid. Honestly, hadn't she taught him to get clothes out of the drawer and not the laundry hamper?

Obviously not, the young mother conceded, taking in her son's previously pristine white T-shirt that was now covered in brown and green stains.

"Mom," Ash rolled his eyes. "My clothes were clean until you had me go to that stupid nursery to get you a hundred pounds of potting soil! The first bag ripped and got all over my shirt by the time I was halfway home and then I tripped and rolled down a hill! And I still went back and got a new bag to carry all the way home!" The teenager rubbed his biceps gingerly.

I might be sore in the morning... but it might be worth it if Misty thinks I'm all muscly and hot...

"Ash," Delia exhaled tiredly and rubbed her forehead. "I'm starting to get tired of your attitude. Just go upstairs and take a shower, okay? You never know when someone is going to show up at your doorstep!"

Not wanting to argue with his mother any longer, Ash sighed his consent and trudged up the stairs. He waited until he was certainly out of earshot to mutter under his breath.

"Who in the name of Arceus is going to show up completely unannounced, ring that doorbell, and judge my appearance?" the boy wondered, grabbing a towel from the hall closet and stepping into the bathroom.

At the exact moment Ash had disappeared behind the closed door of the bathroom and turned on the hot water, the doorbell rang.

(line)

"Hi, Mrs. Ketchum!" Misty said brightly.

"Misty! What a wonderful surprise!" Delia hugged her surrogate daughter warmly and stepped aside to allow her entrance into the foyer. "What are you doing here, sweetheart?"

"Oh, I was just bored and wanting to get out of the Gym. I hope you don't mind," Misty answered rather sheepishly, removing her red Converse and at the doorway.

"Not at all, dear!" Delia smiled. "I'm just getting ready to make some lunch! Ash is in the shower, so would you mind helping me out for a bit?"

"Oh, not at all! I love cooking with you. I'm so bad at it everywhere else," Misty laughed, following Delia into her favorite kitchen.

The oldest Ketchum simply giggled in response, inwardly smirking.

I knew Ash would need to clean up for some reason. He wouldn't want to be embarrassed in front of his little crush!

Delia smirked as she adorned her favorite floral printed apron and retrieved the spare she kept in a drawer next to the oven for Misty.

Mother's intuition never fails.

(line)

"Misty, honey, will you go tell Ash that lunch is almost done? Even that boy should be done washing up by now!" Delia called to Misty, who was contentedly playing with Pikachu in the sitting room.

"Sure thing!" Misty returned her attention to Pikachu. "I'll be right back, little mister!" She poked his bright red cheek one more time before rising from her spot in the couch and jogging up the stairs.

"Pikachupi!" Pikachu giggled happily. Misty turned her head and winked over her shoulder.

Even his Pokémon are cute and charming, the girl thought dreamily. God, I sound like some lovesick teenager.

Misty stopped at the top of the stairs and tilted her head.

Well, I guess I am a lovesick teenager...

She shook her head and took the familiar route to Ash's bedroom, but not before stopping off at the bathroom to check her appearance.

Misty straightened her tank top and hummed in approval.

A little cleavage, but not too much.

Luckily, she had been having a good hair day.

Stop it, Misty. It's just Ash!

The gym leader scoffed at herself. Yeah. Just Ash.

She finally arrived at his door and knocked twice before boldly entering, just like always.

"Surprise, Mr. Pokémon Master!" Misty trilled, poking her head into the room.

What she saw was the absolute last thing she had anticipated.

Ash was standing in the middle of his bedroom, stark naked, droplets of water falling from his raven locks, nothing but a pair of black boxers hanging limply at his side.

And even worse—or maybe better—, he was facing her completely.

"Misty," Ash squeaked. He seemed to realize that he was in all his naked glory after the two shared the most awkward eye contact Ash had ever experienced, and finally found it within himself to awkwardly cover his crotch with the cotton underwear in his grip.

But it was too late. Misty had seen everything.

"I," she squeaked on an even higher decibel than Ash. "I, um, was just coming to tell you that lunch is ready." The redhead stared at the wooden floor panels and felt her cheeks turn the shade of the shoes that sat in Delia's foyer.

"Oh, um, I'll be down in a minute," Ash choked, finding a particularly interesting speck to stare at on the ceiling. "I, uh, have to get dressed..."

"Right!" Misty answered too quickly, chancing a glance up at his face.

Nope, those are his abs, not his face. Nope nope nope. Damn.

"I'll just, uh—leavenowbye." Misty slammed the door shut and leaned up against it from the outside, still ferociously blushing. She took a deep breath before walking down the stairs, preparing to face the ensuing awkwardness that Mrs. Ketchum—how Misty loved the woman!—would no doubt pick up on and turn into an awkward but strangely relevant life lesson.

Surprise indeed, Waterflower. Surprise indeed.

I really wanted to continue this and write more awkwardness, but I wasn't really feeling it anymore, so I'll just leave it to your imagination. :)