Well, here's the next chapter! I hope you guys like it and I'm so sorry for only posting it now!
I went on vacation to my dad and was under the impression that there was now place for my laptop, so I left it at home. So I wasted 2 weeks' worth of writing time! So sorry…
Anyway, I'm heading off to college in 2 weeks' time.
Right, next topic: I still have a lot to write on this story, so I'm asking you guys, the readers.
Would you like me to continue on this story, or should I make a sequel? Please PM me your vote. DO NOT PUT IT IN YOUR REVIEWS!
Anyway, here's chapter 18 of Changing Ways.
Enjoy!
I do not own any characters or events related to Pokemon, this story is solely fan made.
Changing Ways: Chapter 18:
"SIGH…"
Bored and frustrated: That's how he felt at this very moment. Yet, he also felt happy, nervous (but in a good way), and he was experiencing a series of turns in his stomach which he couldn't even begin to understand or even describe…
"SIGH…" Ash sighed for umpteenth time in the last hour or so. He was currently sitting on the couch in front of the television inside the Cerulean Gym. After the event that unfolded which involved him kissing Misty and her running away from him outside the Gym; he decided to wait for the red-head for a good half an hour in front of the door. When he eventually decided that she isn't coming back right now; he decided to head inside and continue his waiting there.
"Pikapi, Pika Pikachupi?" Pikachu inquired Misty's whereabouts from next to Ash on the couch while he looked up at his master with a slightly curious frown on his face.
Ash sighed again. "I wish I knew, buddy…" he mumbled before turning his attention back to the television. He was hoping to avoid the subject that was Misty, but he figured that it would come up sometime in one of his and Pikachu's conversations.
Ash went to the Pokemon Center and picked up his and Misty's pokemon a few hours ago, and he and Pikachu were currently sitting on the couch in front of the television watching some movie. Ash's attention however, was nowhere close to whatever movie was playing. His mind kept drifting towards Misty, towards what happened and how things will be between them after the 'argument'. He didn't feel very confident about the situation at the moment…
"Pikapi, Pikachu?" Pikachu again inquired as he looked up at Ash. He had a worried expression on his face because of Ash's quiet, stressed-out behaviour.
"Nothing's wrong, Pikachu." Ash said as he looked down at Pikachu and half-heartedly smiled at the yellow mouse. He then turned his attention back to the television, before he noticed a small yellow clock on top of the television, which read '19:45'."It's getting late…" he groaned.
Ash and Pikachu continued sitting in front of the television in relative silence for a little while longer, before Ash became restless…
"Where is she?" Ash asked himself as he looked down at his lap, his teeth clenched together. 'Why did you do that, Ash? Why did you have to kiss her, you idiot!?' he thought. 'Our friendship is probably ruined and she probably hates me even more now…' he continued thinking. 'But that's no reason to stay away, especially this late!' he thought as he grinded his teeth in frustration before standing up off of the couch, not seeing the occurrence as a valid excuse.
"Pika?" Pikachu exclaimed when he noticed Ash standing up. He then jumped off of the couch and started following his master, who started moving through the room towards the next one.
"Come on, Pikachu." Ash started as he put his hat back onto his head. "We're gonna go look for Misty!" he determinedly declared as he held his fist in the air in front of him out of determination.
"Pika!" Pikachu exclaimed as he jumped onto Ash's shoulder, ready to accompany his master in his search for their red-headed friend.
Luckily for Ash; it was off season, thus the Gym was closed for another couple of weeks before the Pokemon League started again. So, it was perfectly fine to lock the Gym's doors over the course of the last couple of days. He knew where Misty kept the spare key on the outside, seeing as that is how he got into the Gym in the first place earlier in the day.
Ash and Pikachu went outside the Gym, Ash locking the door behind them and the two of them then started making their way into town, in search of Misty…
Ash groaned in frustration a while later. He and Pikachu had walked through most of the city in search of Misty, but there was no sign of her. They had walked into every shop and building that was still open, they asked every person they came across if they had seen the red-head (A lot of people knew Misty, much to Ash's surprise since she is rarely home and always with him on his journey.), but it was in vain as the red-head was nowhere to be found and no one had seen her. "Come on, Pikachu." Ash started. "We've still got a few places to search…" he said, still trying to keep their hopes up, as he started walking down the street again, not ready to give up on searching for her.
"Pika Pika." Pikachu exclaimed from on top of Ash's shoulder, nodding in determination, before the two of them began their search for Misty once more…
Ash and Pikachu went inside every shop and every restaurant that was still open in Cerulean City and had yet to be inspected by the two of them. Pretty soon; they had looked in every open establishment and there was still no sign of Misty in any one of them. They had searched through everything and the two of them now stood on the opposite side of the city from where they had started searching.
"Misty, where the heck are you!?" Ash frustratingly muttered to himself with his fists clenched out of frustration at their failure of locating Mist, even though they searched through the entire city.
"Pika Pika, Pikapi." Pikachu exclaimed as he slightly smiled down at Ash while lightly patting his master on his shoulder, trying to cheer Ash, as well as himself, up mentally.
"Yeah…" Ash mumbled while he nodded slightly, not really paying attention to Pikachu's antics and attempts to cheer him up. "Come on; let's head back to the Gym." Ash said as he started walking down the road again. "Maybe Misty's already there waiting for us..." He optimistically said to the yellow mouse as he turned his head to look at him as the two of them once again started walking through the streets of Cerulean City, on their way back to the Cerulean Gym with hopes of finding Misty there waiting for them.
"Pika!" Pikachu exclaimed with an excited paw-pump into the air, but he also knew that it might only be a vague possibility at least, seeing as they would have spotted her if she indeed headed in the direction of the Gym.
Time had really went by fast while Ash and Pikachu were searching for Misty during the late-afternoon, and night time quickly started to envelope Cerulean City, with only the occasional streetlamp providing some vague light for the two of them as they walked down the now-empty road. Most of the city's residents have either retired to their homes or are dining at a restaurant of some sort.
"Wow, I can barely see anything without the streetlamps…" Ash remarked as he squinted his eyes to try and see in front of him and Pikachu, finding it really hard to get his eyes to focus in the darkness that now surrounded them. "Can you see anything, Pikachu?" he asked as he turned his face towards the yellow mouse sitting on his shoulder, hoping to receive a positive answer to his question.
"Pika." Pikachu negatively shook his head from Ash's shoulder as he also strained to try and see anything in front of them.
"Darn…" Ash mumbled while looking at Pikachu, but his eyes soon caught something behind the yellow mouse's form. "Hey, how come I never noticed that little road before?" he asked as he stopped and completely turned to face what was indeed a little dirt road on the northeast side of Cerulean City.
The little dirt road appeared to lead out of Cerulean City and looked as if it was covered by thick bushes on both sides, keeping it hidden if a person didn't look closely.
"Pika Pika." Pikachu stated with a shrug of his shoulders as he and Ash stared at the little road.
"Well," Ash started, curiosity getting the better of him. "Let's find out where it leads, then!" Ash declared as he pointed at the little dirt road.
"Pika!" Pikachu agreed from Ash's shoulder before Pikachu and his master started walking down the dirt road, on their way to finding out what awaits them at the other end of the little path…
Ash soon realised though, that following the little dirt road was easier said than done, especially in the darkness that was now accompanied by the night…
"Ouch!" Ash yelled as his toe connected with a rogue branch lying on the ground. It was the fourth object he's banged against in the little road and his feet along with his shins have definitely taken quite a beating which will certainly be showing tomorrow. "Stupid darkness, stupid road…" Ash mumbled as he kept going forward, not straying away from the task at hand.
Pikachu merely sighed at Ash's unfortunate predicament and watched his master's repetitive injuries occurring from on top of his shoulder where everything was safe, or so he thought…
"Pikachu, watch out for that-"Ash tried warning Pikachu, but it was just too late…
"Pika!" Pikachu exclaimed as he painfully connected with a…
"Tree…" Ash finally finished his warning with a sweat drop forming on the back of his head. "Hehe…sorry about that, buddy." He apologized as he sheepishly scratched the back of his head.
"Pika…" Pikachu moaned as he rubbed his aching head.
"I'll be more careful from now on, Pikachu." Ash assured Pikachu as the two of them kept moving forward.
"Pika." Pikachu nodded, but soon after that he had to quickly dodge another oncoming rogue branch!
"Starting now…" Ash exclaimed as he scratched the back of his head again.
"Pika…" Pikachu exclaimed as he glared down at Ash, starting to become a bit irritated with being hit by branches.
Ash finally decided to stop trying to see everything in front of him and Pikachu and merely started following his gut and his senses. This method worked slightly better as he missed more objects by simply winging it. The two of them finally got out of the dirt road as it started opening up ahead of them, with Ash only bumping into three more objects on their way through. Pikachu luckily escaped any more painful branches. The bushy surroundings around the road completely vanished in front of them and the sounds of crashing waves could be heard.
"Yes!" Ash cheered as he jumped onto the open ground in front of him and Pikachu. He then sat down and started rubbing his aching legs, trying to relieve some pain caused by the bumps with various objects. "Phew, thank goodness that's over with…" he stated before getting back up onto his feet.
"Pika Pikachu." Pikachu exclaimed from next to Ash on the ground, nodding in agreement with his master on that statement.
Ash looked up and started scanning their current surroundings. "Wow…" he exclaimed when he noticed the sound of crashing waves in front of him. He then spotted the seemingly-endless blue liquid. "The ocean…" he stated in awe. "This place is beautiful…" he remarked as he dumbfoundedly stared at the sight in front of him.
"Pika Pika." Pikachu exclaimed and again nodded in agreement as he also looked at the ocean spreading across the horizon in front of them.
Ash looked down along the coast, until his eyes caught something. "Hey, what's that?" he asked out loud as he locked on to the figure he saw a couple of yards from where he and Pikachu were currently standing.
"Pika?" Pikachu inquired as he looked up at Ash before also turning towards the figure in front of him and his master.
Ash again had to squint, but the light from the moon reflecting off of the ocean gave him some assistance, albeit very little. Upon better examination; Ash realised that it was a big boulder. But what he saw on top of the boulder was what caught his eye the most. "Misty!" he silently whispered to himself.
Yes; it was indeed Misty that was sitting on top of the slightly high boulder. She was staring out at the ocean in front of her, so she didn't notice Ash and Pikachu standing behind her, yet...
Ash let out a huge sigh of relief. He had finally found Misty and, because of that fact; he felt much better now because he now knew that she is fine and not missing or in any kind of trouble like he had started to suspect. However, as soon as the relief came to him; it was replaced by horror. He had indeed finally found Misty, but that meant that he now had to confront her, the first time he had to confront her since he decided to kiss her earlier today! Ash visibly gulped as he slowly started backing away from where the red-head was sitting on the boulder. So far so good, until…
"Pikachupi!" Pikachu excitedly cried out.
"CRUD." Ash muttered, freezing on the spot in reaction to Pikachu's outcry.
Pikachu, on the other hand, approached the situation completely different than Ash had planned. He called out to Misty and then scampered off towards her, leaving Ash behind, involuntary cursing at the yellow mouse's actions.
"Pikachupi!" Pikachu called out again as he stormed towards Misty.
"Huh…" Misty exclaimed when she heard the noise behind her. She then turned her head and looked over her shoulder, where she spotted a little yellow ball running towards her. "Pikachu?" she curiously exclaimed as she started recognizing the yellow ball as none other than Pikachu.
"Pika!" Pikachu exclaimed as he jumped through the air towards Misty.
Misty turned to face Pikachu. She then held her arms out towards the yellow mouse and he jumped into them, after which Misty laughed at antics and held him tight against her. "What are you doing here, Pikachu?" she curiously asked while smiling at Pikachu.
"Pika Pika." Pikachu replied as he nuzzled his cheek up against Misty.
"Awh, did you miss me?" Misty sweetly asked as she looked down at Pikachu and snuggled him against her. But something behind Pikachu's body caught her attention after that. She looked up from Pikachu and her eyes fell on none other than Ash, whom was standing a few feet away from the boulder she was sitting on, facing her and Pikachu.
Ash was looking towards the boulder, on which Misty and Pikachu sat, in a very awkward way, almost as if he was dying to get out of the situation at hand. He really didn't want to confront Misty right now, in fear that she might be mad at him or something similar to that. "Stupid Pikachu…" he muttered to himself. He couldn't be mad at Pikachu, to be honest. The yellow mouse didn't know what was going on, so he didn't have any ill intensions when he ran to Misty. It was an innocent action that Ash couldn't blame Pikachu for.
Misty kept her gaze directed at Ash, who hadn't moved an inch from the spot where he froze moments ago. She intently stared at the pokemon trainer. To be honest; she felt just as uncomfortable and awkward as Ash did, so she also didn't want to face a confrontation with Ash right now. But yet, she also knew that it is inevitable and it is bound to happen sooner, rather than later. She continued staring at Ash for a few moments while biting down on her lower lip. She finally gave off a soft sigh before putting a smile on her face. She then nodded her head at Ash, motioning for him to come over to where she and Pikachu were sitting on the boulder.
The moon reflected off of the ocean's surface, so Ash saw Misty's gesture quite clearly from where he was standing. His eyes grew slightly wider when he saw the red-heads plead for him to go to her and his nervousness immediately grew in velocity. He visibly gulped at the thought of talking to Misty right now. 'Come on, Ash; you can do this!' he mentally yelled to himself as he shook his head from side to side to regain his senses. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes momentarily, before he slowly started walking over towards the boulder, where Misty and Pikachu were awaiting him...
The walk towards Misty and Pikachu was a very stressful activity for Ash. He actually hoped that the walk would be a long one, so he wouldn't have to face his red-headed friend so soon. But the distance between him and them was soon reduced to nothing and he now faced Misty. Ash really didn't know how to approach this tense situation. He really wanted the awkwardness to be over, but he didn't know what to say to Misty right now.
Ash instead walked around the boulder, taking a quick glance at Misty along the way. He then pluffed down on the soft sea sand that was scattered all over the coast and he leaned back against the boulder, staring out over the ocean in front of him.
Misty merely smiled slightly before spinning around on the boulder until she also faced the ocean, with Pikachu still in her arms.
The scenario now was that Misty sat on top of the boulder with Pikachu situated in her arms, while Ash was sitting in front of them on the ground, leaning back against the boulder. All three of them were staring out over the vast sea in front of them.
Ash bit down on his bottom lip. He really felt uncomfortable in this situation and really wanted to end this awkwardness between him and Misty. But he didn't have the guts to talk to her. So he chose to rather keep quiet and he kept his gaze directed at the ocean in front of him.
Misty was in the same boat that Ash was in. She too wanted to end this ensuing awkward silence between them, but she simply didn't know how! She bit her bottom lip and looked down towards Ash in front of her, before looking back at the ocean.
An awkward, frustrating silence between Ash and Misty followed, in which neither of them even stole a glance at the other. Pikachu started noticing this relative quiet atmosphere, but decided to rather keep his mouth shut as he sensed some conflict between the two humans.
Ash bit down hard on his bottom lip. He was really tempted to just try and make things right with Misty, but he just couldn't get over the awkwardness that was now between him and the red-head. He hated it. He hated himself. Yes, he and Misty bickered more often than not, but it was always resolved very quickly. It was more playful than serious. But this, this was ridiculous! He then hit his fist into the soft sea sand he was sitting on, grinding his teeth together in aggravation, until…
"You know…" Ash heard a voice speaking from above him, snapping him out of his frustrating mood. He looked up over his shoulder towards the source of the voice: Misty!
Misty smiled and was still looking out over the ocean. "This is my favourite place to come to in Cerulean City." She added, still not making eye-contact with Ash but rather looking out over the ocean in front of them. "It's so quiet here, like it's only you and the sound of the waves crashing on the beach." She explained. "It's like no-one knows about this place. Like it's my secret little world, you know?" she added as she finally looked away from the vast ocean and down towards Ash, still keeping the smile on her face while watching him, awaiting an answer.
Ash had intently listened the entire time through Misty's story. When she eventually looked at him; he again found it too awkward to say anything to the red-head. So he instead forced a smile at Misty and nodded at her, signalling that he gets it, before he turned his attention back at the ocean in front of him.
And so, the silence between the two of them continued…
As soon as Ash was sure that his face was out of Misty's sight; he clenched his jaws shut out of anger and frustration. 'Stupid Ash, stupid!' he mentally scolded himself. 'She tried to break the ice; she tried to make the first move. And you didn't have the guts to do anything!' he continued. He then took a deep breath and closed his eyes, trying to relax. 'Okay, Ash. It's now or never…' he thought, building up his courage. "Misty…I…." he squeaked out, causing it to sound a lot more strained, before he kept quiet again, not really knowing what to say.
Misty looked down at Ash after he staggered out those two words. She then hastily turned her attention to Pikachu, who was sitting next to her on the boulder. She gave the yellow mouse a fake smile before turning her attention back to Ash below them.
Pikachu took Misty's fake smile as his signal. He knew that something was wrong between the two humans and he had decided beforehand that he was going to give them some time alone to sort whatever it was, out. So he stood up, stretched out a bit, and then finally jumped off of the boulder and landed on the soft sea sand.
Pikachu's action caused Ash to turn his attention to the yellow mouse. "Pikachu?" he asked. "Where're you going, buddy?" he asked as he curiously looked at Pikachu.
"Pika Pika." Pikachu exclaimed with a slight wave towards Ash and Misty before running down towards the water. He then sat down close to the water and stared out over the ocean, giving the two humans some time alone to sort everything out.
Ash merely shrugged at Pikachu's actions, before he was interrupted by Misty.
"Yes, Ash?" Misty silently asked from on top of the boulder behind Ash.
Ash gulped as he remembered why he opened his mouth earlier. He took a deep breath, before speaking. "I-I just want to say that I'm sorry…" he mumbled out.
Misty looked down at Ash for quite some time with an emotionless face, before a small smile made its way onto her face. 'Finally…' she thought. "No, Ash." She answered, which caused Ash to stare at her wide-eyed, which Misty interpreted as fear. "I'm the one that should be sorry." She quickly added. "I overreacted back there. I know you only meant well and wanted to protect me." She said while sincerely smiling down at the pokemon Trainer.
Ash looked up at Misty before smiling at her. "And I'm sorry too." He said. "I'm sorry for putting so much pressure on you. I realise now that the Gym is your home. And that you need to look after your home and can't just abandon it." He explained with a half-hearted smile. "So, I'll stay here with you at the Gym until you feel ready to leave." He declared as he looked at Misty.
Misty sincerely smiled as she looked at Ash. "Thank you, Ash." She softly said. "Thank you for understanding and thank you for supporting my decision." She added.
Ash nodded in recognition as he smiled at Misty. He then turned back to face the ocean and looked at Pikachu, who was playing in the sand with his paws. 'Thanks, buddy…' he silently thanked the yellow mouse as he watched him play.
Misty looked down at Ash while unconsciously smiling at him. "I almost forgot something, Ash." She announced.
"Hmm?" Ash exclaimed as he looked back up to Misty. "What do you mean you forgot something, Misty? What is it?" he curiously asked as he frowned at the red-head.
Misty merely smiled before she carefully slid down the face of the boulder and landed with a soft thud on the soft sand next to Ash.
"Well?" Ash asked. He was starting to get impatient because of curiousness.
Misty smiled slightly at Ash's curiousness. She then slowly leaned closer and closer to Ash's face, causing the pokemon Trainer to gulp slightly. She stopped with her lips just short of Ash's left ear. "This…" she softly whispered into his ear, causing involuntary chills to run through Ash's body. She then lowered her face before planting a soft, simple kiss on Ash's left cheek. She kept her lips there for a few moments before slowly pulling away from Ash and sat back down on the sand.
Ash merely kept sitting on the ground with a blush on his cheeks and a goofy grin on his face.
Misty, who also had a pinkish blush on her cheeks, giggled at Ash's expression. "Thank you, Ash." She said.
"For what?" Ash asked, having seemingly snapped out of his trance, as he stared at Misty in confusion.
"For my first kiss…" Misty answered with her blush still intact. "That kiss you gave me at the Gym was my first…" she further explained.
"Oh…" Ash exclaimed as he blushed. He then grinned and sheepishly scratched the back of his head.
Misty giggled at Ash again. "Come on," she said as she got up onto her feet. "Let's get back to the Gym. It's getting late." She added.
"Right." Ash agreed as he also got up onto his feet. "Pikachu!" he called at Pikachu, who was still situated in front of them on the beach.
Pikachu had witnessed Ash and Misty's little scene, but decided to play dumb and keep quiet about it. "Pika?" he exclaimed as he looked over his shoulder at Ash.
"Come on, buddy. We're heading back to the Gym!" Ash yelled at Pikachu before turning around and started catching up to Misty.
"Pika Pika, Pikapi!" Pikachu yelled as he scampered towards Ash and Misty.
Ash and Misty continued walking ahead, knowing that Pikachu would catch up and knew the way home if he got left behind somehow.
"So…" Ash exclaimed, breaking the silence between him and Misty. "Does this mean that we're like, dating?" he carefully asked.
"Hmmm…" Misty exclaimed with her finger on her chin, giving the situation some thought. "Well, I don't recall you asking me out…so no, I don't think we're dating…" she concluded.
Ash breathed a soft sigh of relief. To be honest, he didn't know anything about relationships and stuff like that, so this suited him better.
"But," Misty interrupted his thoughts. "Don't think you'll get rid of me that easily. You still owe me a bike, remember?" she reminded Ash.
"Uh, yeah. Of course I remember! Hehe…" Ash nervously said while scratching the back of his head.
Misty simply nodded and kept on walking.
"You know, that was my first kiss too…" Ash informed Misty.
"Don't lie to me, Ash." Misty replied.
"I'm not lying!" Ash retorted with a slight glare. "That was my first kiss!" he repeated.
"Oh? And what about Alto Mare, hmm? Have you forgotten that I WAS THERE WHEN IT HAPPENED!?" Misty yelled into Ash's face.
"Alto Mare…?" Ash tried recalling that name. "Oh, that!" he said as he finally remembered, before his eyes grew wide. "Wait. Misty, that doesn't count!" he yelled at Misty, who had started walking again.
Misty merely ignored Ash and kept walking.
"I didn't kiss back!" Ash again yelled, which Misty ignored again.
"That was a pokemon, Misty!" Ash again tried, with Misty again ignoring him.
"Misty! Wait!" Ash yelled.
"Misty!"
"Misty!"
"MISTY!"
And so, Misty walked back to the Gym, Ash and Pikachu hot on her heels, with Ash trying to explain that Alto Mare simply didn't count…
I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Please review, ALL OF YOU! Like I said, your reviews fill my motivation to write.
And please, remember to PM me your votes!
Until next chapter…