Sexy

Ash was proud of himself. He didn't make a single wish all day, not one. He was very careful with his words and did his very best to not say anything that had to do with Misty. He was pretty sure the Legendaries wouldn't let her kill herself, so he left her alone in the closet all day after that, spending the bulk of his time with Daisy. The sleeping others never crossed either of their minds, as both managed to find they had a lot in common (such as battling and swimming and other physical activities (which is not to be taken in a dirty way)), and after a couple of weak attempts of reminding them of the situation at hand from Pikachu, she stopped trying.

At the end of the night, they collapsed on the couch and turned on an old sitcom that wasn't very funny and relaxed. Ash's mind had managed to drift back to Misty and what he was supposed to do to make the Legendaries stop. Most of his plans involved him attacking Legendaries through his classic run and scream technique, but all of those typically ended with him getting blasted to bits with a psychic attack or left a spineless, emotionless, empty headed shell of a person, so those were out of the question.

Daisy, on the other hand, didn't have any good plans either. Well, she didn't have any plans at all, to be fair, except of how she planned to take Misty's place and kill Ash if the boy couldn't save her sister. She came up with some good ones, but reluctantly admitted to herself that they really wouldn't help much, and she still couldn't have her sister back. As annoying as Misty could be, she would like to have her as normal as she ever was. If not because they were related and because he did care about the crazy redhead, then at least because she didn't want to have to do anything around the gym.

"Hey Ash," Daisy said, not moving her eyes away from the television as a young boy quizzed his black and white father about why his body was beginning to act so strange. "I was just wondering if after all this time you, like, ever grew up any."

"I'm taller. It's pretty noticeable, I think."

She rolled her eyes. "Not that. I mean, like, emotionally and stuff. Did your mind ever mature? I mean, like, obviously you're not any smarter but…well, did you ever grow up or are you still, like, the same little kid you always were?"

"Being a kid isn't a bad thing, I think. I know a lot of people who told me to stay and kid and never lose my kind-like innocence and awesome stuff like that." He fiddled with the popcorn bowl in his lap, not feeling very hungry at the moment. "I'm not a bad person though, and I'm responsible and I think about other people and all that. I think I'm a pretty good person, and I don't think I want to be an adult if it basically means I'm just supposed to stop going on adventures and have a family. I think I'd rather be a kid."

Daisy nodded. "Makes sense, I guess. I don't think I know what I'm asking, anyway. I think I basically wanted to know if you hit puberty yet."

"Oh, that? That's happened. That sucks. Girls are a lot prettier now. But you'd know all about guys and hormones, 'cuz, you know, you're you. You wear your tight bathing suits and do your weird water ballet things and dance and do all that other stuff. Misty says you guys get a lot of fanmail and marriage proposals and, uh, requests." He laughed awkwardly. "That must be a little weird, guys asking you to dress up and do stuff for them."

She shrugged and grabbed a handful of popcorn for herself, a little grossed out by the fact that Ash has poured on a little too much melted butter and her hand was now slick with it. "It was awkward at first, but after a while you just accept it. I even, like, tend to think of it as a compliment. Misty still hasn't gotten used to it, but I, like, don't really think she ever will. She just doesn't seem like that type of person. Feel bad for her, though."

He shook his head. "Misty doesn't get those kinds of mail. She gets fanmail, but she doesn't get anything bad."

"Yeah she does. What planet have you been living on?"

"Misty never said she got those."

"Of course she got them. She's a girl. She a gym leader who wears a wet swimsuit to battle in. She's got me for a sister. Trust me, she gets plenty. Mostly asking her to dress up in costumes and stuff because we asked her to be in one or two shows and now suddenly she's the costume girl and then she yells for us opening her mail and blah, blah, blah. I don't see what's so wrong about looking in someone's mail." She finished her handful and snatched up another, snorting as the black and white character participated in physical comedy.

"I don't think you're supposed to do that."

"Well, legally we were good until she came of age at sixteen and took over the gym and all that. Morally, I guess it was always kinda wrong."

"Then why do you?"

"I want to see what she has in the mail, duh. By the way, you have really bad handwriting. Misty was the only one in the house who knew what you were saying, and half the time she couldn't make it out." She swallowed the handful and went back for more, ignoring Ash's stunned expression. "It's good you switched to email because it was pretty much impossible to read. Now we can all figure out what you're saying, and you have a very exciting life. Much better with emails."

He blushed. "You read my emails."

"What's the big deal? It's not like you've said anything like 'I think you're hot, Misty, marry me' or anything embarrassing, well, except for the whole dress up as a maid thing. That one was pretty funny. You should have sent pictures with that one."

"Why? So you could look at them?"

"Duh. What else do you do with pictures?"

He nearly stood up in alarm, but the warmth from the popcorn was enough to remind him to stay seated, so he stuck to simply hissing, "Those were private!"

"Yeah, we don't do private. Misty yells about that all the time. It's her private diary, it's her private mail, it's her private email, it's her private underwear drawer. She's really bad at sharing."

She finally finished her handful of popcorn and leaned back, leaving Ash to stare at her as if she had gone completely insane. His mother didn't peak at his things or read his mail. She did touch his underwear, but she packed his bag for him mostly so that was okay. He couldn't imagine living in a family that did, or that the family was bold enough to read his private emails, some of which were embarrassing.

"You shouldn't have read those," he muttered, sinking down in the couch a bit. "They weren't for you, they were for Misty. Just like the ones I send to my mom and the ones I send to Tracey are only for them."

"Sorry. You're actually a lot more fun than I would have thought. I can see why Misty likes you so much." Daisy grinned and did a small sitting down dance on the couch. "Lover boy."

His blush came back and he glared at her, temper flaring ever higher. "Listen, I don't know why everyone keeps saying it but I'm not in love with Misty."

"Maybe everyone's saying it because it's true. Or 'cuz everyone's wrong. I don't think everyone's wrong, but they could be. You know, like the planet being flat thing."

"It's not true."

"I think it is, and I think she likes you back. Maybe I just don't know anything about her, you know, since I'm her sister and all, but whenever I see how she acts around you I think it looks like she's got some sort of crush on you." Daisy looked away from the television to let her eyes run up and down him once. "I can't blame her. You are a little cutie."

"I'm not. And just because you're her sister doesn't mean you know everything about her! You could be wrong."

"All I'm saying is if everyone thinks you like her back and they're right about her liking you, they're probably right. If you're as weird as I think you are I wouldn't be surprised if you couldn't figure out that you've got a crush too. I mean, you're not too smart so it wouldn't be that-"

He cut her off sharply, sitting up. "I don't like her. I would know that. I can't be that dumb."

She took another handful of popcorn and turned back to the show nonchalantly. "Oh really? Would you? I thought you sucked at love stuff."

"Yeah, I do, but I'm sure I would know. I mean, you have to know, don't you?" He frowned, more to himself than to her, his eyebrows dropping low on his face and his brain going into overdrive. "Yeah. You've got to know. Who doesn't know?"

"Who saves the world?" she retorted. "You're a special kid."

"Guess you win there." He shrugged and sighed. "Still, I think I would know. I mean, I don't think I'm that stupid. Do you think I'm that stupid?"

"Yes," she snorted in a very Misty-like fashion, snatching the popcorn bowl from his lap and laying back in the chair. Her feet dropped onto the table and she cleared her throat of the itchy pieces of popcorn that stuck to it. "Listen, if you can't figure out that Misty has the hugest crush on you ever, you're a complete moron. Honestly, she's fallen for guys before but you're totally the hardest."

"That was my popcorn. I popped it."

"Not to mention she gets all cranky because she keeps trying to get over you and she gets a new crush and then you show up and suddenly the other guy's not hot anymore. Then she complains. Mew, she complains a lot."

He blushed deeper and began rubbing the back of his neck. "I really don't think she'd like me. Girls don't like-"

"Ha! Girls don't like you. Don't go there with me!" she corrected snappishly, looking back at him and pointing a very accusing finger his way. "I have news for you, Ash, girls fall all over themselves to get to you. You're the type of kid who needs an older sister to explain all this to you since you're such a love moron and all. I've heard the stories, kiddo, girls flirt with you all the time, and Mew did Misty ever get jealous."

"Nuh-uh. When?"

"Too many to explain. Trust me, Ash, loads of girls like you. If I was a few years younger, I'd be hitting on you. Seriously, you're, like, a really charming kid. If you started going out with Misty, I'd be jealous she got a catch." She tossed a piece of popcorn into the air and caught it perfectly in her mouth. "Tall, dark, and handsome. Well, dark and handsome. Have you, like, grown at all?"

He glared. "You're all freakishly tall."

"Not freakishly. You should have seen the girls at some of the beauty competitions I've been to! They were Amazons. You might catch up though. Your mom's not too short. Don't know about your dad. Still, you never know. This fresh air and water here in pristine Pallet ought to be good for something, right?" She giggled. "Maybe you're just extra fertile."

"Extra what?"

"Good at babymaking," she said. "Between our family's thing for multiple births and your Pallet fertility, you could be like that world record family that had sixty something kids."

"That's scary."

She yawned and set the bowl on the table, snatching up the remote at the same time to click off the show, right when the black and white child was about to learn a very important life lesson. "Anywho, I think I'm going to turn in for the night soon. I'll crash on the couch again, if you don't mind. I can sleep through pretty much anything, so if you want to just grab a chair and keep watching the-"

"Nah," he stood up and stretched. "I'll go to bed, since you already turned it off. Want me to take the bowl back to the kitchen?"

"Would you?" she asked innocently, fluttering her eyes in a way he assumed a lot of men found charming, though he just found it weird.

He would do it anyway, just to be nice. Thanking her for the good conversation, he picked up the bowl and walked back to the kitchen, setting it in the sink as lightly as he could. He then headed up the stairs, taking care to turn all the lights off and checking to make sure the doors were locked. He took the stairs three at a time and crept into his room. Misty was snoring in her bed again, and the clock said ten. Two more hours and he was home free, and he was going to go to sleep anyway. He cheered and did a little victory dance.

She threw a pillow at him, interrupting his happy dance, and he leapt into bed still fully clothed.

He fell asleep rather quickly. It wasn't a dreamless sleep, as unfortunate as that was. Ash was a sixteen year old boy, and even with his aversion to all things love related he still had his moments. So, as all boys are likely to do, he had a sex dream. At least, he figured it would be a sex dream. He never actually got to the sex part, and it was mostly just a lot of making out. It was as close to sex as he would go, even in his fantasies, and it was decently fun for him.

In fact, it was fun enough that he didn't wake up screaming (though he did wake up a bit nervous as the dream girl had attempted to touch him under his shirt, which was a definite no until he was at least twenty five) and once he had stopped panting and his frightened, turned on breathing had returned to normal, he stretched comfortably and stared at his ceiling for a little while, contemplating on his dream and shuffling his socked covered feet.

"I wish she was like that," he sighed to himself, then froze and sat up quick. "No! No I don't! I don't wish Misty was like that and I…I didn't mean her either way! Don't change her! Please, please don't make her like that! Come on, creepy Legendaries, it's not right. You know it's not right! It's already tomorrow anyway!"

He looked over at the clocked and groaned. He had lied. Eleven fifty three. Ah, well, he'd been close.

(Ash, what's wrong?)Pikachu asked drowsily, waking up to his yelling. (Did they do something anyway?)

"I wished."

That did the trick. She was on her paws instantly. (How the hell did you wish? We had just a few minutes! You were sleeping! What the hell could you wish while-) She stopped her rabid squeak and narrowed her eyes at him. (Ash Ketchum, you didn't! Tell me you didn't!)

"I'm going to get Daisy. Maybe she'll know what to do," he said, jumping to his feet.

He sprinted down the stairs to the couch, where she'd fallen asleep just a while earlier and shook her. He didn't get a response. He shook her a little rougher, starting to get nervous. "Daisy? Come on! You beat the system by being stupid. Don't tell me you're so dumb you can't wake up! Come on, Daisy. I think I wished for something really bad and I'm nervous and please of please don't leave me alone today!"

(Calm down, Ash. It can't be that bad,) Pikachu tried to reassure, catching her balance on his shoulder. (So she wants to have sex with you? How bad can that be? The whole "just say no" thing usually works out pretty well, doesn't it?)

"But I wished she was like my dream and…and after what I talked about with Daisy it…I'm a healthy boy and it's normal and I don't want to do this! What do I do?" He tugged at his hat. "Pikachu, I'm really scared."

(Leave.)

"Leave," he repeated, catching the word. "Right. I can leave. What's keeping me here? Nothing. Right. I'll just leave and I can come back once the twenty four hours are over and I can try and figure out how to save Misty!"

"Don't leave, Ash. You'll make me feel bad after I took all this time to dress up for you," came the low, soft reply from the nearby stairwell. He would have to turn to see her, and every part of his brain (well, every part except for that part) told him to just make a run for the door, that he could beat her there if he just ran like hell, but his body wouldn't listen. It stood there, stiff as a rock and breathing very rarely. "You won't leave me all alone, Ash, will you?"

"Pikachu," he whined.

(Ash, I'm seeing it and I'm telling you to run. You're not going to like it. Run.)

"Only cowards run, Ash. Ignore her. Don't be a coward. Besides, it's not like I'm out to hurt you. I can be as gentle as you like. Or rough, if you're into that. Whatever you want, it's all yours." She chuckled smoothly. "Doesn't sound like a bad deal, hmm?"

He shut his eyes tight and whispered, "I'm not a coward."

"You are too! You won't even look at me. That's brave, isn't it? Not looking at your friend. It's not like I'm naked, Ash. All my parts are covered pretty well. Maybe we can talk about this. No action, just talking. You don't mind talking, do you coward? You talked enough with my sister last night."

He clenched his fists. "No. And I'm not a coward. Just because I don't like love stuff doesn't make me a coward."

"Does to. You made me this way. This is your wish, your dream and you won't even look at it. I came from your head. Let's see how imaginative you really are." She dropped her voice even lower, a snarl now. "Ketchum, look at what you did. Don't run away like the coward you are."

(This isn't Misty. Misty would tell you to run. Misty would know you don't want this, that you've got every right to be scared.) She stuck her cold nose in his ear, hoping to wake him up a bit.(Come on, Ash. Make a wish, run away, and we'll deal with an easier one tomorrow. Please, Ash, I don't want you hurt. I don't think the trio is playing anymore.)

"I'm not going into town. She's right. It's my fault."

She growled. (Oh, now that she doesn't make sense you listen. Good job, Ash. At least don't look. Just don't.)

It was too late, of course. It wouldn't be the second to last chapter if he hadn't. He had already turned and there she was, not naked (as she had promised), but he wouldn't call her clothed. Socks, sneakers, shorts were a little shorter but fine, and he really didn't mind his old hat on her head, but he did mind his old vest and bra being the only things on her top half. He didn't much like the makeup either, because she was very good at looking pretty and not like a clown.

"Told ya it wasn't so bad."

"It's not your body, and she's not a doll," he mumbled. "You shouldn't be doing that."

"It is my body."

He clenched his fists tight. "No. It's not. That's Misty's body and you're not Misty! Just because you can dress it up and make it act however you want doesn't make it yours. Give Misty back her body because I'm not interested!"

She giggled. "We both know you're a little interested, or else I wouldn't be here."

"That's not what I mean!" he cried, taking a bold step towards her. "I didn't mean the wish and you know it. I want the real you back. Please, Misty, I want the real you. I know you're in here. Daisy told you how to get out, so please come out."

"It's very sweet, but I'm just as good as the Misty you're thinking of. I'm better, in anything." She took a step closer as well, though hers wasn't jerky. She glided across the floor with all the skill and practice that a thousand year old Legendary would have. "You don't ever have to get sick of me. You can make me whatever you want, make me do whatever you want. What's the downside?"

"You're…you're supposed to be all…temper and fiery and stuff."

"Oh, what do you know? You're such an idiot!" she shouted. Then, she smiled and laughed a cute little laugh. "See? Not a problem. I can be that too. You just tell me when you can't take it anymore, or I'll just learn what you like. I'm not brainless. I can learn too."

He swallowed. "But it's not…it's not right."

"What's so wrong about it?"

He shut his eyes tighter and began to shake. "It's not right. I know it's not right."

She walked forward slowly, gliding again. Misty wasn't a klutz, but she didn't glide like that. People didn't glide like that, not unless they were in dreams or movies. Still, wrong as it was he couldn't move, and didn't want to, on some level. "I'm a good kisser. You can try. You've kissed her a couple times before. This won't be any different."

"Yeah, it is. I know it's bad now. Before I didn't realize but now I…" he swallowed, her body centimeters away from, radiating heat and pheromones. "I…uh, eyes. They're big and pretty. They're really green. Bright, bright green. Let's just look at each other's eyes like nice people and not do anything."

She laughed lightly. "You know what the funny part is? As scared as you are, if I kiss you, you won't stop me. You'll enjoy it, and you'll hate yourself for it. But you don't need to, because I'm Misty now. I want whatever you want me to. So, close your eyes and just…just enjoy yourself."

She tilted her head and leaned forward, and still Ash was froze to the spot. But Pikachu was there, and Pikachu zapped them both, and that was all it took. Ash woke from his terrified trance and ran, not towards the door, he realized. He cursed himself for running the wrong way. He stumbled through the first door he found slammed the door behind him, backing up and leaning against it.

"Ash," she whined, slamming into the door just as it locked. "We had something there. Don't just run away, please. Let's finish what we started!"

He shouted, "Give back Misty!"

"I am Misty!"

"No you're not! Misty wouldn't do this! Misty would know that I'm scared and she'd be scared and there no way she'd ever do that. Not her."

"I am her, Ash, a better her."

"You're not better, you're worse!"

"I'm better and you better get used to it! Now open the door so we can do this!" she shrieked, fists beginning to pound at the door. Rhythmically, smoothly still. Even in that she managed to be graceful. It wasn't real. It was definitely better than reality, but it didn't change that twist in his gut that told him something wasn't right.

"Misty," he tried again, turning his face to the door. "I know you're in there. Please, just try to calm down and help. Please, Misty. I'm so damned scared and I can't do this. I can't do this to you."

He closed his eyes, panting with fear and hating himself for crying. "I don't want you like this! I don't want to do this now! I don't want to go through this anymore and I don't think I wanted it to begin with! I thought I could fix all your problems but you're just as annoying without them! When you were caring you said you liked me for who I am, even if I am bad at stuff! You were always so much smarter than me and you…you were pretty and you could be so nice and…and I was jealous of that. So why would I want more?"

"Ash, what are you talking about?"

"I thought I could make you perfect, but I never thought that I would want you to be. I don't want you to be. I'd be so jealous of you if you were perfect I couldn't stand it! It's your faults that let me actually stand you and get close to you and have fun with you!"

"Ash, that's so sweet," she murmured. "Though I'd rather you just get your pants off."

He choked on a sob. "Damn it. I really hoped that would work. What do I have to say?" He gripped the handle tight. "Misty," he tried again. "I know you're scared too. And mad. I am too, but you have to calm down. Just think of something calming. Like a river or a lake or an ocean or whatever else you like."

He hiccupped and paused to try to breathe again. "Think about me and Brock. Remember that one cliff? The one we really loved? Remember how we all just sat there and relaxed for hours? Think of that, please. Think of that and calm down. Please, Misty. I know you can do this. Just tell me what to do."

"Tell me you love me," she whispered, her voice trembling.

"They'll know if I'm lying."

"Say you'll have children. You'll keep your line going. There will be another Chosen One when you die." She breathed deep. "Say that."

He pressed his forehead tight against the door. "I love you. We're going to have lots of children together, and one of them is going to be the Chosen One and is gonna save the world."

"Oh, thank Mew," she gasped, her voice cracking.

He heard her slide down the wall and collapse to the floor. He heard her breathe deep and hiccup three times, then abruptly burst into very loud sobs. He didn't help her though. He didn't move. It wasn't because he was heartless, and it wasn't because he was scared he'd hurt her or that seeing her sobbing would make him feel guilty. He wasn't even scared that she would hate him. He was just scared at the moment, and decided to do some crying of his own.

Whole fic reread and reposted, moving onto chapter ten. Hope it's everything you guys are after.