Triple Trouble

by Proforce

Story 10. Thanks to Gary's interference, the Cerulean Sisters know of the relationship between Ash, Misty, and Penny. Not only do they disapprove, they have taken it upon themselves to show the ladies just how unworthy Ash is of their affections. Does Ash have a chance to defeat them at their own game? Or will he succumb to temptation? 5-part story, new chapter every day.

2. Day 1 - Lily

"Triple Trouble"

Author: Robert Brown

Disclaimer: This story uses characters created and copyrighted by Nintendo, Game Freak, and/or 4 Kids Inc. (except where noted, in which case they were created and copyrighted by me or by another and I have permission to use them). The author hereby gives permission for this story to be downloaded and/or printed at 1 copy per user as long as (1) no changes to the story are made without my express written(not e-mailed) permission and (2) no attempt is made to profit from this story. If either or both rules are violated, it will be considered a violation of copyright law.

#10

Part 2: "Day 1 - Lily"

When the alarm went off he went to shut it off, but he found himself far too comfortable to move. He almost swore he could feel something holding him down on the pillow; one much more plush and firm than the one he remembered falling asleep on. It was a struggle for him to even open his eyes.

Once he did, he was treated to an unexpected sight. His head wasn't actually on a pillow, but it was pillowed on Suzie's chest. His face exploded into a bright red blush and he tried to move his head once more without waking her up. That's when he realized that he was actually being held down on his "pillow" by Suzie's arms, a grasp that tightened as he tried to pull away. The thought crossed his mind to wonder how this could get worse, but he quickly dispelled it, knowing better than to tempt fate.

Unfortunately, the damage had already been done. Suzie groaned as her arm flew out and slapped the alarm clock off. Ash tried to move again before she was fully awake, but the motion made her look down, her eyes snapping open. In the time it took for Ash to start stammering an apology, she was able to take stock of the situation and figure out what had happened.

Her surprised expression melted into an amused smile as Ash continued to babble. She placed her finger on his lips to stop him and had to giggle at the blush on his cheeks that made him look absolutely adorable. "It's all right Ash," she said. "It's pretty clear that I'm the one who grabbed you. And I wouldn't be mad even if you had done this; you're pretty cuddly!"

Ash's mouth dropped open and he quickly wriggled from her grip and dove behind the screen to dress and to calm down, throwing on his regular clothes sans his hat and jacket. Had she just flirted with him? The possibility left him feeling warm, uneasy, and confused. With what lay ahead of him, it was best to just put it out of his mind and prepare himself.

As had been agreed upon, Suzie was out of the gym with the rising sun. Ash had one hour between that time and when he had to leave his room, and he didn't know what to do with himself. Waiting had never been a strong point of his, and he didn't want to give the sisters more time than he absolutely had to. Making strategies was a useless task since he was way out of his element here. There was no way to know if anything he could conceive of would come to pass. By the time 7:30 came around, he had at least managed to screw up his courage to leave the bedroom without being called for.

Once he had closed the door, the most interesting scents tickled his nose and made his stomach grumble. That was when he had realized he had gone far too long without eating. It was all he could do not to break into a run and find whatever smelled so good!

When he reached the kitchen, he found both Daisy and Violet sitting at the table picking at a plate of fruit and drinking some strong coffee. Ash couldn't help but wrinkle his nose at the sight. Yeah, he liked fruit and all, but for breakfast? And besides, that couldn't be what smelled so good, could it?

"Good morning Ash," Lily said from over by the stove, flashing him a warm smile. She was dressed in a bright orange, midriff-bearing tank top and a matching pair of shorts that showed off every inch of leg she had. Over the outfit to protect it while she cooked was a simple white apron that declared "Kiss the Cook!" in bold red lettering. "Go on and sit down," Lily added, turning her attention back to the sizzling frying pan, "I'll bring over your breakfast as soon as it's done."

"Umm...ok," Ash said, wincing at how dull he sounded. He slid into one of the empty seats and looked nervously at Violet and Daisy. For the moment they seemed to be more interested in their breakfast than in him. He had the sneaking suspicions that they were in fact focused on him, but he wasn't about to bring attention to it.

He only had to wait a few minutes before Lily walked over with a huge plate filled with bacon, scrambled eggs, and toast. He thought it had smelled wonderful before, it was absolutely irresistable now that it was set in front of him. Pausing only long enough to mutter a quick "thank you", he grabbed the nearest fork and dug happily into his eggs.

Ash swallowed three mouthfuls of eggs before realizing that something was off. It wasn't that the eggs tasted bad; quite the opposite actually. But they did taste...different, more flavorful than any eggs he'd had in the past. He glanced over to Lily, who had ditched the apron and was sitting down across from him, wanting to ask what was so different about the eggs but not sure how to phrase it right.

Lily caught the look and simply grinned at him. "Wondering why the eggs taste so different?" she asked, guessing what he wanted to know. When he nodded, she explained. "I like my food on the spicy side, and regular eggs have always been a bit bland to me. So when I cook them, I add in things like pepper, garlic, cheese, and a bit of barbecue sauce. Gives them a nice little kick of flavor, don't you think?"

"They're great!" Ash agreed, digging in with renewed vigor. "Aren't you having any?"

"I already ate," she said with a shrug. "Besides, I like seeing people enjoy my cooking. It's not often I get to cook for someone who appreciates it and is cute to boot!" That comment made Ash pause just a second in his eating. Lily might not have noticed it had Ash's ears not also gone red.

While Ash was polishing off the meal, the other two sisters excused themselves from the table saying that they had to get the gym ready for the day's challengers. It took him a little bit to realize that he was alone with Lily, and he quickly finished his plate when he did. "Don't worry about that Ash," Lily said when he moved to take his dish to the sink. "I'll wash it when I wash the rest of it."

"Yeah but..." he tried to protest, but she simply stood up and took his plate from his hands, effectively ending the argument. Her fingers had seemed to linger a little as they brushed his, making his skin tingle a bit. He looked at her in surprise, rubbing his hands on his pants to rid himself of the odd sensation.

With nothing else to do, and with Lily busy taking care of the dishes, Ash walked through the gym, doing a bit of exploring that he hadn't been able to do the first time he'd visited. He wasn't looking for anything in particular, just trying to waste time until the gym opened and his girlfriends arrived. A goofy smile made its way to his lips at that thought. His girlfriends. It still made him a bit giddy to think like that, and in some way he hoped it always would.

He finished his circuit of the gym, ending up in the main lobby right as it opened up for business. No sooner did Daisy unlock the doors than she had to dive out of the way as two girls charged in, making a beeline for Ash. He had just enough time to set his feet before he was double-glomped. Somehow he managed to support their weight and stagger over to a couch before falling back with them on his lap.

Daisy cleared her throat loudly as soon as they landed on the cushions, crossing her arms and shooting the three a glare that reminded them all very effectively of the rules that had been laid out just the day before. With glares of their own, Misty and Penny reluctantly disentangled themselves from Ash's embrace and sat very primly to either side of him, though keeping a hold on his hand. "Happy?" Misty asked archly.

"Very," was the answer, but not from the sister they thought. Lily walked into the room and sitting in a chair by the others. "Unless you don't mind me joining in; looked really comfortable!"

"We mind," both Penny and Misty said together, Misty frowning at the way her sister was dressed.

Lily noticed Misty's look and just smiled. "Ash likes my outfit, right Ash?" she asked, blowing him a kiss and spinning around for him to get a good look at her.

Ash had to admit she did look good; but then there wasn't a single Cerulean Sister that didn't, Misty included. He was about to say so when he felt the grips his girlfriends had on his hands tighten just a bit, especially from Penny. He may still have been a novice in the interactions between men and women, but even he knew a warning when he felt one. "You look nice," he answered neutrally, drawing a frown from Lily and smiles from the ladies at his sides.

"Oh fine," Lily pouted prettily, pulling a chair up and sitting down across from them. "So tell me Ash," she started in a sugary voice, leaning forward to rest her elbows on her knees, "you've been traveling around now for just about a year now, right? You must have had some really exciting adventures and battles."

"Oh you know it!" Ash said excitedly, infinitely gladder to be on a subject he was comfortable with. "I've had more battles than I can count!"

"And I know you've just won them all, right?" Lily gushed, causing Penny to roll her eyes. As if Ash would ever admit to losing a battle, even if everyone knew the truth. She even opened her mouth to contradict the pink-haired girl when the most surprising thing happened.

"Actually," Ash said slowly, "I haven't won every battle. I've lost a fair amount to tell you the truth."

Silence greeted his admission as the others just stared at him. Ash shrugged as if it was no big deal. He knew they probably thought he was being mature in accepting his defeats, but the truth was a lot less noble. With Penny and Misty sitting right there, he didn't want to disappoint them by lying about it. What they thought of him meant more to him than his own ego. "Why don't I tell you about some of my big battles though?" he offered, the continued quiet making him edgy.

Lily quickly agreed, finding she had a bit more respect for Ash. That respect only grew when he started with, of all things, his initial gym battle with Brock that he lost. He wasn't just paying lip service to his words, he was actually backing them up, unlike a number of men she knew. The smile she gave the young man seated across from her, no longer a little boy in her eyes, was quite genuine as he continued to talk. Even the compliments she was showering him with, much to Misty's annoyance, were coming more from her heart.

As the day wore on, Ash got more animated with his storytelling, using his arms to better describe the battles. This, of course, meant that he wasn't holding hands with either of his girlfriends, which did not sit well with them. But knowing how he was, they couldn't get too upset about it.

They all lost sense of time listening to Ash, so it was with some surprise that Daisy came by to let them know that the gym was closing. Penny and Misty wanted to argue and plead, but they both knew what the rules were. A long hug and kiss from each of them and Daisy escorted them out, leaving Ash and Lily alone. "Shall I continue?" he asked, ready to launch into another story.

"As fascinating as hearing about your battles has been," Lily said, standing up and stretching out her back, "I'm actually in the mood for a swim. Feel like joining me in the pool?"

Ash was about to agree when he thought better of it. Lily had been acting pretty tame for someone who was trying to attract his attention. Could this be a part of her plan somehow? Maybe she meant she would be...skinny dipping? He fought hard to keep the blush from his face at that thought.

But wait, hadn't the rules said something about dressing outside appropriate during the day? If she pulled something like that he could call foul and end her chances for the day. But she wouldn't take that risk, right? "Sure Lily," he said confidently, "just let me run to my room and change."

"I'll meet you there," Lily said with a smile. She winked at Ash and blew him another kiss before strolling off to her room. Ash ran to his room, excited at the prospect of being able to get some swimming in.

The mood wasn't so great among Penny and Misty as they walked back to the Pokémon Center. "Is it weird that I miss him already?" Penny asked, pulling the bill of her hat down to shade her eyes from the late afternoon sun.

"I was missing him before we left," Misty admitted, wishing she had not left Togepi with Brock just so she could have the little egg pokémon in her arms to cuddle. "I really don't like the idea of him being alone with her all night."

"I don't either," Penny said, tossing her arm around Misty's shoulders as they walked. "But even if we don't trust her, we need to trust him. Remember what Suzie told us when we got to Pallet Town?"

Misty nodded quietly, remembering those words well. "Love is built on trust," she whispered, trying her best to cling to them.

By the time they reached the Pokémon Center, Ash was already in the pool inside the gym, taking advantage of the warmed water. He'd heard of indoor heated pools before, but this was the first time he'd actually been in one. It was far more pleasant than swimming in that ice cold water that Misty preferred.

"Enjoying yourself Ash?" Lily asked, wearing a bright pink sarong that matched her hair perfectly.

"It's great!" Ash said, splashing around with a grin. "Are you coming in?"

Lily nodded and carefully peeled off the piece of cloth wrapped around her body. Underneath was a bright orange bikini very similar to the one he had seen Misty wearing on the beaches of Cinnabar Island. In fact, it could have easily been one of hers seeing how tight it seemed on Lily and how little it covered, which he noted as a blush spread across his face. "I take it you like?" she asked, doing a spin for him like she had that morning, only this time without his girlfriends in attendance.

Ash's blush just got bigger as he saw just how much of Lily's rear end was exposed by her bikini bottom. "Hey!" he exploded, trying to keep his voice steady. "What happened to being outside appropriate?"

"Who says I'm not?" she asked in return, pulling a photo out of her top and showing it to him. It was of her, wearing the exact same bikini on a beach. "See, I wore this outside when I went swimming, therefore it's just as appropriate to wear while swimming inside."

Ash groaned and fell back into a float, knowing he couldn't win this argument. This did not bode well; he'd thought the rules that had been agreed upon, as opposed to this whole situation as he was, to be pretty airtight. But here was Lily, already having found a loophole to what he thought was one of the more basic ones. Things just got a lot more complicated.

He straightened up just as Lily dove into the water in front of him, swimming lazily underneath him. She was naturally graceful in the water, which came as no surprise to him. He had, after all, seen the act of the Sensational Sisters the last time he was there. And though he hadn't really wanted to admit it, he had been really impressed then. But that had been a choreographed act, this was just her and her love of swimming.

She surfaced on the other side of the pool, tilting her head up to the ceiling as she took a deep breath. Small droplets of water sprayed into the air around her as her pink hair flicked back behind her, making tiny rainbows dance across the surface of the pool. Ash stared at her profile for a moment, mesmerized by the beautiful scene before him.

Her dark blue eyes opened, dancing in happiness as she glanced sidelong at him. He knew he'd been caught staring, but didn't bother trying to hide it. A slow smile spread across her lips as he continued to watch her and she arched her back, letting out a small moan as she stretched. "You know Ash," she said, turning her body toward him, "you can do more than just tread water." She punctuated her words with a huge swing of her arm, sending a wave at Ash's face.

"Cut it out!" he laughed, knocked out of his daze and splashing her back. She squealed and launched another wave at him, even though her aim was a little off. Ash was able to dodge it and counterattack with a flurry of waves. Unlike his water war with Misty, he actually had the upper hand here, forcing Lily to back up and keeping her on the defensive. It never once occurred to him that maybe he was beating her a little too easily...

In only a few minutes, he had her backed up into a corner, holding her arms up to protect herself as he closed in on her. "All right!" she cried between giggles, turning her back to Ash so that he couldn't aim at her face anymore. "I give Ash. I give!"

"Yes!" he crowed, pumping his fist in the air. "I'm the winner!"

"Indeed you are Ash," Lily said softly, slowly spinning back to face him. There was something different about the way she said his name that made him pause and look at her. Only now did he realize how close they were; any closer and he'd be pressed up against her. "And you know what they say, don't you?" she whispered softly. "To the winner goes the spoils."

He didn't have to wonder what she meant by that for long. She tilted her face to the side and slightly puckered her lips, offering them up for a kiss. Ash swallowed nervously, his breath hitching in his chest. He found himself leaning closer to her unthinkingly, his own lips puckering up.

It was only the barest brush of lips, barely even enough to be called a kiss, but it made Lily gasp in surprise. She was no stranger to kisses, far from it in fact, but never had one made her lips tingle so pleasantly. She leaned forward, eager for a more deep and satisfying kiss, needing to know how that would feel.

But in doing so Ash became aware of just what was going on and he backed away before she could. He swam over to the side of the pool quickly, ignoring Lily's calls of his name. Climbing out of the water without a word, without even a glance back, Ash grabbed a towel and took off toward his room at a fast walk.

Lily watched him go, sinking back into the water up to her chin. She was disappointed that he had left like that, that he had escaped her little ploy. But to her surprise, there was far more disappointment that he had not continued to kiss her, just for the sake of the kiss. That worried her a little; this wasn't supposed to be getting personal like that. Maybe she had better take some time to refocus herself.

While Lily attempted to do just that, Misty and Penny endeavored to do the same. "I've had it!" Penny declared, jumping up and heading for the door. "Enough of this stupid bet! I'm getting Ash out of there now!"

"We can't," Misty reminded her, again, needing Suzie's help to drag her back. "Ash will be all right, we both know that!"

"Well I can't just sit here and do nothing," Penny grumbled, rubbing her temples. "I'm going to go bonkers!"

Brock was about to suggest they all go for a walk, in the opposite direction of the gym, when alarms started blaring through the place. He was the first one out of the room into the main lobby, all the girls hot on his heels. "Nurse Joy!" he called, then stopped short at the sight before him. The others crashed into him, but he was able to keep them all from going down in a heap.

The area was filled with at least a dozen trainers. Injured trainers each with six injured pokémon around them. While the trainers were all in bad shape with a multitude of cuts and bruises, their pokemon were clearly worse off, a few so horribly hurt that Brock could see bone poking through skin. "What happened?" Suzie whispered, her hand coming up to cover her lips.

Nurse Joy bustled past them, looking harried and drawn. "I warned them," she muttered to herself over and over. "How many trainers are you going to let in there? It should've been blocked off months ago! I knew something like this was going to happen. Why didn't they listen to me?"

Misty's eyes grew huge as she pieced together what Nurse Joy was talking about. "They went into Cerulean Cave?" she asked, shocked by the thought.

"I'm afraid so," Nurse Joy confirmed. "I tried to dissuade them, but you know how some trainers can be. And now I'm so overwhelmed I can't even think straight!"

Brock leapt into action without even thinking about it. "You two go and grab some stretchers and gurneys," he said, shoving Misty and Penny toward the "Authorized Entry Only" doors. "Suzie, help me identify the worst cases for first treatment. Let's move!" Surprised by how he took control, the girls followed his orders without question. Nurse Joy, though surprised by the authoritative tone of his voice, shot him a grateful glance and got to work.

As frenzied as the activity was at the Pokémon Center, it was far quieter at the Gym. Dinner was on, and Ash was seated at the table like before. Only this time, he was making a clear point of not looking at anyone, especially Lily. He'd been a little too caught up in the moment back at the pool, and he knew it. Still, the way she had looked at him when she told him that he'd won... He tried to shake the thought out of his head, but it was too deeply ingrained to move.

What was he so worried about though? Like Suzie said, sometimes a kiss was just a kiss, and it didn't mean anything more than that. Yeah, that's right! It wasn't even that long of a kiss to begin with! It had been nice, sure, but not even on the same level as a kiss from Penny or Misty was. Even Suzie's kiss was better. Of course, if the kiss had gone on longer he might see it differently and...

He shook his head hard to stop that thought before it got any further. That was a dangerous path for his mind to travel down. And besides, Lily was coming over with a bowl full of dinner! Dinner was more important than any of this stuff anyway. And it would give his mind something else to focus on. With spoon in hand, Ash dove right into the food without even taking the time to register what it was that he was eating.

PAIN!

He hadn't taken more than a couple spoonfuls when his tongue exploded like it was on fire! Ash quickly grabbed a nearby glass of lemonade and downed the whole thing in just a few gulps. "I guess you've never had chili before, have you?" Lily asked, sitting down in the chair next to him with her own bowl.

"This is chili?" he asked, looking at the bowl in surprise. "I've had plenty of chili before, but nothing like this! It's so hot."

"Not hot Ash, spicy," Lily corrected with a giggle. "I'm not a fan of foods that just pack a lot of heat at the expense of flavor. Remember my eggs this morning? If you take your time and eat it slow, you'll appreciate just what I mean."

Ash looked at the bowl dubiously, but followed her advice and carefully spooned a little into his mouth. Now that he wasn't trying to shovel it down, he could taste a lot of different flavors hidden behind the heat. Oh it was still hot, hotter than anything he had ever had before, and he found himself drinking a lot of lemonade from the glass that Lily was only too happy to keep refilling. By the time he had gotten through three bowls of the chili, he'd lost count of how much lemonade he'd drunk.

But it didn't escape the attention of Lily's sisters, especially after she'd gone and fetched a second pitcher from the refrigerator. Violet raised a questioning eyebrow, but Daisy just smiled, having cottoned on to Lily's plan. Lily returned the smile even as she topped Ash's cup up yet again.

The night wore on and eventually the gym settled down as all four occupants made their way through their nightly routines and to bed. But a few lights still burned in the Pokémon Center despite the lateness of the hour. Only two people were still awake to see it, and they silently worked side-by-side under the harsh white glare.

Brock brushed the back of his hand across his forehead, wiping away the sweat that had collected there. How many hours had they been at this? He couldn't even attempt to count right now. All that mattered was that they were almost done. Almost...but not quite.

Despite their honest attempts at helping out, all Misty and Penny were able to do were get in the way. Things might have been different if they had not been so preoccupied over Ash, but after the second time they had dropped an injured Voltorb they had been sent to their room with a scolding not to come out for the rest of the night.

Suzie had been infinitely more helpful; her knowledge of pokémon was easily on par with both Brock and Nurse Joy. Unfortunately, she had gotten used to working a set number of hours per day as a breeder and didn't have the stamina to work all night. She had gone to bed about an hour before when Brock had to shake her awake. She had gone reluctantly to be sure, but she hadn't had the energy to put up a proper fight.

Right now, only he and Nurse Joy were still going, and it was barely at that. But all they had to do was finish treating this one sandslash and they could finally rest. This pokémon had only superficial injuries, and while it was obviously in pain, it was the least injured of all the ones that had been brought in. It didn't take long, and soon it was resting comfortably in a special recuperative bed.

"Finally," Nurse Joy said, arching her back to stretch out the kinks that had developed over hours of non-stop work. "Thank you so much for your help Brock. Without you, I don't know how I would've been able to help them all."

"It was my pleasure," Brock started to say, but cut off halfway when he noticed Nurse Joy's eyes go glassy. "Nurse Joy!" he called, reaching out to grab her as she swooned. "Are you all right?"

"Mmfine," she muttered, trying to push away from him and back up to her feet, but far too weak to do so.

"You haven't eaten at all today, have you?" he accused. At her sheepish grin, he simply picked her up in his arms and carried her toward the kitchen. "Well then, I'm going to make sure you eat now and then it's off to bed for you.

Joy struggled weakly for a few seconds, but eventually gave in and curled her fingers around the edge of his vest. She was so embarrassed at being carried this way; the only thing that kept her face from being as bright as her hair was the fact that they were the only two awake at this time. But even through her chagrin she couldn't help but notice how easy he held her and the definition of the muscles that kept her aloft. It made her feel strange inside...warm and content and protected.

He wasn't anything like her other family members had led her to believe. Either they had been exaggerating his antics, or he had managed to calm down and mature since the last time she'd heard anything about him. The Joys were a close knit family, and there had been too many reports to discount them. A few had mentioned that he wouldn't be so bad if he was less aggressive. And it seemed like their wishes were coming true...and she was the first to see it for herself.

She slowly became aware that she had stopped moving and blinked her eyes, looking around. Somehow Brock had maneuvered her into one of her kitchen chairs and was already whipping up something that smelled absolutely delicious. Her stomach, completely empty from her forgoing meals that day, gurgled with such intensity that the sound echoed off the walls, furthering her humiliation.

Instead of the mocking laughter she expected, Brock met the sound with a warm chuckle that soothed her nerves. "Soup will be ready soon," he promised, adding a few handfuls of chopped vegetables to the boiling pot. "Don't worry, I'll make sure you have all you need. And I'm not leaving till you've eaten and I've gotten you to bed."

"He cooks, he's good with pokémon, and he's cute to boot," she murmured to herself dreamily. "What a guy!" Brock turned questioningly as he heard her say something, which just brought a surprised blush to her face. Of course, the judgment on how well he cooked was held until she tasted his soup, but once she did she just could not stop! Three bowls were devoured by the time her stomach was satisfied, and she had to stop herself from eating a fourth.

"Feeling better?" Brock asked, gathering up her bowl and utensils. Only once she nodded did he turn away. He enjoyed camping and being out on the open road as much as Ash did, but there was a lot to be said for having a fully stocked kitchen with which to do his magic. Not to mention an actual sink to wash everything in.

A low thud behind him made him turn around, even though he already had a good idea of what he'd find. Sure enough, Nurse Joy was on her hands and knees a few feet from her chair. Her head was bowed low, almost touching the ground, and a low moan issued from her lips. She made attempt or two to get on her feet, but her legs were too shaky to even get off her knees.

Brock turned off the water and was by her side soon after. "Now what did I just say?" he scolded her lightly, carefully turning her so he could pick her up in his arms. He noticed she didn't even bother to struggle this time, which showed just how tired she was. He knew that having a full stomach was helping to relax her and he was extra careful as he carried her toward her bedroom.

There weren't that many rooms in the back so it was as easy for him to find as the kitchen had been. It was pretty much as he'd thought it would be, a small room with a bed and dresser done up in different shades of pink and white. There were a few personal touches, like fresh roses and even a poster of the Nurse Joy family reunion, but only just enough to make the room not quite sterile.

Brock put her down on the bed gently, fussing over her a bit to help her rest more comfortably. He removed her shoes and her apron first, undid her hair loops so they wouldn't snag on anything while she rested, then placed her nurse's hat on her dresser. "There now," he said, pulling her blanket up and tucking her in. "You just rest up till morning. I'll close the gate to make sure you're not bothered till morning."

Nurse Joy smiled resignedly, already feeling her eyelids start to droop. "Wait," she murmured as he turned, making him stop and look back at her. Maybe it was because she was tired, maybe it was because he deserved it, or maybe it was just because she wanted to. Either way, her hand crept out from under the blanket, her fingers curling around the back of his neck. His little gasp of surprise was swallowed up as she sat up halfway and pressed her lips to his in a soft and gentle kiss.

Brock was stunned for a good second, thinking that there was no way this could possibly be real. Nurse Joy, one of his longtime crushes, was kissing him? It had to be a dream, it certainly felt fuzzy enough not to be real. But when her lips began to shyly move against his, everything snapped into the hard focus of reality.

He eagerly began to return the kiss, delighting in the quiet squeak she made as he leaned into it. He felt himself leaning forward and placed his hands down on the mattress to support his weight so that he didn't fall on her. One hand landed on nothing but blanket, but the other fell into the hair that fanned out atop the covers. Combing his fingers through her tresses, he was hard pressed to decide which was softer: her hair or her lips.

After a few moments, he wasn't really sure how long, Nurse Joy let her lips fall away from his seemingly in slow-motion, making the most out of the last few seconds of their kiss. The tip of her tongue snuck out to tentatively lick his lips as she laid down on the bed, a contented smile on her face. "Good night Brock," she murmured, letting her fingers trail around the side of his neck as she settled down into slumber.

Brock slowly straightened up as she turned on her side, watching her sleep. A quiet smile crossed her lips, and he found himself returning it. "Good night Joy," he whispered, tiptoeing toward and through the open door, closing it behind him quietly. What a night this had been! Helping Nurse Joy care for the pokémon, then caring for her, and even getting a kiss from it all! Nothing could make this a bad night.

He carefully opened the door to the room he was staying, hoping to not disturb the ladies resting inside. A soft murmur rose from one of the other beds, which Brock quickly recognized as Suzie's voice. Immediately a wave of guilt crushed his heart. What had he been doing kissing Nurse Joy like that when his girlfriend had been sleeping nearby? What was his problem?

He crept toward his bed, not even changing his clothes as he fell down on the waiting mattress. Sleep. Sleep would be good. When morning came he'd be able to make better sense of all this. Or at least, he hoped he would.

Much later that night, Ash awoke with a pained groan. He'd drunk so much lemonade at dinner that his bladder was already begging for release instead of waiting for morning. He thought about it for a moment, not really wanting to leave the surprisingly comfortable bed. But he knew if he did, he'd have to explain why he'd wet the bed. With another groan, he forced himself from the bed and ran to the bathroom down the hallway.

He just made it.

It was likely the longest he'd ever spent in the bathroom without sitting down, he noted with a bit of a blush. As he finished up and washed his hands, he was just glad that it happened so late at night so he wouldn't run into anyone, especially Lily. It was still her day technically until sunrise after all. The quicker he got back to his room, the better.

This time, he didn't make it.

"Well hello there Ash," Lily chirped from behind him in a voice that Ash thought was much too perky for this time of night. "Fancy meeting you out here."

He thought about not turning around and just continuing on toward his room, but that sounded a bit too much like cowardice to him. And Ash was not a coward. So he turned around in order to greet her and immediately wished that he was in fact more cowardly than he was.

Lily was standing there in what he at first mistook for the bikini she'd had on earlier. But the slightly thinner material, as well as the lace stitched on the garments, quickly made him realize that she was actually wearing only a bra and panties. A light, gauzy nightgown clung to her body, not hiding anything but tinting her skin underneath it a soft orange color. He suddenly felt a little exposed in his t-shirt and boxers, but refused to show his discomfort.

She smiled as she saw Ash staring at her, even feeling a little blush find its way onto her cheeks. She stepped softly over to him, spinning around once as she passed him. "Like what you see?" she whispered, stopping when she was between him and his room.

That was the third time she'd asked him that today, Ash realized, or at least some form of it. But unlike the other two times, she seemed more nervous about his answer, like she wasn't sure what to expect. One look in her dark blue eyes left him startled with what he saw.

Where did all her confidence go? It was almost like she was a different girl from the one that had freely flirted with him throughout the day. He had no idea why his opinion was suddenly so important to her, but he could see that she was hanging on his every word. He thought about answering evasively, as he had that morning. But with that look she was giving him, it was almost impossible to. "I really do," he said quietly.

Lily's blush only grew at his honest answer. Her attempts to refocus herself following the incident at the pool had failed miserably. There was something different about how she saw Ash now, something that made her want to capture his attention for her own purposes, not just this silly bet with his girlfriends. "You know Ash," she whispered, bending over a just a touch and licking her lips. "You never did claim your prize. And it's still here for the taking."

Ash had a feeling that this was coming, so there was no surprise when she offered her lips for a kiss like she had earlier that day. With a smile of his own, he pressed his lips to hers in a sweet kiss that lasted for a few good seconds. But as he felt her start to really get into it, he stepped back, needing to take more than one as Lily had leaned forward to try and prolong the contact. "Good night Lily," he said with that same smile, brushing a lock of her long pink hair behind her ear from where it had fallen in front of her face.

She watched as he walked around her, fighting the urge to reach out and grab him, before running back to her own room and slamming the door shut behind her. She threw herself down on her bed and quickly pulled the covers up to her neck, trying to force herself to go to sleep. This whole thing had backfired on her horribly. Not only did she not make him crack, she had seen a glimpse of just what Misty had told her...

And she knew it was something she would likely never find again.