A/N: Hi everyone. I am indeed still alive, though not exactly as well as I could be. Been dealing with some health issues that have not been fully diagnosed, and therefore, still not resolved. Anyway, that and for other real life reasons, I haven't been updating until recently. I do have another alternate timeline chapter fic called Runaway Misty and a new one-shot, 'Catching Misty' that you guys can read as well if you're interested. I'm going to try to update this sooner. I know I haven't posted on this in ten months. Well the next chapter is here. I hope it was worth the wait. Writer's block is tough, and I find I don't write as much in the winter. I might have seasonal depression going on, so that might have something to do with it.

Sorry for the rant. I thought that you guys deserved an explanation for the ten-month hiatus.

Sarah

P.S. You can always PM me if you want to know if I'm going to update soon. Harassment can be helpful in my motivation. I tend to be more inspired when I'm reminded that people do read and enjoy this.

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or any of its characters.

Chapter Six: A Wild Tiffany Appears

Misty shuffled her feet as she approached a wall. She fell back against it, her spine arching forward. A sigh escaped her slightly chapped lips. She peered to both sides of the deserted hallway. How hard was it to find someone in this place? They had looked for Ash everywhere that they had access. This was the last place left to look, which meant that he was probably somewhere out of reach, doing official business with the Elite Four or Lance.

Delia had gone back to the village ages ago, leaving the task of locating her son with Brock and Misty. They had taken different floors, meeting in the middle. They searched everywhere else together. After another twenty minutes or so, the young Pokemon doctor decided that his time was better utilized locating some lunch rather than his best friend. He went to go get some burgers, leaving Misty alone to find him, which was proving to be pointless.

Well, there was always the party. She would see him then. He would make sure of it, she was certain. They couldn't go all day without seeing each other, especially not today. It was too important. She wanted to be celebrating with him, not spending the afternoon all alone on a fruitless scavenger hunt.

Was it going to be like this from now on? Not even Champion for a day, and she had lost her boyfriend to his new duties and his fans. She knew that she would have the gym to keep her busy, but it wasn't always enough to satisfy her. How much she was going to be able to see him from now on? Success came with sacrifice, but no one told Misty it would be hers. Grumbling, she pulled out her phone and started texting May. She didn't someone coming through the doorway across the hall.

She was standing there in front of him as he exited the bathroom. Her braid was slung casually over her shoulder, hanging over her right breast. An image of her in his room the night before flashed through his mind. If he could only whisk her away….Would moments between them be fleeting from then on? It almost made him second-guess doing this. He didn't want to have to choose duty over her. Watching her without him made it even harder. She was looking down at her phone, her fingers moving vigorously across the dimly-lit screen. He wanted more time to watch her, but he knew that this moment was going to pass him in a heartbeat.

He walked toward her. He could hear his heart hammering in his ears. She didn't look up, too absorbed in her phone. He reached for her and put his hand gently on her chin and lifted it. She jumped at first at his touch, but a smile erupted across her face when she realized who it was. His heart soared as he returned the gesture.

They didn't need to say anything. They both knew what the other wanted. Ash inched closer to her face until he could feel the heat of her breath. Without a word, he tenderly pressed his lips against hers. She reciprocated, pushing back, her arms wrapping around his neck. He squished her against the wall, not breaking contact. He lifted her left leg up with his arm, and she wrapped her thigh around his hip.

A moan erupted from Ash's throat. Oh how he longed for her. He deepened the kiss, slipping his tongue in her mouth. She accepted it eagerly, tenderly biting on it with her teeth before adding her own tongue into their oral ballet. After what felt like an eternity of intensity, the two broke apart, leaving them both breathless. Ash began to plant kisses on Misty's neck. Her leg remained clung to his side.

"You know," Ash purred. "We could try to find a secluded place and—"

"Ash," Misty half moaned as he proceeded to suck on her neck. "But what if we get caught?"

"And?"

"Yeah, I can see the headline now," she said deadpan. "New Champion found having sexual relations with red-head in closet."

Ash opened his mouth, but stopped short at the sounds of footsteps rapidly coming toward them. Misty quickly lowered her leg and tried to shift her braid to cover the possible hickey on her neck. Her cheeks were flushed. Ash briskly smoothed his shirt as a young woman reached them.

"Mr. Ketchum, t-there you are," she panted, pushing her glasses back up the bridge of her nose. "I—uh—hope I wasn't interrupting something."

Ash cleared his throat. "No, not at all."

Misty craned her neck around Ash's body to get a better look. The girl was probably three or four years younger than them. Her short, brown hair was cut in a way that it framed her round face nicely. Her bangs bounced slightly as she rocked back and forth, a clipboard in hand.

She was wearing a grey swing dress, covered by a black blazer. The black Mary Jane's on her feet had scuffs on them, the heels slightly warped at the bottom. Her eyes were a warm brown. She was by no means a supermodel, but she wasn't terrible looking either, underneath all of that frumpiness. She was the type of girl that her sisters would die to give a make-over.

"You must be Misty," she said, extending her arm out.

"Uh yeah," she replied, accepting the handshake. "And you are…?"

"Tiffany," Ash piped in as the girl released his hand.

"I'm Mr. Ketchum's assistant," Tiffany said, adjusting the wireless headset she was wearing.

"I see." Misty said stiffly. "Well it's nice to meet you."

"I hate to be that person, but I need to steal your boyfriend away. We have a lot to do before the party tonight. I'm sorry."

"Oh no," Misty said with a faint smile. "I understand. Duty calls."

Tiffany gave Ash an expectant look and started walking down the corridor. Misty's brows narrowed at her. What nerve! Who gave her the right to boss him around like that? She glanced at Ash, almost expecting him to say something in response. However, Ash went to follow her. It rattled her for a moment, but he didn't disappoint her in the end. After a few steps, he halted for a moment. He turned back to Misty and planted a kiss on her forehead.

"Thanks for being so understanding. I'll see you tonight, okay?"

"K."

"Love you."

"I love you, too."

He hustled down the corridor, catching up with Tiffany. Misty watched the two of them as they grew smaller in front of her. Tiffany chatted animatedly, her arm clutched to that damn clipboard. Ash appeared to be listening intently, much to her dismay. He was supposed to find her irritating like she did. Misty chewed on her tongue as she watched them turn a corner at the end of the corridor, leaving her alone with her thoughts.

She hated herself for thinking this, but she was a little relieved that Tiffany was a bit frumpy and nerdy. She couldn't imagine how she would feel if Tiffany were conventionally pretty. Knowing that Ash would be in close quarters with a hot girl would be too much for her.

She exhaled deeply as she left the hall and rounded the opposite corner, ending up at the south staircase. She flung her hair back and jogged up two flights of stairs without breaking a sweat. Compared to the 100 laps a day that she did at the gym, it was nothing. She reached the top and slipped her hand into her tiny blue purse and out emerged her phone. She paused for a moment in the lobby, oblivious to the people milling around her as she texted.

Where are you guys? I found Ash, but he's busy right now.

She waited for about a minute before her phone chimed, and she saw May's response.

We're at a tiny boutique around the corner from the Pokemon Center getting shopping for tonight.

Which one? There are like five.

Fire and Flareon

OK. See you soon.

She dropped her phone back into the black hole that was her bag. Adjusting the strap so that the crossbody rested behind her, she headed toward the double doors. Once outside, she peered in all directions for the Pokemon Center. She cupped her forehead with her hand, shielding her eyes. She finally saw it, though she had to move to the right a little to see it, the roof now blocking the sun, which was no longer directly above her as it had been when she and Brock first arrived earlier.

She strolled down the street, thinking of what she should wear to the party. It wasn't formal by any means. For one thing, it was being held at a local club. Only anyone of legal age would be allowed inside—that was of course if they were on the exclusive list. Misty and the others were on there as Ash's VIP guests, naturally. His mother and Professor Oak, however, had elected to spend a quiet evening back at the inn. Misty didn't blame them. She doubted that they would enjoy being in a crowded room with a bunch of twenty-something-year-olds with music blaring so loud that you could barely hear yourself think.

She reached the Pokemon Center. It was bustling with activity all around it. Along with the various venders that had set up around the outside wall, there was a line outside the door to drop off Pokemon at the front desk. It was strange. This wasn't a tournament. Ash had been the only person to be participating in any official battle, if one excluded the Elite Four itself. She remembered the Indigo League conference and midway through all of it, the centers had filled to their capacity. Perhaps this time everyone had run out and had a bunch of battles with each other, inspired by Ash's victory.

She rounded the building and found herself down a small street, jam-packed with various shops, most of them for trainers. There were shops for evolution stones and rare pokeballs. She was even temped by a salon for pumping your Pokemon. If she hadn't had friends waiting for her, she would have treated Clefairy and Vaporeon. She strolled down the street a bit more before she spotted a sign about a small shop adorned with a faded Flareon.

She stopped and peered in through one of the windows. She saw Drew and Gary sitting on a bench wearing expressions of pure boredom. May was a few feet over to their right, rifling through a sales rack, littering the floor with fallen clothes and wooden hangers. Misty chuckled at the scene before turning to her left. She grabbed the door handle and pulled. The bell overhead chimed, but the trio did not pay any attention to it.

"May, do you have to make such a mess?" Drew said in an exasperated tone.

"What?" May said, pausing mid-swipe. "Why are you so worried about what I do?"

"Well," he said, crossing his arms and leaning back against the wall. "I wouldn't want us to get kicked out for your messy shopping."

"Hey! Take that back!"

"I'm just telling the truth."

The two continued to go at it for a couple of minutes before Gary noticed Misty's arrival. He caught a glimpse of her in the corner of his eye. He looked out from behind Drew to get a better look and said with a grin, "Hey Red! How's Ashy-boy?"

May and Drew stopped mid-argument once Misty's presence had been announced. They turned away from each other. For a pair of newly-weds, they acted more like an old married couple. Misty could see why they had decided to elope. She could imagine the arguments that would ensue over the slightest of wedding details. She wished that they had at least told her before going through with it, though. She could have sent them a decent wedding present.

"Wish I knew," Misty said. "I saw him for maybe a minute or two before he was dragged away by Tiffany."

"Who's Tiffany?"

She sighed and sat down in between the two men before delving into the story of hers and Tiffany's first meeting. She talked about how it wasn't fair that she was hogging all of this time when she deserved a minimum of five minutes alone with him. May understood, asking about how pretty she was at first mention. Once Misty had described the assistant, May reassured her that everything would be fine. She was also quick to point out that at least he wasn't around his hot supermodel ex-girlfriend Serena.

Misty drew in a breath. May was right. She had nothing to be anxious about, but her words at the same time gave her second thought. What if it were Serena? Would that make any difference? She didn't really have an answer to the question. When they broke up, it had destroyed Ash, causing him to almost give up training completely. It had even almost destroyed the blossoming relationship that had been forming with Misty, though in the end, she was able to pick up the pieces and put the wonderful man back together. Would he really want to be involved with Serena after all of that?

"I wouldn't worry about it, Red," Gary interjected. "It took him forever to notice you."

Misty grimaced. Was that supposed to cheer her up? All it did was remind her of all of the years almost wasted pining for him. She didn't know what made her hang on to her feelings for so long, but she was glad that she did in the end. At least that was all behind them now. Her current dilemma was ever getting any time with her boyfriend again. She hoped that it would calm down eventually. She had enough time way from him for a lifetime.

"I know what'll cheer you up," said May. "We'll find you a new outfit for tonight!"

"Um…okay, I guess."

"May's just happy that there's another girl here," Drew muttered in her ear.

"Yeah, thanks for rescuing us," Gary added as she stood up.

May grabbed her hand and tugged her away to a rack of dresses mounted along the wall. Although she wasn't as much of a tomboy as she used to be, she still was not like her sisters when it came to fashion and shopping. May had her trying on multiple outfits, much to her chagrin. She was modeling another outfit for the boys when the thought suddenly came to her.

"Hang on," she said after glancing at herself in a mirror. She turned back to the others. "Where are Tracey and Daisy?"

Gary made a face. "Oh they went back to their hotel right after the match."

"Huh," Misty said thoughtfully. "I wonder why…."

"Can we stop talking about this?" Gary said.

"Why? What's the matter?" May asked.

"Listen," Gary said. "I'd rather not have to think about what my sister might be doing with her husband…or to her husband for that matter. It's not exactly an image that I want to have."

"Oh…Oh."

"Yeah, exactly."

"But Gary, how do you even know that they're doing that?" May asked.

"Ugh," he said. "Do I have to explain how I know? I would rather just drop the subject, ya know?"

"No, tell us," Drew, piped in, an eyebrow raised. "Inquiring minds would like to know."

"Ugh, fine," Gary said, running his fingers through his spiky hair in disgust. "If you must know, I had to listen to my sister whine all day yesterday at the lab about the fact that they have been trying for months now, and she's still not pregnant yet."

"They're trying to have a baby?" May squealed.

"Yeah," sighed Gary. "Which means that they're probably doing it right now, and I'd rather not think about that."

"I can't wait for you to be Uncle Gary."

"Oh, shut up, May."

Misty went back into the dressing room, pensive. She removed the blouse she had on and started hanging it back up, pondering the information she had heard. What was it with everyone lately with all of the wedding and baby fever? They were getting to that age where it seemed like everyone around her was settling down. It was weird. She was nowhere near that point in her life. She was lucky if Ash took her out for dinner once in a while. Marriage was certainly out of the question. He would never ask her unless she started dropping some major hints. He would never think to drop to one knee, whip out a ring, and ask her to be his wife in this profound and romantic manner. That would be completely out of character for him. She sighed and stretched out her arms before throwing a dress over her head. It was going to be a long day, wasn't it?

"Oh where is it?" Ash muttered to himself as he threw aside a pair of balled up socks.

Once Ash had managed to get away from Tiffany for more than two minutes, he rushed back up to his room. Minutes later, there were clothes strewn about the floor. Papers were scattered around the night stand. Grumbling, Ash yanked the top drawer of the dresser. With a bit of effort, he managed to dislodge it and dumped out its contents onto the already-stripped mattress. If he had lost it….

He was tossing more socks across the room when there was a knock at the door. He dropped a pair on the bed. Who the fuck could that be? He thought of all of the people who could be searching for him. He didn't know if he had the energy to deal with Tiffany. Misty wouldn't have been any better. She would be nosy about what he was currently doing. Ransacking hotel rooms wasn't exactly a usual activity of his. She would continue to press him until she knew. That couldn't happen, at least, not yet, anyway. Whoever it was knocked again. He inhaled sharply. They wouldn't leave. Resigned, he abandoned his frantic search to answer it. He turned the handle and opened the door, relieved when he saw who it was on the other side.

"Mom!" Ash exclaimed.

"Hi honey," she replied, clutching Pikachu in her arms. She entered into the room and clapped one of her hands over her mouth. "Oh my. What happened here?"

"It's nothing," Ash said, closing the door before anyone else assumed that he had been robbed. "Thanks for taking Pikachu for a bit. Those meetings can be pretty boring, and I had run out of ketchup packets."

"It's no trouble," she said, placing Pikachu on the a clear spot on the carpet. "It's always a delight to have him around."

"Chu!"

"I also wanted to stop by and give you this," she said rummaging in her purse until she revealed a ring box in her hand.

Ash eagerly took it from her. He opened it, and sure enough, Misty's engagement ring was there. Tears formed in his eyes. "Where did you find this?"

"It was on the floor right outside the door. I found it when I was looking for you earlier," she commented as she pushed a pile of boxers to the side to make a small spot for her body on the corner of the bed. "You should really be more careful with your things."

"Pika!" His oldest Pokemon shouted in agreement before leaping up into his mother's lap.

He sighed before putting the box on top of the dresser. He lifted the displaced drawer from the floor. He shifted it until it rested back into its track. He slid it back open and began to shove the socks and underwear still on the bed back inside. He did this haphazardly, wasting no time on refolding them. He would do that later when he packed to return home. When that would be was still a mystery, but he hoped that it would be soon. Some semblance of normalcy would be welcomed. Once finished, he flopped down on the bed, joining his mother.

"So, she's the one then?" Delia asked with a smile.

"Uh yeah, of course she is!"

"I see," she said. "You were going to do it after the match, weren't you?"

He hung his head. "Yeah, but like an idiot, I dropped it."

"I wonder what you would have done if you had lost in any case." She put her face in her hand, index finger pointed up toward her eye, and stared out into space wistfully.

"How could you believe that your own son would lose?" Ash's voice had shifted up an octave.

"Oh no, honey, I knew that you would win."

"Then why did you say that?"

"To get you to think about what you are doing exactly."

"Do you mean," Ash said slowly, "that you don't want me to marry Misty?"

"Oh no, dear," she said as she stroked Pikachu behind his ears. He cooed in contentment. "You misunderstand. I adore Misty."

"Then what is it?" Ash took off his hat, placed it in his own lap, and ran his fingers through his unruly hair.

"Marriage is a big commitment. It's not always going to be good times. You need to know that you would have to be just as committed in the tough times as well."

"Of course I would be!"

"I'm sure you will be," she replied with a smile. "I just want you to be absolutely positive."

"Mom," Ash said, throwing his arms out, palms up. "I love her more than anything. I can't picture my life without her."

"Then you have nothing to worry about." She shifted Pikachu off her lap and onto the bed before standing herself. "Now let me help you clean up this mess before I go to meet Samuel for dinner."

It took the better part of a half hour to get the tiny room back to decent standards. He took care of the clothes, and Delia handled the bed and the fine touches. Misty would never know what had transpired there that evening. Even Pikachu found the dustpan and began sweeping the carpet. Ash chuckled at this. Pikachu really did try. He was the best buddy a guy could have.

"You must have been desperate to find that ring," Delia said as she fluffed the last pillow.

"I had it insured, but if you only knew how long it took to get it made," he said, placing the box back into its previous hiding spot. "I couldn't wait that long again to finally ask her."

"So when are you going to do it?" she asked.

"I don't know…." he said, closing the drawer once more. "It's not going to be tonight. There's too much going on. I'm not sure if I'm even going to get a moment alone with her."

"Well, I'm sure. She'll say yes when you do."

His mom went over and embraced him. He wrapped his arms around her, his chin resting on her head. He cherished the moment. He rarely got to see his mother these days. They held each other until Delia broke away, wiping a tear from her eye.

"I'm so proud of you, Ash. You've turned into a wonderful young man."

He beamed. "Thanks, Mom. That means a lot."

"Oh gosh, is it that late already?" she said, checking her watch. "Listen, I really need to go. I will see you tomorrow. Breakfast on me."

She gave him a quick peck on the cheek before moving to the door. She took one last look at him, her eyes shining and bright before opening the door. She left without another word. Ash stood for a moment, pondering what he did to deserve such a wonderful woman for all of those years. He shook his head before turning to Pikachu.

"What do you say, buddy? Ready to get your party on?"

"Pika!"