COPYRIGHT NOTE: I don't own Pokemon / Pocket Monsters. There are several other comical references made in this story. I also don't own the Barbie franchise.
COMMENTS: Alrighty, everyone, let's all sing: "I'm a Barbie girl, in a Barbie world!" Hehehehe, Aiselne is merciless to her poor Sato-Chan, isn't she? So, how the heck does this crazy little story end? Read on, and you'll find out! ^_^
* With Sugar On Top *
Aiselne Phoenix
Chapter Four
"Oh my God!" 'Barbara' loudly groaned in exasperation. Brown eyes wide and cheeks flush pink, the 'girl' dropped ever so ladylike to Dawn's cold bathroom floor, yanking off the obnoxious blonde wig. "How the hell does James stand wearing women's clothes?! This is embarrassing!"
Ash was starting to wonder if whatever was in the sugar cabinet was worth this!
My proposal was for Team Rocket to sneak me into the house. Well, they certainly succeeded in that, though I never said ANYTHING about cross-dressing! At this rate, Ash would have happily disguised himself as the damn Glameow over being...'Barbara!'
Don't you mean 'Barbie?' Ash sighed, running a hand through his freed black hair. What in God's name possessed him to accept Team Rocket's 'brilliant' idea? Sure, posing as Dawn's "new neighbor" worked ten times better than expected, but...'Barbie'?! Of all names, THAT'S what I'm gonna' be called through the rest of this ordeal?! 'Ashley's looking pretty appealing at the moment!
Suddenly, Ash was starting to feel sick to his stomach all over again. If Gary and Paul EVER found out about this... Ash did not even want to consider such nightmarish possibilities!
NO amount of candy is worth this kind of humiliation!
Ash figured he should quit while everyone was still under the assumption that 'Barbara' was real…before they made any connections to Ash. I'll say I'm sick and run 'home.' Wait a few minutes, and then come back inside as myself, acting like I just got back from training with my Pokemon. One consolation: Pikachu already knew about this scheme, so Ash did not have to worry about the mouse blowing his cover again. Though which is worse; Pikachu ratting me out, or laughing itself into unconsciousness at how ridiculous I look?! Though considering the pink dress Jessie and James forced him into, Ash could not blame the mouse's reaction. I'm gonna' have to shower Pikachu with ketchup packets for a whole year after this, just so it keeps its mouth shut!
Like it or not, Ash refused to go through with this plan anymore. He still wanted to know what was in the sugar cabinet, but not this badly! Asking Team Rocket for help was like digging my own grave, too. Getting back up on his feet, he pulled the annoying blonde wig back on his head and fixed himself, or 'Barbara,' up. Just go back out and say you're not feeling well. They'll understand. Pink and primped up once more, Ash opened the bathroom door...
"Oh…hi there."
Skidding to a halt, Ash, or 'Barbara,' jumped in surprise to see none other than Misty standing before him. Oh great, Ash thought, swallowing loudly as he braced himself for why ever Misty was waiting behind the bathroom door again. Don't tell me she figured me out! Ash knew Misty still kept the memories of Celadon City stored for a rainy day, probably to use as ammunition whenever Ash got on her nerves. If she finds out I cross-dressed a second time…er…well…'third' time, actually…but…that Romeo and Juliet thing stayed between me, Brock, Max, and May! Ash practically forced his Hoenn friends to undertake blood oaths and never tell Misty (or anyone) about that fiasco again! Still…this 'Barbie' thing isn't going to be much better!
Feeling as though he was standing before a death sentence, Ash gulped again, sweating bullets and attempting to resume his role as 'Barbara.' "Um…do you need to go?" he asked timidly (abhorring the girly strain in his voice), gesturing towards the vacant bathroom behind him. Why else would Misty be standing before him? Unless…she KNOWS.
"Oh, no. Nothing like that," Misty reassured with a passive wave of her hand. Still, the fact that the redhead was not smiling indicated to Ash that he should not relax just yet. "It's just…you do look very familiar."
Stay calm! STAY CALM!! Ash yelled to himself, feeling his obnoxious wig slip and slide due to his hair doused in beads of sweat. "Uh…really?" 'Barbara' squeaked coyly with a shrug. "Well…I…u-uh…have a twin sister…" He figured the stupid sister topic would be his only saving grace. "Maybe…"
"Nah," Misty shook her head, though Ash noticed a smile was forming on her lips when Misty giggled. "You just remind me of a friend of mine," she noted, pointing a finger at 'Barbara's reddening face. "You have almost identical brown eyes!" Oh God, Ash could already see the writing on the wall! The boy's said eyes widened in horror as Misty's lips curled more playfully. Yup, this was it! Misty knew the truth! Ash was dead (or soon would be, anyway).
"I like that color."
…Well…maybe Ash was not 'totally' dead. His brown eyes blinking, the terrified boy, er, 'girl,' bravely looked into Misty's soft blue-green eyes. For once in his life, Ash did not feel like he was looking into a devil's eyes, either. But…how was this possible? Misty knew who 'Barbara' really was, right? Or…
"Actually, that same friend of mine is outside training with his Pokemon," Misty added, before nudging 'Barbara's arm (nearly sending a stunned Ash through the ceiling in the process). "There's an empty seat next to mine at the kitchen table. You can sit next to me, if you'd like, Barbara."
Being called 'Barbara' made Ash cringe, but there was one small reassurance. Misty obviously did not realize 'Barbara's true identity (thank God). A part of Ash pouted over the fact that Misty seemed willing to leave "her friend training outside" out all night, never calling him for dinner. Of course, Ash also realized that if Misty left to fetch 'Ash,' his secret would be exposed. Ash had to count his blessings.
"Well…o-kay," 'Barbara' stammered, before nodding and following Misty to the kitchen. Ash had to admit, when Misty started talking about him, Ash automatically assumed she would have begun ranting: "Oh, my friend's such a dork!" and "He's been acting like a three-year-old all day!"…something to that effect. He could not stop wondering why Misty said that comment about his eye color, either.
"Actually, though…" Misty suddenly trailed, perking Ash's attention again as she stopped and folded her arms across her chest. "…I haven't heard from him in a few hours. I know he's been outside training, but it's late, and…he wasn't feeling well earlier." Ash blinked in surprise upon noticing Misty discreetly bite her lip for a second. "I originally thought he was just screwing around, but…now I'm not so sure. I hope he's not 'really' sick. Maybe I should go check on him-"
"Oh, I'm sure he's fine!" 'Barbara' piped up, doing his best to remain as collected and believable as possible. In a way, Ash was amazed Misty bothered to care about his well being, considering she was a raving lunatic earlier. But, maybe after an afternoon of simmering her temper (and simmering her sugar-high), Misty was not so bad after all. Ash would have been lying if he said he disliked hearing Misty sound concerned for him. It was sweet…
Ash nearly smacked himself upside the head. A few hours ago, he claimed Misty was anything but sweet. Now, well, maybe that was an exaggeration…slight exaggeration…teeny-weeny exaggeration…no big deal.
Okay, okay, it was a BIG exaggeration. That was the weird thing about Misty Williams. One minute, her temper was as violent as her red hair, the next minute her mood was as tranquil and serene as her aquamarine eyes. Without a doubt, Misty was a unique individual. Even Ash had to admit, for once, that Misty was indeed acting sweet…
…Unfortunately, sweet or mean, if Misty went searching for 'Ash,' she was bound to eventually figure out 'Barbara.' "Pokemon trainers don't usually like to be disturbed during their training, after all," 'Barbara' noted from experience, hoping Misty would agree. Of course, 'Barbara' needed an excuse to explain 'why' she knew so much about trainers, too. I'm supposed to be a breeder/groomer, remember? "My…uh…sister is a trainer, and she never likes to be disturbed when training. I'm sure your friend will come inside when he's ready."
It seemed to take a moment, but eventually Misty's smile broadened. "Thanks, Barbara," she replied, placing a hand on the 'girl's shoulder, causing Ash to jump slightly. That pink dress was getting very stuffy all of a sudden, though it was difficult for Ash not to smile back. "Well, Brock is reheating his food in the microwave. His food's really good, so it always tastes great." Oh yes, Ash knew that fact very well. "You'll love it," Misty reassured, before leading 'Barbara' towards the kitchen. Perhaps this evening would turn out okay after all.
Click!
Perhaps not. Following the sharp click of an unlocked door, Misty and 'Barbara' about-faced and glanced at the front door of Dawn's house. The knob turned, the door opened, and Ash felt his grand scheme fall apart all over again. Right before his wide brown eyes came a blue-haired woman and Glameow strolling into the living room.
"Oh, hello," Johanna...the real Johanna...greeted as she noticed Misty and an unknown girl standing in her living room. Hefting two large grocery bags in her arms, the woman smiled particularly in the direction of the unknown blonde. "I don't seem to remember you," Johanna said politely, placing the bags on the floor to free her arms and hang her coat on a nearby rack. "Are you one of Dawn's friends?"
Actually, yes, Ash thought matter-of-factly. Of course, Ash dared not reveal his true identity, lest Johanna forever assume her daughter was friends with a cross-dresser. "Yes, ma'am," 'Barbara' replied with a polite bow…mindful not to bow too low and dislodge his wig.
"This is Barbara," Misty introduced, causing Ash to cringe again, feeling his plans sink further upon hearing "she just moved into town." Ash really wished Misty never mentioned that tidbit of information.
"Really?" Johanna blinked, cocking her head curiously. "That's funny. I don't recall any new neighbors. What part of Twinleaf did you move into, Barbara…um…I'm sorry, I don't believe I got your last name."
Uh-oh… Ash was sinking faster than the St. Anne! Misty was now suspicious, shooting 'Barbara' a plethora of weird looks, and Johanna's innocent inquiries only intensified Ash's anxiety. He needed to exit stage left immediately! "Uh…uh…" he stammered, taking a few steps back from Misty. The last thing Ash wanted to do was set Misty on another rampage again, especially since she had been acting so nice to him (well, nice to 'Barbara'). The problem was Ash could not afford for anyone to realize 'Ash' and 'Barbara' were the same person!
"…I'm afraid I don't feel very well…" was the best lie Ash could concoct under pressure (though it was not technically a lie, either). Ash knew he was not the only person in trouble, too. Just wait till' Dawn sees two Johanna's in her house! But Team Rocket was on their own! "…So I'll be leaving," 'she' bowed again respectfully and then headed towards the front door. Nobody stopped 'Barbara,' since she was a 'guest,' and Ash wanted to keep things calm before the inevitable bomb went off. "Nice' to meet you!"
"Barbie...are you okay...?" Dawn called back into the living room. The coordinator's pink boots stopped at the kitchen threshold when Dawn noticed the woman and Glameow standing in the living room. Ash wanted to bolt out the front door before plans went any further to hell than they already did. "...M-Mom?!"
"Hi dear," Johanna greeted, kneeling down beside her grocery bag while her beautified Glameow freely roamed around the house. "Sorry I'm late, but I had a terrible time getting Hondew Berries. The store's shelves were empty and I had to wait for them restock, but it was worth it," she smiled victoriously, taking out a clear plastic bag full of the precious green and yellow-spotted fruits. "These are Glameow's favorite, and they make terrific Poffins…"
Johanna chatted onward about how rare and delicious Hondew Poffins were, but Dawn only caught bits and pieces of her mother's sentences. The girl kept blinking her blue eyes, darting from the kitchen where one Johanna was eating, and in the living room where another Johanna was talking. Am I seeing things? "Mom...is that...really you?"
Johanna blinked, setting her berry bag aside and putting on a silly look. "Well of course, dear. I think I would know."
One thing was for sure; this Johanna looked more like Dawn's mother. Her hair was the same short length and her voice sounded perfect. Above all, she wore that expression hinting "I thought you told me 'no need to worry,' Dawn." Such was a look only Johanna could materialize, and also a look Dawn knew all too well. Plus, Glameow looked twenty times better, too.
Meaning...
"Oh my God!" Dawn exclaimed, spinning back into the kitchen where Johanna #2 and the teenage Professor Rowan were stuffing themselves with Brock's spaghetti and meatballs. That's NOT my mom! Come to think of it, that's NOT Professor Rowan, either! Cosmetic surgery isn't THAT good! "Who are you?!" Dawn demanded, while Misty and the real Johanna joined her daughter. Naturally, everyone in the kitchen gasped as they saw another Johanna standing before their eyes.
Momentarily forgotten, 'Barbara' took this opportunity to slink out the front door.
Meanwhile, Johanna #2 and 'Professor Rowan' exchanged guilty glances. Swallowing whatever filled their mouths, Jessie/Johanna garbled "Uh...she's an imposter!" pointing an accusing finger at the real Johanna.
The real Johanna did not know what to make of this fiasco. However, she knew instantly that the 'Professor Rowan' at the table was not the Professor Rowan. "Oh Glameow! Come here please!" Johanna called. A moment later, the obedient cat scampered over to its master's side, dragging something else into the kitchen with it. Blinking at the sight Glameow dragged, Johanna could not help but ask "And what is that?"
Glameow released the tail of some 'Glameow wannabe' it found snooping around upstairs for valuables. Thanks to Glameow giving the cat what-for, the lookalike appeared as nothing more than a Meowth who fell into a purple paint bucket (and got his tail stuck in a garbage disposal).
"MEOWTH?!" Everyone else gasped in shock, causing the cat to cringe and run for cover next to his disguised teammates. None of the Rockets were incognito anymore.
"Who are you?!" Johanna demanded sharply. Glameow instinctively stiffened in attack mode, making the three nervous thieves jump out of their seats and stand by the kitchen back door.
Johanna #2 just curled her lips defiantly. "Ha! Listen, is that a twerpish mother I hear?" Johanna/Jessie asked rhetorically. On cue, she and James dramatically unveiled their Team Rocket uniforms underneath their disguises.
"She yells at us, loud and clear," James rhymed, standing back-to-back with Jessie.
"What waz I telling yous about flappin' ya gums too much?!" Meowth snapped, wiping off the annoying purple Glameow paint before scratching Jessie and James' faces to shut them up.
Dawn nearly keeled over. Oh my God! Team Rocket's in MY OWN HOUSE!! Mom's NEVER gonna' believe me the next time I say 'no need to worry.' Dawn was really starting to consider saying her tagline more sparingly. But right now, I've gotta' get these bozos out of here before Mom grounds me for a week!
Not taking any chances, Dawn whipped out her favorite Pokeball. "Piplup, get rid of them with Bubblebeam-!"
"Oh…you want a battle, do you, little girl?" taunted Jessie, grabbing Seviper's Pokeball, while James seized Carnivine's. "Fine by me, though we wouldn't want your pretty little house damaged in the process, would we?"
Jessie had a point. Instigating a heated battle inside Dawn's kitchen was not smart. The young coordinator noticed her mother glare over her daughter's recklessness. Lowering Piplup's Pokeball, Dawn snarled under her breath, while the Rocket trio grinned victoriously. Checkmate!
"Dat's betta'!" Meowth sneered, ever so relieved to have finally gotten rid of the Glameow get-up. "Now, hand ova' all ya Pokemon and we'll be on our way. A few meatballs would be nice, too!" Poor Meowth was too busy snooping around Dawn's house for valuables to taste his beloved meatballs, yet.
Johanna did not quite know what to make of these three characters, but she was not about to let them terrorize her own house. "Glameow," she started calmly, sounding as though she was about to issue an order. Instinctively, Jessie and James braced themselves for an attack, while Johanna pointed in their direction. "Be a dear and open the back door."
"Huh?" everyone else blinked, while the purple striped cat did exactly as told. A cool, nighttime breeze swept through the kitchen, blissfully running through everyone's hair. Jessie and James particularly enjoyed the refreshing breeze, since they had been cooped-up in their overdressed costumes for a while.
"Now use Shadow Ball!"
Two seconds later, the Rocket trio found themselves hurled outside and kissing the grass. Spitting out the disgusting grass blades, Jessie pulled herself to her achy feet, snarling viciously. "How DARE you!!" she barked, grabbing Seviper's Pokeball again and preparing to launch it.
Dawn was just about to leap onto the porch and finally order Piplup to send the thieves on their merry way. However, the calm and collected Johanna had a better idea. Strolling onto her porch with Glameow on her heels, Johanna smiled casually, just like the seasoned coordinator she was. "You thieves have until the count of three before I call Officer Jenny."
Gulping, the Rockets staggered to their feet, attempting to redeem themselves. "Ha! Go right ahead, twerpy mom!" Jessie dared arrogantly, placing her hands on her hips. "Call the cops right now! They don't scare us!"
Johanna just smiled casually. "If you insist," she shrugged, before strolling back inside the house. Team Rocket swallowed loudly, surprised the woman upheld her threat.
"Er…maybe we should get out of here, Jessie," James advised, tapping the woman's shoulder. "The boss said he'd never bail us out again, and stripes aren't becoming on me."
"Yeah," Jessie agreed (at both of James' comments), though partially wondering if Johanna would actually call the cops. Why wouldn't she? Snarling, Jessie pointed another finger at the twerps at the back door. "Ha! We went easy on you brats today, but tomorrow you won't be so lucky!"
Dawn rolled her eyes. "Neither will you if the cops find you."
"Good point," James acknowledged with raised eyebrows. Jessie grabbed his collar while the trio went dashing out of Dawn's yard, taking their leave before sirens resonated. "Damn twerps. Though come to think of it…whatever happened to 'Barbara'?" he snickered, hearing Jessie do the same before growling.
"Who cares?" Jessie grumbled in between sprints. "He's on his own!"
"I didn't get my meatballs!" Meowth bawled, taking the rear of their group.
"Well, we didn't get any Pokemon, either!" Jessie snapped back at the cat, before the trio sighed sadly before disappearing into the night.
"Looks like Team Rocket's empty-handed again."
"Woooobbuffet!"
- - - - - - - - - -
"See Dawn?" Johanna smiled down at her daughter as the group returned inside the house. Shutting and locking the back door, Johanna added, "There's more than one way to get rid of a problem, without fighting."
Smiling sheepishly, Dawn nodded before tackling her mom with a big hug. "Yeah. Thanks Mom!" The girl could only pray Johanna would not be as furious as Dawn figured. After all, it was not Dawn's fault the Rocket trio duped her...right?
Thankfully, Johanna was more impressed by the decorated table of delicious food in her kitchen. Plus, the mother had also noticed how spick-and-span her house appeared. Considering she left four rowdy kids alone for the afternoon, Johanna was amazed at how wonderful her house seemed…arguably cleaner than she left it!
"Goodness! Did you kids do all this?" Johanna gasped in pleasant surprise, particularly impressed by the lavish dinner. After a moment of realizing Johanna was not going to give her an earful, Dawn took her chances and gave her mom a reassuring squeeze, which was the only answer Johanna needed. "Well thank you all very much. You kids didn't have to clean the house or cook dinner," smiled Johanna, addressing Brock and Misty before placing a quick kiss on her daughter's forehead.
"We wanted to do this for you, Mom," Dawn replied with a sweet smile.
"I love to cook and clean, anyway," Brock added confidently. "It was no trouble at all."
Misty bit her tongue to stifle a snort. 'No trouble at all'? Considering Ash's behavior, I beg to differ.
Then again…
"There's more than one way to get rid of a problem, without fighting."
…Misty knew Johanna was right.
While Johanna joined Dawn and Brock at the kitchen table, Misty blinked. Just now realizing something, she turned to the back door window, noticing again how it was dark outside. Speaking of Ash...where IS he? I haven't seen him since his second bathroom run. Another pang of guilt struck Misty momentarily. Oh, I hope he's not REALLY sick, though if Ash were sick he'd probably be in the bathroom, rather than outside with Pikachu.
Unless…
Pikachu had yet to return as well, and Turtwig and Staravia already ate their suppers and returned to their Pokeballs. The only other Pokemon of Ash's Misty could find was Aipom, currently sharing a bowl of PokeChow with Buneary. Excusing herself for a moment, Misty walked over to the monkey. "Hey Aipom?" Misty asked sweetly, getting the Pokemon's attention. "Could you go fetch Ash and Pikachu? Tell them supper's ready."
Swallowing one more piece of kibble, Aipom nodded affirmatively and then left out the back door. Misty was not too comfortable sending the little monkey out on its own in the dark, so just after Aipom left, Misty excused herself again and followed. Twinleaf Town's night air was crisp and refreshing, but the visibility was getting dimmer. The last thing Misty wanted was for Aipom to get into trouble, though 'getting into trouble' was what the monkey did best.
Just like it's trainer.
"Aipom?! What the hell are you doing?!"
Misty blinked at the sudden voice, perking in the direction of a suspiciously rustling green bush near Dawn's house. Rushing over to the commotion, Misty pulled apart the moving bush...
...And nearly fell over in hysterics.
Misty had been wondering whatever happened to 'Barbara,' and now she knew. Memo to self, Misty; your intuition is ALWAYS right! I knew there was something fishy about 'her,' or should I say...'him!' A hand flew to her mouth as Misty started to giggle, watching 'Barbara' from behind while Aipom fixated itself once again on its master's headgear. Only this time, the headgear was a blonde wig instead of a hat. What fascinated Misty to no end was how there were strands of 'black' hair peeking through the 'blonde' wig Aipon was desperate to tear off.
Misty could not help herself. "You' know, Ash...your hair looks really nice today," she nostalgically chimed, noticing 'Barbara' freeze in horror and slowly turn around to finally notice the spying redhead.
Oh God... Ash swallowed, instantly feeling his face redden as brightly as Misty's hair. It did not help that once he froze, Aipon took the ideal chance to snatch the wig and run off with it, perfectly unveiling the guilty raven-haired boy in the pink dress. Damn you, Aipom!
Misty, on the other hand, was praising the mischievous monkey. This brings back WONDERFUL memories of Celadon City,she snickered, crossing her arms tauntingly as she took note of the rest of Ash's impeccable rosy, frilly, and poofy ensemble. "And are those new clothes?"
Ash blushed even more furiously, cursing Team Rocket and their horrendous fashion sense. As if a dress isn't bad enough, they chose PINK of all colors, too! "Oh shut up!" Ash shot back, not at all surprised when Misty burst into hysterics a second later, rolling on the grass. He took his opportunity to tear off the damned dress, happy that he left his white T-shirt and jeans on underneath. That was the only advantage to the poofy, pink dress; Ash could hide almost anything under it. Though I couldn't hide my identity, could I? No thanks to Aipom.
Calming down to regain her composure, Misty sat on the ground next to Ash, wiping her eyes and shaking her head. "Honestly, Ash. You'll do anything to make an ass of yourself, won't you?"
Of course, Ash knew he only had himself to blame for this ridicule. "Yeah, well maybe it you told me what was in that damn sugar cabinet..."
"Oh gimmie a break, Ash!" Misty snorted, looking back up at the starry heavens for a moment before sighing in defeat. "You wanna' know what's in there?" she asked, noticing the boy blink, hardly believing what she was about to say. "It's a portable Poffin mixer! Johanna's birthday present for Dawn! Okay?! God, must you make a mountain out of every molehill?!"
As if hit by a truck, Ash face-faulted, "Birthday present?! THAT'S what you've been hiding from me?!"
Misty giggled playfully with a mischievous glint in her aqua eyes. "I wasn't hiding it from you, dipstick. Dawn was the only one we needed to keep it a secret from. I only refused to tell you..." she teased, flicking Ash's nose and causing the boy to scrunch his face cutely. "...Cause' I couldn't waitto see how long your patience would hold out."
She WAS enjoying every bit of it! Dammit! Ash snarled, though lowering his head in defeat. He did make a mountain out of a molehill, and made a total ass of himself in the process. Of course, Misty's taunting did not help matters, either.
"Though I never expected you to go to such 'great lengths' to unlock the big mystery," Misty sneered, making Ash blush even more. "Sending Team Rocket inside was rather desperate, don't you think? Then again, it was nowhere near as desperate as your little 'Barbie' stunt-"
"Okay, okay. I get it!" Ash quickly interrupted, getting to his feet and brushing himself off, praying the color in his face would somehow return to normal. He already knew he was not going to hear the end of this fiasco, especially if Misty told the others. Now I'm gonna' have to suck up to HER so she keeps her mouth shut. Terrific!
Meanwhile, Misty just continued to shake her head. He never ceases to amaze me, she exhaled, shaking her head as she got up beside Ash. I'm gonna' have to write a book called 'The Great Lengths One Boy Will Go For Candy,' not that anyone will believe it to be 'based on a true story.' She continued to giggle and snicker as Misty grinned in Ash's embarrassed direction. Clearly, the boy was doing everything in his power not to make eye contact. What can I say? Ladies and gentlemen, THIS is a future Pokemon Master!
Though you have to admit, how many people would have gone through all that...for CANDY?! God, only Ash, though it would prove interesting to see what great lengths he would go for OTHER things, say...
Misty blushed slightly at the thought, before shaking it out of her. Down girl. The day Ash bribes Team Rocket and cross-dresses for MY sake will be the day I'll date a Caterpie!
Though…it WOULD be nice to see what lengths Ash would go to...for a girl. I don't think even BROCK would go through half the stuff Ash did today for a girl...oh wait, scratch that, Brock probably WOULD. Never mind.
Ash did not like the silence emanating from Misty, though he heard her giggle and snicker every now and then. The inevitable humiliation and ridicule was bound to kick in any minute, so he was hoping Misty would stop stalling and get it over with. She's not the type to let anyone off THIS easy, especially me!
Honestly, Misty did feel somewhat sorry for the boy. Ash acted undeniably immature and pathetic today, but...all that for nothing. Maybe she had a soft spot for things like these, or maybe Misty had a soft spot for...
"Here," Misty relented, pulling something out of her shorts' pocket and handing it to Ash, making Ash blink as he took note of the item. In Misty's palm was a napkin wrapped in shiny plastic wrap.
And inside the napkin was a handful's worth of chocolate chips and caramel cubes.
"Oh, and I'm the Munchlax?!" Ash retorted, instantly yelping and shutting up when Misty kicked his shin.
"'Don't bite the hand that's feeding you,' Ash," Misty grumbled matter-of-factly, before snatching a couple of chocolate chips and popping them into her mouth. The blissful treats melted in her mouth like a dream. Chocolate was her favorite candy, a sweet little reminder of…the dark brown eyes she admired.
It took another moment for Ash to realize Misty was not going to torment him...yet. Hehe...it looks like Misty has the same weakness for candy, too! He grinned before helping himself to one of the tempting caramel cubes. Ash half-expected Misty to slap his hand away, but he was pleased to see she was indulging in the candy just as much. Granted, the kids probably should have headed back inside to finish Brock's delicious dinner, but...
…There was something mesmerizing about sitting outside that night. Under the stars, the boy noticed Misty's orange-red hair had tinted silver by the moonlight…shimmering caramel…
…It had to be the sugar. Yes, the sugar was the culprit for their little fantasies as the two kids shared the candy. Sweet, melting…yes, the giddiness was all because of their newfound sugar rushes. Ash and Misty would continue telling themselves this until the last piece of caramel and chocolate disappeared. Silly giggles occasionally slipped past their smirking lips, and the duo never even noticed they had absentmindedly been sitting shoulder-to-shoulder. It was all because of the sugar; they were certain of it.
But ignorance is sweet bliss: Ash with his caramel, and Misty with her chocolate.
Chocolate and caramel...a match made in Heaven.
* The End *
A/N: I have dominantly dedicated this story to my friend (whom I have dubbed Pompom, on account of her fixation with Aipom). Readers can thank/blame Pompom-Chan for the "chocolate and caramel" pun (or at least half of it). "Chocolate and caramel" being a "match made in Heaven" alludes to Ash and Misty in the same respect. Pompom groans every time I gush over Ash's chocolate-brown eyes (because you guys know me and my Sato-Chan obsession). The candy allusion got Pompom thinking of a candy pun for Misty, and (of all candies) Pompom chose 'caramel' for Misty's hair. Thus, the "chocolate and caramel" pun was born (though I suppose Pompom can only trademark the "caramel" part, since many fanfic authors allude to Ash's chocolate eyes).
Honestly, Pompom-Chan, I don't fully agree that Misty's hair is 'caramel' colored, but I'll admit the pun nevertheless worked in this story (though it was hard for me to find a way to lighten Misty's hair so it could better resemble caramel. Thank God for moonlight!). Either way, thanks for the idea, Pompom! (I doubt your "chocolate and caramel" idea will catch on, but it made an interesting Pokeshippy subplot in this story). I apologize for not publishing this story sooner (Pompom's been bugging me since last month to post this). I do hope you enjoyed it!
So did everyone else enjoy this story? I certainly hope so, though I'll never know unless I hear from you wonderful readers. So (a la Sato-Chan), please review…pretty please with sugar on top? You probably should review before I start giving the lower-lip and puppy eyes…or before I totally nauseate you. Hehe. Thanks very much for reading!
- Aiselne Phoenix Nocturnus
