Hey Everybody! Wait a minute…it hasn't been a month since my last update! I better wait another week before I publish this then. Ha,ha. Can you believe it? This only took me two weeks to write! Of course, I waited to publish it until now because I wanted a head start on the next chapter, and (if you can believe this), it looks like chapter 24 will be out, latest, two weeks from now! Is this the start of a trend? Only time will tell, but for now I hope you, my hungry readers, will be appeased with this awesome chapter. Seriously, I think it's one of my best ones yet (LJB agrees with me too, if you take her opinion seriously…though I don't). As I always mention, I won't give away details, but I will say I hope you like installments that are full of awesome-ness, because that's what this one is stuffed to the brim of.
By the way, I've come to discover something about mine and licoricejellybean's beta "transactions". It seems that I always help her with the important thing, a.k.a. grammar, and she helps me with the unimportant stuff (detail, dialogue, descriptions, proper characterization). So yeah, I think I'm on the losing end of this business deal/archrivalship. Anyway, in keeping with her unnecessary help, she was the one who wrote Misty's appearance later in the chapter.
Alright, go ahead and read and REVIEW PLEASE!
Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon, or any of its affiliated companies including, but not limited to, 4Kids, The Pokemon Company, Game Freaks, or Cartoon Network. The characters written within this fic are soley based upon the fictional characters created by these companies, and the story is not meant to, nor will it, receive any monetary funding.
Characters' Ages:
Ash: 17
Brock: 21
Misty: 17
Dawn: 14
Delia: 40
Oak: 55
Gary: 17
"Do you see anything, Pikachu?" Ash asked in a hushed whisper as he saw his companion's cheeks begin to electrify intensely.
"Pika," Pikachu murmured with a nod, staring intently ahead. Though the forest was quite dark, the yellow Pokémon seemed to notice something that his master had missed.
Following Pikachu's quiet steps forward, Ash held an empty pokéball with an iron grip in his right hand. He had not believed what he'd seen before, but once the pokédex proved his assumption correct, he had immediately ran out of the Pokémon Center where the group had spent the night, and into the lush forest near Route 39. Unfortunately, as he wandered blindly through the thickets of bushes and trees, he'd begun to wonder if his venture was worthwhile.
"Whoa!" Ash suddenly cried, as a tall yellow creature emerged suddenly from behind one of the thick trees which Pikachu had begun to approach cautiously.
"Amph!" cried the electric Pokémon as it eyed the trainer and his Pikachu.
"There he is!" Ash declared to the already-aware Pikachu. "Hit 'im with a Thunderbolt!"
"Pikachu!" cried the small electric Pokémon as he unleashed his pent-up energy upon the opponent.
"Ampharos!" replied the creature. Though it certainly appeared hurt, the fact that it was an electric type prevented its immediate disposal by the assault. Pivoting on its right foot, the Ampharos hit Pikachu with its large tail.
"Pikachu, get up and use Double Team!" Ash commanded.
Regaining his balance, Pikachu ran small circles around the tall adversary to avoid collision with the surrounding trees and bushes. Fortunately, the attack seemed enough to confuse Ampharos as it tried unsuccessfully to crush its opponent with the bulb of its tail.
"Now use Iron Tail!" Ash ordered, wanting to complete the battle.
"Pika, pika!" Pikachu responded as he stopped running and swung his own enlarged, metallic tail at the wild Pokémon.
The attack sent Ampharos flying backwards into a tree, and Ash saw his opportunity.
"Go pokéball!" he yelled from habit. After several seconds of intently watching the capsule rock back and forth, Ash's and Pikachu's efforts were rewarded as the ball's center faded from red to white.
"Great job, Pikachu!" Ash congratulated happily as the pokéball was instantly teleported to Professor Oak's laboratory. "You were excellent out there!"
"Pikachu, pika," the Pokémon replied cheerily with a thumbs-up.
Though Ash had already captured both a Mareep and a Flaafy, finding Ampharos in the wild was going to save him a lot of time from having to train either of the two. Ash and Pikachu quickly ran back to the Center to tell the young women about their successful, though impromptu, adventure.
As he entered the Center, however, Ash was disappointed to find that only Nurse Joy stood in the lobby, slowly mopping the floor.
"Are my friends awake yet?" Ash asked eagerly, running up to the pretty nurse.
Turning around, Joy appeared shocked. "You're awake at this hour? I thought I would be the only one moving about this time of day."
"I saw a Pokémon outside that I didn't have," Ash explained, "so I went out with my Pikachu to go capture it."
"Is it hurt?" the nurse asked. She suddenly sounded much more alert. "Should I treat it?"
"Uh, no, it's alright," Ash replied. "It was sent to Professor Oak's laboratory. He'll take care of it over there."
"Oh, okay then," the woman replied with a yawn as she went back to her mopping.
"I guess they're both still sleeping then, Pikachu," Ash told the friend on his shoulder as he looked at the clock. It was six in the morning, so he supposed Misty and Dawn could sleep a little longer before they headed on the road again.
Returning to his room in the Center, Ash took off the hoodie which he'd put on before running into the brisk, early-morning March air, and sat on the bed. The truth was, he wasn't very tired. He had been up since four in the morning after a restless night of thinking about his schedule. Originally, he'd told his mom that he could be done with his travels by the next January, but as it appeared now, he wouldn't even be able to leave Johto for Hoenn until May, and Sinnoh would require a bit of travelling as well. According to his calculations, he would not be done capturing until the end of March next year at his current progression rate.
"That barely gives me any time to battle both Gary and the master before school starts in August," he said to himself. Pikachu was already asleep again on the bed.
A knock on his door suddenly interrupted his thoughts. Standing up, he opened the door to find Nurse Joy.
"I'm sorry Mr. Ketchum, but I forgot to tell you that a phone call arrived for you late last night," the woman informed Ash. "It was past midnight, and I didn't wish to disturb your rest, but the call was from Lance; the champion of the Kanto region."
"A call from Lance?" Ash asked. He was both surprised and perplexed by the news.
Why would someone as important as Lance call me? he wondered. However, he quickly came to the realization that the dragon trainer and he were technically equals due to his champion status. Still, why would he have called?
"Yes, he called and left his number. He said for you to return the call as soon as possible and that it was urgent."
"Uh, thanks," Ash said. "Can I have the number?"
"You sure can," the nurse answered with a smile. "Just follow me."
Ash followed the nurse to the telephone in the lobby, where she instructed him to sit and wait one moment. A few seconds later, she came out from her office in the back and gave him a small piece of paper.
"I'll leave the two champions to talk alone," she said with a small smile before walking away.
Thanking her again, Ash quickly punched in the numbers. The phone rang twice before the champion's face suddenly appeared on the screen. It was the middle of the day in west Kanto, so Ash knew he wasn't interrupting Lance's sleep with the call.
"Ah, Ash, I'm glad to see you got my message," the champion said happily as he saw who was on the other end of the line. "I was afraid you may take off before I could catch you. You're a very hard man to track down!"
"I've been travelling a lot," Ash replied stiffly. Despite that fact that they'd met on several occasions and were now officially equals as trainers, Ash still felt nervous when talking to his childhood Pokémon idol in such a familiar manner.
"I'll say you have," Lance said. "I had to call your mom to figure out where you were!"
"You talked to my mom?" Ash asked, both surprised and a little worried. "What did she say?"
"She just told me that you called yesterday and told her where you were," Lance answered. "She was very friendly."
Ash breathed a sigh of relief. He'd worried that perhaps Delia had inadvertently said something to embarrass her son in front of someone so important. "I'm glad to hear that."
"So you're probably wondering why I called you," Lance said. Ash remembered his forgotten curiosity.
"Yeah, I kind of am," he answered.
"Well, I wanted you to know that we're having a rather exclusive dinner party in a few days, and you, of course, are invited."
"A-a dinner party?" Ash asked, not feeling at all satisfied with what he'd just been told. "What do you mean?"
"Well, the Pokémon League is hosting a dinner party, as it usually does a few times per year, and all the champions are invited to come. It's basically a get-together where you meet some high-ranking members of the PLB, and you can also introduce yourself to other champions. There are also several local gym leaders who usually show up, and a slew of lower-ranked territorial champions as well."
"Um, where is it?" Ash asked. He didn't know if perhaps it was just because he was tired, but he didn't seem to understand why Lance had worked so hard to find him just to invite him to a party.
"It's in Goldenrod," he replied. "It's actually gonna be a pretty big deal. These parties usually have a lot of press wanting interviews, and photographers looking for pictures. Also, since you're new, they'll probably be curious to see who you come with."
"Who can I come with? Can't I just go alone?"
"Well, it's not very customary," Lance said. "I'd suggest you bring someone, even a friend, just to avoid paparazzi speculation."
"I'm travelling with two friends right now, though," Ash said. "Could I bring them both?"
Lance looked doubtful. "I'm sorry, but I don't think so. They plan these parties months in advance, and the plans are made specifically for a major trainer or PLB member, and their friend."
"Well, Misty's a gym leader, so she can come automatically, right?" Ash asked.
"Only if she's a local gym leader."
"Well, I don't think I can make it anyway," Ash said. He suddenly remembered his delay in scheduling, and didn't believe it wise to put off training and capturing any more than he already had.
"What?" Lance asked, sounding instantly worried. "But you have to come!"
"Why do I have to come?" Ash asked, slightly taken aback by the shift in attitude.
"Listen," Lance said, leaning closer to the screen. "Pick up the phone."
Ash picked the phone off the hook and placed the receiver to his ear. Staring down at Lance, he listened closely.
"Ash, we, and I mean me, the Hoenn champion, and Cynthia, need to speak with you. We have to discuss some extremely important…topics that are very relevant to our work. You need to be there. Especially since…"
"Especially since what?" Ash asked, eager to hear what he said.
"Nothing," Lance replied, looking suspiciously around him. He appeared to be sitting alone in a very comfortable leather chair. Behind him were books lining the walls on large wooden shelves. However, he still seemed afraid someone would jump out at him unexpectedly. "We can talk more when you come, but you have to be there. Okay?"
"Uh, o-okay," Ash answered. The champion's tone of voice alarmed him. "W-what time?"
"March 15th, three days from now, at eight in the evening at the Goldenrod Banquet Villa downtown. You'll be able to find it pretty easily."
"Alright," Ash said. He wanted to ask many more questions, but assumed they would all be answered with a "wait until we meet". Instead, he waited for Lance to say something else.
"I'll see you at the party," the champion continued after a moment of silence. With that, he hung up. Ash stared at the blank screen for a second longer before clumsily replacing the handset on the cradle and leaning back in his chair.
What do they wanna talk to me about?
"Ash, you're up already?" Misty asked, surprised as she emerged from the lodging wing of the Pokémon Center.
"Uh, yeah," Ash replied, not really paying attention. His mind was racing about the possible sources of Lance's concern. Was it possible that he had done something wrong, and was going to be punished?
But what did I ever do wrong?
"You want some coffee?"
"Huh?"
"I said, do you want some coffee?" Misty repeated, rolling her eyes. She may have fallen for Ash, but love hadn't blinded her to his sometimes frustratingly slow mental functions.
"Ugh, no thanks," Ash answered, hearing the question clearly. He had never enjoyed coffee. "That stuff tastes like muddy water."
"Thanks for the imagery," Misty muttered dryly as she poured a hot glass from the machine, located in the right corner of the Center. "So why are you up this early? You don't usually get out of bed till nine or ten."
"Oh, well, I was just doing the math on our schedule last night," Ash began. Unfortunately, he was interrupted by Misty's guffaw.
"You were doing the math last night?" she teased. "Did you remember how many months there are in a year?"
"Ha, ha, Misty," Ash said sarcastically. He wasn't very amused by Misty's antics, due to both the early morning tiredness which was beginning to envelope his body, and because of the strange phone call which was still plaguing his mind. "Anyway, I was doing the math last night, and I estimated that I'm about three months behind in my schedule. I wanted to be back home to battle Gary by January, but it looks like we won't even be done with Sinnoh till April…and that's if we hurry!"
"Whoa, really?" Misty asked, floored by the news. She often teased Ash, but she had seen how hard he was working, capturing at least one new Pokémon everyday for the last few weeks. It was difficult to believe he'd fallen behind. "What could have caused such a problem?"
"Well, it wasn't one thing," Ash answered honestly. "There've been a few distractions since I started hanging out with Dawn."
Misty almost choked on a mouthful of coffee. "Like what?" she questioned quickly, alarmed.
"Well, I mean, we go shopping a lot more than I did with you and Brock, and we also have to go in earlier because she gets cold quickly."
Misty allowed herself a sigh of relief. Maybe she shouldn't wear such short clothing in winter, she thought with the slightest tinge of derision. However, she quickly shook the thought from her head.
"But Ash, she hasn't done any of that stuff since we've all been travelling together," Misty reminded the trainer. She couldn't help but feel as if she were defending Dawn to ease her own concerns about the teenage girl.
"That's the weird thing," Ash said. "I mean, since you came back with us, she's gotten a lot more, uh, I dunno…agreeable?"
Impressed that Ash knew such a word, Misty asked Ash to elaborate.
"Well, like the other day," Ash explained. "You remember, when we were near that forest where the pokénav said Stantler roamed? Do you remember how Dawn asked if we could visit the local mall instead?"
"Yeah, but then you said you needed a Stantler and she said 'okay'."
"See? Before you came, I would always end up having to give in to what she wanted to do. But now that you're here with us, it seems like she's really trying to keep up with what we want."
"Maybe she doesn't wanna feel left out," Misty thought aloud. "It makes sense, right? She might be thinking that she'll become less important because one of your older friends has come back, so she's agreeing to everything so she doesn't seem like a nuisance to the group."
Ash gaped at Misty a moment, trying to follow her logic. To his surprise, the explanation did make sense. "You could be right Misty. I mean, we're older than her, and maybe she feels kind of like the little kid trying to fit in."
"Exactly," Misty agreed.
"Well, then that's another good reason for you to have come back, Misty," Ash said, smiling. "At least now we're making decent progress."
"Glad I could help, Ash," Misty replied. She reciprocated the smile, the faintest hint of a blush dusting over her cheeks.
She's definitely the most insightful person I know, Ash thought as he looked into the redhead's green eyes from across the table.
"Pikachu, pika, pika!" Pikachu suddenly cried as he jumped out of the lodging wing with Dawn right behind him.
"Oh, alright, alright," she said, leaning against the wall to catch her breath. "You win, Pikachu. Here's a tomato berry!" She handed the mouse Pokémon the pokéblock ingredient, before walking over to the table next to the phones where Misty and Ash sat.
"Hey guys!" she greeted cheerily, taking a chair from a neighboring table and seating it between the two trainers. "How has your morning been?"
"Well, Ash was up before either of us," Misty informed. "Weird, huh?"
"Kind of," Dawn agreed. "Why were you up so early?"
"Well, I was…thinking about something," Ash said, not wanting to repeat the bad news of his delay, "and I looked out the window and saw an Ampharos near the woods."
"Really?" Dawn asked.
"Yeah," Ash answered with a nod. "So I put on my clothes quickly and followed it into the forest with Pikachu. It wasn't that hard of a battle, so I caught it and came back here."
"That's great news, Ash!" Misty congratulated, giving Ash a high-five.
Dawn frowned slightly at the sight of this, glancing quickly between the two grinning trainers. She was the one who high-fived Ash when he achieved something.
I'm reading way too far into this, she suddenly realized, wiping the grim look off of her face. They've been friends for years now. Of course they high-five.
Still, the coordinator, much like the gym leader, could not shake the incessant feeling that her counterpart's motives were deeper than they appeared.
"Oh, by the way," Ash said, disrupting Dawn's thoughts. "I got a phone call from Lance this morning."
"You mean the champion of the Kanto Elite Four?" Misty asked with wide eyes. "Why did he call you?"
"Well, we are both champions now," Ash replied as coolly as he could. Though the call had been a surprise to him too, there was no need to allow Misty to know that. "We talk to each other all the time – y'know, about important Champion things that I'm sure you wouldn't understand."
"Uh-huh," Misty said, yawning. "Quit lying and tell us why he called."
A scowl on his face, Ash replied, "I'm not lying. Anyway, he called me this time to tell me about a big dinner party in Goldenrod, and he said that I'm invited."
"A big party?" Dawn asked excitedly. "What's it for?"
Glad to see someone was so interested, Ash explained the party was for VIPs in the Pokémon League. However, he left out the part about why he had to go.
"So this is in three days?" Misty asked, shocked. "That's like a twenty hour drive! We have to leave right now!"
"I know, I know," Ash said.
"But what about you getting back on schedule?" Misty asked. "You're really going to ditch catching Pokémon for five days just so you can go to some party in Goldenrod?"
Ash looked directly across the table at the redhead, somehow unsurprised that she had hit upon the only hitch in the plan. He sighed, deciding that he owed her the truth. "I can't talk about why I need to be there, but I do. Lance seemed really worried about something and said that he needs to talk with me."
Misty looked surprised by the news. Though she knew Ash was now one of the strongest trainers in the world, it was still hard for her to imagine Lance personally calling him about a problem.
He's a lot more important than he used to be, she thought with a smile. Ash saw the grin and brightened instantly.
"So you'll take me there?"
"Of course, Mr. Champion," Misty replied. "I can't wait to hear what's so important that Lance needs to talk to you about it."
"Me neither," Ash said. He was glad that Misty seemed just as interested as he was about hearing the news. He looked at Dawn, who seemed to be thinking quietly.
"What's the matter Dawn?"
"Oh, it's nothing, really," the blue-haired coordinator answered. "It's just…well, this is one of those big League parties that are always in the magazines, right?"
"Uh, yeah," Ash affirmed.
"Well, in all of those magazines, I've always seen the guests go in with someone," Dawn continued carefully. "Will you be taking anyone to the party with you?"
"Oh, um, well, I-I dunno," Ash answered, blushing slightly. Though he wasn't the most sophisticated socialite, even he understood that taking either of the young women to the dinner would constitute a "date" in the eyes of the tabloids. He wasn't keen on attracting that kind of attention.
"Dawn's right, Ash," Misty said, her eyes suddenly growing larger. "You have to go with somebody."
"Well, actually, I was thinking about going by myself," Ash replied honestly. He'd hoped that this subject would be avoided altogether. Despite what Lance had said earlier, he didn't think a date was a good idea or even necessary.
"You mean you plan on going to a big social event alone?" Misty asked. "Do you wanna look like a loser?"
"What's that supposed to mean?" Ash shot back, immediately wrangled by her provocative comment.
"She means," Dawn interjected swiftly, "that anybody who goes without a date is automatically the center of attention. Everyone wonders why you couldn't find someone to go with."
"You won't even be able to enjoy the party," Misty finished triumphantly.
Ash leaned back in his chair, dazed by this information. He'd hoped to avoid the spotlight by going alone, but now it sounded like he'd be the black sheep of the party if he didn't bring a woman in his arm. "So what do you guys think I should do?" he asked, scratching his head.
"Well, I wouldn't want Dawn to have to spend a boring night with a bunch of ol' gym leaders and League members," Misty said before Dawn opened her she endeavored to keep her tone casual, she was determined to volunteer before Dawn had a chance to interrupt. "So I guess I can go as your date."
"You can?" Ash asked, relieved. He was afraid that neither girl would be interested in going with him from fear of looking like his date at the party.
"Sure, I mean-"
"Wait a minute," Dawn said quickly. "I don't mind hanging around the gym leaders and other important people. Besides, I'm the one with a dress. Remember the one that I used for the Budsville Contest a month ago? I just need to iron it, and then I'm all yours!"
Misty's gaze snapped from Ash to Dawn, her eyes narrowing. She didn't like how the younger girl phrased the last sentence of her statement.
"Actually, Dawn," Misty responded lightly, trying hard to keep the edge from her tone and her expression neutral, "I have a dress too. I brought it with me in the car. And since I haven't worn it and gotten it all dirty or anything, then I think I should be the one who goes."
"Dirty? Who said my dress was dirty? It was barely ruffled in the contest!" Dawn replied curtly to the gym leader. The two young women were staring each other down from their respective seats, and Ash was beginning to wonder why he'd worried about them not wanting to come. "Really, Misty, I'd be happy to go."
"Well, I'm just saying that it probably got all sweaty from you ordering your Pokémon to do all those interesting tricks," Misty explained, straining to maintain her cheerful demeanor. It was as if Dawn didn't want her to go with Ash.
"I don't get sweaty," Dawn rebutted thickly, the tense atmosphere increasing. She was feeling the same inexplicable resentment for the redhead that Misty was feeling for her. "And besides, I'm sure that my dress will be perfect for the occasion."
"Well, I'm sure my dress is fine too."
"Maybe we should decide who goes later guys," Ash interrupted awkwardly, suddenly very keen to break the almost fiery gaze between the young women. "We have a long drive ahead of us, and I'd like us to get a head start."
Dawn's dark expression vanished immediately and she turned to Ash with a bright smile. "Sounds good, Ash!" she said cheerfully. "I'll be ready in just a couple of minutes."
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
The drive could not have been more pleasant for Ash; or more miserable for his travelling companions. Throughout the trip, Dawn began to feel insecure when Ash and Misty began to argue or reminisce. Compelled to take action, she would often interrupt their conversation to ask Ash a question, or talk about one of their past adventures.
Misty, on the other hand, would not try to counter by interrupting Ash and Dawn's conversations. Her reason for not doing so was two-fold. One; she did not want to appear too eager to converse with the dark-haired boy, since she had not as of yet revealed her feelings for him. Two; she could not be sure of Dawn's motives. There was a possibility that the blue-haired teen was simply bored and wanting to talk. Despite their early-morning uneasiness, Misty didn't have real proof that Dawn harbored feelings for Ash and was not about to accuse her younger friend without it.
Pikachu simply did not enjoy the ride because of the lack of food onboard the vehicle. Ash had forgotten to buy more snacks for his friend, and because of their hurry, Ash explained it would be a while before they could stop.
However, in spite of his friends' motives and disgruntlement, Ash had a great ride talking to both Misty and Dawn. Though it was impossible for him to remain oblivious to the peculiar attitude the young women seemed to possess earlier in the day, now both seemed quite happy just talking with him.
"I think we should stop for the day," Ash said following a humorous tale of his and Dawn's adventures in the Johto region. "We've been on the road for eleven hours. We can finish the drive tomorrow and have a full day to get ready for the party."
"You're probably right," Misty conceded. "We're near Ecruteak City, so we can stay in a hotel here for the night and finish the drive by tomorrow afternoon." The redhead was quite ready to stretch her legs and was tired of watching the seemingly endless highway unfold before her vehicle.
"Oh, Ash!" Dawn said excitedly, popping her head between Ash and Misty in the front seat. "We oughta stay at that nice hotel we stayed in last time we were here! They had that nice restaurant, remember?"
"Good idea, Dawn," Ash said, yawning. "I don't feel like having to look for a place to eat tonight anyway." He looked down at the car's radio to find that it was almost eight in the evening; just about time for dinner.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
"So what'll you have tonight, Ash?" Dawn asked as she peered over her menu to question to brown-eyed trainer. She liked how he always seemed to take his meals seriously as he poured over the list of food with a determined glint in his eye.
He's so cute.
"I dunno," he said, squinting. "Everything looks really good."
"Oh, good grief Ash," Misty said, rolling her eyes. "Just pick something. It's not like this is gonna be your last meal or anything."
"I know that, Misty," Ash replied haughtily as he glared at the gym leader. She didn't appreciate food to the same degree he did. "That doesn't mean I should just order some random meal that might not taste as good."
"What are you gonna have Misty?" Dawn asked hesitantly. Despite her private reservations, she still wanted to establish good relations with the redhead, and they'd barely spoken since that morning.
"Oh, I'm not sure," Misty said, glancing down at her brown leather-bound booklet. Everything did appear appetizing.
"Now who can't decide?" Ash asked sarcastically, sticking his tongue out at Misty.
"Shut up," Misty grumbled. "I haven't made a decision yet because I'm so busy trying to help you choose."
"Well go ahead and choose now then," Ash said. "I've already decided, and it looks like the waiter's coming." Indeed, the tuxedo-clad employee was making a beeline past the numerous tables seating dozens of diners towards the trio's area.
"I will, just be quiet for a second so I can think."
A moment later, the young waiter appeared at their table, pad and pencil in hand.
"What will you be having this evening Mr. Ketchum?" the twenty-something year old asked politely.
"I'm gonna have the grilled chicken!" Ash announced eagerly.
"And what sides would you like with that sir?"
"A baked potato and a roll!"
Misty shook her head disapprovingly at her crush's immaturity. However, despite herself, she couldn't help but smile at his excitement.
He gets this excited over food?
The waiter then took the orders of Misty and Dawn, and quietly excused himself to the kitchen.
"So Ash," Dawn began as soon as the young waiter was out of earshot. "Do you know what kind of food they'll have at the dinner party in Goldenrod?" She knew this was a weak reason to bring back up the party, but she wanted the invitation.
"Oh, uh, I dunno," Ash said, taking a sip of water. However as Misty and Dawn both looked at him quite intently, he felt obliged to build upon his response. "I mean, I don't know what kind of food they'll have there. Whatever it is, I'm sure it will taste really good."
The silence continued as both girls stared at Ash. He wasn't sure if they realized what they were doing was terribly awkward, but he decided against saying so aloud. Instead, he began to hum quietly to himself while acting very interested in the stitching of the tablecloth.
"Uh, Ash," Misty said after what felt like twenty minutes. "Have you thought about who you want to go to the dinner party with?"
"Huh?" Ash asked, startled out of his reverie and back into reality. He assumed he'd misheard his friend.
"I mean, since both me and Dawn obviously want to go to this big party thing, have you thought about who you might wanna go with?"
"Y-you, want me to decide?" Ash asked nervously. This was the situation which he'd hoped to avoid by not letting them know guests were invited in the first place.
"I think that's a good idea Misty," Dawn said with a large grin. "Ash, you should get to choose who you want to go with." The coordinator couldn't help but smirk at the trainer, already knowing who he was going to choose.
"Uh, hmm, let me think," Ash said, taking off his red cap and scratching his wild and mangled hair thoughtfully. In truth, he saw the waiter coming near their table with the food and was trying to stall.
"Oh look, the food's here," he said after a moment of pensive appearance, pointing to the young waiter.
"Here's your chicken sir," the young man said, placing the large portion of poultry in front of the champion. "And here are the two Caesar salads for the young ladies."
After each teenager mumbled a "thank you", both sets of eyes fell back on Ash.
"So you were saying?" Misty urged as she watched the trainer swallow his first succulent piece of chicken.
"Let's talk about this after we eat, okay?" Ash asked, his mouth half-full. Knowing Misty, he was sure this would convince her to cease her prying until at least after the meal.
Sticking her tongue out, Misty agreed. "Okay, okay, just close your mouth Ketchum."
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
"What do you think I should do Pikachu?" Ash asked, pacing the floor of his suite. He'd escaped the supper early by feigning a stomachache. He didn't want to end the meal with the two determined young women; knowing they would demand a decision of him the moment the check fell on the table. "They're gonna be up here any minute wanting an answer. I'm gonna have to hurt someone's feelings."
"Pikachu-pi, pika, pikachu," Pikachu responded after a moment of thought. He was sitting on the bed, watching his master with interest. It was clear that whatever was about to happen was not making Ash feel well.
"I mean, Dawn's nice, and she's a great friend," Ash began. "But on the other hand, Misty's closer to my age." He stopped talking for a moment, wondering why that was important.
We'd just be going as friends. Who cares who's older?
Suddenly, a knock could be heard from the door, causing Ash to trip on his own feet.
"Ah!"
"Are you okay in there?" Dawn's voice asked through the large door.
"O-oh yeah, I'm fine," Ash said, picking himself up quickly. Walking to the door, he took a quick breath before opening up to Dawn. "Hey Dawn."
"Hey Ash. Are you feeling any better?"
"Uh-huh, I'm fine," he answered truthfully.
"That's good news," she said, a smile emerging on her face. "I brought you an antacid for if your stomach still wasn't well. I bought it down in the lobby." She handed him a small blue pill.
"Thanks, Dawn," Ash said gratefully. "That was really thoughtful."
"No problem," she responded. "I was just worried about you."
"I appreciate it a lot," he said. "Of course, with as much as I ate, I shouldn't have been surprised that I got a stomachache."
"Well, you did seem like you were in a hurry to finish supper," Dawn noted. "I think I know why."
"You do?"
"Yeah, you don't wanna tell us who's going to the party yet, right?" Dawn asked knowingly.
"Well yeah, kinda," Ash answered. "I just can't make up my mind, because I don't want to hurt either of your feelings."
"Well, I'm sure that neither me or Misty'll get upset if you don't choose us," Dawn reassured Ash. "I mean, we're both pretty grown up, so I wouldn't worry about someone's feelings getting hurt."
"You really don't think you'd be upset?"
"Nope, and I'm sure Misty won't be either." She bit her lip before correcting herself. "I mean, I'm sure Misty wouldn't mind either. She's very mature."
"Thanks Dawn," Ash said. "I'm so glad to hear that!"
"You're welcome, Ash," Dawn replied sweetly. She lingered at his doorstep for a moment longer in silence before turning around and walking back down the hall towards her room. "I'll see you in the morning!"
Ash closed the door and looked at Pikachu.
"That was really nice of her, huh Pikachu?"
"Pika," the Pokémon agreed with a nod.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
"You'd better be careful Misty," Daisy warned over the telephone screen. "It sounds like this Dawn girl, like, really, likes Ash."
"I just don't know if that's true," Misty said. "I mean, sometimes I think she does, but other times I think she's just trying to fit in with me and Ash. What if I'm just overreacting?"
"It'd be better than, like, not reacting at all," Daisy replied. "You don't know what's happened since you left."
"I think I would have learned by now if Ash and Dawn were in a relationship," Misty said sarcastically. "I'm not a moron."
"I didn't say they were in a relationship," Daisy responded. "I'm saying that maybe her feelings have changed for Ash since you last saw her. If you're not, like, careful, then his feelings might change for her too."
"First, I don't think Ash would ever like Dawn," Misty began.
"Why not?" Daisy interrupted. "From what you've told me, she sounds like a really nice girl."
"Whose side are you on?" Misty asked, enraged at her sister's apparent treason.
"Yours, of course," Daisy answered while rolling her eyes. "But that's why I'm saying this. You said you haven't told Ash how you feel, and that he seems like he thinks everything is back to normal. That's like the worst thing possible if this other girl does like him."
"Well, I haven't found the right time to tell him how I feel," Misty explained, somewhat sheepishly. Usually she was the one to scare her sisters, but now she was feeling inferior to them.
"When will be the right time?" Daisy asked.
"I dunno," Misty said. "I just don't think Ash is ready to hear something this big yet. I mean, like you know, he's acting like everything's perfectly normal."
"Of course he is, Misty," Daisy said. "That's because you've been treating him perfectly normal. You haven't, like, shown him even a little that you might like him, so he still sees you as just a friend."
"So then there's no way for him to ever like me!" Misty yelled in frustration. "I might as well go home and give up!"
"No you shouldn't," Daisy said, in a reassuring voice. "What you should do is, like, start to let on about your feelings. But don't do anything brash, like tell him straight out, because that really might scare him away."
"So how do I let him know without letting him know then?" Misty asked, confused.
"Well, to start, you have to go to this dinner party with him."
"Why is that so important?"
"You always said you were the smartest of the Waterflower sisters," Daisy replied, "so you figure it out."
"I am the smartest of the Waterflower sisters," Misty replied acidly. "I'm just not experienced in this one thing."
"Sure little sis," Daisy said with a wink. Having hundreds of miles between her and her hotheaded sister made her a little less frightened of the consequences of joking around with Misty. "Well, if he invites you, then that'll give him a chance to, like, you know, see how you would be on a real date. It would kind of be like a test run."
"Oh, okay," Misty replied. She felt like a child learning about basic arithmetic, and it was not an emotion she relished.
"It would also be good because if Dawn really does like Ash, then him choosing you might send her a clear message about who he, like, is interested in."
"But I've already insisted that he choose who he wants to go with," Misty said in a defeated tone. "How do I convince him?"
"C'mon little sis," Daisy said in an upbeat tone. "Remember what we talked about before you left? You're a very confident and headstrong person. Don't sound so down. Just think of something that will, like, guarantee he chooses you."
"So you don't have any ideas?" Misty asked.
"I do, actually," Daisy answered, "but I think that this is, like, your life and you should learn to do some of these things on your own."
Misty cocked an eyebrow. "When did you become so insightful?" she asked loftily.
"I'm the oldest of four sisters," Daisy replied knowledgeably. "I might not be, like, the ideal sibling, but I know about helping with guy problems."
Thanking her sister, Misty said goodbye before hanging up. Looking at the clock she found the time to be half past nine.
I talked for almost an hour? Misty thought in disbelief. Though she'd known for a while that her and her sisters had grown closer, it never ceased to amaze her.
Sighing, she stood up, ready to go to bed. She decided that she'd sleep on her sister's advice and think of a plan of action in the morning on how to convince Ash he should choose her. However, inspiration struck her with the force of a Thunderbolt as she opened her closet.
Grinning, Misty knew how she was going to convince Ash.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
"I guess we should go to bed, huh Pikachu?" Ash asked his Pokémon as he turned the television in front of the queen-sized bed off. "We've got another long day of driving ahead of us, buddy."
Rolling off the bed, Ash made his way to the bathroom as Pikachu climbed upon the pillow next to Ash's and settled in for the night.
Ash had just begun to brush his teeth when he suddenly heard a knock upon his door. Knowing it was a little after ten, he assumed it was probably Dawn wanting to check up on him.
To his surprise though, upon opening the door he found a blushing Misty. However, it was not the redness of her cheeks which attracted his attention nearly as much as what she was wearing.
Her dress was of primrose silk, the pale golden yellow material clinging to her curves before flaring into a bubble skirt that sensually skimmed the middle of her thigh. The sweetheart neckline was accentuated with a spray of golden sequins and embroidery in golden thread, which perfectly matched her dangling earrings encrusted with jewels.
Her fiery hair was loose and wavy, her wispy side bangs framing her face as they fell in front of a thin gold band adorned with an embellished flower, the color of its petals echoing that of her dress. A pair of gold heels completed the ensemble and grasped in her hands was a matching yellow clutch.
After a second of examination, the toothbrush fell from Ash's mouth with a small 'thud'.
Blushing madly, Ash quickly bent over to retrieve it and, with his eyes off Misty, began to speak. "Uh, hey, Mist. Did you need something?"
"Uh, y-yeah, kinda," Misty started. "I-I just wanted to show you the dress I would be wearing i-if you wanted me to go with you to the, um, party thing." She hated how nervous she sounded, but she couldn't help it. She'd never really put herself on display like this before.
"Uh, could you give me a minute?" Ash asked, standing, but still avoiding eye contact, or any contact with Misty's body.
"S-sure," Misty answered, seeing a small amount of toothpaste on Ash's chin. "Can I wait in here?"
"Yeah," Ash answered in a squeak. He ran quickly to the bathroom, where Misty distinctly heard him spit over the sound of running tap water. She smiled slightly, noticing that he seemed at least a little nervous too.
Maybe he likes the dress, Misty thought, hoping her plan was working. However, he certainly seemed calmer than she felt. Feeling very hot from the blush on her cheeks, she decided to sit on the bed and try to cool off.
After a moment, Ash walked back into the main room, his face now devoid of toothpaste.
"Uh, so this is what you'd wear, huh?" Ash asked, his heart hammering. He hadn't felt like this since they'd first started travelling together again and he saw her in that skirt and cropped jacket almost nine months earlier.
"Uh-huh," Misty nodded. "I-I just thought you might want to see it so you'd know it's appropriate for the party. You know, after what Dawn said earlier."
"Huh?" Ash asked, appearing somewhat unsure of what Misty was talking about.
"About how her d-dress might be better for the party than mine," Misty explained. Though those words weren't exactly Dawn's, Misty assumed that that was what the younger girl had been implying. "I thought, you might want to, uh, see it before you made a final decision."
"You really wanna go?" Ash asked, still appearing dazed.
Standing up, Misty came closer to Ash. In the background, she could here Pikachu slumbering peacefully.
"Yes, I really want to go…with you," she answered; her voice almost a whisper. Her face was a mere two or three inches from Ash's. She could see he was perspiring on his forehead.
What am I doing???!!! She screamed in her head. She had no idea where this newfound courage was coming from. It felt as if all the pent-up feelings for her crush were waves suddenly breaching the large wall of her consciousness; a wall she'd spent years building in her mind.
In a shuddered breath, Ash released an "O-okay."
But Misty was not satisfied. She was sure, this close to him, what he wanted was the same as what she did; he wanted the truth. Knowing that the truth didn't need to be said with words, she simply tilted her head to the right at a slight angle. To her aching heart's relief, she could see through her now-closing eyes that Ash's head was reciprocating the act.
For some reason, she tried to count how fast her heart was beating. She couldn't keep up.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, she found the courage to lean upwards, sensing Ash's lips about to meet her own.
"Ash, are you in there?"
Shattered.
The two teenagers stumbled back from each other, their heads immediately snapping towards the door. Ash began gasping for air, his head spinning, as Misty's eyes began to swell with tears.
"Uh, y-yeah Dawn."
"Okay, I just wanted to make sure you're feeling better," came the coordinator's muffled reply through the door.
"Um, yeah, I'm fine."
"Alright, goodnight Ash."
"N-night."
Hastily gathering her wits, Misty grabbed her little purse and made for the doorway.
"Uh, Mist?" Ash asked in a confused voice. "You okay?"
"Huh? Oh yeah, I'm fine Ash. I'd better get some sleep if I'm gonna be driving tomorrow though."
"Oh, uh, well, alright," Ash replied, noticing that his entire body was trembling. "Goodnight Misty."
Turning to smile at him, though her bangs covered her eyes, Misty replied. "Goodnight Ash."
As soon as she closed the door, Ash simply sat on the ground, holding his head in his hands as he replayed the events which had just taken place.
What was I about to do?
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Misty walked directly to Dawn's door, having withheld the tears which had seemed almost inevitable after the interruption. Rapping upon the young teenage girl's door, Misty tried to think of what she was going to say.
Why am I here?
However, upon the door's opening, Misty's reflexes did the questioning for her.
"Oh, hi Misty. Why are you so dressed-?"
"Do you like Ash?" Misty demanded.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
About one in the morning, Ash finally got up from his seat on the floor. He didn't even notice that time had passed. As if hypnotized, he simply climbed into bed with his clothes on, turned off the lights, and shut his eyes.
However, about five minutes into his slumber, he was awakened by the rude sensation of someone pulling him out of the bed. Instantly awake, he looked up to find two Rocket grunts carrying him towards the window. On the bed, he found Mallory had sealed Pikachu in some machine, and was holding his other pokéballs in her right hand.
His cries for help were muffled by some cloth which had been stuffed in his mouth.
"Shut up," Mallory ordered quietly as Ash was handed to someone waiting outside on a silently hovering Dragonite. "You're gonna have a little meeting with the boss."
Author's Notes: If experience has taught me anything, it's that my readers love nothing more than a good cliffhanger…right? Uh, I may have gotten that backwards, but it's too late now. Ha,ha. You'll just have to wait for chapter 24 to see what happens next. However, I will go ahead and tell you that the next chapter breaks away from my normal "time skip" format and instead picks up directly where this one left off.
I would like to mention that this was one of my favorite chapters so far, and that's because the story is really going to pick up its pace for the next several installments starting with this one. I am going to progress simultaneously with the Ash/Dawn, Ash/Misty, Ash/Team Rocket, and Misty/Dawn aspects of the fic, and that is guaranteed to keep y'all interested. Also, next chapter an old…acquaintance, of Ash's reappears to turn this fic on its head, so I hope you're all prepared.
Anyway, as the oracle proclaimed on the night of my birth, here are this weeks recommendations:
"There were no lies" by Angelstars – Actually, I haven't read any new stories worth mentioning recently, so I pulled this one from my favorites list. However, I actually am not sure if I should recommend it, since it's probably the most depressing thing I've ever read in my life (and I read the New York Times). Seriously, it's like this author secretly hates Pokémon and she tried to rip the will out of its fans to continue living with this fic…but it's one of the only things I haven't recommended to y'all that is actually quite entertaining and well-written (no matter how gloomy). So if you've got a couple of hours and a big bottle of Prozac, try this fic out.
Sorry guys, but that's all I've got for recs this week. Hopefully I'll have more next chapter, but like I said before, if you have a fic you'd like me to mention, just give me a REVIEW to tell me about it and I'll put it up. Also, if you find a couple of seconds, PLEASE REVIEW this chapter anyway. It's for you guys that I write, so I want to hear your criticism and (hopefully) your praise. Flame it or praise it, but please REVIEW!
Okay, until next time, keep on truckin'! (or carin' if you don't have a truck).