Hey Everybody! I did it! I made the deadline (with like an hour to spare!). I'm so glad that I was able to get this chapter out to you guys on time, and I want to say before you read it that I truly believe this is one of the best chapters I've written in a while. As per usual, though, I'm not going to give anything away up here, so please read my notes at the bottom for any thoughts I had on this installment.
I have two small things I need to mention before I let you read (though you could just, you know, scroll down and skip this against my will, haha). The first thing is that I haven't gotten to write back all of my reviewers from last chapter yet. As many of you know, I spent all last week in Florida with my dad (had an awesome time, for all of you who asked), and this week's been kind of busy because I didn't pass a math placement exam for college to get into Calculus my first semester, so I'm going to retake the test in a couple of days and I'm studying like crazy before the big retake. Anyway, the point is that I was really busy doing this and fulfilling my promise to have this chapter published on time, so that is why if you reviewed, I may not have answered you. Please don't give up on me though! Give me another review with this chapter, and I'll definitely get back to you (I hate giving this speech every time I don't answer everyone, but I truly do take everyone's feedback into consideration and your thoughts are all important to me).
Also, before you read, I'd like to give a small shout-out to a new fan called forgottennmmemories. She left me one of the nicest reviews I've ever received (though I've received many from all of you!), and so I have to mention her in today's author's notes.
Anyway, go ahead and read and REVIEW!
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: 22
Misty: 18
Delia: 41
Oak: 56
Ash groaned as he rolled the tape around his torso a final time before cutting off the end. Placing the small metal hook into the wrapping, he carefully secured his handiwork before checking his image in the mirror.
Looks like I got it covered.
Though the gash opened by the Zap Cannon had healed fairly well, there were still some serious cuts into his flesh which the local Nurse Joy had warned could become infected if he didn't deal with them carefully. She'd given him some bandages normally used to cover the wounds of injured Pokémon, but she said their antiseptic would work just as well on his own lacerations.
Kinda stings, he noted, feeling as if the cuts were bubbling beneath the thin blanket of cloth. He resisted the urge to scratch his stomach and instead took his newly-purchased white shirt off the hanger. He buttoned it up and tucked it into the slacks before reaching back into the closet and seizing the sports jacket. He'd decided against wearing the tie after realizing that, unlike his previous ones, it could not simply be clipped on. Instead, he opted to simply leave the top button of the shirt undone and hope Misty wouldn't scold him later.
Looking at the clock, he saw he had twenty minutes left before he met his date at the door of the Pokémon Center.
Wow! Only three minutes to get dressed! That was a new record for the young champion. Scratching his chin in earnest thought of what to do with the time, he realized he hadn't shaved in quite a while.
"Might as well," he muttered, heading back to the bathroom.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
The pop music in Misty's room blared above the loud hum of the hair dryer as the redhead cursed herself repeatedly. The humidity in Fortree was doing her no favors as each strand of her fiery locks fought against her will and the searing heat she continued to pour upon them.
"Why won't you stay down?"
Shaking her head in frustration and giving up the war for a moment, she turned her attention instead to the now-presentable dress. She'd been rather dismissive of the gown lately, mostly throwing it in her suitcase along with her t-shirts thoughtlessly. Fortunately, she'd managed to iron most of its wrinkles away, and as she lifted it to her body, she looked in the mirror and smiled.
"Now if I could just fix my stupid hair!" She put the dress's hanger back onto a small metal knob jutting from the room's wall and refocused her efforts.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Ash gave himself one last glance as his sweaty palm grasped the doorknob. It was amazing that he could feel so nervous about a date with a woman he'd already kissed and made his girlfriend.
We've even gone on a date before, he realized, thinking back to the champions' dinner party over a month earlier. However, in his heart, he knew this date was different. This time it felt real; as if their last outing had simply been a test run.
Gulping, he turned the doorknob. He silently wished he'd brought Pikachu out of the recovery room to wish him good luck as he turned the door closed behind him and made the long walk down the hallway and to the entrance of the Center. It would have been nice to have some moral support and reassurance before the most important night of his life.
Other then when I became Champion, of course.
Turning the corner, he was surprised to find his date already waiting for him at the door. Her back was to him as she stared out the large glass door at the setting sun, and he couldn't help but smile at the beauty she projected even when she wasn't facing him. The golden color of her silk dress seemed to reflect the setting sun's beauty, and he had to force his eyes away from her long legs, which were on display beneath the bubble skirt she adorned.
Taking one last deep breath, he walked up to her and gave her a slight tap on the shoulder. Turning around, she greeted him with a luminescent smile that seemed to match the brightness of the sunlight itself.
"There you are! You ready to go?"
He couldn't restrain the grin that permeated his features. "Definitely."
Misty began to open the door, but before she could step out, he grabbed her by the arm and pulled her back toward him. Before she could even ask why, he quickly entwined the fingers of his left hand with those of her right.
She gave a small laugh as her cheeks grew slightly red. Squeezing his hand in return, she opened the door again.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
As the waiter seated the two, Ash took in the romantic setting. The entire restaurant was completely full of other couples, all leaning across the table and speaking to each other in intimate whispers. The small candles provided on every table were the only source of light in the large building, and the champion squinted as he looked from person to person, wondering what they were talking about.
Can I talk with Misty like that?
Misty, too, took notice of the high-profile setting. Everywhere she looked she saw people in love and, though she was dying to be like them, couldn't help but feel skeptical that she and Ash could carry on such heavy-handed conversation for long.
Clearing his throat, the young waiter from earlier in the day snapped the two from their thoughts.
"My name's Jonathan, and I'll be serving you two tonight. If there are any problems or concerns, please tell me immediately. To begin this evening's dining experience, would you two like a drink?"
"Uh, I'll have water," Ash answered.
"Yeah, me too."
Jotting down the orders in his small notebook, Jonathan gave a nod before assuring them he'd return in a moment. "Until then, you might want to look at our menus and decide on an appetizer to begin your date."
Graciously taking the large booklet, Ash opened it and quickly scanned the page. His mouth began watering at the sight of so many delectable opening courses. However, a small cough from behind the menu reminded him of why they were here. Lowering it, he looked over at Misty.
"Um, what would you like for an appetizer, Mist?"
For a moment, Misty gaped at the champion, unable to comprehend the question. In all the time she'd known him, she'd never heard Ash ask someone else what they wanted to eat. Smiling at the kind gesture, she gave a small shrug.
"I dunno. Do you like breadsticks?"
Fighting the urge to moan, Ash nodded.
Why would you pick the least tasty thing to eat? Personally, he'd been hoping she'd want hot wings.
It's her birthday, though, he reminded himself as her smile grew larger. She was clearly glad that he'd wanted her input, and the thought of making her happy instantly evaporated any disdain he held for her bland taste in food.
The young man returned to the table a moment later with both of their drinks. After ordering their starting dish, Ash decided to slowly wade his way into their first "date conversation".
"So do you like the restaurant?"
Misty eagerly nodded, glad to have some discussion. "It's really beautiful here, Ash."
"Not as beautiful as you."
The second the words came out, Ash tried to will them back in.
How could I say something so stupid? He felt like a corny romance character in a poorly-written story.
Despite his inner-turmoil, though, Misty showed her approval of the response with a small giggle and a light blush.
"Thank you, Ash. That was a really nice thing to say."
Maybe he isn't as dense as I give him credit for. That was a pretty clever comeback.
"N-no problem," he answered sheepishly.
I knew she'd like that. He had to force himself to not try and high-five someone after seeing how pleased the small comment had made his date. This dating stuff really isn't that hard. I might do it again sometime.
"You look really handsome tonight too."
It was now Misty who fought the urge to cover her face and scream in embarrassment. Though she'd meant to return the compliment, the words just seemed foreign coming from her. To her relief, though, Ash simply gave a small smile in return and scratched the back of his head in awkward inexperience.
"So…" she trailed after a quiet moment.
"Yeah, so…"
Jonathan made his reappearance at just the right time as the two continued their stare-down.
"Um, here are your breadsticks. Have you decided what you would like to order for the main entrée?" He pulled out his small notebook again and placed the bowl of bread next to the candle.
"Oh! I forgot to look at the menu!" Misty quickly grabbed her booklet and scanned the pages.
"I think we need another minute," Ash explained, realizing that he too had yet to look over their options for dinner. "We were kinda caught up in our conversation."
"Yes, it sounded enthralling, sir."
Was he being sarcastic?
"I'll return in a couple of minutes for your orders."
Both teenagers looked over their respective pages, mentally checking off courses which seemed inappropriate or distasteful.
"What's caviar, Mist?"
"Fish eggs, I think."
Sticking his tongue out, Ash replied with a "yuck". "Why would anyone wanna eat a fish's eggs? I thought only bird and bird Pokémon eggs were the kind people ate."
"I don't know," she answered with a shrug, still scanning the options. "I mean, maybe it's one of those things that you have to get used to. You know, an acquired taste? I hear it's really expensive and that usually rich people eat it a lot."
"You'd have to be rich to eat this stuff! Have you looked at the price?"
Misty retorted with a small glare over the top of her menu, silently scolding how loud he'd announced the price of caviar.
"Sorry," he whispered. "But seriously, look. It's twenty dollars an ounce!"
Rolling her eyes, Misty flipped through her booklet looking for the item. "I'm sure it can't be that much…" Reading under the "seafood" heading, however, she soon discovered that her date had been correct. "Twenty dollars an ounce? What do they think we are, millionaires?"
"Well, I mean, I am, but-"
"You don't need to rub it in, Ash."
"But don't you think that's a lot of money? I can't imagine it's much better than a hamburger or something."
"It has to be delicious to cost that much."
"I dunno. I bet it tastes bad, but rich people act like it's good just to show off."
Misty gave a sigh. "People wouldn't just act like something's good and charge a lot of money for it if it didn't taste delicious."
"I think they would."
"No they wouldn't."
"Yeah, they would."
"No."
"Yeah."
"No."
"Have you decided what you would like for your first course?" Jonathan seemed to emerge from nowhere, and his presence immediately silenced the squabbling couple.
"Uh, not yet, but could we have a few ounces of this caviar?" Misty asked politely. "Me and my friend have never tried it before."
"Yes ma'am, but just so you know, it's a very pricey delicacy."
"It's no problem. Ash is a millionaire, right Ash?" She gave the champion a sly smirk and winked.
With his pride on the line, the young trainer had few optional responses. "Sure I can afford it. In fact, bring out ten ounces!"
The waiter's eyes seemed to bulge from his head for a moment, but he quickly composed himself and answered with a small "yes sir", before turning and walking back to the kitchen.
"Ten ounces? We don't even know if we like it yet!"
"You're the one who ordered the caviar in the first place," Ash reasoned. "Besides, what's a hundred dollars for a millionaire, right?"
"It's two hundred, genius."
"What?" Ash clutched his chest for a moment, appearing as if he was about to have a massive heart attack. "I just spent two hundred dollars on fish eggs?"
"You didn't think one hundred was too much?" Misty stifled a giggle at the question. The look of panic on Ash's face was almost priceless.
"Well, I mean, um…"
"You should think before you let your pride take over."
"Oh yeah? Well you should, uh, quit being a jerk on your birthday." He couldn't help but smile at his own weak response. It was fun arguing like old friends again.
"Why? If it's my birthday, then I should be allowed to do whatever I want."
"That's not how it works. You're supposed to be nice to everyone because if you're not, then you might not get your present."
"Present? I thought the date was my present."
Ash shook his head and flashed a toothy grin. "There's more to it than just supper. When we get back to the Pokémon Center I'll show you."
The delighted expression which graced the redhead instantly made Ash's heart leap once again. Making her happy had become an addiction.
"So what is it?"
"I can't tell you what your present is. That would take away the surprise!"
"How about just a hint then?" Misty pressed her thumb and forefinger together, signifying her desire for a small clue. "If you give me just a tiny hint, I promise not to ask any more questions."
"Well…"
"Here is your caviar, Master Ketchum." Another waiter appeared, slowly lowering a silver dish onto the center of the table. The dish held a pyramid of small black eggs, which was surrounded by rectangular crackers. "Please enjoy your appetizers. Would you like to order your main dish now?"
"Um, just a couple more minutes please."
"Also, it's very nice of you, but I'm not a Master yet. I'm just the Sinnoh Champion."
"I'm sorry sir, I didn't mean that you were a Pokémon Master. I just meant, 'master', as in a single young male."
Ash gave the waiter a curious glance. "Whaddya mean?"
"You are so dense," Misty interjected. Looking to the waiter, she apologized. "He's a few Magnemite short of an evolution."
"It's quite alright," the older gentleman responded kindly. "Your regular waiter will return momentarily to take your orders."
Thanking the man, Misty turned her attention back to Ash. "You seriously don't know what it means when someone calls you a 'master'?"
"Nope. No one's ever called me that before."
Rolling her eyes, Misty explained. "It's like when a girl is single, how everyone calls her 'miss'. It's the same thing for boys, except instead of 'mister' you're just called 'master'. How could you not know that?"
"I just have never been called that before," he answered with a shrug. "That sounds really cool, though! I might never get married just so I can still be called a master. It sounds so much more important."
"Yeah, you do that," she answered sarcastically. "But let's get back to business. What's the hint for my present?"
"I'm not giving you a hint now," he replied in an obvious tone. "Not after you told that guy I'm a few Magnemite short of an evolution."
"What? You can't not tell me because of that. You were acting really dumb."
"Shows what you know. I wasn't acting at all!"
She bit her tongue, not wanting to further alienate her chances of finding out the manner of his gift. "I'm sorry, alright? I shouldn't have said what I did to him. You're a very smart guy, and I'm sure there are a lot of other people who don't know what 'master' means." The sincerity of the apology seemed somewhat offset by the monotone voice in which she delivered it, but Ash was still impressed.
"Wow, you must really want a hint to actually apologize to me."
"I'm desperate, I guess."
"Well, since you admitted that you're wrong and I was completely right, I guess I could give you one clue under one condition."
Squinting her eyes, she asked, "What's that?"
"Eat some of the caviar first." He pointed at the black mound of delicacies lying in the middle of the table.
"What? Why?"
"Why wouldn't you want to? You said that it's probably delicious. I just want to know how it tastes before I actually take a bite from it." He mocked her with his own sly grin, narrowing his eyes in the dim light. "If you take a bite, then I'll give a great hint."
"You should take a bite first, though. You're the one paying for it. It'd be rude of me to take the first taste."
Ash gave the girl an inquisitive look. "Why are you so scared all of a sudden when you ordered it to begin with?"
"I'm not scared, Ash Ketchum. I just…don't think it looks very good. Do you?"
Ash couldn't deny that the very sight of the rare treat made him feel a little queasy, but he wasn't about to let the redhead go. "I dunno, it looks alright. Besides, it doesn't matter what I think about it. If you want a clue, then you have to eat it."
She shot the champion a dark glare, but he remained unfazed while pretending to uninterestedly browse the menu.
"I'm thinking about lambchops. Mom used to make them for me before I left home, and-"
"Fine! I'll do it, okay?"
Smiling, Ash nodded. "It doesn't have to be a big bite or anything. Just enough to taste it."
"You better give me the best hint ever after this," she warned. Picking up a cracker, she slowly dipped the tip into the black substance and scooped a tiny fraction of the pyramid. Lifting it up to her lips, she paused momentarily and mentally prepared herself.
"C'mon, Mist."
Closing her eyes, she opened her mouth and took the entire cracker in one bite. She hoped that by eating it all at once, she could dilute the flavor.
"So? How does it taste?" Ash was practically climbing across the table as she opened her eyes. "Does it taste gross? I can't believe you actually ate that! Is it squishy?" She remained quiet as she carefully munched upon the small morsel. Though the cracker did help to cover the flavor, she could still feel the soft chewiness of the eggs between bites, and the thought of what she was eating almost made her gag.
Though, to be fair, it isn't terrible tasting. It's just so gross!
Swallowing the substance quickly, she downed half her glass before answering the wide-eyed trainer before her. "It tastes very salty and, yeah, squishy too. It's not really disgusting or anything, though."
"Really?" Ash eyed the small dish with curiosity. The mental struggle taking place was clear from the expression on his face, and Misty snickered lightly. "Do you think I should try some, or not?"
"What am I, your mom? Just try some for yourself if you're curious."
He gave the silver platter another uneasy glance and shifted in his seat. "I'm not so sure that's a great idea. What if they're undercooked or something?"
"Are you gonna try a bite or not?"
"Alright, alright, I'll eat a little."
Grabbing a cracker, he slowly nudged the tasteless bread into the mound; consequently gathering a much larger dollop than Misty. He too took a moment to stare at the odd cuisine before shrugging and taking the whole thing in a single bite. A surprised expression crossed his face immediately as he hurriedly chewed.
"It's vewy code," he explained with a full mouth. He quickly drank some water and forced the rest into his stomach, as if afraid the eggs would hatch if he left them in his mouth too long. "I wasn't expecting that. It was like eating a popsicle or something."
"Did you like it, though?"
"Kinda. It would have been better if I didn't know what it was."
"I see you're both enjoying the caviar," Jonathan interrupted. Ash gave a small start at his reappearance.
Why's it so dark in here?
"Are the two of you both ready to order now?"
"Well, I am, but I'm not sure if she is yet."
"I'm ready too, for your information," the gym leader replied. "I'd like the house salad, with olive oil dressing, and-"
"What are you doing?" Ash asked, sounding panicked.
"What?" Misty looked herself over, worried that a bug had landed on her.
"Why are you ordering a salad here?" He raised his voice, but didn't seem to care.
She stared in bewilderment for a moment before she seemed to grasp his meaning. "Oh! Thanks, Ash! I almost forgot to ask if you put carrots or peppers in the salad?"
"No, not that," Ash continued before the waiter had a chance to answer. "I mean, why do you keep buying salads? Every time we go to a nice place, you just get a salad or a sandwich. You need to be more like me in what you eat."
She snorted. "More like you? If I ate like you, I'd bloat up to the size of a Snorlax. Girls are different than boys."
"I know, I know. My mom gave me that talk when I was twelve…with puppets. But still, that doesn't mean you can't enjoy yourself every once in a while. This is your birthday! You should get a great meal that tastes really good instead of worrying about blowing up or whatever."
The scowl on her face from his original insult turned into a small smile. "That's actually kinda sweet of you, Ash. You really don't mind if I eat something bigger?"
"Why would I care?" His arms flailed out in confusion. "Get whatever you want, but please not another salad!"
Still smiling, Misty agreed. Picking back up her menu, she insisted that the champion order ahead of her as she decided.
"Well, I'm gonna have the rack of lamb with mashed potatoes."
"Very good sir," Jonathan replied, putting down the order. "Would you like the potatoes to be mixed with our chef's famous garlic butter marinade? He's world-renowned for the flavor."
Though the idea was at first tempting, Ash caught a quick glimpse of his date's lips and instantly remembered the commitment he'd made before leaving the Center.
No bad-smelling foods.
"Um, no thanks."
"Very well." He took Ash's menu before turning back to Misty. "And have you decided what you will be dining on tonight?"
She bit her lip before finally looking up. "I guess I'll have the filet mignon, rare, with mashed potatoes too."
Taking the menu, the waiter repeated his question.
"Sure, why not?" she replied cheerily. However, the moment she agreed, she noticed Ash shift uncomfortably in his seat. "Is something wrong?"
"Huh?" He seemed surprised that she'd noticed. "Oh, no! There's nothing wrong."
Despite his upbeat tone, though, she could tell something was bothering him.
What could I have said that-
She cut herself off mid-thought as she saw Ash's eyes dart to her lips for a slight moment before returning to meet her gaze. He gave her another big smile.
Understanding the problem, she looked back to Jonathan, who was beginning to walk away. "Uh, excuse me!"
"Yes?" He turned back to the table. "Is there something else you'd like?"
"Actually, I was just wondering if I could have plain mashed potatoes. I just remembered I don't like garlic very much."
"Certainly." He ran a line through his notebook before returning it to the front pocket of his apron. "Please let me know if you need anything else."
Though he tried to hide it, she could see the relief in her date's eyes as the waiter slipped back into the darkness. Discreetly, she gave him a small wink before sipping some more water.
Blushing, Ash wondered if he'd just imagined what he saw.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
"Wow, this looks awesome!" Ash declared as the sizzling entrées arrived. As the rack of lamb was placed in front of his hungry gaze, he quickly grabbed a knife with one hand and a fork with the other. "Let's get started!"
"Try not to bite the waiter's hand off, Ash," Misty joked as Jonathan placed hers down. Staring at the seven ounces of steak before her, though, she fought the urge to follow the young man's lead. "It does look really tasty."
After announcing that he would take care of any needs the couple might have during their dining experience, Jonathan walked off, and the two began cutting into their respective meals; Ash with more ferocity than his date.
"You're gonna cut through the plate if you keep that up," she criticized. "You're supposed to do it like this." She provided an excellent example of proper dining by slowly working through the thick Tauros meat with her knife. When she finally cut through, she carefully picked up the small piece of steak and carefully chewed. Swallowing, she looked up and asked if Ash understood "how it's done". To her dismay, however, the young champion had apparently been too busy consuming over half of his rack of lamb to heed her example.
"What're you talking about?" He looked up, swallowing hard before taking up a forkful of mashed potatoes and chasing them after the meat.
"Ugh. You're disgusting. I was saying that you need to have better table manners."
"My table manners are fine," he answered flippantly. "The whole world isn't watching how I eat." He took a breadstick and dipped it in his potatoes before biting down on it.
"No, but I am," she answered, wincing from the mental scarring of watching such a ravenous scene. "It wasn't even fine to eat like that when we were just friends, but now that we're on a date, you have to have better etiquette in public. Do you see how I'm eating at a normal rate, and not like I've been lost in the wilderness forty days?"
Ash glanced skeptically at her plate. "Yeah, and I also see you've had two bites so far. I'm winning!"
"Eating's not a contest, Ash. Now slow down before you choke and kill yourself."
"I'm not gonna choke." He rolled his eyes at her dramatic worries.
"Well, you better hope you don't, because if you do I'm not gonna save you."
"You'd save me." He gave her a knowing look before dipping another chunk of lamb in his mashed potatoes and practically swallowing the morsel whole.
"Would not."
"Then what about when we were in the Orange Islands and I almost drowned? You saved me then, right? And also, remember when you thought I died or whatever in Lavender Town when we were kids? You practically killed yourself you were so sad!"
"I did not! I barely even cried."
He pointed an accusatory finger as he muscled down another bite. "But you did cry. I remember."
"Fine." Her voice carried the low tone of begrudging forfeiture. "I admit that I don't like the idea of you dying. But that doesn't mean I'd embarrass myself by trying to save you from choking on lamb chops. If you start coughing to death, it's your own stupid fault."
"Actually, this is a rack of lamb." He picked up one of the remaining cuts by the bone and gnawed on the remaining meat. "It tastes a wot better than Ma's wambchops."
The rest of the supper progressed more or less the same. The two took turns between playful jabs, reminiscent of their childhood, and more meaningful conversation about which Pokémon they most preferred.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
After an hour of discussion, and after Ash had completed both his meal and the vast majority of his date's, the two decided to pay the bill and leave for the Pokémon Center.
As they walked out, Misty complained about how full she was.
"How could you be full at all? You took like five bites before letting me eat the rest."
"I don't know how you ate all of that and can still walk."
"Actually, I'm kinda still hungry." He eyed a small ice cream shop they were approaching as they crossed the bridge connecting the restaurant to the rest of the "tree house city". "Would you like some ice cream?"
"I knew that was coming, but no thanks. I can't imagine eating another bite of anything for a while."
"Well, I think I could have some ice cream…" He seemed entranced by the ice cream shop as they arrived on the small store's tree.
"If you want some, then go ahead. I'll wait out here."
"Okay. Are you sure you don't want some? It is your birthday, after all."
Still surprised by his uncharacteristically thoughtful nature, she refused once more before he ran inside. She smiled to herself before turning and looking up at the night sky. The moon was in a waxing crescent stage, and the stars seemed to shine extra bright without its full luminosity.
A perfect birthday…so far. She couldn't help but hope that their evening wasn't about to end already. Though they'd been out for almost two hours, her desire to spend more time with the champion was impossible to deny. Just being with him is addicting. It felt like she was eleven all over again when they were together. She'd feel the same lurch in her stomach every time he gave that goofy smile, she'd get as excited when they were arguing over any menial subject, and she would even remember long-forgotten childhood dreams after simply staring into his eyes. Working at the gym for several years had been good for the relationship between her and her sisters, but it had, unfortunately, also forced her to grow up quickly. By the time she was fourteen, she'd learned to balance a checkbook and keep up with a strict Pokémon League budget, while at the same time keeping maintenance of a large gym building and rebuilding the posterity of the Cerulean League facility altogether.
Being with Ash is like getting back some of my youth.
"Mist! You'll never guess what they had in there!" Ash ran out of the store with a double scoop cone in his hand. He licked the frozen treat happily as he awaited her response.
Eyeing the ice cream, she smiled and shrugged. "What?"
"Blueberry flavor! I never had that kind before, so I got two scoops! Isn't that cool?" He took another lick and grinned, his lips beginning to match the violet hue of the dessert.
The redhead cocked her head in interest. "I've never heard of that flavor before, either. It sounds good though. Can I have a lick?"
"What?" Ash rolled his eyes. "You just told me you didn't want anything. You shoulda come inside when I went in."
"I wasn't hungry for blueberry-flavored ice cream then," she explained, folding her arms and glaring at the young trainer. "Are you really gonna tell your girlfriend she can't have any ice cream on her birthday?"
"You can have ice cream. Let's just go inside and get you a cone too."
"I don't want a whole cone! I just wanna try a bite of yours to see what it tastes like."
"Then go inside and ask for a sample."
"Ash, you have two choices." Misty lowered her voice as another couple strolled by on the tree's platform. "You can either give me the ice cream cone, or I can take it away from you. It's your choice."
The champion took a moment to process his options. His gaze shifted from the ice cream, to his angry girlfriend, back to his ice cream, and finally back to Misty. Sighing, he handed the cone over in defeat. "Just don't eat the whole thing, okay?"
She didn't respond. Instead, she simply licked a side of the ice cream quickly before giving Ash a victorious smirk. "See? That's all I wanted."
Pulling the cone back, he looked at her in surprise. The old Misty would have gone ahead and eaten the whole thing, in his experience. "Um, thanks, I guess." He took another bite of the treat and held out his hand.
The gym leader stared at the gesture for a moment before finally seeming to realize what he wanted. Tying her fingers between his once again, the two walked across another bridge which led to the Pokémon Center, blushing heavily.
As they approached the doors, Misty couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. It looked like the date was going to end despite her wish. As she reached for the door handle, though, she was surprised by the sound of Ash clearing his throat. "Um, Mist, I was wondering if you wanted to stay out a little longer?"
"Huh?" She turned around, their hands still joined. "What'd you say?"
"Well, I mean, I've been having a great night so far with you, and I don't feel like just saying good night to you yet. I know it sounds stupid, and I don't blame you if you don't get it, but-" He would have continued, but the press of the redhead's lips upon his own impaired him immediately. Though it lasted only a moment, his lips continued to tingle as she stepped back quickly and gave a weak smile.
"I'd love to stay out."
Ash did his best to get his now-frazzled emotions and hormones under control before giving a nod. Holding her hand had been problematic enough for his breathing, but the sudden kiss had absolutely taken away his ability to function. Misty began to lead him down another bridge as he tried to regain his composure and relearn the skill of walking.
Tumbling forward slightly, he asked where they were going.
"Earlier when I went out looking for Tropius, I saw they have an above-ground picnic area. I thought maybe we could go there and…I dunno."
Smiling, Ash agreed. "S-sounds good to me."
She led the two down another bridge, this one slightly older and more rickety, before arriving at what indeed appeared to be a small picnic area. There were several tables and benches, as well as a few barbecue pits for normal visitors. Scanning the area, Ash was pleased to see that he and Misty were alone. It would have been uncomfortable to have fans nearby as they talked.
"Do you wanna sit down?" She pointed to a table closest to the edge of the platform, directly facing a clearing in the foliage above. "It looks really pretty over there."
"Uh, sure," he answered. He couldn't help the small bubble of anxiousness which welled inside him as they took their seats. He sat backwards on the bench, using the table itself as a backrest for him to lean upon and look up at the sky. Misty followed suit. Neither let go of the other's hand.
"It sure does look nice tonight, huh?" His heart began to race as he felt her other hand grab his forearm.
"Yeah, it does." She too was looking at the sky, but her movements proved that her focus wasn't on the stars.
"So what do you wanna talk about?" His voice was shaky as the question came out.
"I dunno," she answered truthfully. She knew this was a romantic moment, but she was inexperienced as to how to act in such a situation. "How about the future?"
"The future?" The curiosity seemed to repossess his fear. "Like what?"
"Like, what do you wanna do after you become a Pokémon Master?"
Chuckling, he corrected her. "If I become a Pokémon Master."
"When did you become so mature?" She laughed too. "The Ash I know would never doubt he was going to win. Besides, we both know you're gonna make it."
"We do?"
"Of course. You have me for a coach." She looked over at him and gave a small wink. "By the way, you might wanna take care of that ice cream." She pointed to the previously-frozen dessert which was slowly dripping on the bench next to the champion.
"Oh man," he moaned. He put the cone on the table and stared at his ice cream-covered hand. Several beads of blueberry goodness slipped down his palm. "I completely forgot I had that."
"I made you forget about ice cream?" Misty gave another laugh. "I must be important for that."
Ash smirked. "I guess you're kinda important," he joked. Slowly but surely, he was beginning to get used to their flirtatious banter. "I mean, for a girl and everything."
"Well, you're kinda important to me too…y'know, for a boy." She gave him another wink and he laughed.
"I wish we had a napkin or something though," he mentioned after a moment, staring at his hand. He could feel the stickiness of the sugary substance take over his fingers. "I'm not gonna be able to move my hand in a couple of minutes at this rate."
"Do you wanna leave?" She was already confident in his answer.
"No way!"
"Good." She snaked the hand on his forearm over his hand. Untangling their fingers, she snaked her other hand under and around his bicep, leaning her head against his shoulder. "I'm kind of comfortable like this."
He snickered. "We wouldn't wanna make you uncomfortable."
Her voice grew softer. "Nope, but I think I know how we can take care of your ice cream problem."
"Really? Do you have a tissue in your purse or something?"
"N-not exactly," she stammered. Ash could feel her heart beat faster as she leaned closer against his arm.
What's she talkin' about?
Using the fingers resting on his upper-arm, she reached out and grabbed his other hand. Slowly, she brought the index finger to her lips. She gave the finger a light kiss, sucking a small puddle of the melted ice cream off at the same time.
"I-is that, uh, better?" She felt completely awkward doing such a thing, but the star-struck appearance on Ash's face made her burning face feel worthwhile.
"Uh…" He seemed dazed.
Giggling, she gave another kiss. "I'll take that as a yes." It felt good making him happy in such a simple way, and looking up again, she was beyond pleased to see the huge grin which had made its way onto his lips. He stared down at her for a moment before craning his neck and placing a light kiss on her forehead.
"Um, thanks, Mist."
"No problem, Ash. I can't have you looking like a slob, anyway." Knowing that she was in control of the situation continued to fuel her confidence as the teenage boy appeared to still struggle for words. She kissed his fingers a few more times before sighing contentedly and turning her attention back to the night sky. She saw Ash instantly use his now-free hand to wipe the quickly-formed sweat from his brow. She could feel his speeding pulse surging through his hand, and she gave his arm a reassuring squeeze in an attempt to soothe him.
"So, back to our plans for the future."
"Huh? Oh, yeah." He wracked his mind to comprehend her words. "Oh! So what are your plans after I become a Master?"
"Hm, I dunno. I haven't thought a lot about what I'll do when I get back to Cerulean City, but I guess I'll go back to the gym and work as a leader again."
"Really? I thought you didn't like being a gym leader?"
"Well, it's not so bad. You're pretty much guaranteed a job as long as you keep winning more than you lose, and now that they pay for janitorial services and stuff like that, it's pretty easy to maintain such a big building. It used to be a real pain two years ago when we still had to do everything by ourselves, and any renovations came from our own paychecks."
"You had to pay to fix the building by yourselves?" He was shocked to hear about this.
"Yeah, and a lot of places still do. We were lucky that the Kanto Pokémon League Board decided to start this new program. It's really saved a lot of gyms. Brock probably didn't know it, but Pewter's gym was almost out of business eighteen months ago. Apparently they'd overblown all the money they'd had on changing it to a water gym, and then back to a rock-based one. The new rule that we'd get paid for winning each battle saved them."
"So the janitors and everything are bought by you guys after you win?"
"Yep. I told you this before, remember? The League pays us for each win, and the money they give us has to stay strictly spent on the gym. They keep their eyes on all the gyms to make sure no one abuses the system, but most leaders I know of wouldn't even dream of stealing that money…their buildings need it too bad."
"But what happened before if you couldn't pay for a repair or something?"
"Then the regional director would shut you down after you failed the annual inspection."
"That's not fair at all!" How had he not known about how bad the gyms had always had it? "You can't expect people who barely make enough money for themselves to pay to fix their own buildings."
"Well, like I said, in Kanto we're lucky we don't have to worry about that anymore. Of course, here in Hoenn and in Sinnoh they're not so lucky."
"You mean this is still going on in Sinnoh?"
"Yeah, and they're paid even less than we are in Kanto."
"I didn't know about any of this." He sounded almost remorseful as he admitted his ignorance.
"It's not your fault," Misty consoled. "How could you have known what goes on behind the scenes at Pokémon Gyms?"
"But it's my job to know, Mist," Ash explained, looking down at her. "I'm the Champion of Sinnoh! I'm supposed to at least know how all of this stuff works in my region! There are tons of leaders who are struggling just like you did, and I'm not doing anything to help them."
"Well…you could start then."
"Yeah, but how? I mean, I don't think the Pokémon League likes people just running in front of its headquarters and screaming at them to pay their gym leaders more."
Misty gave a half-hearted laugh. "No, I don't think they'd like that either. But I think you really could change things if you wanted to. I know all about what it takes to run a gym, and I understand the Pokémon League after working for it for so many years. With my knowledge and your high position in the League, we could really help the Sinnoh gym leaders!"
"You think so?" His smile reappeared at the level of certainty in her voice.
"I'm positive, Ash. And now that you don't have some big match with Paul hanging over your head, we can focus on making change for a while."
"So that's what we'll do. We'll start making life better for the gym leaders."
For a moment, the two sat silently and continued their gaze of the stars above, soaking in the new resolution.
"So you really think you'll go back to the Cerulean Gym after this is over?"
"Why not?"
"It just doesn't sound like you're very enthusiastic about it, is all. That's great if you wanna, but all the reasons you gave me sounded like you just wanted to work there for the money."
"That's the reason most of us take jobs, Ash."
"Yeah, but you should also be enjoying what you do. Making money's no fun if you don't."
She laughed again. "I think that's easy for the millionaire to say."
"Well, what would you do if you didn't need to make money?"
She pondered the question for a moment. "I guess I'd become a marine biologist and study water Pokémon. They've always been really interesting to me, and I pretty much spend all my extra time reading about them."
"Why don't you do that then? It sounds like an awesome job!"
"Oh, it's definitely awesome…but it also requires a degree."
"Then you should go to college with me," the champion concluded. "Then we could hang out together and you could have your dream job."
"College costs money, Ash."
"Well, there are other ways to get in. You could try and get a scholarship or something."
"You know about scholarships?" She was surprised that someone who seemed so oblivious would have knowledge of such a topic.
"Yeah. Before I won the Sinnoh League, my mom was always talking about me getting a scholarship by being on the competitive Pokémon battling team at Vermillion. She said they'd pay for my whole time if I won a lot."
"I never thought about being on a Pokémon battling team before."
"You should, you're an awesome trainer! I bet they'd pay for your whole family to go if you agreed to battle for them!"
She blushed at the compliment. "Thanks, Ash. That's really sweet."
"No problem. It's just the truth." He shrugged and tried to act nonchalant, praying that the darkness hid his own embarrassment.
"So what'll you do after this is all over?"
"Go to college like Ma wants, I guess. It doesn't seem like such a bad idea."
"What about after college?"
"I'll probably try and help the Pokémon League however I can. Lance gave me an invitation to join the Pokémon G-Men, so I might become part of their group and try to help take down Team Rocket."
"That sounds cool."
"Yeah, it'll probably be fun. Of course, I might do something different. I was reading about Master Rohan a few days ago, and it said that he spent his whole time as Master trying to grow the Pokémon League so it could make more money."
Misty laughed. "You're not much of a businessman, Ash."
"Yeah, but the more I learn about it, the more it seems like being the Pokémon Master's like being the head of a company or something. Battling's not as important."
"You are the head of a company, technically," she reasoned.
"You wouldn't know it by looking at the Master now, though. Lance said all he does is train in a cave or something all day."
"Yeah, he's been the Master since before I was born, but the entire time I was a gym leader I never saw him at one of the League Leader Conferences, and as far as I know he's never made a single new rule. Pretty much the PLB has been doing all of the work since he took over."
"Still, he's my favorite of all the Masters."
"Well, he is a good battler, I suppose. It's just too bad he doesn't care more about the welfare of the League."
"Yeah."
They remained quiet a while longer, Misty's head against Ash's shoulder, and their hands entwined. Staring up at the sky, both of their minds wandered on their discussions and each other.
"Wait a minute!"
Ash jumped back to reality, having almost fallen asleep from the serenity.
"What? What is it? Team Rocket?" He reached for the one pokéball inside his jacket pocket and searched the area.
"No, not Team Rocket." Misty sat up, and looked angrily over at her date. "You told me that you were gonna give me a clue about my present if I had that gross caviar, but then you never did! I almost forgot there even was a present!"
He gave a sheepish grin and tried to laugh off his mistake. "Uh, oops. Sorry about that."
"Well, what's my clue then, before we go back? You said you'd give me a great hint."
"Um, alright…" He squinted his eyes as he tried to come up with a clue that wouldn't be too obvious. "Okay, I got one! The hint is that this present is something you can wear."
"Jewelry?"
How'd she guess so quickly?
"Yeah. Did you cheat?"
"No I didn't cheat." She rolled her eyes. "What else would you have bought me that I could wear?"
"Um, a scarf?"
"In April?"
"Whatever," he muttered, reaching into the pocket of his slacks. He pulled out a small rectangular black box, and handed it to the redhead. "Anyway, I wanted you to have this. I, er, bought this at a jewelry store back in Littleroot when we first got here. I wanted to give it to you after we decided to be, you know, in a relationship, but then I thought it'd be nicer as a birthday gift."
Her hands began to shake as she reached for the box. Biting her lip, she willed herself under control. Why do I feel so nervous about a present?
Grasping the felt box, she quickly popped the spring-loaded cartridge open. Processing what she saw, she began to laugh as she held up the small pearl necklace. Though it was beautiful in its own right, what really overjoyed her was the small jewel in the middle; the Cerulean Gym Badge.
"Is this yours?"
"Yep. I figured that it would be a good way for you to remember who gave it to you. I bought the necklace at the jewelry store, but then I clipped the badge onto the small string myself." He wanted to ask whether she liked it, but the answer was all too apparent in her eyes. "I'm glad you think it's so nice."
"It's wonderful, Ash," she replied, breathlessly. She undid the clasp and strung the pearls around her neck. Clicking the small mechanism back into place, she was pleased to see that the raindrop-shaped badge stayed neatly in the center of the line of pearls. "What do you think? Does it look good on me?" She turned on the bench to face him fully, still holding his hand.
Forcing the lump in his throat down, he replied with a guttural "of course".
"Thank you so much for a great birthday, Ash."
"Oh, it was nothing, really," he replied bashfully. "I'm just glad-"
Once again he was cut off mid-sentence as the redhead forced her lips upon him. Unlike earlier, though, neither of them pulled away. Instead, both grabbed the other by the back of the head, ensnaring their fingers in handfuls of hair as they kissed deeper and longer than ever before.
Author's Notes: I really did like this chapter. This was another one which, though it took a while to write, seemed to come naturally as I worked on it. Though some of you will probably call for more romance, I have to say that for their first official "date", I think they were just about romantic enough. I also know some of you will probably mention that they were too romantic (ice cream scene, right?), but the way I figure it, they're two hormonally driven teenagers who haven't even kissed in about a month, so I had to include a somewhat sexually-charged scene. However, I hope y'all appreciate that I tried to balance the more romantic scenes with their still rather naïve frames of mind (mostly through their movements and thoughts). Anyway, whether you loved or hated it, PLEASE REVIEW!
Also, I want to remind everyone of the great community which I have. You can go to my home page, scroll down, and click on the "communities" tab to find a community full of great AAML fanfics (over forty now!), many of them being currently updated. My staff continues to do a great job of including only the highest-quality stories, and I admit that sometimes I'm a little jealous of how good some of the fics on there are!
Anyway, please visit it if you've got a second. Until two weeks from now, later days!