A/N: This was a pretty fast update, right? :D I'm happy with it anyway, so I hope you guys like it! Thank you very much for your support!
Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon or the image used as cover, though I did edit it.
Days
The day when Misty tries to unpack
Misty
Friday, November 15th
Unpacking and cleaning up her holiday stuff was not something Misty was looking forward to and thus she had already found several excuses not to do it. Besides, it wasn't like they had had much time to do it, anyway. Yesterday it had been very late when they had arrived, and food for the Pokémon and themselves had priority. It had been past midnight by the time they finished, and both of them had fallen into bed without giving unpacking or doing the dishes another thought.
But after sleeping in, taking a hot shower and having a lazy breakfast, Misty no longer had a reason to procrastinate, and with a sigh she got up from the couch. When she had been in bed and Ash had been getting up, it had seemed like a good deal: Ash would take care of the Pokémon and she could stay in bed, but she'd have to do the unpacking by herself. Looking back on it, Misty decided that she should never make decisions again when half-asleep. And now she couldn't even force Ash to do some part of the unpacking, since Ash had been smart and had taken off to train somewhere for today.
After another sigh and a chagrined look at the door, Misty turned to the heap of bags. First the laundry, she decided, but she had only just gotten to work when the doorbell rang. Misty gladly took this opportunity to avoid her work once more.
It was odd, though. It was just after lunch on a Friday, most people she knew would be working. Maybe it was one of her Gym Trainers, or perhaps even a challenger begging for a match even though the Gym was closed for today. Maybe even one of her sisters had taken the day off and came to chat, or Delia, or Tracey or Professor Oak needed something-
But it was none of those options, and instead Misty found herself face to face with the Indigo Champion herself.
Leaf coughed subtly after a moment, and Misty quickly closed her mouth and stepped to the side, so that Leaf could enter. There was little age difference between the two women, and while Misty didn't lack in boisterous confidence, Leaf carried herself with a quiet assertiveness (and the knowledge that she had the skills to back it up) that made her seem older than she was. Misty was sharply reminded that this was her boss, and that she was standing in her laundry-flooded living room.
For all her years working as a Gym Leader, Misty had never had much contact with Leaf other than the official meetings or the occasional phone call, and even though she was an old childhood friend of Ash's and Gary's girlfriend, Leaf rarely showed up at social gatherings.
"Misty." Leaf smiled wryly as she stood in the living room, glancing around with a raised eyebrow. "This is a surprise for you."
"Yes..." Misty admitted carefully, because something in Leaf's tone made her feel as if she was missing something.
"I assume you haven't watched the news lately?" Leaf asked, and Misty shook her head, feeling apprehension settle in her stomach. "Or checked your League email?"
"Uh..." Misty cleared her throat. She didn't like the way Leaf was talking to her and tried to regain control of the situation, biting out her answer. "I've been on honeymoon."
"Or used your phone...?" Leaf narrowed her eyes, and Misty pressed her lips together and shook her head. The heaviness in her stomach increased and she swallowed heavily. Now she was in for it. Leaf was always a stickler for the rules, and while Misty had never blatantly gone overboard, she might have slacked off in some things… And a personal visit from the Champion could not mean anything good.
"I- I- I didn't mean to…" Misty fell silent when Leaf held up her hand and Misty saw the glitter of amusement in Leaf's eyes. She narrowed her eyes dangerously and Leaf's serious mask fell back into place.
"For now, it didn't have any great consequences, but I would strongly advise you not to take your League duties so lightly in the future," Leaf said, giving her a pointed look and Misty nodded sharply, hoping that the anger of being scolded like a child didn't show on her face.
"I won't."
"Are you alone at home?" Leaf didn't miss a beat, and Misty nodded, her anger melting in confusion. Leaf seemed to relax the slightest bit.
"Good. That makes it easier. It's already been in the news and all League members knew about it before, but-" Leaf cut herself off from scolding Misty some more and shook her head sharply, before spitting out the news. "Agatha died."
Misty's eyes widened. "Wh-what? But- but- Agatha-"
"Agatha died yesterday morning, and it was announced to the press in the evening. The cause of her death is currently being researched," Leaf said in a well-practiced manner. "But I did not come here just to tell you." She paused, looking at Misty with a scrutinizing eye. "I need a new Elite Four member."
Misty could only stare at Leaf, whose lips twitched slightly in a smile before she continued talking. "I need someone strong, someone who is not afraid to speak their mind or to take action when needed, someone who can both follow and lead- I think you are that person. Misty, I want you to be my new Elite Four member."
"R-really?" Misty said, still feeling floored but able to speak again. "I..." She took a moment to take it all in. She had always been very happy with running her Gym, but becoming an Elite Four had been a secret ambition of hers, a position that would truly show how much of a water Pokémon Master she had become… And Ash was going to become the next Indigo Champion…
"It's a big honor…" Misty stalled.
"It is," Leaf affirmed with a slight smirk, and Misty was reminded that besides all her other titles, Leaf was also Gary's girlfriend. "Are you hesitating?"
"I'm not," Misty bit out, even though she was. What would happen to the Gym? But this was a once in a lifetime opportunity… With that, Misty pushed aside her doubts and smiled confidently. "I accept."
Leaf's eyes brightened. "Perfect. That's just what I wanted to hear. We do need to do something with the Gym, but that's in no hurry."
Misty nodded, but as she was doing so she realized the oddness of the situation. She didn't remember the last time when there had been a new Elite Four member here in the Indigo League, but she was certain that usually there was more time between the departure of the old one and the initiation of the new one. "Why do you need a new Elite Four member so fast, anyway?"
Leaf looked like she wished Misty hadn't asked that particular question. "I'd rather not…" Leaf changed tracks when she saw the look in Misty's eyes. "Maybe there's something, maybe there's nothing, but we can't afford to be weakened right now. Just keep minding the Gym for now, Misty, and we'll talk about the real Elite Four duties at a later point. I just need to have something to tell the press, and I'm sure we'll have another press conference later when you'll be officially introduced."
Misty opened her mouth to protest, to ask a question, but Leaf shook her head.
"I'm sorry, I can't say more for now, but I'll keep you updated – just don't turn your phone off, okay?" Leaf winked, but Misty frowned and the teasing twinkle in Leaf's eyes disappeared as quickly as it had come.
The Champion put a hand on Misty's shoulder in a gesture of reassurance, and Misty was about to ask a question, but Leaf was faster again.
"Are you up for this?" Leaf looked at Misty incisively. "It's not going to be easy. It's a big responsibility, and as much as I would like you at my side for whatever is to come, if you think you can't do this, you don't have to do it."
Not being able to do it? Misty pressed her lips together and nodded strongly, excitement and determination extinguishing the slightest spark of fear. "I can do this."
"Good," Leaf said with a small smile, which was as much of a thank you as Misty was going to get. "Then I will contact you soon."
Leaf removed her hand from Misty's shoulder and stepped away, and then said, almost as an afterthought, "For now, your new position will have to be kept quiet… Yes, you can tell Ash," Leaf answered Misty's question before she could ask it. "Just don't start shouting it from the rooftops, I don't want the press to catch scent of this if that's at all possible."
Misty nodded, and after a few more words Leaf said her goodbyes and left. Misty stared at the closed door for a few moments, before quickly grabbing her phone and calling a very familiar number.
"Ash? Can you come home?" Misty asked as soon as he picked up, excitement seeping in her voice.
"Misty? What's wrong? Did something happen?" Ash seemed close to panicking and Misty quickly reassured him.
"Everything is fine, but something did happen." She smiled widely at the screen and that seemed to set Ash at rest. "Please come home, okay?" Misty said, and Ash didn't even say goodbye before ending the call. After a few minutes of excited walking around through the still laundry-filled living room, Misty heard the familiar sounds of Charizard landing, and with a beaming smile she went to meet Ash in the hallway.
"What happened?" he asked, his hair windblown and his face flushed, but now also with an excited and expectant twinkle in his eyes. Pikachu had run inside alongside Ash and looked curious as well, now that there seemed to be no apparent danger in sight.
"Leaf visited," Misty said, the smile falling off her face when she thought of the other news Leaf had brought. She hesitated a moment, then asked, "Did you hear about Agatha…?"
"Yes!" Ash nodded quickly, the smile gone from his face. "I heard it this morning before I left, and I'd been meaning to tell you, but you were still in bed and-"
"Leaf needed a new Elite Four member," Misty interrupted, excitement bubbling over and no longer able to hold back the news. "She wanted me." She beamed at Ash. "I'm going to be an Elite Four member!"
Ash stared at her. "Whoa... really?" The enthusiasm missed in his voice, and Misty felt her smile diminishing. "She… You… Just like that?" He must have seen the expression on her face, because he hastened to correct himself. "I- I mean, it's great, it's awesome, it's really cool… but… it's kind of fast, don't you think?"
"Yes, but Leaf said-"
"And don't you think you could've talked with me about this first before accepting?" Ash sounded… hurt, and not happy and excited as he should be. Frustration rose in her throat like fire – why wasn't he understanding what a great opportunity this was?
"I don't need your permission!" she threw back, eyes aflame.
Ash looked perplexed, taking a step back, before shaking his head wildly. "That's not what I meant!" He took a step forward again and gestured angrily around them. "We're living together, Misty, you can't just make big decisions like this, because this will affect me, too! What about the Gym?! Where are we going to live?!"
Misty opened her mouth to let out her angry reply, but faltered and tried to take a calm breath. And another one. They were adults. They could handle this. Ash stepped back again and looked at the ground, seeming to calm himself as well. Pikachu had fled to another room sometime during their conversation.
Ash… Ash did perhaps have a point. Misty took another calming breath and forced her pride aside. "I'm… you're right. But don't worry about the Gym, Leaf said we would work out the details later and that I can keep the Gym for now."
Ash blinked in surprise and then nodded slowly, warmth coming back in his brown eyes. "Alright, I suppose... Alright, it's good. Just… tell me next time, okay?"
Misty nodded and smiled hesitantly.
"Sorry I yelled," Ash said, smiling sheepishly. "I'm really happy for you."
Misty fell a wide smile split her face and she threw herself in his arms.
"First fight as a married couple, eh?" Ash said, still sounding a bit shaky as he embraced. Misty pulled back a bit to smile reassuringly at him.
"Doubt that it'll be our last one, but we solved it, right?" She beamed, before leaning back against Ash, and he hugged her tighter.
A/N: Oh yes, the plot starts moving slowly but surely :P Thank you for reading, and I hope you liked it :) Please leave me a review!
Thank you!
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