Part II: Where to Next?
Ash was sitting alone with Pikachu in the room of the house that he and his friends who were competing against or supporting him in the Vertress Conference, not sure what to do with himself. He had just lost to Cameron in an exhilarating quarterfinal matchup and while he was pleased he got that far, and happy for Cameron for advancing to the semis, he was still upset he had lost. His Unova journey was now at an end and he had no idea what to do.
His other friends had either gone home early after their defeats, were asleep or helping Cameron prepare for his next match. Ash was planning on helping Cameron as well and supporting him until the end before leaving but for the moment he needed to recover from his loss. He always did this when he was knocked out, he needed a moment to process it before moving on and getting ready for whatever life threw at him next.
The issue this time was that he had not at least matched his last performance, let alone topped it. In the past he had always gotten better, gone further, and come closer to his goal of becoming a Pokémon Master. That had culminated in an unfair semifinal in Sinnoh against 2 legendary Pokémon. After that success, and how Ash had more time than ever to prepare, he had felt that he could win in Unova. That hadn't happened.
True he had done well and maintained his reputation as a good trainer who could consistently reach the top 8 but he had still failed. Beating Trip early had been great, and Ash always enjoyed facing all of his rivals in the tournament but he felt he had let himself and his team down by not getting as far as before at least.
Ash knew that he shouldn't be upset but he couldn't help it, it was only natural after all. He would be ok in the morning, he knew it, and then he could cheer Cameron on and hope he won. That way Ash could be happy that he had lost to the champion, just as he had done in Hoenn and Sinnoh.
Deciding to take his mind off the loss, Ash turned on the TV in his room. A little TV, maybe some news from outside of Unova, would help him get over today. Ash just turned it onto a random channel and planned on channel surfing aimlessly but that changed as soon as he heard what the announcer said on the channel he had flicked on.
"And with that win in the Mahogany Town Contest, Misty of Twinleaf Town in the Sinnoh Region has won her 5th contest and is now eligible for the Grand Festival." The announcer said and instantly Ash looked at the TV, everything else forgotten as he focused on the TV. "And just in time as this was the last contest before the Grand Festival."
The TV showed a smiling Misty with Piplup and Mamoswine celebrating as she held up a rich brown ribbon. Her eyes were sparkling and her Pokémon jumping with joy, not great for anyone near her massive Twin Tusk Pokémon, as they enjoyed their victory.
That wasn't what really drew Ash in. Nor was it his friend's celebration and joy, though that was infectious and made him happy as well, no it was Misty herself. She looked stunning in her usual contest dress in a way that Ash had never really noticed before and didn't know why he was noticing it now. She was confident and had grown into a fine young woman and Ash couldn't be prouder of her. It reminded him of when he last watched her compete when she was in the Wallace Cup.
They were still staying with Cynthia, training for the Vertress Conference and Cameron's last gym battle, when the Wallace Cup was on. They all took the time off to watch it and support Misty. They were also supporting Ash's other coordinator travelling companion May who was competing as well. It was also the first time that it had been aired in Unova and the first time Iris and Cilan had ever seen a contest.
Both were hooked to the display. Iris fell in love with the beauty and pageantry of it, wishing she could compete and jealous when she found out that Ash had competed in the last Wallace Cup. Meanwhile Cilan found it a unique recipe for his enjoyment, one he had never seen before and one he wished to experience as part of his growth as a connoisseur. For Ash it was about supporting his friends but if he was honest, his focus had been all on Misty.
She had changed her contest dress for the occasion and went with a blue one that matched her eyes and hugged her curves perfectly and in ways Ash had never seen before. She had matching elbow length gloves and her hair was down, flowing naturally, and as always looked perfect. Ash felt his heart racing faster than even in a gym battle as he looked at her and the Snorlax on his chest got heavier as he thought of her, though that might have been the third helping of dinner he was eating at the time.
Misty was also confident and prepared in a way that Ash hadn't seen before. She had always been in her element in contests but it often took her a little while to get into a rhythm. This was different, this was Misty at her best. This was the Misty that Ash knew would one day become a top coordinator.
It was as if Misty knew for the first time that she was the great coordinator that Ash knew she was and she was showing it off at every stage. Ash chalked it up to her being the defending champion and as such knowing that she could win seeing as she had done it before and was going to do it again. Misty had risen to the occasion spectacularly.
Her Pokémon and her were completely in sink, all showing off their moves and beauty with the grace and elegance that Ash knew Misty possessed. She had breezed through the appeals round with Pachurisu dazzling an electric display that sparkled when combined with the traditional water field of the Wallace Cup. It showed off the vane little Pokémon at her best and had Iris swooning at the beauty of it all.
Then came the battle rounds. Misty and May had been placed at either ends of the bracket so they would only meet in the final. Ash knew, he didn't know how he knew but he did, that that would happened. Fate was like that at times and the Wallace Cup was no exception.
Both his friends got through their battles without a hitch, easily winning their matchups as they made their way to the final the most coveted ribbon on the contest scene. It was a rematch of the last final, the first in history, and everyone was excited for it.
May and Misty played to that excitement by going all in for their rematch the way only friends and rivals could. May used her Glaceon and Misty used Piplup to add to what was becoming a legacy as the two accomplished coordinators faced off in a dazzling display of appeal and power.
Unlike last time though, this wasn't close. Misty showed off a series of impressive moves, some of which Ash was certain she had picked up from the musical in Nimbassa City, and blew May away, stunning the Hoenn girl with a surprise Battle Off in the last 30 seconds to seal the win. Misty had won and Ash was thrilled the entire time.
After that, he had lost track of what Misty was doing as he had thrown himself fully into his goal of winning the Unova league. He was training hard every day to prepare, at least when he wasn't dealing with Team Rocket and their schemes but that too was training. Apparently Misty had been working hard as well and had continued to compete in Johto and qualified for the Grand Festival there.
"Congratulations Misty." The Johto host was saying as Ash snapped back to see his friend on TV again. "Ever since you came here to defend your Wallace Cup Title you have taken Johto by storm. 4 contests in 3 months, all victories, and now you are off to the Grand Festival in 2 weeks' time. Does the Prodigy of Sinnoh have anything to say to the viewers for such a win?"
"Well I guess I just have to thank all of my Pokémon for their hard work in helping me get this far." Misty said with a little discomfort at her nickname that Ash found oddly adorable and very fitting. "Without them I couldn't have done this. Also, though I doubt he's watching, I also want to thank the guy who helped make the coordinator I am today and gave me the drive and motivation to be the best I could ever hope to be. Thank you Ash for all your support and good luck in the Vertress Conference!"
"There you have it, words of thanks and love from one of the top coordinators out there." The announcer said as Misty hurried off with her Pokémon to celebrate and avoid any more questions. "As always, humble and thanking those who helped her get to where she is today. She is certainly one to beat in the upcoming Grand Festival to be held in 2 weeks in Silver Town."
Ash just stared blankly at the TV; his mouth open at what Misty had said. She had thanked him; he had been the one who had gotten her where she was and he didn't even know it until now. Sure, he had helped, he had done his best as he would for any other friend, but to be thanked by her meant the world to him. It also made him feel like his entire herd of Tauros, all 30 of them, had decided to gallop over him one by one. He had no idea how to feel about it but he knew that he felt something that he had never felt before, he just couldn't put his finger on it.
Misty had also wished him luck in Vertress. She didn't know that he had just lost, she didn't know that his time in Unova was over, she didn't know that he had failed her. It made him sad and his chest hurt that he had let her down.
It also reminded him that she hadn't been there to watch him like she had in Sinnoh. The thought of that made him miss his friend more than he had ever missed anyone before while on his journeys. Ash wished that he could be there for her when she competed for the Johto Ribbon Cup, that way at least one of them was there for the other.
Then it hit him. Why not go and support Misty? It wasn't like he had any reason to still be in Unova. He had had his fun here but he was ready to move on, go on that next adventure, but until now he had no idea where to go. He had been lost but somehow Misty had come to him, a vision of beauty in the dark, and guided him to where he had to go. Ash was going to go back to Johto and he was going to watch his friend win the Ribbon Cup.
His mind made up, Ash turned the TV off and hurried over to the computer in the room. As a competitor, he got a computer in his room so that he could contact his family and his Pokémon storage location easily during the conference. He had used it to keep his team fresh and switch it out for the various matches so that he had the best team possible.
It had also been used to talk with his mom as he didn't do that enough during his travels. Now he had to call home again and let his mother know that he wasn't coming hoe right away unlike before.
"Hello dear." Delia Ketchum said with a smile as she answered Ash's call. "How are you doing? I saw that loss; I am sorry that it happened."
"Yeah it was hard but I lost to a friend and he had a better day." Ash said with a small smile and a slight shrug. "I will get it next time, I know it. There are still more regions out there to explore and more leagues to conquer. There will always be another chance."
"That's the spirit my boy." Delia said with a kind smile. "Can I assume that you are calling to let me know when you are coming home."
"Yeah about that." Ash said rubbing his neck nervously. "I am not going to be back for a little while actually. I am going to stay in Unova for the rest of the tournament and cheer Cameron on and watch the final. Then I am going to go to Johto for a bit."
"Really and what is in Johto that is so important that you need to be there before coming back home." Delia said before she smirked the way only a mother could and added. "Or should I say who?"
"Er, well, its Misty." Ash said feeling heat in his cheeks for some reason at his mother's question, even if he didn't fully understand it. "You see, she just qualified for the Grand Festival there and it is in 2 weeks so I am going to hightail it over to Johto as soon as I can so I can support her in it. After that, then I will probably come home as it isn't far from Johto to Kanto."
"I see." Delia said giving as a knowing look that was completely lost on Ash. "That is really nice of you, I am sure she will appreciate it. Take the time you need to do what you need to do. Perhaps you could bring her back with you to Pallet Town with you when you are done. I would love to meet the girl who is so important that she has Ash Ketchum travelling halfway around the world just to watch her compete."
"Oh yeah I can do that if she wants." Ash said happily completely missing his mother's implication. Pikachu just facepalmed from his perch on Ash's shoulder, his best friend not missing it at all. "It would be nice to show her a little of Kanto."
"That is good." Delia said still smiling at her son. "Well I should let you go; you have to pack and get ready to surprise Misty. Good luck my boy. I love you."
"Love you too mom." Ash said before hanging up, glad his mother had understood his desire to support his friend.
"Well Pikachu, looks like we are going to go seen Misty soon." Ash said happily as he got up and began to pack. "I hope the others understand it. Man, I can't wait to surprise her."
"Pikachu." Pikachu said happily, knowing that there was more to this than Ash did but happy to play his part.
Ash just smiled and hummed as he began to pack. He wanted to be able to leave as soon as possible, once the Vertress Conference was over, so that he could get to Johto in time. He couldn't wait to see Misty compete in a Grand Festival again.
Ash felt like something had returned to him, something that had been missing since Misty left. While he didn't know what it was, Ash knew that he liked it.
"Hang in there Misty." Ash said to the room. "I'm coming."
