Part VI: You Came … For Me?
Ash hurried down stairs and through hallways until he found the right corridor. It took a longer than he wanted as It had been a few years since he was last here and he hoped that he had made in time, but he found it in the end. All he had to do now was find the girls dressing room where he knew Misty would be going and then walk a little ways away and towards the stadium entrance to be in right place to intercept her.
It didn't take Ash long after that to find the right room. Once there, Ash had Pikachu get down and he just stood, in the middle of the corridor and waited for Misty. Pikachu understood what his trainer was doing and as such just waited in silence with Ash, he wouldn't ruin this for Ash, at least not right away that is.
Ash had only just reached his point when he heard the telltale sound of shuffling footsteps coming from up ahead and knew by the pace that it was Misty. It was finally time to see her again.
As soon as Misty had left the stage and gotten away from the crowd she had let Piplup out so that he could be with her. When she did break down she would need him with her to comfort her and snap her out of it when it got too much. Lowering her head and looking at the floor, Misty concentrated on walking back to the dressing room. Once she got there she could break, until then she had to be brave.
Piplup knew something was up the moment he came out of his Poke Ball. He had known that it was the final, Misty had been so excited for it, and that meant that Misty should have the trophy when he came out and he could celebrate with her. However, she didn't have it and they were walking away from the stage and the crowd that should be cheering for them. That could only mean one thing, Misty had lost.
Piplup was upset, they had tried so hard to win, they had come so far again and it hadn't worked out. He could feel the sorrow coming off of Misty and wanted to help her but didn't know how at the moment. He just had to follow her and hope that something came up.
It didn't take long for them to reach the long corridor that led to the dressing room. Misty was walking slowly, concentrating on her feet as she walked, so they had a few minutes before getting there. That was also when Piplup's senses picked something up that was very familiar.
It was a smell, his sense of smell was better than Misty's so he could smell it as it was too subtle for humans, but it was there. It was the scent of ozone in the air. The faint trace that only came from an electric type Pokémon, specifically one with the static ability and as such slightly charged the air around it. There was only one Pokémon that Piplup knew with that scent and he was the only one that would be here right now.
Looking up as they walked, Piplup felt the static in the air and smiled as he saw him. Standing at the end of the corridor, near the dressing room that Misty used to get ready, was a smiling, waving , very familiar, yellow Pokémon. His brother Pikachu was here.
Piplup realized that if Pikachu was here then his trainer, the man who his Misty had chosen as her mate judging by the pheromones she gave off around him, was here as well. Shifting his gaze slightly, Piplup saw Ash standing there as well. Given the fact that neither spoke or made a move, Piplup put two and two together and could tell they were waiting for Misty to notice them.
However, his trainer was so down that she wasn't going to notice until she walked into them. Well that was why Piplup was here, he had to make Misty notice. It was time for him to do his job.
"Piplup." Piplup said forcefully trying to get Misty's attention.
"In a moment Piplup." Misty muttered sadly dismissing him as she concentrated on not breaking. "Just let me get to the dressing room."
"Piplup." Piplup huffed, it would take more drastic measures, not that he had any problem using them.
Powering up his beak and elongating it, Piplup launched a peck attack at Misty's ankles. That got her attention and she turned to face him, a pissed off look in her face.
"What Piplup?" She asked her starter annoyed at his actions.
"Piplup." Piplup said forcefully, glaring back at her and pointing down the corridor emphatically with his flipper. "Pip, Pip, Piplup."
With a sigh, Misty decided to see what the hell was up and followed Piplup's flipper to look down the corridor. That was when she saw what was up. Misty felt her jaw fall open as the breath left her lungs and she stopped dead in her tracks as if she had walked into a wall causing Piplup to look back in confusion. There was no way, no way that he was here.
However, there he was. Ash, the boy she had met almost 2 years ago and then fallen hard for stood there in his Unova outfit with a kind, calming smile on his face at the sight of her. He was just waiting there for her, Misty knew it. Pikachu was at his side helping confirm her suspicions.
Still, she couldn't believe her eyes. There was no way that he should be here. He was supposed to be in Unova and not Johto. He had to be a hallucination caused by her loss, that was it. After all, she was the one who was supposed to go track him down and find him, not the other way around. Did that mean? No, Misty couldn't go there right now.
Ash just raised his hand above his head, not changing his kind, supportive look at all. It was their gesture, their high five. It was him. It really was him. That was what finally broke Misty's immobility. She instantly ran forward towards him as fast as she could.
Ash was expecting a high five and then a chat about the final as he comforted her and told her how well she did and that she would get it next time, he was sure of it. What he wasn't ready for was for Misty to instead sprint full speed into him.
Misty had to know he was real and not her mind playing tricks on her to help comfort her. She ran right at him and into him, throwing her arms around him in a crushing hug that almost knocked Ash over, and burying her head in his chest as she did.
It was him; it really was. She would know that smell anywhere, though the hint of charred hair was new. That didn't matter, Ash was here. Misty was where she knew she belonged. Finally, in Ash's arms, she let herself go and the tears she had been bravely holding back began to fall.
Ash was stunned but he wasn't going to complain. Instead he wrapped his arms around her and pulled Misty close as he could while she laid her head on his chest, holding her tight and not wanting to let go. She was the same as he remembered. It was as if they hadn't been apart as he held her there.
Then he felt her shaking in his arms and knew that Misty was crying. He just held her as she let it out, gently stroking her back as she gave into her emotions. She had just suffered a crushing lost and had to let it out, Ash knew how that felt. Ash was there for her, just holding her as it all came out.
Finally, after what seemed like an age, Misty felt better. She had let it all out but everything was ok now, she was with Ash and he was holding her close to him. He had come to support her, he was here for her, she could recover and carry on, thanks to Ash. Still, that didn't explain why Ash was here to begin with.
"Ash." Misty said finally looking up into his kind, auburn eyes. "It really is you. I, I can't believe it. What are you doing here?"
"Supporting you, that's what." Ash said with a smile as he met her gaze, her blue eyes a little puffy from crying but as beautiful and deep as always. "I came as soon as I knew you were in the Grand Festival. I wasn't going to miss it, miss you, for the world."
"But what about Unova and the league there?" Misty asked confused. "What happened with that? I thought it was on around about now?"
"I lost in the quarters." Ash admitted and Misty winced at that, he had not done better than Sinnoh and she knew that Ash wasn't happy with that. "I was a little down after that and turned on the TV to distract me. That was when I heard of your 5th ribbon and knew what I had to do. I had to come here. I had to come and support you."
"You came here?" Misty asked confused. "Straight from Unova? Just for me?"
"Of course." Ash said with his usual smile that Misty loved so much. "I arrived in Ecruteak City a little over a week ago and then flew here on my Charizard as fast as I could. Arrived just before the start of the festival, got my tickets and watched all of it, though I only cared for your performance and battles. I wanted to surprise you when you won but I knew that I had to be here after what just happened."
Misty was speechless as she looked into his eyes at Ash's words to make sure he was telling her the truth. He had come here, right to Johto and the Grand Festival, instead of heading home to Pallet after he was done in Unova. He had come to support her and be there for her and he had done it all to surprise her.
That had to mean something, right? She was a bit clueless when it came to boys at times, she could admit that. She hadn't realized Kenny liked her until his proposal in Sunyshore and though she didn't share his feelings it had helped her truly accept her own ones for Ash. Still, it wasn't normal for a boy to come halfway across the world just for a girl, that she knew.
As Misty was trying to understand Ash's actions, something that Ash had said tickled her. He said he had been here for a few days which meant he had seen the whole festival and yet this was the first she was seeing of him. That needed an answer and she was not going to make it comfortable for him.
"What do you mean a few days ago?" Misty asked suspiciously and smirked at the discomfort that Ash suddenly showed. "How come I am only seeing you now? After the finals no less."
"Well I didn't want to interrupt you while you were in the zone." Ash stuttered out cutely, he could be very cute when he was flustered. "And I wanted to surprise you at the end by showing you I came and saw you win. I figured that this would be more meaningful, you know, seeing as it was a surprise."
"So, this was all to surprise me here?" Misty said and she had to admit she did like that, the idea that Ash had watched her without her knowing thrilled her as she had performed for him but she wasn't going to let him off the hook just yet. "You came halfway across the world just to surprise me?"
"Yeah." Ash said with a nod. "I came to support you and because I missed you more than I have ever missed anyone after you left Unova so I knew I had to be here. But I wanted to let you compete and then come and find you after you won. Especially after that beautiful first round, I thought that you had it after that appeal."
"So, you liked that?" Misty asked, her heart beating faster hoping Ash understood what it meant. "You got what I was doing with it?"
"Yeah it was really something else." Ash said with a smile. "A great tribute to Pikachu."
Misty felt her head hit Ash's chest in exasperation. How could he be so sweet and yet so damn dense. It was for him, to show what he meant to her and to show that she liked him the way Buneary liked Pikachu. She couldn't just have her Pokémon create a statue to Ash so she used Pikachu and Buneary wouldn't have it any other way regardless. Still he had said he had missed her and that made her happy.
Wait, she heard that right! Ash Ketchum had said he had missed her and more than anyone else? He had also traveled all the way here to surprise her, something she was sure he had never done for any other girl he knew. There was no way that her feelings were not reciprocated. Even if not, this was as good a time as ever to come clean and tell him the truth. Otherwise, he might never realize.
"I missed you too." Misty muttered from his chest and just kept talking so that she could get it all out. "The moment I heard you were coming to Cynthia's Villa I realized just how much I had missed you after you left. Then, when you arrived, It was like old times in Unova but I knew that I had to leave as well because this was my path and not yours."
"Same." Ash said softly but Misty didn't hear it as she plowed on.
"The reason I had to leave didn't make it hurt any less though." Misty said sadly. "That was when I realized then that I wanted to travel with you again, wherever that path leads us. That was what helped motivate me to do as well as I could in Johto, knowing that at the end I would be finding you again and we would travel the world once more. That was what I was going to do, find you."
"Well you found me." Ash said kindly and she looked at him smiling at her, his auburn eyes full of warmth. "And I feel the same, I don't want to be separated again. I want you to be with me Misty, by my side on our next adventure together."
Misty could see the truth in his eyes and knew that he meant it. That was when she decided to go for broke. She had to tell him the full truth and get it off her chest.
"Ash." Misty said biting her lower lip, nerves and fear threatening to close her throat but powering through them. "There is something I have to tell you."
"What?" Ash asked. "You know you can tell me anything."
"I, I love you." Misty said hurriedly before looking him in the eye and repeating it. "Arceus be damned, I love you Ash Ketchum. I love you with all of my heart. You are the world to me and I will follow you to its end. I just had to tell you; I can't hold it back anymore. I am in love with you."
Ash just stared blankly at her in utter shock. Out of everything he expected from seeing Misty again, he had not expected that. He had of course hoped that but not in his wildest dreams had he thought that Misty liked him back. Hearing her say the words made him fully understand the true depth of his feelings for Misty and how he shared them, he had just never put words to it.
He must have been staring because he saw the tears in Misty's beautiful blue eyes as he wasn't responding. Ash may be dense, at times very dense, but he knew that you don't just stand gawking and blinking like an especially dumb Magikarp when a girl tells you that she loves you. He had to rectify this and Ash knew just what to do.
"Misty." He said softly, brushing a tear that had leaked out and run down her cheek away with his thumb and smiled at her as he final said the words he had known in his heart were true. "I love you too."
Then he lent in and kissed her. He hadn't planned it but it just felt right. Misty was just as surprised as Ash was but as soon as his lips met hers she knew he meant every word. At last she gave in and melted into her first ever kiss and it was with the boy that she loved.
In that moment all of their worries were washed away. They had found each other and confessed their love when they needed it the most. In that moment they were lost in the bliss of love. Nothing else mattered, only them and their love, as the world faded away from them, capturing that moment forever.
