So, we're finally calming down with the big, dramatic stuff, and we'll finally get settled down as we get ready for Dawn's next contest. But first, we run into a certain gym leader with a unique flair to her style, battle and clothes-wise. Thanks a lot for the reviews everyone, I'm deeply humbled by your reviews, and I highly appreciate them. So now we're in Celestic Town, without Brad and D. Shad. But don't worry! They'll be back! I own nothing except the story.
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Chapter 32
Misty's POV
I was starting to think that we'd never catch a break. First we run into Hunter J, and the next two days after that, we battled against a zany scientist with the obsessive intent to conquer the Reverse World! If it weren't for Brad and D. Shad sticking with us all the way through, I don't think we would've made it.
Well, maybe we would've, but it wouldn't have been easy, that was for sure. Ash's Charizard turned out to be a bigger hero this time around than it ever had before in any adventure we'd ever been on. Charizard almost single-handedly took on Giratina TWICE, battled against Zero and his army, and helped hold back an almost twenty ton glacier!
I was willing to bet that the situation was fueling its strength, and even taught it a new move. We even got to see 'Blaze' activated and stay in control unlike Chimchar. Later on I bet Ash that Charizard's power would go down to normal once he cooled off. Ash bet the opposite naturally.
So after a tearful goodbye with Shaymin, we bid farewell to Newton, who said he would continue to study the Reverse World, only this time, without any harmful machinery. Then the next stop was the Sonzonia City Pokémon Center, where we tended to our Pokémon and of course D. Shad.
Needless to say, Nurse Joy was honored to be working on D. Shad and his Pokémon, after all, a literal hero isn't something you see every day, unless you're me. Ash is my hero.
So after that, we bid Brad and D. Shad farewell. But before we left, they gave us directions to the nearby Celestic Town, and a promise to meet both of them again sometime in the near future.
It actually only took us an hour's time to get to Celestic Town, and the first thing Dawn wanted to do was look for the Contest Hall. But before we did that, we stopped by the Pokémon Center. However, before we walked in, we heard an order being issued. "That sounds like Zoey." Dawn had said.
We looked behind the Center to where the Battlefield was, and sure enough, there was Zoey and her Glameow battling a tall, violet-haired woman with a Mismagius.
Normal POV
"I thought so! It IS Zoey!" Dawn exclaimed. "Yeah, but who's that lady she's up against?" Misty asked. "Whoever she is, she's got Glameow in trouble." Brock added.
A few cheers from the sidelines alerted Zoey to the group's presence. "It's you guys!" Upon hearing them, Zoey's opponent spoke up.
"Ahh, these are your friends? But we are in the heat of battle!" Zoey's opponent said. It was apparent where this woman had grown up, her voice had a heavy French accent to it, and she would pepper in phrases of French when she spoke every so often.
Zoey growled with determination and ordered another attack, despite the fact that Mismagius' 'Psybeam' had left it confused. "Use 'Shock Wave' Glameow!"
Despite its confusion, Glameow fired the electric-attack at the free-floating ghost-type. However the confusion also hindered the accuracy, so Mismagius merely floated calmly and watched the shocks of electricity go by.
"Wow, even confused Glameow managed to attack." Brock said. "Yeah, but if it misses, what difference does it make?" Dawn replied.
Just then, Glameow shook off its confusion and gracefully landed back on the ground. "Great! Glameow recovered!" Brock exclaimed.
"Ahh, no more confusion. For you it's out of the frying pan and into the fire!" Zoey's opponent exclaimed. "I don't like the way she said that." Misty said. "Can you even understand what she says?" Ash joked.
"Great Glameow, now use 'Shock Wave' once more!" Zoey ordered. Glameow acknowledged and fired a furious electric-attack at the ghost-type.
"Whoa! The tables have turned again!" Dawn exclaimed. "Not so fast, that lady was way too confident for her to not have something planned." Misty added.
Misty would turn out to be correct. "Use 'Magical Leaf'!" Zoey's opponent ordered. Mismagius formed a shield of leaves and held it suspended in mid-air. "That 'Shock Wave's' not gonna hit!" Ash exclaimed.
"Zoey's opponent is taking advantage of the resistance of grass-type abilities to electric-type moves to build her defense!" Brock explained.
The next move however, would be the one that decided it all. "Psywave' Tout de suite!" Zoey's opponent ordered, peppering in a phrase of French in the order.
Mismagius did the impossible as it took control of Glameow's 'Shock Wave' with the help of its 'Magical Leaf' and 'Psywave'. "It can't be!" Dawn cried. "And yet it is!" Misty added.
Mismagius launched the three combined attacks down towards Glameow, who took the hit dead-on and fainted immediately after.
Zoey ran up to her exhausted normal-type and held it close to her, thanking it for a job well done. Then she turned towards her opponent who looked down at her with a smile. "I really appreciate what you did for me. I mean, with you being a top coordinator and all and having our battle…" Zoey was cut-off by her opponent.
"Merci à vous, you are a most formidable opponent. It's been so long since I've had a contest battle. You've filled me with joy." Zoey's opponent said, her French accent shamelessly showing itself in her voice.
"Any idea what she's saying?" Ash asked. "It's kinda hard to tell with that accent, but I think she said 'thank you'." Misty replied. "Uh oh, I think Brock wants to give her language a try." Dawn said, as he watched the love-struck breeder take his shot at a beautiful woman once more.
Just before the two opponents could shake hands, Brock came in and grabbed Zoey's opponent's hands, causing a sweat-drop to run down Zoey's face.
"Ma Cherie, if I may be so bold, I simply can't remember the last time I met a beautiful woman like you!" Brock exclaimed, with a cheesy French accent. Croagunk came out unusually fast this time and jabbed Brock in the side with its poisonous hand. "Of course, this may be why…" Brock groaned as Croagunk dragged him away.
"Serves you right! If you don't get arrested for stalking, you'll get arrested for molesting a language!" Misty exclaimed. Everyone got a jumpstart at the next statement that rang through the air.
"Oh! Such a beast!" Zoey's opponent exclaimed in horror. "Which one? Croagunk, or Brock?" Misty joked.
"Zoey it's a shame that you had to lose." Dawn said. "Yeah, but what an awesome battle!" Ash added.
Zoey's opponent turned to face the girl she had just defeated. "I would very much like to meet your friends." she said. Zoey showed no objection. "Sure!"
Zoey's opponent turned to face the three other teens and introduced herself. "Enchanté, my name is Fantina." She said, as she squeezed in a phrase of French impossible to understand.
"Hey Ash, guess what? SHE'S the Hearthome Gym Leader." Zoey said. Ash gasped in shock. "You're the Gym Leader?" he exclaimed.
"Awesome! We finally get to meet the Hearthome Gym Leader!" Dawn exclaimed. "Oh yeah, you told me you'd been there a whole bunch of times and Fantina's never been around." Zoey said.
"The thing is, I've now become a travelling trainer just like you, and so I regret to say that gives me no other choice but to leave the Hearthome Gym 'jacent'." Fantina said.
"Uh, what's 'jacent'?" Misty asked. "That means 'unoccupied' Ma chérie." Fantina explained with a smile. "Oh." Misty said sheepishly.
"You're a travelling trainer and a Gym Leader?" Ash asked. "Mais oui. Fantina replied.
"Hold on, Fantina, I was the Cerulean City Gym Leader before I started travelling, couldn't you have left someone in charge of the gym instead of leaving so many challengers with disappointment?" Misty asked.
"If you don't ask my asking Ma chérie, but what kind of gym was yours?" Fantina asked. "Well, it was a water-type gym, and I'm training to become a water-Pokémon Master, but that doesn't answer MY question." Misty replied.
"This battle has parched me; shall we go inside for a cup of tea?" Fantina suggested, totally dodging Misty's comment. "Sounds good to me, I'm kinda thirsty myself." Zoey replied.
Fantina and Zoey walked into the Pokémon Center leaving a very angry Ash and a very confused Misty, Dawn, and Brock.
"She just totally ignored my question!" Ash growled. "Hey, she ignored me too ok? Maybe she's just testing your patience." Misty suggested. "Oh, I'll say she is." Ash growled.
"That's not what I meant." Misty face-palmed. Ash charged into the center to join Fantina and Zoey, and was soon followed by the other three.
They found Fantina and Zoey sitting in a booth in the back of the Pokémon Center, with Fantina quietly sipping a cup of tea. Ash immediately took a seat and tried to gain Fantina's attention. This process included waving, clearing his throat, even exclaiming loudly.
By now, Misty had had enough of Ash's tantrum. She pulled out her mallet and gave Ash a nice knock on his skull. "Ow! What was that for?" Ash growled.
"Look at yourself! You're making a fool of yourself, just chill out!" Misty replied. Ash crossed his arms and growled lowly, but he obeyed Misty's command. "That's better." Misty said.
"I understand how he feels; he's one of many challengers who have come to me with many questions." Fantina said. "Well I DON'T understand why you don't go back to your gym then!" Ash exclaimed.
Fantina didn't respond, and simply took another sip of tea. By now, Ash didn't care if he got flat-headed by the beating Misty would give him, Fantina's ignoring him was torturing him more than any physical pain Misty could inflict on him. "Fantina!" he roared.
Before Misty could get the chance to slam him, a woman with bright purple hair and glasses knocked him off his seat instead. And just like that, Misty's rage was redirected from Ash to the woman. "Hey! Why don't you watch where you're going?" Misty hissed.
"Why don't YOU take a hike while I interview this fabulously fabulous top coordinator!" the woman exclaimed cheerfully. "Oh no, it's Jessidiah again." Ash groaned.
"I do declare, your beauty is only surpassed by your top-tier talent!" Jessidiah exclaimed. "And you are?" Fantina replied.
"I am! And that's none other than beautifully busy travelling reporter Jessidiah! My main scoop for the day is about Fantina and her mountain of magnificent Pokémon! So now, if you'll just work with me and look into the camera and making media magic!" Jessidiah said a little too happily.
Fantina took another sip of tea, and then turned to face the overly peppy reporter. "I'm sorry, but that's impossible. I'm training now." she said calmly.
The reporter and her camera crew face-faulted in shock. Now Ash wanted his turn at Fantina. "But that doesn't make any sense! You're a Gym Leader AND a top Coordinator!" Ash exclaimed. "That does seem a little strange to me too. What would YOU need to be training for?" Dawn asked.
"I really didn't want to say anything, but I'm a little curious myself. I mean, I know that training is an important part of any Gym Leader's job, I should know. But you seem to have already reached the top." Misty added.
"Fantina, maybe if you told everyone the same story you told me a while ago, it would help. I really doubt that they're gonna get it if you don't." Zoey said.
"I guess you're right." Fantina said, "One day I had a sort of revelation. I wanted to become much stronger. Stronger for every challenger that came to the Hearthome Gym with the desire to battle me. Now how could I resist that? As a Pokémon Trainer, I had to put in long hours of studying, and with a bit of luck, I was able to become top Coordinator!" Fantina continued,
"Everyone was generous with their praises for my battling technique, and the Hearthome Gym was able to open with moi as its leader. The Hearthome Gym specializes in ghost-type Pokémon. I faced off against anyone and everyone who came to challenge me, I fought many many battles." Fantina continued,
"Some of my challengers even after they failed would train with fierce determination and then return for a rematch. Seeing all that again, I still felt I had to win no matter what." Fantina concluded.
"Of course. The truly dedicated trainers that wouldn't accept defeat the first time around were always the ones nearest and dearest to my heart." Brock said.
"Yeah, it's those kinds of trainers that can inspire you to become stronger yourself. It would get boring if everyone just gave up all the time." Misty added.
"Mais oui, you both understand my feelings." Fantina said. "You see, not only was Misty the Gym Leader in Cerulean City, but Brock was the Gym Leader of Pewter City." Ash explained.
Fantina suddenly stood up and folded her hands in joy. "Wow, then there is no doubt you know exactly what I mean! Even Gym Leaders are always in training. They want to become stronger too!" Fantina exclaimed.
"You got it! I've been getting a lot of training in since I hit the road again!" Misty exclaimed. "Exactly! The best way to train is on the road, so after giving it a lot of thought, I came to realize that that was the best part of Hearthome Gym battles by far!" Fantina exclaimed.
"And that's about it. Fantina's been working as hard as she can as a trainer like us. Doing all the things we do like catching Pokémon, and battling, and gaining all that experience." Zoey said.
"Bien-sûr! And that led me to realize one more thing. I had to create a…new style of battling…one that would combine the beauty of competition with the ferocity of the battlefield!" Fantina exclaimed.
"A…new battling style?" Ash asked himself. "Awesome! So have you been able to come up with your new battling style yet?" Dawn asked.
"No, not quite yet Ma chérie. But one step at a time, slow and steady." Fantina replied. "Amazing…to become a Gym Leader is not the trainer's goal…but your desire to level up even now…you know, people would do well to start following your example!" Brock exclaimed.
"For sure! You're an inspiration to Gym Leaders everywhere, and now that list includes me!" Misty exclaimed. "I gotta tell ya Fantina, after hearing your awesome story, I've just gotta challenge you to a battle!" Ash exclaimed.
"Great idea! I'd like a battle too! A battle between Gym Leaders!" Misty added. "Me too! You've inspired me to give it my best shot and I want a battle as well!" Dawn added.
"Well well, there's nothing more interesting than listening to the dreams of a few inspired twerps – I-I uhh – what I'm really trying to say is, how about a battle?" Jessidiah asked suddenly.
"She called us twerps, now why does that sound familiar?" Misty asked. "Dunno, guess we're just really used to hearing it from Team Rocket." Ash replied.
"Well…when travelling trainers meet on the road, their first words are 'let's battle'! And since you and I fit that description to a tee, I accept your challenge!" Fantina exclaimed with a wink.
The three challengers cheered before Fantina semi-ruined the moment. "But since my Pokémon are feeling tres fatigue, I'm afraid I'll only be able to battle with one of you." she said.
"Alright, let's figure this out." Ash said. "I happen to have just the thing to decide which one of us battles her!" Dawn exclaimed, pulling out her Pokétch for a coin toss.
"Uh, that won't work Dawn; there are three of us and only two sides to a coin." Misty said. "Why not decide it with a game of rock-paper-scissors?" Brock suggested.
"That'll work I guess." Dawn said, slightly disappointed that her idea wouldn't work. The three teens made fists and held them out to each other, and prepared for the game that would decide the winner.
"Ok, one…two…three…shoot!"
LATER
Misty and Dawn were sitting next to Brock, who was holding Happiny in his arms, and Zoey on a bench. Dawn was making the best pouty face she could muster while she held Piplup in her arms, and Misty was resting her head in her hands with a huge frown on her face.
"Ok why? Why did I have to be so dumb that I go and pick paper?" Dawn cried, accidently squeezing Piplup and causing a squeal to emit from its beak. "Shut up Dawn, I'm still trying to figure how the heck Ash knew to pick scissors and knock us both out." Misty grumbled.
"Come on guys, it's just a game. You win a few, you lose a few." Zoey said. "That would be the case if it was anyone other than Ash. It's a matter of pride here." Misty grumbled. "Here, hold Azurill and feel better." Zoey said, grabbing Misty's Pokéball and sending the encased Pokémon into her arms.
Azurill squealed and nuzzled against Misty's chest, only VERY slightly making Misty feel better.
"Look, maybe if you play your cards right you'll get a chance to battle her after all, but in the meantime remember that that's your friend about to battle out there. In your case Misty, your boyfriend." Brock said, rather tired of the tense atmosphere.
"You're right Brock, let's cheer him on!" Dawn said cheerfully. "…Fine." Misty grumbled.
"So, after all those things Fantina said, it's obvious that ghost-type Pokémon are the Hearthome Gym's specialty." Brock said, trying to break the tense silence that had dropped.
"Yeah, AND she's an expert at using those tricky skills oh hers." Zoey added. "There's no need to worry, right?" Dawn said confidently. "We'll see." Misty said, still upset that Ash had beaten her in the deciding game.
"Alright, please be so kind as to share with us your rules!" Fantina exclaimed. "I'd like a three-on-three! And the battle's over if all of one side's Pokémon can't continue!" Ash replied. "Excellent. And we BOTH may substitute Pokémon." Fantina said.
"She's allowing Pokémon substitutions. You know, it's just like a trainer's battle!" Brock said. "Hey, you're right Brock. Challenging a Gym Leader has a totally different rule-set." Misty said, slowly gaining her cheerfulness back.
"Hey Dawn, a coin toss would come in handy now! We've gotta decide who goes first!" Ash exclaimed. "You got it!" Dawn put Piplup down and held out her Pokétch for the toss.
"Ok then you two, call it off!" Dawn exclaimed.
"Alright then, I call tails!" Ash yelled.
"Then of course, I call heads!" Fantina exclaimed.
Dawn pressed the button on her Pokétch, and the Magikarp coin flipped and landed on heads. "Oo la la, that means I go first!" Fantina exclaimed.
"I suppose you feel better now, huh Misty?" Zoey said. "Yeah, a little." Misty snickered, amused that Ash had lost the coin toss.
Fantina pulled out a Pokéball and held it up high, intimidating Ash.
"Whoa, she's holding a Pokéball…that means Mismagius isn't gonna go first…thanks to those battles with Dawn I know how contest battles work…I'm just not sure where to start…ok…it's all or nothing. Let's do it!" Ash grabbed one of his Pokéballs and held it tightly, ready for the upcoming battle.
"Ok, Buizel! I choose you!" Ash threw the Pokéball, and Ash's water weasel emerged from it with its arms crossed, ready for battle.
"Alors, Drifloon, battle position!" Fantina threw out her choice, and the balloon Pokémon emerged with a twirl and floated freely in the air.
"I've raised this darling little one since it was a baby Pokémon!" Fantina exclaimed. "Buizel, since you never know what it's gonna do, be careful, ok?" Ash said. Buizel grunted determinedly, narrowing its eyes at its opponent.
"Then let's begin! Drifloon, use 'Ominous Wind'!" Fantina ordered. Drifloon began spinning at high speed and charged toward Buizel with a dark, purple wind starting to form in its string-like arms.
"Quick, use 'Water Gun'!" Ash countered. Buizel unleashed a powerful jet of water at the incoming Balloon-Pokémon, who simply floated out of the way like the attack was standing still.
"How did Drifloon dodge that?" Dawn asked in shock. "Well, Buizel's counter attack was well timed…but…" Brock was cutoff. "Just wait Brock, Fantina's just getting started." Zoey said.
"You mean Ash might be in over his head?" Misty asked. "We'll see. Ash IS the best battler out of any of us." Zoey admitted.
Zoey almost regretted admitting Ash's skill, as Drifloon went straight from its idle stance to unleashing the 'Ominous Wind' it was previously ordered to use.
Buizel took the hit dead-on, as the ghostly and eerie wind enveloped it. "Whoa! Buizel's surrounded by wind!" Ash yelled with concern.
"Wow, she doesn't miss a trick." Brock said. "She's really living up to her position as Gym Leader, isn't she? Who knew a Drifloon could do something like that?" Zoey added.
"She's using all her moves perfectly. I just hope that Ash and Buizel don't get too caught up in the heat of the battle." Dawn said.
"That's why I'm here, right?" Misty said. Just as she said that, Misty saw that Ash was quickly growing frustrated, as he growled and barked out another move. "Buizel, use 'Aqua Jet'!"
Buizel struggled against the 'Ominous Wind' that was still blowing, but it eventually broke the attack up and charged towards the Balloon-Pokémon in a blindingly fast jet of water.
"Yeah! That's how you fight back!" Misty cheered. Buizel struck the Balloon-Pokémon, and Fantina gasped at the power and speed of the counter.
Drifloon floated higher into the air and recovered from the shock of getting hit. Fantina wiped her brow with relief that Drifloon had survived the strike. "Buizel, that move of yours was superb! But get ready for this! Use 'Hypnosis'!"
Drifloon followed its master's orders. It glowed in a sky blue aura and its eyes glowed brightly. Just then, a yellow 'X' started flying towards Buizel, twirling and spinning in the air as it headed straight for him.
Unable to counter, Buizel took the attack right in the face, and it fell to the ground, fast asleep. "Buizel, wake up!" Ash yelled.
"Oh come on, that's not fair." Misty whined. "I never even knew 'Hypnosis' could be used that way." Zoey added.
"After taking a good long look at Buizel's moves, Fantina figured out a weakness in Ash's strategy. So after seeing that 'Aqua Jet', she threw him a change-up!" Brock explained.
"The thing about Ash's battle style is that if he doesn't get right into a rhythm when the battle starts, Ash's skills are hindered throughout the rest of the battle. Ash needs to lose some of that aggressiveness and slow down and think about what he does next." Misty added.
"Alors dear Drifloon, go and pick Buizel up!" Fantina ordered. Drifloon did just that. It floated down, grabbed Buizel's sleeping form and toyed with it, spinning and twirling Buizel as if it was a plaything.
"But Buizel's still fast asleep!" Dawn exclaimed. "That 'Hypnosis' of Drifloon's packs a punch." Brock said. "On top of all that, Fantina's using Buizel's being fast asleep to show off Drifloon's power." Zoey added.
"S'il vous plaît Drifloon, use 'Psychic'!" Fantina ordered. Drifloon complied and released Buizel, only to grab onto it once again using its telekinetic powers. After spinning Buizel around a little, Drifloon threw Buizel right into Ash, knocking the frustrated trainer to the ground. Naturally, Misty did not appreciate that treatment being given to her boyfriend.
"Hey! That was a low blow!" Misty stood up, pointing an accusing finger at the Balloon-Pokémon. "Misty, calm down!" Brock exclaimed sternly. Zoey tugged hard on the water-trainer's arm and dragged her back to the bench.
Fantina took Misty's outburst into account and decided that she was right. "S'il vous plaît Drifloon, be nice to the challenger!" Fantina scolded. Drifloon turned to its master and nodded, and went back to battle-ready stance.
Just as it did that, Buizel woke up and growled at its adversary. "Great Buizel, you woke up!" Ash exclaimed with relief.
"My sincere apologies Ash, I'm afraid my dear Drifloon can become over-excited in the heat of battle, are you quite alright?" Fantina asked. "Yeah, I'm alright! Let's keep it going Buizel!" Ash replied.
Buizel grunted determinedly, but then suddenly showed signs of fainting as it dropped to one knee. "Oh no, Buizel!" Ash cried. Buizel struggled and groaned, willing itself to stay up. "Come on Buizel, you can't let Drifloon get away with that! Water-types never give up!" Misty shouted.
Buizel heard Misty's encouragement, and fought the aches and pains all over its body, slowly forcing itself to its feet. "My my Misty, you certainly have a way with water-types, n'est-ce pas?" Fantina said.
"Misty's the best water-type trainer I've ever known, and Buizel's learning a lot from her! Take this for instance! 'Water Pulse'!" Ash ordered.
Slowly and weakly, Buizel formed the energized ball and launched it at the Balloon-Pokémon. "Drifloon, use 'Psychic'!" Fantina countered.
Drifloon took control of the 'Water Pulse' using the psychic-type move. "Now Buizel, 'Water Gun'!" Buizel fired while Drifloon held the 'Water Pulse', hoping that Drifloon couldn't handle two things at once.
"Alors Drifloon, float up and dodge it!" Fantina countered. Drifloon easily dodged the attack, and then it readied its next move. "Now 'Ominous Wind'!" Fantina ordered. Drifloon whipped up a ghostly cyclone, and allowed the 'Water Pulse' to fly around inside.
Then the attack headed straight for Buizel, who was now simply too tired to do anything except let the attack hit it and knock it out. "Aww man, Buizel…" Ash groaned.
"After all that, it's just over." Dawn groaned. "Looks like Buizel took quite a bit of damage from that first 'Ominous Wind'." Zoey said. "And I'm willing to bet that being spun around like a merry-go-round didn't help out either…but you have to admire Buizel's determination." Misty added.
"Buizel, that was some great work!" Ash returned Buizel to its Pokéball, "Now you get yourself a good long rest…Chimchar, let's go!"
Ash tossed out his next choice, and the adopted fiery little monkey popped out, ready for battle. "It is with my dear Drifloon that I will stay. Alors Ash, it is YOU who has the honor!" Fantina exclaimed.
"Ash seems frustrated that he can't get a good groove going." Brock said. Misty decided it was time to do her part in the cheering section.
"Ash, remember to keep calm and stay focused! If you just keep your cool you'll be able to handle this!" Misty exclaimed.
Ash looked to the sidelines and smiled at his red-headed girlfriend, and she smiled back at him. Then he took a deep breath and readied for battle. "Ok Chimchar, no holding back! 'Flamethrower'!"
Chimchar acknowledged and spewed a burning flame at the Balloon-Pokémon. "Drifloon, 'Psychic'!" Fantina countered.
Drifloon's eyes glowed blue, and the flames lost all their fury as they were literally stopped in mid-air. "What happened?" Ash yelled in shock. The group on the bench were in shock as well, gaping that the attack simply stopped in its tracks.
Now S'il vous plaît, we'll take control of that!" Fantina exclaimed. Drifloon's eyes glowed again, and the flame broke into eight small embers and started swirling around Drifloon. "Fantina's using 'Psychic' to control our 'Flamethrower'?" Ash said in awe.
"I've seen trainers use their opponent's Pokémon's skills a lot in contest battles before, but never like she does." Zoey said.
"How is Ash supposed to beat someone who takes advantage of almost every single move he makes?" Dawn asked. "I think Ash may have to do some training with you this time Dawn, you provide the contest side I can't give him." Misty said.
"I can't do that stuff! At least not yet anyway." Dawn said. "Fantina's a really unique trainer, in order to use both battling and contest skills at the same time takes a lot of practice." Brock said. "And learning how to counter those techniques takes even more practice." Zoey added.
"Now prepare for a surprise! 'Will-O-Wisp'!" Drifloon turned the embers into blue ghostly flames, shocking everyone. "Look out!" Dawn cried.
Drifloon fired and the blue flames nailed Chimchar before it could get out of the way. "Now 'Hypnosis'!" Fantina ordered.
Drifloon sent out the sleep-inducing 'X' once more, and it spun in the air on its way to Chimchar. Ash just stood in shock at what had just happened. "Ash, snap out of it!" Misty screamed. Ash shook his head and came to his senses upon hearing Misty's voice, and he saw that Chimchar was about to be put to sleep.
"Aah! Chimchar, use 'Dig', quick!" Ash yelled. Chimchar started digging a hole, but the 'X' managed to reach Chimchar before it could get under.
Chimchar was knocked backwards, and it struggled to fight the effects of the 'Hypnosis' and stay awake. "Come on Chimchar, hang in there!" Ash exclaimed. Chimchar blinked a few times and tried to fight the 'Hypnosis', but it eventually fell asleep as well. "No, not again!" Ash cried.
"I don't believe it!" Dawn exclaimed. "Ash, do something!" Misty screamed.
Ash did just that, he reached for Chimchar's Pokéball and yanked it off his Pokéball belt. "Chimchar, return!" Ash returned Chimchar to its Pokéball to avoid any further damage.
"Ahh, good! Ash managed to get Chimchar back into its Pokéball before it was too late." Dawn said with relief. "That's not as good as it looks." Brock said.
"Huh? What do you mean?" Dawn asked. "The thing is, confusion and sleep work differently. If Ash were to send Chimchar back out, he'd still be asleep." Misty explained.
"So I guess Pikachu's next then?" Zoey figured. "I don't think so." Brock said. "Whaddya say Ash? Time to call out the big guns?" Misty exclaimed from the sidelines.
"You guessed it!" Ash grabbed one last Pokéball from his belt and clutched it tightly. If any of his Pokémon could get him out of this mess, it was this one. "Charizard, I choose you!"
The giant dragon emerged with a roar, bringing a small gasp from Fantina. Oh! What a ferocious looking Pokémon you have there!" Fantina exclaimed.
"Yeah, Charizard's one of my best friends and battlers!" Ash yelled determinedly. Charizard shared its master's enthusiasm and clenched its claws into fists.
"The thing is…if Charizard falls asleep, it's all over…I've gotta think of something." Ash said to himself.
"Pika Pikapi!"
"Right Pikachu, we get lemons, we make lemonade, and that's what we do best! You ready Charizard?" Ash yelled. Charizard turned to Ash and nodded with a thumbs-up.
"Alors, this time I start! Drifloon, 'Will-O-Wisp'!" Fantina ordered. Drifloon fired once more, but this time the attack failed to do much. Charizard merely crossed its arms and took the attack with little effort. "Yeah Charizard! Now use 'Flamethrower'!" Charizard acknowledged and spewed an even more powerful flame at the Balloon-Pokémon.
Drifloon took the hit and squealed in pain. "Well, I'm impressed. That 'Flamethrower' was magnifique." Fantina said.
Drifloon struggled for a few moments, and then finally broke free. "We're just getting warmed up! Charizard, use 'Steel Wing'!" Charizard's wings glowed and he charged ahead for the attack.
"Now Ash is getting somewhere!" Misty cheered. "Ominous Wind'!" Fantina countered. Drifloon spun and blasted the ghostly wind like a horizontal tornado.
Charizard struggled against the wind, sending gasps of shock to everyone. "That 'Ominous Wind' is so powerful it's stopping Charizard in his tracks!" Brock exclaimed in shock.
Despite the force against it, Charizard continued to fight. "Hang in there Charizard, you've just gotta hang in there!" Ash encouraged.
"Oh! I've never seen such burning spirit! This battle is now in your hands!" Fantina exclaimed. Just as she said that, Charizard gave a mighty roar and surged through the wind and slammed the Balloon-Pokémon higher into the sky.
"Yeah Charizard, that's showing them!" Ash cheered. Charizard sneered with confidence, but the Flame-Pokémon was slowly weakening. As for Fantina, she was feeling for the first time during the entire match that she might lose a battle, so she started using strategy once more.
"Drifloon, use 'Hypnosis'!" Fantina ordered. Drifloon sent the attack right for Charizard, whose previous effort had left it slightly fatigued. Unable to move away in time, the attack hit Charizard right in the face.
"Oh no!" the group yelled from the sidelines. "Charizard, you've gotta stay awake! You can't go down! You're my last hope!" Ash pleaded.
Charizard's eyes blinked several times, beckoning him to lie down and fall asleep, but the giant dragon wouldn't accept it. It shook its head violently and shook off the effects of 'Hypnosis'.
"Alors, your Charizard is much MUCH stronger!" Fantina exclaimed in awe. "You think that's impressive? Watch this! 'Heat Wave'!" Ash ordered.
Charizard fired a wave of pure heat towards the Balloon-Pokémon, who just took the hit hard. "That's it!" Ash cheered.
"Look at Charizard go!" Dawn exclaimed. "Yeah, Ash can sure turn the tables!" Brock added. When the waves of heat finally ceased, Drifloon began glowing white. "Alors, my Drifloon is starting to evolve!" Fantina exclaimed.
"Evolving now?" Ash yelled in shock. The group on the sidelines also gaped, as Drifloon suddenly transformed into a Drifblim.
"Incroyable! My Drifloon has evolved into a Drifblim! Vraiment incroyable!" Fantina and Drifblim twirled around with joy, slightly intimidating Ash. However Charizard didn't seem impressed.
"So that's a Drifblim." Dawn pulled out her pink Pokédex and scanned the newly evolved Pokémon. The Pokédex made a few beeping noises and gave its explanation. "Drifblim, the Blimp-Pokémon, and the evolved form of Drifloon. Because it travels on wind currents, Drifblim's movements are unusual and unpredictable." the Pokédex chirped.
"Sheesh, just when Ash gets into a groove, something like this happens." Misty groaned. "Yeah, but he is using Charizard, he's gotta win this time!" Dawn replied.
Brock and Zoey looked on silently; they didn't share the same confidence in Charizard's pure power. "I'm witnessing a miracle. Better brace yourself Ash!" Fantina warned.
Ash's fiery spirit flooded back into his veins, and he clenched his fists with determination. "No prob! You don't have to worry about Charizard and me! Charizard, 'Flamethrower', let's go!"
Charizard spewed the burning flames at the newly evolved Pokémon, assuming that not much difference had been made. "Keep your eyes peeled! Calmly floating just like that!" Fantina countered.
Drifblim merely floated out of the way while the blast of fire completely missed its target. "Drifblim dodged!" Dawn exclaimed. "Charizard's 'Flamethrower' is too strong to take." Zoey said. "But that doesn't explain how Drifblim could dodge so easily." Misty said.
"A Blimp-Pokémon like Drifblim can dodge like that so easily because it's riding the wind currents. It almost seems like its controlling the attacks." Brock explained.
"Now 'Hypnosis'!" Fantina ordered. Drifblim moved in to finish the job, and Ash seemed too deep in a haze to notice. "Ash, heads up!" Misty screamed.
Once again thanks to Misty, Ash shook himself back to reality and saw what was about to happen. Drifblim had grabbed Charizard's face and was about to put it to sleep and end it. "Aah! Charizard quick, use 'Heat Wave'!"
Charizard reacted in seconds, and fired the blast of heat right into Drifblim at point-blank range, resulting in Drifblim finally fainting. "Way to go Charizard!" Ash cheered. Charizard wiped sweat from its brow, relieved that its master had snapped out of his haze.
Fantina recalled Drifblim to its Pokéball, and congratulated it. "Merci Beacoup Drifblim, you were magnifique."
"And once again, Misty saves the day with her Ash manipulating skills." Zoey joked. "I don't MANIPULATE, I simply encourage." Misty replied matter-of-factly.
"That Charizard of yours is simply incroyable, n'est-ce pas?" Fantina said. "Uh…sure?" Ash replied unsurely. "Now Mismagius, battle position vite!" Mismagius floated onto the field, staring down the tired dragon who was panting with fatigue.
"This shouldn't take much longer; your Charizard seems très fatigué." Fantina said. "Don't count Charizard out too soon!" Ash replied.
"Do you really think Charizard can hold out for two more Pokémon?" Dawn asked. "You want my honest opinion?" Misty replied. Dawn shook her head no and looked back to the battle.
"Ok Charizard, one down and two to go!" Ash exclaimed. Charizard gave a grunt of determination, but it was obvious that he was weakening.
"Ash, it is your turn to start!" Fantina exclaimed. "Ok! Charizard, 'Dragon Breath'!" Ash ordered. Charizard launched the fiery breath attack at the ghost-type, who easily dodged the attack.
"S'il vous plait Mismagius; finish this with 'Dark Pulse'!" Fantina ordered. Mismagius launched the attack and the familiar rings that knocked Charizard out versus Team Galactic headed toward it.
"Charizard, use 'Flamethrower'!" Ash countered. Charizard fired to counter the attack, but just as before with Saturn's Toxicroak, the rings broke apart and slammed into Charizard in a machinegun like barrage.
"Charizard, no!" Ash cried. "Use 'Psybeam'!" Fantina screamed. Mismagius fired, and the dragon could do nothing but take the hit and fall over fainted. "No…Charizard…" Ash moaned.
Ash groaned with his fists clenched tightly, and then grunted in defeat. "That's it."
"Oui, looks like it." Fantina replied. "There's nothing I can do since Chimchar's still asleep…thanks Charizard, return." Ash returned the dragon to its Pokéball, and looked to the ground in shame.
"Oh Ash…" Dawn said quietly. Misty handed Azurill to Zoey, and walked up to her disheartened boyfriend and gave him a hug to comfort him. "Thanks Mist."
Misty nodded and continued to hold him, as Fantina came up to her defeated challenger for the post-battle discussion.
"You know Ash; you have to admit that this battle was totally different from anything you've ever experienced." Brock said.
"You're right Brock. I couldn't get myself into a solid groove. The more I worried about my Pokémon falling asleep, the less concentration I wound up having. I got lucky with Charizard but I can't rely on that to win." Ash said.
"The thing is, even the best of us come up short sometimes." Fantina said. "Well I'll tell you this; I wanna give the Hearthome Gym another shot!" Ash exclaimed, extending his hand out to Fantina.
"I accept your challenge, and thank you for a battle incroyable." Fantina replied. "So what'll you do now?" Ash asked. "I'm going back to the Hearthome Gym to do some homework with my new Drifblim. In the meantime, you have a magnifique time out on the road!" Fantina exclaimed.
"Fantina! If it's possible, I'd like to have a battle with you too!" Dawn exclaimed. "Yeah me too! I still want a Gym Leader versus Gym Leader match!" Misty added.
"Mais oui ma chéries, I promise bien-sûr!" Fantina said cheerfully, "Meanwhile, let's all keep working. Since you can't count your Torchic before they hatch n'est-ce pas?"
"Zoey, any idea what she just said?" Brock asked. Zoey merely glanced at Brock and shook her head. "Well everyone, I believe it's time for me to hit the road, au revoir!" With that, Fantina and her Mismagius walked off into the forest back towards Hearthome City.
"Now that she's gone I have no trouble asking. Did anybody understand half the things she said?" Dawn asked. "Not a clue, but I'm gonna find out." Misty said.
"How are you gonna do that Misty?" Zoey asked. "I wrote down all the things she said, course, half of them are probably spelled wrong, but maybe I can run them through the Pokémon Center computer." Misty replied.
Ash was being uncharacteristically quiet. That brought worry to his friends. "Ash, are you alright?" Misty asked. "Yeah, I'm fine. I've just got some serious thinking to do." Ash replied. Ash walked into the Pokémon Center with Pikachu trailing him.
"That was a really tough loss you know. He probably wants to review it for himself." Brock figured. The group agreed and walked in as well. Misty took one glance at Ash who was sitting Indian-style in-between all his Pokémon.
"You sure you're ok Ash?" Misty asked with concern. "Mist, YES, I am. I just need to go over where I went wrong, ok?" Ash replied.
Misty nodded and replied with a quiet. "Ok."
She then walked over to the computer and began her research on what Fantina was saying with her French phrases.
Hours went by and the brightly shining moon rose over the thick foliage of the nearby forest. Misty had completed her research and was translating everything Fantina said to the group. "So Misty, you finally found everything?" Zoey asked.
"Yep, and I've got the list right here!" Misty waved a piece of paper she printed from the Pokémon Center computer in the air, proud that she had done it. "Well let's have it!" Dawn exclaimed. "You got it!" Misty replied.
"Ok, so remember when she said 'Bien-sûr'?" Misty asked. "Yeah, that was one of the ones I couldn't translate." Dawn said. "Well 'Bien-sûr' means 'of course' or 'exactly'." Misty explained.
"Merci à vous' means 'thank you you'." Misty said. "You said 'you' twice." Zoey said. "I know, it literally means 'you you'." Misty shrugged. Dawn and Zoey shrugged and allowed Misty to continue.
"Tout de suite' means 'now'."
"Alors' means 'so'."
"Jacent' means 'vacant'."
"Ma chérie' means 'sweetheart', 'honey', or my 'beloved'." Misty explained.
"That would explain why she only called you, me, and Zoey by that term. It'd be weird saying that to Ash or Brock." Dawn said.
"So anyways, I've got a few more here." Misty said.
"S'il vous plaît' means 'please'." Misty explained. "Wow, that's a long word to say 'please'." Zoey said. "I know right? Lemme keep going now." Misty said.
"Très fatigué' means 'very tired'."
"She said 'vite' when she sent out her Pokémon. 'Vite' means 'hurry' or 'quick'."
"N'est-ce pas' means 'isn't it' or 'aren't you'."
"Magnifique' can mean lots of different things. Ranging from 'magnificent', 'wonderful', or 'amazing'."
"This one's easy; 'incroyable' means 'incredible'."
"And lastly, 'vraiment' means 'really'." And with that, Misty finished her translation list.
"Wow Misty, how'd you find all that stuff?" Zoey asked. "Believe me, it wasn't easy. I'd rather not discuss it." Misty sighed.
"So how's life with Ash?" Zoey asked teasingly. "Well, it's not perfect by any means. But it's definitely not boring. We just got finished fighting against some maniac bent on ruling another dimension!" Misty exclaimed.
"Wow! And all I've done is win another contest. Maybe I should travel with you guys for a while." Zoey said. "Zoey, you won another contest?" Dawn asked excitedly.
"Yeah! Check it out!" Zoey pulled out her ribbon case, and revealed that she had indeed added to her collection. "Wow, your third ribbon Zoey!" Dawn exclaimed.
"Yeah, Shellos really came through for me. And before you ask Misty, I'll make sure to tell Shellos you're proud of it and its water." Zoey said jokingly.
Misty giggled at that. "Well I am!" she laughed. "I hope I do well in my next contest, losing is something I can't afford to do." Dawn sighed.
"You'll do fine Dawn, just remember to keep cool and have fun with your Pokémon!" Misty said. "I know Misty, but I'm running out of time and contests, I can't keep coming up short." Dawn said.
"Don't worry about it. Hey, you won the Wallace Cup! That's a once-in-a-lifetime accomplishment!" Zoey encouraged. "Yeah but I tied with Misty!" Dawn said. "Dawn, I got lucky, that's all. YOU'RE the one who knows all the techniques. Trust me, you'll be fine." Misty said.
"I'll try." Dawn sighed. "Good, now take a deep breath." Misty said. Dawn obliged, inhaled, and exhaled with relief. "I feel better now."
"Good." Misty said with satisfaction. "So Zoey, you're really not going to be in the Celestic Town contest?" Dawn asked.
"I'm gonna take a pass this time. But I'll be there cheering for you, don't worry." Zoey said. "Really? Thanks Zoey! Hey Ash, guess what…" Dawn saw that Ash was still sitting in the same position he was hours ago.
"Ash is still going over today's battle in his head." Brock said, mixing a batch of Pokémon medicine. "Ash is gonna hurt himself with all this heavy thinking." Misty joked. As if on cue, Ash finally spoke up after an hour or so of total silence.
"Man! It feels like my head is gonna explode! I do know that every time we got hit by that 'Hypnosis' we were toast! Charizard managed to fight it, but I can't rely on luck every time." Ash said. Charizard growled with frustration.
"Sorry buddy, but you know it's the truth." Ash said sternly. Charizard hesitated, but eventually grunted in submission.
"From now on, we're gonna work day and night figuring out how to punch that 'Hypnosis' right in the nose!" Ash exclaimed.
"And I've gotta get focused on winning that Celestic Town contest you know? So Ash, it looks like you and I have got some serious work to do!" Dawn replied.
"Right. Next time we're at the Hearthome Gym, we're gonna rock!" Ash pumped his fist in the air, and all his Pokémon matched his action with the same enthusiasm.
"Fine, but until then, how about you take a little break? You've been racking your brain for the past two hours. Maybe we could…go watch a movie?" Misty suggested.
"Heh, yeah, that sounds great Mist." Ash said gratefully. "If you'll excuse us everyone." Misty grabbed onto Ash's hand and entwined her slender fingers into his fingers. They walked up the steps to the rooms, leaving the others by themselves.
"Nice of Ash to leave us his Pokémon." Dawn huffed. "Hey, he's had a rough day, let him enjoy some alone time with Misty." Brock said, finishing his medicinal powder.
"What's that you're working on Brock?" Zoey asked. "It's a special Pokémon massage rub. It relaxes the Pokémon's muscles." Brock replied.
"Think I could have some Brock? A massage would be just the thing for my Pokémon after a rough contest." Dawn said.
"I wish I could, but this is the last of my natural ingredients. We'll have to head out tomorrow to that nearby natural medicine hut I found on the map, and then we can head back here." Brock said.
"Well guys, it's late, I think I'll hit the hay." Zoey said. "G'night Zoey." Dawn and Brock said. Zoey walked up the steps to the rooms as well. She wound up walking by the bedroom of Ash and Co. She curiously peeked in and saw Ash and Misty cuddled up on the couch in the room.
"You lucky dog you." Zoey snickered. Zoey walked past the room and headed into her own for a good night's sleep.
"You sure you're alright Ash?" Misty asked, resting her head on his shoulder. "(Sigh) I dunno Mist, if it weren't for you, I wouldn't have been able to get anywhere even with Charizard. You had to snap me out of it like three times." Ash replied.
"Give yourself more credit than that. I only had to wake you up twice." Misty giggled. "Yeah but still, Fantina kept me guessing the whole time, there's just gotta be a way to counter that 'Hypnosis'." Ash said.
"We'll figure it out together. But tomorrow, ok? Let's just enjoy some time together." Misty's voice slipped into a whisper as she finished her sentence. She snuggled her nose into Ash's neck and wrapped her arms around his waist.
Ash responded by holding her close to him, wrapping his arms around her shoulders and into a loving embrace. Their attention turned to the show on the television. It was apparently about a Raticate who was part of a secret agent operation with the purpose of defeating the evildoers all over the world.
"Is there anything else?" Misty asked. "Not unless you wanna watch a documentary on Pokémon reproduction." Ash replied.
Misty's eyes widened and she quickly became content with the secret agent show. Although she still got bored with it after a while longer, and held in the loving embrace of her boyfriend, she was beginning to lose consciousness.
Noting that Misty's eyes were beginning to droop, Ash felt this sudden wave of tenderness wash over him. He gently moved her head from his shoulder and placed it onto his chest so she could use it as a pillow.
Misty sighed happily and snuggled her head deeper into his chest, as Ash rubbed her back affectionately. "Heh, now I can watch the show in peace." Ash thought. But Ash was still being bothered. In the back of his mind the battle with Fantina haunted him.
"How could I have been beaten so easily? It was almost as if she knew exactly what I'd do and when I'd do it. Charizard managed to do some damage but he's my strongest Pokémon, even he can't beat all of her Pokémon. There's just gotta be some way to counter that 'Hypnosis'."
Ash continued to think about the battle, his restlessness growing with every moment his confusion lingered in his mind. Ash's train of thought was derailed though when he felt a slight shift below him. He looked down and saw Misty snuggling into a more comfortable position in her sleep. Ash's mind was put at ease when he saw her beautiful face.
"Aww Mist, thanks for being here for me…even when you're asleep you're helping me. I really don't know how I ever got along without you; you're always making me feel better when I'm down." Ash's train of thought had changed direction, and was now happily focused on the red-head sleeping in his arms.
He lowered his head slightly so that his nose grazed the top of her head, and he nuzzled his nose in her silky smooth hair lovingly. Misty's face slowly formed a small smile, and she curled even deeper into his chest. "Thanks for everything Misty; I think I can finally relax." Ash turned his attention back to the TV, no longer feeling anxiousness thanks to Misty's presence.
After a while longer, Dawn and Brock finally showed up and saw that Misty was sleeping in Ash's hug and was using his chest as a pillow. Dawn quietly gushed to herself and headed to the bathroom for a much-needed shower, while Brock looked on in jealousy.
Ash stuck his tongue out at the Breeder, teasing and torturing him further. Brock rubbed his eyes wearily and walked away without a word. By this time, the movie ended and even Ash was beginning to get fatigued.
He didn't even notice that he was still rubbing Misty's back; he had been doing it the whole time and never even knew it. Of course, seeing the content and blissful expression on Misty's face showed him that Misty couldn't have been more comfortable than she was now, and Ash felt a lift in his heart to know he had that effect on a girl like her.
Dawn came out fifteen minutes later, and was about to head off to her bunk, but not before taking one last longing glance at the couple comfortably cuddling on the couch. "Why can't I have someone to hold me like that?" She curled herself into her covers, just hoping and praying that someone would soon come into her life and sweep her off her feet like Ash had done for Misty.
Meanwhile, Brock was making a shopping list for the natural medicine hut for the next day. "Hey Brock, what time is it?" Ash asked in a hushed tone.
Brock looked at the clock on his desk. "It's past midnight Ash, wake Misty up and head to bed."
Ash looked down at Misty's sleeping form. Her red hair flowed down her face like a waterfall of pure, soft silk. Her smile was generated by pure happiness from love, and Ash couldn't stand himself for what he had to do.
He gently shook Misty's shoulder and tried to wake her. "Misty." he whispered. Misty didn't stir. Ash shook her a bit harder and repeated himself a bit louder. "Misty."
This time it worked, as Misty slowly opened her gorgeous cerulean-blue eyes and smiled up at her boyfriend. "Come on Mist, it's midnight." Ash said softly. Misty nodded groggily and kissed Ash's cheek before forcing herself to sit upright.
"Musta dozed off." she said with a yawn. She pushed herself off the couch and into the bathroom for her shower, leaving Ash with Brock. "I'm jealous of you Ash and I'm not afraid to say it." Brock said bitterly.
"Sorry to tell you this Brock, but Misty's a one of a kind…come to think of it I'm NOT sorry." Ash snickered. "One day Ash I'm gonna find a girl prettier than her and then rub it in your face." Brock said with a smirk.
"Even if you did get a girl, there's no way she'd be prettier than Misty." Ash countered. "Oh yeah? Watch me. One day Ash, I promise you." Brock said.
"I'll hold you to that promise." Ash countered. "Will you guys be quiet? Some of us have training tomorrow." Dawn grumbled sleepily. Dawn slammed the pillow over head and tried to go back to sleep but to no avail.
"One day you'll get a girl Brock, and that same day I'll be there to tell her about all the times Misty and Croagunk had to drag you away because you had no self-control." Dawn grumbled, upset that she couldn't fall asleep, and also still frustrated that SHE couldn't find a GUY.
"Hey, you wouldn't do that." Brock said. "Oh yeah? Try me." Dawn replied. "How'd you like to cook all your own meals from now on?" Brock asked. Dawn immediately shut up and flipped to her other side so she couldn't see the two competing men. "Give a girl a break…geez Brock, you could see Ash and Misty's connection, but why can't you see how bad I'm feeling?"
Before Ash and Brock could reignite their competition of who could get the most attractive girl, the favorite candidate came out of the bathroom wearing tight black shorts and a loose fitting blue t-shirt.
"Your turn Ash, I'm going to sleep. G'night." Misty gave Ash a short and sweet goodnight kiss on the lips, and then curled into the covers of their bunk as if nothing had happened. On the receiving end however, nothing could be further from the truth.
Ash watched Misty doze off with a huge grin on his face from the kiss he had received, and Brock just gaped there like he had just seen the most unbelievable thing in the world, which to him, that was it.
"What can I say Brock? I'm a lucky guy." With a spring in his step, Ash trotted into the bathroom and turned on the shower. "I NEED to find a girlfriend before I crack open like a walnut!" Brock thought desperately.
Now unable to concentrate on his list, he grumpily threw his pen and paper down onto the desk and crawled into his bunk. He lied on his back with his arms crossed underneath his head. "Maybe I should try to control myself more, then maybe I'd get somewhere. My pickup lines aren't working, so I might as well try being calm…but I can't! So many beautiful girls…"
When Ash came out of the shower, he saw that everyone but Brock was fast asleep, even Dawn who had previously been woken up and tortured by his and Brock's bickering was asleep. Brock merely had a goofy grin on his face, and didn't seem to know Ash had walked in. "Brock, sometimes you can be kinda weird."
And then there was his beloved Misty. Her hair fell over her eyes and her breathing caused the covers over her to slowly rise and fall.
He didn't know how long he just stood there staring at her beauty, but when he finally came to his senses, it was because Pikachu was curling around his legs affectionately. "Hey Pikachu, where ya been?" he whispered.
"Pika pika chu pi pi pika." (Giving myself a bath.) Pikachu replied.
"Pikachu, I always thought you didn't like baths." Ash said. "Pika chu pika pi chu." (I can't go to bed smelling bad.) Pikachu replied.
"Why not? That never stopped you before." Ash joked. Pikachu sent a tiny jolt to Ash's foot, giving Ash a small jumpstart. "Well am I wrong?" Ash asked.
Pikachu didn't respond and hopped onto Dawn's bunk. "Why are you sleeping up there?" Ash asked. Ash got his answer when a white light emerged from Dawn's backpack. "Oh, I get it. Heh, g'night Pikachu."
"Pika Pikapi." (G'night Ash.)
Ash softly scooted into the bed so as not to wake Misty, and turned his head to see Pikachu and Buneary cuddling together on top of Dawn's bunk. "Good for you buddy, good for you." Ash thought happily.
Love was in the air that night, along with some bits of frustration and jealousy, but mostly love from two couples. One a human couple and the other a Pokémon couple.
And as the male halves of those couples held their respective female counterpart close, it wasn't long before everyone in the room was sound asleep, and the group would be on their way tomorrow, training for Dawn's next contest.
_
A/N: I hope you enjoyed this one! I was actually getting used to having Brad and D. Shad around all the time, so not including them felt kind of weird. And for all you romance fans like me out there, I filled this chapter with lots of Ash and Misty fluff, and a small bit of Pikachu and Buneary! ^^ I would like to take the time to recognize another good internet friend of mine whom without I would've never been able to handle Fantina and her French.
RaianOnzika of deviantart.
This man helped me to translate all of Fantina's sayings and phrases so that I could effectively add more where needed and also explain to the readers what Fantina was saying. And as a small payment to him, I'll take this moment to give him a shameless plug. lol.
If you're a fan of Sonamy, Tailream, Knuxikal, Shadouge, or Silvaze, you must check out his gallery on dA! Read his comic: Sonic and Amy: The Dark Doppels, and witness the ultimate in Sonamy comics. The link to his dA account is below, simply copy and paste it. And make sure to take the spaces out so it reads correctly. (Stupid Fanfiction won't let me post links. -_-) Make sure to review everyone! And I'll let ya know when the next update is scheduled to come out!
http:/ /raian onzika. deviantart. com/