"So it's true. Ash Ketchum has returned." Violet muttered beneath her breathe. Of course she had heard the rumors. She, Daisy, and Violet had been discussing said rumors only a few days before when they had er, suggested, that Misty take a week off. But this? This was bad. What if Misty sees him? She can barely focus as it is! What to do, what to do?! Daisy shook her head, composing herself. She was one of the famed Cerulean Sensations! It wouldn't do to show any panic on her face. "What exactly are you doing here, Ash? Where have you been? You've been missing five years! Do you have any idea what you've done to-" Violet bit her lip, hard. Crap! I almost spilled the beans! Ash just gave her a perplexed look. "She's at the beach." Everyone present, from Violet, to Ash, to even Brock, whipped around to the source of the voice that had interrupted their meager conversation. Violet gasped in shock when she noticed her sister, Daisey, casually strolling into the gym. Violet sputtered, trying to regain control of the conversation. "Daisey, what are you doing?" she almost shouted. "They're here for Misty, Violet." her sister replied, rolling her eyes. She strolled up to Ash, pulling up her phone to show him and Brock a map of the route to the north. "You'll find her at the beach at the end of route twenty five. Just… be careful. She hasn't been herself lately." Ash nodded. "Thank you." he turned to Brock, who merely nodded. The two of them strolled out of the gym, turning and heading north. "Daisey we asked Misty to take time off so she could get better. How is sending Ash to her going to do that? He's the very reason she's been like this the last few months!" Violet actually shouted this time. Her sister turned to her with a simultaneously annoyed and exasperated expression. "What do you want us to do? Not tell Misty? She'd be furious if we did that! And while Ash is the cause of Misty's problems, he may be the answer, too!" Daisy retorted, turning to face her sister completely. She saw the fear and worry in her eyes and felt her own glare soften in response. "I know you're worried for her, Violet. But we can't keep them from seeing each other forever, especially now that Ash is back in Kanto. News would reach her sooner or later, and then things might just get worse!" Violet huffed in annoyance before turning on her heals and storming out the back of the gym. "I hope you're right, Daisy. For Misty's sake."
….
Ash and Brock nearly ran north to route 24, stopping only to briefly catch their breath and recompose themselves. Ash had wanted to keep going but Brock grabbed his arm, insisting that they slow down and eventually stop. "You know as well as I do that it is impossible to guess how Misty will react to seeing you, Ash. We should take it one step at a time." Brock implored, forcing his best friend to face him. Ash huffed in response, frustration evident on his face. "Fine. I suppose you have a plan, then?" he asked, turning and starting to walk in the direction he had been running. The truth of the matter is that Ash was incredibly nervous about this. Sure, Brock had reacted well enough, but out of the three of them, Misty was the most prone to tantrums, and even worse, violence, if agitated. She never harmed anyone in any major way, but it could be rather annoying having to deal with her outbursts some times. "Maybe she's changed, Brock." Ash said, his gaze firm on the bridge before them. It was a marvel of construction, laid with what looked like gold all along the railings. Wingull gilded above them, and there was a young couple near the middle of the bridge starring out together over the water. The sight made Ash smile, but something fluttered in his chest at the sight, and it wasn't a pleasant feeling. What was that about? He thought to himself, briefly. He shook it off in time to listen as Brock replied to him.
"I couldn't say, Ash. But from what you've told me of your run in with her earlier, it certainly doesn't sound like Misty's changed too much" Brock replied, laughing quietly. Ash groaned in frustration. He was seriously considering turning back when they emerged from the treeline onto a brilliant white beach. The water was a verdant shade of green, with waves lazily rolling onto the shoreline one after another. The smell of salt water invaded Ash's nose, but it wasn't unpleasant or overwhelming. Ash thought he might have spotted a few fish pokemon darting about in the shallow water, but he couldn't tell if it was that or the ever shifting sunlight upon the waves. There were a few condominiums and beach houses spread about, denoted by their stilted supports and white and turquoise coloring. Altogether, the beach was an amazing sight; a fresh and beautiful reminder of the ocean. Ash and Brock immediately relaxed, set at ease by the sight before them. That was until they spotted a familiar redhead out among the waves, instructing a pair of pokemon swimming among the shallows. Ash faltered, tripping and falling face first in the sand. Laughing, Brock gripped him by the arms, lifting his friend up. What if she doesn't want to see me? We might lose, she might laugh at me, yell at me, oh Arceus what if she hits me? This was a mistake. I already have the badge, right? Skipping just one badge shouldn't be a problem! Yeah, we'll just head to the next town. Brock watched as Ash's face morphed between numerous expressions, his friend's eyes never leaving Misty. He saw fear, anxiety, regret, and relief, and immediately knew what Ash was thinking. Strongly gripping Ash's right arm, Brock began to drag Ash towards Misty, leaving a line of displaced sand behind him alongside his own footsteps. "C'mon Ash. Just go talk to her." Ash shook his head frantically, perspiration appearing on his face. "Maybe we should just come back?" he pleaded, but the rock type specialist was having none of it. He dragged Ash all the way past the condos to the wakeline, before shouting to the girl in the water. "Misty Waterflower? My friend her wants to challenge you to a gym battle!"
—-
Misty was getting really annoyed. First her sisters ganged up on her and practically threw her out her own gym. Then, her pokemon just couldn't seem to get the new strategies she wanted to try down, although it was certainly not for lack of trying. And now, even though she had been forced to take a vacation, she still had to deal with pesky trainers challenging her? She huffed, putting her hands on her hips. She didn't even bother turning around to address the person who had spoken to her when she replied. "Can't you see I'm currently occupied? If you want to challenge the gym, speak to my sisters. I'm sure they'll be happy to accomodate you." She punctuated her statement with a dismissing wave of her hand, turning her attention back to her pokemon. "We tried that already. They sent us here." came the voice again. Misty was really getting angry now. What point was there in insisting I take a break if they're still sending challengers to me?! She thought, her face quickly turning red. Starmie and Corsola, whom she had been training with, looked at each other, worried. Or at least Misty assumed so, as she could only occasionally tell where Starmie was truly looking. Her anger overpoured, and she pivoted on her back foot in one move, intent on yelling that the challengers should just go away. Instead, she froze, face to face with Brock and Ash.
—-
Ash froze, squeezing his eyes closed, waiting for Misty to yell at him, or hit him, or both. When a minute or so had passed and all he perceived was the sound of crashing waves on nearby rocks, he opened one eye, squinting at the redheaded girl before him. She was frozen in place, whatever curse or profanity that had been on her lips now long absent. He couldn't tell if she was red from shock or anger, and he wasn't keen on discovering which one it was any time soon. Given the chance he would have scurried back up the embankment behind them and ran for the hills, but Brock's steady grip on his arm prevented him from going anywhere. Then, after what felt like an eternity, Misty moved, and Ash barely perceived her form as she leapt toward him. He flinched, closing his eyes again, expecting blows to rain down on him, only to open them again in surprise. There was Misty, in her two piece swim suit, hugging him, her face buried in his chest.He blushed at her proximity, and would have struggled to keep his eyes up had he not noticed the tears sliding ceaselessly down her face. "Misty? Are you ok?" He asked, tentatively, not wanting to further upset her. Misty looked up at him, her eyes refocusing and the waterworks slowly coming to a stop. Then came the blows. Left, right, at every imaginable angle. They went on for hours for Ash, and minutes for everyone else. "WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN YOU IDIOT!? DO YOU KNOW HOW WORRIED I'VE BEEN? YOU'VE BEEN GONE FOR FIVE YEARS! FIVE YEARS, ASH?!" Misty had started to cry again, her blows slowing as she slowly pounded her balled up fists into his chest, her forehead rested against Ash's collarbone. Ash winced, not from the blows (though they had hurt) but from the stabbing pain he felt in his heart. Of all the things he had thought possible, he had never imagined that Misty would react like this. Sure, she had always been emotional to the extreme, but it was clear that his disappearance had profound effects on her, someone that he counted among his closest friends. Great. Now I feel like a dick. He gently pried her off him, uncomfortable in their position, and thankful that she hadn't noticed his body react to her proximity as well. "I'm sorry, Misty. I didn't realize what my leaving would do to you, or even Brock or everyone else. Can you forgive me?" Ash asked, leaning down to look Misty in the eyes. She wiped the tears from her cheeks, sparkling blue eyes raising to meet his brown. Sniffling, Misty nodded, hiccuping the whole time. Brock chose that moment to speak up. "It's good to see you again, Misty. It's been too long." he said, sweeping the girl into a hug. Ash was grateful for this, as it allowed him some time to focus on getting the slight boner in his pants to go down. Stupid hormones! Why now, of all times? He thought, frantically trying to slow his breathing. He ended up having to resort to an old trick, flexing his biceps in an attempt to get his body to redirect the blood. It worked as he planned, but what he didn't notice was that Misty saw him flexing, and now she was blushing wildly. Seeing this, Brock grinned, and he began thinking of ways he might cause some mischief in the coming weeks. Oh this will be very fun. Brock cleared his throat, snapping both Ash and Misty from their thoughts. "That was you earlier in Cerulean, wan't it?" She asked, apprehension written all over her face. Ash nodded. She began apologizing, but Ash waved her off, saying that it was his fault for running into her like that. "So, Ash, where have you been? What are you doing here, at the beach? And what's this about a gym battle?" Misty inquired vacantly, hoping beyond hope that Ash wouldn't notice the red hue adorning her cheeks. "Well, actually…" Ash trailed of, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. His eyes trailed off as well, tracing the outline of the waves just beyond them. Misty realized with a slight jump that the sun had began to set, and that the tide had drawn out ever so slightly, leaving her and her pokemon completely exposed. She blushed madly, and she would have freaked out had she not heard the rest of what Ash had to say. "I was hoping to challenge you to a gym battle, Misty." Ash finished, coughing awkwardly into his fist. Misty felt her embarrassment fade, quickly replaced with frustration and then anger. The first time I've seen this blockhead in five years and he's here for a BATTLE?! She thought to herself. Soon she was expressing those angry thoughts, raising her voice to show her displeasure. "I haven't seen you in half a decade and you came her for a gym battle? That's it? A battle?" MIsty was practically shouting now, her nose inches from Ash's own, greenish blue eyes wide in anger. Ash visibly paled, looking to Brock for help. The other gym leader merely shrugged, smirking to himself in amusement at Ash's predicament. Before Ash could respond, Misty slugged him in the shoulder, sending him stumbling backwards. "OWW! What the Distortion World was that for!?" he demanded, but Misty wasn't listening. She had already began stomping away from him, arms rigid by her side, all the while staying parallel to the shoreline the whole way. Her pokemon vanished in twin red beams, likely not intent on interfering. "You want a battle, Ketchum?!" She shouted, turning around to face Ash with a pokeball in hand. Ash barely had time to wonder where she had gotten the pokeball from when she released the pokemon within. Misty's Gyarados sprang into existence, it's weight displacing the waves it landed upon. It roared in Ash's direction, and he could just make out the sound of Misty ordering the giant, serpentine pokemon to crush him. What is with this girl?! He thought in panic. Not a minute ago she had been sobbing in his arms, and now she was ordering her gyarados to obliterate him. Ash turned to Brock, only to find his friend smirking at him. "You want to fight so bad, then we'll fight right here right now, Ash! Five pokemon, no holds barred! Brock, you'll officiate. If you win, Ash, I'll give you the Cascade Badge." Misty shouted, seemingly fired up in her anger. Gyarados punctuated her shout with a roar, sending the wind rushing past Ash's ears and blowing back his hair. "And if I loose?" He asked after the roar died down. Misty pause, grateful that the thirty or so yards between them as well as the setting sun hid her blush. "You'll find out after I win!" she shouted in reply, grinning despite the glare on her face. Ash's own gaze hardened, a smiling finding it's way to his face despite the circumstances. Ash may not have understood what was up with Misty, but battling? That he knew very well, and the no holds bared, full stakes fight his friend proposed had his blood pumping. "All right then. Pikachu, come on out!" Ash cried, throwing the luxury ball into the air before him.