Girlfriends and Guilty pleasures

The café in Cerulean City was cozy and bustling, filled with the hum of quiet conversations and the clinking of coffee cups. Misty and Kayla sat at a corner booth, their drinks half-forgotten as they dove into their conversation. It was rare for the two to find time like this, with Misty busy managing the Cerulean Gym and Kayla, a renowned supermodel, jet-setting across regions for photoshoots and events. Despite their wildly different schedules, they always made the effort to catch up.

"So," Kayla began, brushing her hair back with a sly smile, "how's life with Ash? Still keeping him on his toes?"

Misty rolled her eyes playfully but couldn't stop the fond smile that crept onto her face. "You could say that. He's incredible—he really is. But sometimes…" She trailed off, chuckling softly. "Sometimes he's so proper about things it's almost funny."

Kayla leaned forward, curious. "Proper? What do you mean?"

"Well," Misty began, her cheeks tinting pink. "For example, if I kiss him in front of people, he turns bright red and starts stammering like I just announced our engagement or something. It's so cute, but honestly, he needs to relax. It's just a kiss!"

Kayla grinned. "That's adorable. No matter how much he's grown up, he's got that innocent charm."

Misty laughed, shaking her head. "Exactly! Don't get me wrong, he's romantic in his own way but his romance is only restricted to those four walls."

Kayla nodded thoughtfully. "I get it. Gary's the opposite—he's confident about everything, and it's almost infuriating how smooth he can be."

Misty smirked. "So, even Gary has his moments. Good to know."

"Oh, he does," Kayla said with a laugh. "But honestly, I think that's part of the charm. These guys—whether they're clueless, shy, or way too confident—are just themselves. That's why we love them."

Misty nodded, her expression softening. "Yeah, Ash might make me roll my eyes sometimes, but he's worth it. I might not actually admit it to him."

"Of course not," Kayla said, smirking. "Can't let them get too comfortable."

Their conversation shifted to lighter topics, eventually landing on something Misty had been itching to bring up. "Hey, speaking of guilty pleasures," she began, glancing around as if to make sure no one was listening, "have you been watching Through the Heart? May recommended it to me, and now I can't stop."

Kayla's eyes lit up. "Are you kidding? I'm obsessed! It's so dramatic, but I love it."

"I know, right?" Misty exclaimed, leaning forward. "And don't even get me started on Ethan Westwood. He's just…"

Kayla finished for her, "Gorgeous?"

"Exactly!" Misty said, laughing.

"Those eyes," Kayla sighed dreamily. "And the way he smirks whenever he wins an argument…"

Misty fanned herself dramatically. "Don't forget his voice. It's so deep and—ugh—it just does things!"

They both dissolved into giggles, their faces flushed as they gushed over the fictional actor.

Unbeknownst to them, Ash and Gary had just entered the café, returning from a Pokémon training session. They spotted their girlfriends immediately and approached the booth, overhearing the tail end of the conversation.

"…and when he took off his shirt in that last episode," Kayla was saying, "I almost fainted."

Misty nodded fervently. "Same! Like, how is he even real?"

Ash and Gary exchanged incredulous looks, their eyebrows shooting up simultaneously.

"Who's not real?" Ash asked, his voice breaking through their laughter.

Misty and Kayla froze, their wide eyes darting to their boyfriends. Ash stood with his arms crossed, trying to look stern but failing to hide his pout, while Gary raised an eyebrow, his smirk hiding a hint of jealousy.

"N-nobody!" Misty stammered, quickly taking a sip of her coffee to hide her reddening face.

"Yeah, just… talking about a show," Kayla added, attempting a nonchalant tone.

Ash pulled out a chair and sat next to Misty, his narrowed eyes fixed on her. "A show, huh? Sounds like you're more interested in the actor than the story."

Gary slid into the booth beside Kayla, his smirk growing. "Ethan Westwood, right? I've seen his posters all over. What's so great about him?"

Kayla and Misty exchanged guilty looks before bursting into laughter.

"Oh, come on," Kayla said, nudging Gary playfully. "It's just a harmless little crush."

"Yeah," Misty chimed in, grinning at Ash. "It's not like we're running off to find him or anything."

Ash huffed, crossing his arms. "Still… I'm standing right here, you know."

Gary leaned back, feigning offense. "Yeah, I thought we were your real-life leading men."

Misty rolled her eyes but reached over to tug on Ash's arm. "You're plenty leading-man material, Ash. But can't a girl admire a good-looking actor every now and then?"

Kayla nodded, poking Gary's cheek. "And don't act like you've never said anything about those celebrity models you pretend not to notice in magazines."

Gary smirked. "Touché."

Ash grumbled something under his breath, but Misty leaned closer and kissed his cheek. "Relax, Ash. You're the only guy I'd ever want."

Kayla, meanwhile, turned to Gary, her expression softening. She cupped his face gently, pressing a sweet, lingering kiss to his lips. "You know you're my favorite guy in the whole world, right?"

Gary's pout melted into a rare, genuine smile. "I guess I can live with that."

The boys eventually softened, and the four of them spent the rest of the afternoon chatting and laughing, the earlier jealousy fading into lighthearted teasing. As they left the café, Ash leaned toward Misty and whispered, "Just so you know, I could totally beat that guy in a battle."

Misty rolled her eyes, but her smile was affectionate. "Sure you could, Ash. Sure you could."