This story has been written in a different way than how I usually write!

I'm really excited with the plans I have for it.

Hope you enjoy!

…..

…Three months earlier…

Light streamed delicately through the bedroom windows of the leader of Cerulean City Gym. Misty hummed, her eyes fluttering open as she felt the sun's strong rays hitting her as she sat up in her bed. The little pokemon beside her yawned gently as it stretched its limbs, Misty offering it a scratch behind its ears, a slight smile gracing her features as Eevee chimed in approval.

"Good morning…" Misty spoke, her voice thick with sleep, Eevee nestling into her side before singing its name happily, in response.

Grabbing her phone from her bedside table, the young girl checked the time.

7:18 am.

Around about the same time she woke every Sunday. Being a gym leader was one of Misty's greatest accomplishments, but even in her success, she longed for the weekends, where she'd get a well-deserved and much-needed, two-day rest. Swinging her legs over the side of her bed, the red head slipped her feet into a pair of aquamarine slippers, scooping up Eevee and heading out of her bedroom.

The house was quiet, her sisters all certainly asleep at such an hour. Misty chuckled to herself, thinking about the times the girls would nag her about needing their beauty rest and demanding her to not wake them before ten on a weekend, unless it was absolutely essential. When she made it to the first floor of her home, Eevee was placed gently on the floor, trailing behind its trainer who had the gym's main battle room in sight.

Her pokeballs resided in a hidden area of the room. A space that no one but the Waterflowers could get in to. In her youth, Misty was tracked constantly by none other than Team Rocket, a gang of so-called pokemon thieves, who attempted to steal the loyal pokemon of any trainer silly enough to fall for their tricks. So, naturally, when she became the gym's leader, she insisted on installing a security system, keeping her companions safe, even when she wasn't around. When she made it through to the room, the red head invited them out, her Staryu, Starmie, Horsea, Gyarados and Psyduck of course, joining the rest of the gym's pokemon who chirped happily when released from the confines of their pokeballs.

Misty beamed, as they frolicked in the water, others munching on food from the feeders she had been sure to refill the night before. Being a leader was tiresome for her, she couldn't imagine how they felt after such a long week of battling.

A groan emitted from her stomach, Eevee looking up at the girl questionably as she giggled in response.

"Looks like it's my turn to eat, Eevee," she added, the Pokemon jumping back into her arms, as they exited the arena.

Despite Winter being in the air, the scene outside was sunny. Snow was yet to grace Cerulean City, and knowing that it was such a beautiful day outside, Misty was thrilled thinking about what activities she could complete on such a lovely day. A lot had changed since she'd become the city's gym leader, taking over from her sisters as a scrawny fourteen-year old. Almost nine years on, the girl had developed a deeper love of training, both for herself and for her pokemon.

Exercise was a pivotal component of her daily regime, and whether it meant swimming her usual laps of the pool, or going for a run, she craved it. Needless to say, the scrawny pubescent girl was no more, her place filled by a strong and beautiful young woman. Misty had grown about half a foot in height, her auburn locks cascading in waves half way down her back. Her cerulean eyes had become even more striking as they stood out against her pale skin. She had finally grown into herself, deciding to ditch her signature side ponytail for a more elegant do, which seemed to make her look a lot more mature, matching her curvaceous figure nicely.

She had decided to start her day, with a piece of toast and a coffee, the clock striking eight, by the time she sat down. A run was certainly on the cards, the kitchen window allowing the same source of light as the one she awoke to, to flood through the glass. Offering Eevee the last bit of her toast, in addition to the bowl of food placed on the ground beside her, Misty left the table, focusing on cleaning the dishes before even thinking about going back to her room.

She wondered when her sisters would finally crawl out of bed. She loved having her pokemon for company, but it was nice to converse with someone of the same species every once in a while. The girls had become a lot closer in recent years too. Misty had grown particularly close to Daisy; but she figured that was due to the fact that she had set her sister up with Tracey Sketchit and the blonde bombshell felt the need to repay her constantly with kindness. Tracey was someone she had gotten closer with too.

Misty often returned to Pallet town, to visit Delia Ketchum, the mother of her first ever travelling companion. The woman was the closest thing to a mother she had and she felt sad for her, knowing her only son wasn't around much anymore. On her journeys, she would often stop by Professor Oak's laboratory, too. Being a gym leader, she wanted to ensure her pokemon were in tip-top shape and who better to ask than the Pokemon Professor himself. Apart from Tracey, she often encountered Gary Oak in her visits to the lab and the two had become good friends; Misty even playing a small role in the introduction of Gary to his long-term girlfriend Leaf, as he happened to be dropping off some supplies from his Grandfather, when Leaf had challenged Misty to a gym battle. Gary had repaid her with a small, brown and white Pokémon egg, produced by his Umbreon. Although Misty hadn't expected anything, she was thrilled when her Eevee popped out of the egg some three-days later. The little creature had always been one she wanted to add to her little team.

Smiling at the memory, she dried her hands, before the sound of the phone ringing caught her attention. Scurrying off to get it, hoping to silence the machine before it woke her sisters, Misty thought about why someone would be calling her this early on a Sunday morning. Shaking the thought from her head, she picked it up, sitting down in attempt to get her breath back, being in such a panic thinking about the wrath of Lily and Violet if their sleep was interrupted.

"Hello…" she whispered harshly, a bright face coming into view on the screen.

"Hiya Misty, what's up?" a deep voice called through the phone. Misty met with the eyes of one of her oldest friends. Brock was clad in his scrubs, as if he had just finished a shift at Pewter City's Pokemon Centre.

"Brock… you couldn't have called my cell?! You could've woke the whole house…" Misty hissed, rolling her eyes in annoyance.

Brock chuckled. "Still scared of your sisters at twenty-two?"

"Oh shush you!"

"I called your phone, but it went to voicemail, I figured you'd be feeding the pokemon or yourself…"

"Yeah, I was," she replied, pulling Eevee into her lap. "So what's up?"

"I just finished work for this morning and thought I'd give my favourite girl a call!" Brock sung, Misty rolling her eyes, knowing he had an ulterior motive for the phone call.

"Brock," she said, "I am not setting you up with one of my sisters, how many times are you going to ask?"

A laugh sounded from behind the screen.

"No, no. I wasn't going to ask. I actually took your advice and tried to be more myself around the opposite sex… I have a date tonight, you know?"

"Oh? Really? That's great!" Misty retorted, the shock evident in her voice.

"Don't act too surprised… I'm not a kid anymore. About time I grew out of it," he smiled again, Misty returning the gesture before his expression shifted. His face became serious, Misty staring at him, perplexed at the action.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"I was just wondering… have you spoken to Ash lately?"

Misty's heart sunk. Ash Ketchum. Her best friend slash childhood crush. The boy she never seemed to get over. Well, it wasn't as if she hadn't tried. She had boyfriends before, but some way or another she always found herself comparing them to him. She longed for their conversations, as rare as they were. She missed him a lot while he was away and it had been quite some time since he'd returned. Her stomach flipped at the mention of his name, panic overtaking her as she assumed the worse.

"Wait?! Has something happened? Is he okay?" she blurted, Brock shaking his head frantically to calm her.

"Oh! No! I'm just asking… so have you?"

"Not for a little while…" Misty shook her head, regretful that it had been well over four months since they'd last spoken. Even then, the conversation had been brief, as a challenger pulled her from the phone. "Why?"

"He just seemed a bit odd when I spoke to him earlier…" Brock commented.

"When was this?"

"A few hours ago... I got pulled out of the treatment room so I could answer the phone."

"Oh," Misty mumbled, slightly hurt that Brock had received a call from him, and she hadn't. Contact with him was hard to make, especially when she had no idea where he was, majority of the time.

"I'm a little worried about him…" Brock added, Misty nodding slightly.

"I'll keep you posted, if I hear anything… But, don't count on it. We hardly speak anymore."

"Don't take it personally, Mist. You're both busy. I know he misses you too…"

Misty shrugged, offering Brock a slight smile. A beep from beyond the screen before her sounded, interrupting their conversation.

"I'm sorry Misty. That's my cue, looks like my shift isn't over after all!" Brock added, waving at her, "I'll talk to you later!" and before she had the chance to respond, the machine went black, her friend's face disappearing from view.

"Bye… I guess," she mumbled, hanging up the phone.

"Veeeee!" the little Pokémon chirped from Misty's lap, causing the red head to grin.

"At least I have you, hey," she voiced, patting the creature atop of its head. "C'mon, let's go for a walk!"

Eevee jumped down, following Misty up the steps to her room. Deciding a run would do her good, she disappeared into her bedroom.

Ash Ketchum and thoughts of his whereabouts flooded her mind. She wasn't sure where he was, but she hoped he was okay. Although, she would rather him be back home with her. Not that it mattered, he was clueless of her feelings toward him back then. She didn't expect things to be any different now.

But then again, he did tend to surprise her. She shook the thought from her head. It was wishful thinking, even for her.

…..

When she woke the next day at 6am, thoughts of raven-haired trainers with mesmerising chocolate brown eyes had left her head. Her schedule was jam packed today. She had trainers back to back until the early afternoon where she had a small break before facing her final opponent for the day.

She chose to begin the morning with a few laps of the pool, freeing her body of any nerves before meeting her first challenger.

Eevee sat patiently, relaxing along the poolside as Misty flew through the water.

The two had a strong bond, Misty growing lonely at times, even though she shared her home with her sisters. Eevee was always there for her, reminding her of the first Pokémon she raised from birth. Togepi, now Togetic came to her mind often, she hoped it was doing okay. Unlike Togepi, the Azurill gifted to her from an egg from Tracey, had a love for battling, it wasn't long until it had progressed into an Azumarill. She was proud of it, it was one of her best after all, but she longed for the same companionship she had with Togepi… which is why she assumed Gary had given her the Eevee egg in the first place.

Gliding through the water, for the final time, she pulled herself up the ladder, wrapping up her work out in order to get a shower in before her match.

Allowing the warm water to flow over her body, she felt revitalised and ready. Although she hadn't lost a match in long while, she still liked to be prepared just in case she was met with a real challenge threat. Sporting a pair of blue bike pants and a white tank top, she threw on a grey jacket, pulling her red hair up into a high ponytail.

"Misty! First Challenger about to walk in!" Daisy called from the front foyer, prompting Misty to dart down the steps and rush into the arena, ready to face her opponent.

With her pokeballs ready to go, she approached her box, waiting for the trainer to enter the arena.

"Game on!" she muttered to herself, a smile on her lips.

Her day was officially about to begin.

…..

It was four out of four, for Misty so far. She had taken on each challenger gracefully, barely needing to use more than two Pokemon as she overpowered trainer after trainer. As her most recent competitor left the gym, she felt her stomach rumble.

She had twenty minutes to eat before it was time to get back out there again. Skipping down the hall, the young woman hummed happily to herself, proud of her record and her Pokemon as she went in search for something to fill her empty belly. Deciding an apple would do for now, she left the dining area, determined to enjoy her snack on the diving board, overlooking the gym's battle area; her swimming pool.

Turning back down the corridor, aquariums lining the walls, she heard a slight rap against the front door; unsure whether or not to answer. She still had time before her last battle, her opponent shouldn't have arrived just yet. Misty's mind wandered to her sisters. Violet, Lily and Daisy had left the gym for the afternoon, saying something about needing to buy some material for a costume for their underwater ballet. She considered the chance one of them may have forgotten their keys and requested her help getting in, but this was unlikely, as their house keys never left their handbags.

With a frustrated sigh, Misty approached the door, gripping the handle with her right hand, her apple held tightly in her left. She decided it must be her last opponent, another knock sounding from the other side of the door.

"Our battle doesn't start for another- Ash?!"

Misty's eyes lit up as she took in the sight of the boy before her. A smile overtook her face as she hurtled forward, wrapping her arms around him tightly.

Shocked at first, Ash found himself responding, wrapping his arms around her waist instinctively, causing her feet to lift off the floor for a brief moment. When they finally broke apart, a ball of yellow fur leapt into her arms, Misty bringing the electric mouse close to her chest.

"Pikachu-pi!" the creature exclaimed, Misty smiling down at him.

"Hi Pikachu!" she enthused, scratching the rodent behind his ears, before turning her attention back to the boy in front of her.

"Hi Misty…" he spoke up, a half-hearted smile present on his face. His voice was low and deep, evidence enough of the time that had passed since they first met, twelve years prior. Misty took in the changes in front of her. He still wore similar clothes, though obviously in a different size now; the only thing she recognised was his infamous, baseball cap adorning his head. Man, he had grown, standing at least a foot taller than her, his skin still tanned, but covering a different body type now. His shoulders were broad, his biceps muscular, leading Misty's mind to wander to what may lie beneath his black t-shirt. A blush crept onto her face at the thought.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" she asked, clearly surprised. It had been close to two years since they had seen each other properly. Each time he had returned, the visits had been brief and they would just cross paths. It killed Misty, every time it happened.

"I missed you… I thought I'd drop in," he said, taking a step towards her, so he wasn't standing in the middle of the threshold anymore, but inside the building. Misty's heart leapt into her throat at the statement. He missed her? She thought that he had forgotten about her long ago. It was nice to hear the words leave his lips.

"I missed you too," she said, before her fist automatically connected with his arm.

"Gee, it sure seems like it," he added sarcastically, rubbing his injured limb, "What the heck was that for?"

"For going four months without any contact. It's killed me, not knowing where you are!"

Ash smirked at her, Misty frowning in response.

"What?" she uttered, slightly annoyed at his expression.

"It's nice to know you've been so concerned about me," he teased, Misty's cheeks reddening slightly.

"Whatever," she said, placing Pikachu on the floor and motioning for Ash to come inside.

"Do you have any free time at the moment?" he asked, his tone becoming more serious all of a sudden.

"I have a battle any minute, but then I'm free… If you want to stick around?"

Ash nodded, offering her a smile, Pikachu hopping on to his shoulder.

As if the universe heard her, the gym's door swung open, revealing the face of a young boy.

"My name's Timmy and I'm here to challenge Leader Misty," the boy spoke timidly, the two adults before him offering him warm smiles.

"Hi Timmy, I'm Misty! Follow me!" she greeted, moving down the corridor in the direction of the arena. When they had made it about half way, she turned to Ash, who strangely enough, had stayed glued in his spot in the foyer.

"You're more than welcome to come and watch, Ash!" Misty called, hoping he would come and see how much she had improved in their time apart.

"That's okay," he pronounced, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly, "I'll just meet you in the living room, when you're done…"

"Oh—okay!" Misty returned, trying to act like she didn't find his behaviour odd. It wasn't like him to turn down a battle, even if he was purely just a spectator. She assumed he was probably tired from such a long journey back to her town, and brushed it off.

Turning her attention to Timmy, she moved further into the area, taking her place before showing him his.

"Good luck!" she called, the sooner this was over, the quicker she'd be able to spend some time with Ash. "Let the battle begin!"

…..

Ash found himself drawn to the Waterflowers' couch in their living room. He hadn't been to Cerulean Gym in at least four or five years, but he felt at home within its walls, despite being away for so long. He didn't know why he came here. He just knew he wasn't up to training anymore, not that he'd be sharing the details about that decision with Misty anytime soon.

He missed her terribly when he was away. She filled his head often and it took everything he had not to beg her to return to travelling with him. A wave of relief washed over him when she greeted him at the door. He was more than certain that she would have slammed it in his face, considering how long it had been since he last spoke with her. He deserved it, if that's how their reunion happened to go.

He wasn't sure why, but when he left Kalos, the first thing that entered his mind was her; impulsively jumping on Charizard's back and making the journey back to Cerulean City, unsure of when or if he was going to leave. Sighing to himself, Ash watched Pikachu curl up in a ball before him, the pokemon clearly tired from such a journey too. Patting him gently, he decided to let him sleep, moving off the sofa and heading towards the arena, where Misty would be.

He felt bad declining her invitation to watch her in battle. He wanted nothing more than to see her in action, but he wasn't in the mood for any of it right now and he knew sitting there would only remind of the reason he called time on his journey.

"Veeeee?" a high-pitched sound emitted from the ground before him, Ash meeting the gaze of a little, brown creature looking up at him with bewildered eyes.

Ash leant down to meet the pokemon, offering it a pat on the head to which it seemed to enjoy, leaning into his touch. He remembered hearing from Tracey that Misty had received an egg from Gary's Umbreon. Ash knew how much she wanted one, hoping to evolve it into a Vaporeon someday.

"You must be Misty's Eevee…" Ash remarked, Eevee chirping in approval, nuzzling into his hand once again. Scooping up the pokemon, he entered the arena quietly, taking a seat in the far corner where she wouldn't be distracted by him. Eevee was content, sitting in Ash's lap, the trainer offering it a pat every now and then.

Misty was nearly done with the battle, her challenger bringing out his final Pokémon, a Pidgeotto, to go against Misty's Gyarados. Ash watched as the two Pokemon duelled, Misty instructing hers to avoid each attack Timmy aimed at it. Not only had she grown more confident as a trainer, but Ash noticed how much she'd changed since their last meeting. She had not gotten much taller compared to the last time he saw her, but her hair had grown immensely; he noticed the way her fiery, orange locks stood out against her white tank top. The fit of the material hugged her skin, displaying her slender figure, which now consisted of a pair of perfectly curved hips, a fuller chest and toned bottom; Ash blushing slightly at the sight of her. Her legs were long and toned, though he figured as much, seeing as though she spent so much time in the water. His favourite feature she held, was hard for him to see right now. Her dazzling eyes, often drew him in to her. He missed seeing them every day on his journey. She had become even more beautiful… although, he wasn't sure how that was possible, but somehow, it was.

"Dragon rage!" Misty yelled, pulling him out of his trance.

"Oh no! Pidgeotto, dodge it!"

But it was too late, Gyarados had hit the bird straight on, it had been caught in the attack, sending it straight into the ground in front of its trainer, unable to continue the battle.

"Oh…" Timmy dropped to his knees, calling the Pokémon back, his shoulders shaking slightly. It was obvious he was upset with the way he had been defeated, Misty making her way over to him after calling back Gyarados.

"Hey…" she murmured, placing a hand on his shoulder. Timmy looked up at her, wiping his eyes with his arm.

"It's okay," she assured him, smiling warmly. "You had some great strategies, you're going to be a fantastic trainer… you just need a little more practice. That's all."

Ash observed her quietly, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"You really think so?" the young boy asked, seemingly perplexed at the amount of faith she had in him.

"Of course! Where do you think I started?" she smiled.

"I'm going to train really hard and then come back to get my cascade badge!" he announced, jumping to his feet.

"I'll be looking forward to it," Misty replied, stretching out her hand. Timmy gladly shook it, waving at her before rushing out of the gym.

Misty let out a sigh, smiling to herself before sinking into one of the chairs beside the pool.

"Looks like you're still undefeated…"

Her head whipped up, only to be met with the face of her best friend, walking towards her Eevee in his arms.

"How long did that take you?!" she questioned, motioning to Eevee, her mouth agape.

"What do you mean?"

"Eevee is so shy. It literally took my sisters weeks before she warmed up to them…"

"Oh?" Ash smiled sheepishly, "I don't know, we sort of only met a couple of minutes ago."

Misty couldn't believe what she was seeing. Had Eevee picked up on her feelings towards him somehow, knowing she could trust the boy? No, that would be crazy… Ash was just a natural with Pokemon, that had to be the reason he was so good with Misty's newest addition.

"Anyway… are you okay? You seemed a little off earlier. You're usually crazy excited to watch a battle?" Misty asked, her face contorted into an expression of concern.

"Yeah- I'm fine. You want to go and do something?" He blurted, swiftly changing the subject, causing Misty to chuckle at his ability to shut down the current topic of discussion.

"Oh- uh, sure! Just let me change, I'll meet you downstairs in a couple of minutes."

With a nod, Ash followed her out of the arena, sitting at the bottom of the homes staircase as she raced upstairs to change. He knew she'd try hard to find out the reasoning behind his return, but he was determined to keep it hidden. He didn't want to worry her, and frankly it hurt too much to speak about.

He would just have to enjoy his time here, trying to avoid her questions as much as he could until it was time for him to leave again.