Under the Light of the Moon

by superstarmie

After close to two years away from home, Ash returns to Kanto claiming that he misses her... she isn't buying it. For Misty, trying to get through to him proves to be more difficult than she first thought. Just when things begin to be going smoothly for the pair, it all changes. Will this change be the thing to ruin their friendship for good? (Pokeshipping, AAML)

5. The Homecoming

Chapter Five: The Homecoming

Hi all,

Here's the next instalment of Under the light of the moon!

I really hope you're enjoying it!

Can't wait to hear your thoughts on this.

Enjoy!

…..

After spending the night on Brock's couch, Ash thought it may actually be a good idea to finally visit his mother in Pallet town. After a hearty breakfast consisting of eggs, bacon and pancakes, curtesy of his host, the boy said his goodbyes, mounting Charizard and heading in the direction of his hometown. The subject of Misty hadn't really come up after dinner last night. Brock did not want to push it further and he figured it was up to Ash to finally realise his feelings for the red head, in his own way. He was certain his friend would wake up to himself and pull himself out of the hole, accurately labelled, denial.

The moment he left Brock's apartment, Ash began to torture himself, his mind wandering to Misty, the 'not a date'- date she went on, more specifically. He was so curious as to why it ended so early, still seething at the idea of this Georgio character breaking his best friend's heart. Images of her filled his mind like a flood, Ash trying hard to forget about how beautiful she looked before she left. He hated to admit it and wouldn't be doing so aloud anytime soon, but Brock had a point. Part of the reason he was so frustrated about the thought of Misty going on a date, was because he hated the idea of her looking so beautiful for someone other than him. Admitting that out loud would confirm two things; one, Ash was a possessive jerk and two, he did in fact like Misty. Both of which were untrue in his mind.

A roar from Charizard pulled Ash from his reflective state, his eyes wandering to the land below. They had made it, he was home... and just in time for lunch, oh how he missed his mother's cooking. When they hit the ground safely, Charizard was rewarded with a pat of appreciation before returning to the confines of his pokeball. Ash knew his mom would be in the kitchen. Rain, hail or shine, Delia's day ran on a tight schedule; it was often jam-packed to distract herself from worrying about the whereabouts of her son, not that he had any idea about that.

Tip-toeing to the front door, Ash knocked firmly, standing tall as he waited nervously for his mother to let him in.

"Just a minute!" he heard her sing, a faint cry present in the background from Mr Mime, Delia's pokemon.

Ash was eager to see her face, it had been a while since he'd been home, which made him feel guilty. He missed his mom a lot when he was away, but being just the two of them for so long, he was certain she missed him more. It wasn't long until the door was pulled open.

"Surprise!" Ash cheered, a bright smile present on his face.

"Pikachu!" his yellow pal chirped from his shoulder, translating to the same thing.

"Oh Ash!" Delia exclaimed, her eyes brimming with happy tears, before she pulled him close to her. Ash may have towered over her at twenty-two years of age, but that didn't mean that her hugs weren't deadly. "You're home!" voiced Delia, between sobs against Ash's shoulder.

"You're choking me Mom!" Ash uttered breathlessly, his mother still holding him tightly in her arms, as if he'd flee again if she him let go.

"I'm sorry honey, I've just missed you so much!" she continued, pulling back and placing her hands on his shoulders. "You know, I'm getting older, you can't leave it this long between visits!"

Ash chuckled at her dramatics, Delia was barely 45, and even then, she was as active as a 20-year-old.

"I'm sorry Mom…" he replied, catching his breath from the hug she just gave him, "I'm taking some time off, so I'll be here for a while! Uh—if that's okay…"

"Of course that's okay! Have you eaten? I was just in the kitchen, I'll fix you some lunch."

"Thanks Mom, I might go take a shower… I'll meet you downstairs soon," he smiled, pecking her on the cheek, before walking further into the house.

"Okay dear. Let's go Pikachu—" she stretched her arms out, gesturing for the pokemon to hop into her arms, "—I think there's a bottle of ketchup in the kitchen with your name on it."

Ash shook his head, watching as Pikachu squeaked in delight disappearing into the kitchen with Delia. As he passed by the living room on his way to the stairs, he realised that Christmas would be upon them soon. Delia had already began to decorate the home with red and green ornaments, some gold tinsel snaking around the railing of the staircase. It seemed he timed his arrival perfectly; his mother would be ecstatic that he would be spending Christmas at home this year. Continuing up the stairs, it wasn't long until he reached his bedroom.

Everything was still in its place, the same as when he left all those years ago. Sure, his drawers held larger clothes and the pokeball bedspread on his bed had lost some of its colouring, but all in all it had not changed. Tossing his backpack on his dresser, Ash pulled out a pair of grey sweatpants and a long, black and white baseball t-shirt from his drawer. Not forgetting to swipe a pair of underwear, the boy exited the room and pressed towards the bathroom.

It was funny. He had not been home in ages, yet Delia still hung two towels in the bathroom instead of one. He frowned, once again thinking about how he regretted the distance between phone calls and visits. The last thing Ash wanted to do was turn into his father, who left without a trace, attempting to become a Pokemon Master. It had been 15 years since either of them had last seen him and Ash despised him for leaving his mother lonely for so long. Snatching the towel and hanging it over the shower screen, he reached in turning the taps and allowing the bathroom to fill with steam. When his clothes were discarded properly in the hamper, he stepped in, letting the water flow over him. The warmth of the shower enveloped him like a tight embrace, the water relaxing his tense muscles, as he closed his eyes. His hair fell flat against his face as it became soaked, Ash realising how long it had gotten when he was forced to brush it out of his eyes. He stood there for a moment. It had been the only time he'd spent alone in such a long time, meaning he was forced to think about the events of the past week.

When he had pulled out of the Kalos league, he had won eight badges; he had all of them. For anyone wanting to challenge the elite four, that would have sufficed, but for Ash he wanted to get even better. So, he set out with his own challenge, to never decline a battle and to remain undefeated until he decided to go for the top. However, somewhere along the way, he got distracted, and when he lost his first battle in nine months to a boy with nothing but a Flygon, everything went downhill. He was so focused on the cause of his loss, that he could not seem to connect with his pokemon in any battle after that. The frustration was more than he could bare. He lost more and more, finally throwing in the towel with the conclusion that his dream was unattainable. To make matters worse, his companions, over seeing him so unmotivated and lazy, decided to continue on their journey without him, leading him to fly to Cerulean City.

A voice somewhere in his head told him that seeing her would make things better; and they were, until last night, when she left on her date. For some reason his eyes stung and his chest felt like it was on fire, every time he thought of her walking out the door. He realised now, that he had been physically out of her life for so long of course she would have other friends and new plans, and a boy other than him that she enjoyed spending her time with. What did he expect her to do? Wait around until he was ready to come home and their friendship could resume properly. That was selfish. Even he knew that.

With a heavy sigh, Ash cut the water, wrapping a towel around his waist before climbing out of the shower. He threw his clothes on, using the damp cloth in hands to messily dry his hair. Fortunately for him, his appetite had caught up to him once again, and before he knew it, he was drowning his sorrows in the spread of food his mom had laid out on their dining room table.

Things weren't going to change anytime soon. But at least he had his mom and her culinary skills to cheer him up.

…..

"So he left, huh?" Daisy asked as she placed a bowl of cereal besides Misty at the dining table. Misty had told her sisters she wasn't feeling well, so Violet and Lily would have to fill in for her as gym leaders today, much to their chagrin. At 12pm on a Wednesday, the red head was still in her pyjamas, her hair a mess as she dug into her cereal.

"Yup," she retorted, her words choked by the cereal in her mouth.

"Why?"

Misty shrugged, "he's going to see his mom…"

"Oh, so nothing to do with your evening with Georgio?"

Misty shot a glare in Daisy's direction. "What are you implying?"

"No, nothing," Daisy frowned, knowing better than to rile up her sister when she was in such a mood. What she neglected to mention, was how Ash reacted when she questioned him about Misty, last night. "So, how was your date?" she continued.

Misty rolled her eyes, shovelling in another spoon of her breakfast.

"Don't want to talk about it," she spoke, her voice monotone.

"I thought you might say that—" Daisy added.

"Then why did you ask?"

"Because… I like wanted to get a vibe of how much ice cream we would need for our movie day today," the blonde beamed. Misty offering her a kind smile in return. Growing quite close over the years, Daisy always knew how to make Misty feel better. She often acted like the mother Misty always needed but sadly had lost. The red head hadn't noticed that Daisy too was wearing her pyjamas, although in comparison to her own mismatched pair, her sister wore a baby pink, flannel set with white pinstripes and black detailing.

"Well considering Georgio basically asked me to get back together with him, I'd say a lot…"

"He what?!" Daisy shrieked, Misty jumping at the sound. "What did he say?"

"Just that he had to leave because of some job offer and it fell through. Now he's back and leaving was the worst thing he ever did," Misty shrugged, forgetting that moments prior she had told her sister that she didn't want to talk about it.

"Well, he's too late, you aren't going to go there with him again, are you?"

Misty shook her head abruptly, "no way! That ship has definitely set sail!"

"Set sail? I'd say more like sunk…"

"Eh… whatever."

"What did Ash say when you told him?" Daisy enquired casually, Misty's eyebrows knitting together in confusion.

"I didn't even tell him who Georgio was… let alone that he wanted to get back together with me!"

"Oh…" Daisy voiced, biting her tongue. Ash knew all about Georgio, but it was because of her own big mouth, not Misty's.

"Besides, I doubt he'd care about my love life… It's not something we usually spend our time talking about…" Misty continued, a slight blush dusting her cheeks. The only way she'd feel comfortable talking to Ash about her love life, is if it somehow involved her.

"You're right!" Daisy chuckled, "He probably wouldn't care that the girl he has a thing for is like dating some other guy!"

Misty's head snapped up from her cereal bowl, her eyes now firmly pinned on Daisy's face, mouth agape. "W-wha-what are you talking about?!"

"Please little sister, it is so obvious! He's always had a thing for you!" Daisy stated matter-o-factly.

"You don't know that Dais!" Misty squeaked in response, her cheeks now a perfect shade of crimson. "Why would you say that?!"

"Just a feeling, that's all!" Daisy shrugged, throwing a wink in Misty's direction. "Believe me, don't believe me, whatever! But, when you two crazy kids like finally get together, I'll happily say 'ah ha ha! I told you so'."

Misty groaned, suddenly losing her appetite. There was no way Ash could possible like her, not like that… they were best friends. Besides, it's not like she had a thing for him anyway. Sure, she would get butterflies whenever a call would come through and his face would fill the screen; and maybe she felt a slight zap of electricity when their hands would brush; and maybe he had one of the most beautiful faces that she had ever seen, but there was no way that she—oh.

Oh crap. Maybe she did have a thing for him. A really small, keep it to yourself kind of thing for him.

"Yeah right Daisy—" she chuckled uncomfortably— "like that'd ever happen. Let's go watch a movie. Shot gun picking first!" and with that, Misty proceeded to leave the table, discarding her plate in the sink and skipping off in the direction of the lounge room, Eevee at her heels.

Smirking to herself, Daisy followed her sister. She had a feeling they would be talking about Ash Ketchum again, very soon.

…..

Two days had passed since Ash had arrived back to his hometown of Pallet and not much had happened. His days were filled with sleeping and eating and the occasional soap opera he pretended to watch with his mom. Ash was happy to see that she was in such good spirits, knowing she enjoyed having him around the house. Mr Mime also seemed to enjoy the company, taking a liking to Ash's Talonflame, as it, along with Pikachu roamed around freely, the trio often playing in the back yard together until it got too cold for them to bare staying outside.

Misty hadn't quite kept her promise yet, Ash not hearing from her or Brock since he left their homes days ago. He understood they were both busy, Brock with his job and Misty with the gym… and her boyfriend.

It was currently mid-morning and Delia had gone out, hoping to beat the rush at the supermarket, which tended to get busy around midday. Her son had planted himself of the couch, but not before looking outside the living room window, the ground outside was blanketed with fresh snow, which had fallen overnight, painting Pallet Town a crisp white. Adorned in a pair of black sweatpants and a thick, grey hoodie, Ash was relieved in his decision to head home. The fireplace was stoked and its heat radiated around the house, making the once-aspiring Pokemon Master grateful he wasn't travelling out in the cold.

With nothing else to do but flick through the television channels, the raven-haired boy lay still, Pikachu snoozing on his chest as he tried to find something to watch. It seemed, that his time off was making Ash quite lazy because he suddenly started to grow tiresome, even though he hadn't exerted any energy today. It wasn't long before his eyelids began to grow heavier and he was snoring lightly on the couch.

"Ring, ring, ring! Ring, ring, ring! Phone call! Phone call!" the phone in the hall screamed, pulling Ash, hastily out of his slumber.

"Huh?! Uh! I'm awake!" he cried, shooting up from his position on the couch; Pikachu flying off his chest and bouncing onto the pile of cushions littering the carpet next to the couch.

"Ring, ring, ring! Ring, ring, ring! Phone call! Phone call!" the phone called again, Ash practically tripping over his own feet as he darted down the corridor to silence it.

"Hello—" he groaned, rubbing his eyes as he stood behind the chair in front of the phone, using his arm to steady his body weight by leaning it against the table.

"Don't tell me I woke you up, lazy bones!" Misty sung through the speaker, her voice soft like music to Ash's ears.

His eyes widened a little at the sight of her, taking a seat before running a hand through his dark locks in attempt to make it look as though he hadn't just woken up.

"No, Mist! I was just—uh, just resting, that's all!" he threw back, causing Misty to chuckle.

"Whatever you say! I'm sorry I didn't call sooner…" she said, her chuckle replaced by a frown. "I thought you may have wanted to spend some time with your mom… didn't want to interrupt."

Ash smiled at her. She appeared to have just come from a battle. Her hair was pulled up into a high ponytail and her signature periwinkle and white jacket hugged her shoulders.

"That's okay, you wouldn't have been interrupting anything… My mom's out now anyway—something about beating the rush at the supermarket," Ash shrugged.

Misty sighed, unsure how else to continue the conversation. Damn Daisy! Damn her! Misty could not even look at the boy without blushing. She watched as his mouth moved but she couldn't hear the words that left it, too busy focusing on how sharp his jawline looked, even behind such a fuzzy screen.

"You okay, Mist?" he asked, tilting his head to the side.

"Yeah, I'm fine… Why do you ask?"

"Oh. No reason, I just lost you for a second there…"

"I'm good, sorry. What were you saying?"

"I was saying, do you want to come visit? I'm sure my mom would love to have you stay for a few days and we didn't get much time to spend catching up… I might even ask Brock to come!"

"I-I don't know Ash—"

"C'mon Mist! It's the weekend tomorrow and Christmas is on Monday, it's not like you'll have any challengers until at least later on next week!"

He was right… she had just finished up her last battle and her sisters would be spending Christmas in Pallet Town anyway. With Daisy dating Tracey, the trio began a tradition a couple of years ago of celebrating Christmas with lunch at the lab. Sometimes Delia would make an appearance, other times Misty and Brock would surprise the older woman by showing up on her doorstep on Christmas morning.

"Please?!" she heard Ash sing out again, Pikachu appearing in front of the camera. "Tell her, Pikachu!"

"Pi pika! Pikachu-pi!" the little mouse chirped, waving his hands in front of the camera.

"Alright fine! But only because Pikachu wants me to," she teased, Ash pretending he was offended.

"Great! Do you want me to come and get you?" he asked, Misty smiling at his concern.

She shook her head. "It's okay, I have a bike. But I'm sure you remember that!"

He laughed in response.

"I'll see you later on this afternoon," she added finally, before the screen went black.

Ash couldn't wipe the goofy grin off his face… until Brock's words filled his mind once again.

'You like her…'

"Oh shut up," Ash grumbled.

Seems like Brock had a point.

…..

The sound of the doorbell at around 5pm that night interrupted Delia's dinner preparations. The older woman had managed to get down to the store in time, before the influx of crazy Christmas shoppers had hit the supermarket. Sure, she may have had to battle a woman for a sack of potatoes that she had reached for first, but apart from that everything she needed for dinner, seemed to be present in her shopping cart. Ash was digging through the fridge behind her, on a hunt for the milk before the doorbell stopped him dead in his tracks.

"I'll get it!" he yelled, practically sprinting out of the kitchen, leaving his mother and Pikachu staring at him, dumbfounded.

"Well someone seems excited, Pikachu," Delia mentioned to the little pokemon, who was sitting on the bench picking some carrots off of her chopping board and throwing them into his mouth. "I wonder who that may be…" she added, giggling to herself. Pikachu went to answer her query but was distracted by the bottle of ketchup, he failed to notice on the other side of the kitchen bench. Scurrying off, Delia's question remained unanswered until Ash walked back into the room.

"Mom…" he prompted, Delia looking up from her chopping board and noticing the beautiful, young red-head walking into the room behind her son. Ash held a baby blue duffle bag in his hand, leading his mother to think the girl would be staying the night.

"Pikachu! Pi Pi!" Pikachu exclaimed in glee, catching sight of Eevee, who Ash had placed gently on the floor.

"Misty, dear! What a lovely surprise," she sang, cleaning her hands before engulfing the girl in a tight hug. "I thought our monthly catch up happened last week!"

"You two have monthly catch ups?" Ash asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well someone has to check on your mom while you're away!" Misty laughed, Delia joining in. Ash rolled his eyes. He was away a lot, he got it… no need to make him feel even more guilty.

"Are you staying for dinner dear?" Delia questioned, ignoring the blue bag Ash now swung lazily over his shoulder.

"Well actually mom—"

"Ash! You didn't ask her?!"

"She won't mind Mist—honest!"

"Yeah, but now I feel bad!"

"Is someone going to fill me in?" Delia interrupted, before Ash had a chance to throw anything back at Misty.

"Misty's going to stay a few days, is that okay?"

"Of course! Misty, you know you're always welcome here," Delia enthused, taking Misty's hand in hers and tapping it lightly.

Misty smiled back at her. "Thanks Mrs K," she said.

"Oh dear, you've known me for twelve years. It's Delia to you!"

"Yeah-yeah, let's go—" Ash grabbed the red head by the hand, pulling her in the direction of the steps leading to his room "—and thanks Mom!" he called out, Delia laughing at her son's way of cutting the conversation.

He still held her hand tightly when they had made it to his doorway.

"Geez Ketchum!" she reprimanded, "what's the hurry?!"

"Sorry," he replied, detaching his hand from hers. "Just thought I'd pull you away before my mom roped us in to helping her with dinner."

"Typical," she laughed, "always one to get out of the dirty work!"

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Not!"

Misty burst out laughing again, Ash frowning at her, not knowing what exactly what was funny.

"What?" he snapped, folding his arms.

"I just thought after twelve years, we'd stop doing that by now!"

Ash laughed, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. "I guess not…" he grinned, reminiscing about all the times Brock or Pikachu would have to break up an argument between the two of them. Back then it used to annoy him that she'd put her nose into his business, now he realised how all along, she was right.

"How did your mom react when she saw you?" Misty asked.

"She was excited! Practically suffocated me with a hug, but I'm good," Ash laughed in return.

"She missed you, she tells me all the time…"

Ash smiled at her, in a way that was almost looked lovingly, Misty swore she was just imagining it.

"What?" she asked him, coaxing him in to sharing his thoughts.

"I really appreciate the way you've looked after her while I've been away… I'm lucky to have you Mist, really."

"It's fine, honestly. You know your mom is like a mom to me too… I enjoy her company," Misty replied, her rosy cheeks deepening in colour at the sound of his voice.

"And I'm sure she enjoys yours…"

Their conversation was cut short by Delia, who called them stating that dinner was ready. She had created a delicious chicken stir-fry, which was a hit for Pikachu, Eevee and Mr Mime as well as the humans who chomped it down also. The sitting was comprised of small talk, Delia asking Misty about her sisters and the gym, Ash admitting he had paid them all a visit a few days ago. Much to his surprise, Delia didn't really mind, she just smiled whilst feeling thrilled internally, with the prospect of Ash possibly accepting his feelings for her favourite young lady. When dinner was over, Misty insisted helping with the tidying up, even with Delia ensuring her it was okay to leave them. Ash watched lazily, as Misty cleared the table, until she shot him a glare and he began to help her too.

When the kitchen was spotless, the three of them retreated to the lounge room, Delia and Misty chatting excitedly about the fact that they hadn't missed the night time soaps, Ash groaning that he was stuck watching them.

Delia took the armchair, Ash and Misty forced to sit side-by-side on the long sofa. The boy threw his arm around the back of the seat, Eevee sitting contently on his lap.

"I still cannot believe how much she likes you!" Misty gushed, "she hardly wants a bar of me when you're around!"

"What can I say?" Ash laughed, "I'm just so charming, she must just love me that little bit more than you…" he winked.

"Please!" Misty scoffed, folding her arms, "don't flatter yourself!"

"I'm only kidding Mist—" he nudged her gently, "—you know I could never replace you!"

"Like Sam always says dear," Delia spoke up, "pokemon tend to grow fond of the people their trainers a close to." At this statement, Misty blushed. "You and Ash are best friends after all…" the older woman smiled, not meaning to make Misty embarrassed.

"Yeah… you're right!" the red head added, patting Eevee's head. Pikachu was nuzzled into Misty's side, the young girl thinking about how close the little, yellow mouse was to her. Perhaps it wasn't just her pokemon… Pikachu seemed to always be fond of Misty too. Even when they were younger. Misty recalled the time where Pikachu refused to battle against her… they hadn't even known each other that long. Could Daisy be right? Could Ash have always liked her? What was she talking about… she was sounding crazy.

The television lit up with the theme of 'Near and Far', the show Delia and Misty were looking forward to, pulling the red head from her thoughts as she watched the first scene unfold; Ash yawning beside her. Misty tried to keep her focus on the screen, even when she felt Ash's head fall upon her shoulder, his dark locks tickling her neck. A slight smile tugged at her lips. They were always so comfortable with each other, Misty paying no attention to the gesture.

It wasn't exactly late, by the time the show had finished, but Delia had decided to retire to her bedroom at around 9pm. She had a busy day in store tomorrow, with Christmas less than three days away. Saying her goodnights, the older woman exited the room and headed upstairs.

Ash's head still rested upon Misty's shoulder, the red head nudging him, when she heard him softly snoring in her ear.

"Ugh!" he groaned, causing Misty to giggle slightly being responsible for the noise leaving his mouth.

"A bit tired are we?" she teased.

"Not at all, that show was so boring, it practically put me to sleep… and besides I was pretty comfortable," he countered, Misty biting her lip at the backhanded compliment.

"Let's watch something else then…" she suggested, Ash shrugging. He didn't really care what they did, as long as they were in each other's company.

"You pick," he said, yawning again. The sound of rain splattering against the windows of his home, was making him sleepy, but he wasn't about to miss the opportunity for them to finally watch that movie they should have watched days ago.

"Hmm, okay…" she said, moving towards the television and sifting through the movies stored in the cabinet. There wasn't too much variety, only a few pokemon action films and a bunch of chick flicks. Considering Ash didn't seem to mind what they watched, Misty pulled out the film '13 going on 30' and popped it into the DVD player, pressing the play button.

Moving back to her chair, she picked up Pikachu gently, placing him on the sofa Delia had left. The yellow rodent was snoozing softly, as was Eevee, who Misty moved next. Placing a blanket over the pair, she smiled to herself. They looked so relaxed, she just hoped they were warm. Unbeknownst to her, Ash also found his eyes on her, watching how good she was with them, made his heart swell in his chest. He made sure to look away when she turned around.

Misty fell back onto the sofa. It was quite chilly, even with the warmth from the fireplace, it was a good excuse for her to cuddle up to Ash. He seemed to have the same idea, because he pulled her closer to him as soon as she sat down, sharing the blanket he had draped over his body.

The beginning titles of the film began to play, the duo focusing their attention on the screen, knowing for certain that being this close would result in them pushing the boundaries of friendship if they happened to focus their attention on each other.

…..

Ash had managed to surprise himself tonight. Not only was he able to control his beating heart, sitting so close to Misty, but he also happened to sit through an entire chick flick… and it wasn't that bad. Part of him wanted to think that Misty had a point to prove picking such a movie; the plot was about two best friends, who clearly had feelings for one another, and their bumpy road to a relationship in the future. Ash wanted to believe that she saw parts of them in the main characters, but then again, what did he know about the inner workings of a girl's mind.

The flames within the fire place, had died down to embers and midnight was nearly upon them, Ash unable to control the yawns leaving his mouth.

Although he had sat through the entire movie, Misty had fallen asleep an hour ago and he didn't have the heart to wake her. She looked so peaceful, Ash assumed the tough week of Gym Leader duties had tired her out. He attempted to slowly release his arm from her clutches, as she used it as a pillow; he didn't want to wake her, instead had the intention of carrying her up to bed. This plan didn't exactly work, as her eyes fluttered open, the second he stood up from his place on the sofa.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you," he said in a hushed tone.

"It's okay," Misty smiled, her voice groggy with sleep. She too stood up, reaching over and grabbing Eevee, who was asleep in the same place the red head had put her, hours ago. "I'll meet you upstairs."

Ash nodded, swallowing the random lump that found itself in his throat. When she had disappeared up the stairs, he switched off the television, folding the blanket and replacing the sofa cushions, which had been sprawled across the carpet. When the living room was back in order, he switched off the lights, taking Pikachu into his arms and following Misty up the stairs.

The red head had changed into her pyjamas, Ash asking her to turn around, before swiftly changing into his. Pikachu had made himself comfortable on a pillow beside Ash's sleeping bag on the floor, Eevee cuddling into a blanket placed on his desk.

"Are you sure you're okay on the floor?" Misty asked, sitting on Ash's bed with a frown on her face.

"I'll be fine… I'm used to it anyway," he replied, offering her a reassuring smile.

"I feel bad taking your bed, though."

"Mist, it's fine. As if I'd let you sleep on the floor!"

Misty laughed. Years ago he probably wouldn't have cared if she had to sleep outside. But they weren't kids anymore, it was nice to see him so… so gentlemanly, although, she knew Delia would kill him if she found out Misty slept on the floor and he got the bed.

"Thanks Ash," she said, falling back onto the bed, letting the warmth of the blankets envelope her body.

"You're welcome. Night," he whispered, closing his bedroom door and flicking off the light before fumbling for his sleeping bag in the darkness.

With a gentle sigh, Misty closed her eyes, allowing her body to relax once again. She didn't even try to block out the thoughts, his face danced in her mind; chocolate brown eyes being the last thing she saw before sleep finally took over.

…..

"Misty… come here my darling…"

"Misty… we are right here…"

"Look over the edge… we are right here…"

Peering over the edge of the cliff, Misty cast her eyes into the distance where two figures stood out in the middle of the ocean, atop a red block floating calmly, as it held them above the sea. Misty knew the area looked familiar to her, she just could not quite put her finger on why. Looking around the cliff she stood on, she noticed the faint outline of a pokemon battle arena, decorating the stone floor. Her eyes darted back to the sea, where the figures stood on top of the block, surrounded by a dozen pointy, rock formations. The red head looked down at her clothing, the yellow crop, blue shorts and red suspenders solidifying her thoughts; she was on Trovita Island, in the place where she watched Ash defeat Rudy, all those years ago.

"Misty… It's okay darling…" a voice called out, Misty's vision focusing as she caught the brunette in her view. She was an older woman, calling out to Misty as she stood cemented to the red block, a smile planted on her face.

"Mom?" Misty called out, taking a step closer to edge of the cliff, before stopping herself.

"It's okay sweetie. All you have to do is jump!" the second voice sounded, a man with dirty blonde hair called from beside the woman.

"Dad?"

"Jump sweetie! Jump!" the man prompted again.

"But Daddy, I'm scared!" Misty replied, her eyes filling with tears.

"You can do it darling!" her mother reassured her, Misty taking a deep breath before stepping back from the cliffs edge.

If she was going to do this, she would at least need a running start.

Three, she exhaled again, shaking her arms as if to shake the nerves away.

Two, she closed her eyes, preparing her feet to push off from the ground.

One, running with all the speed she could muster, she kept going until the earth had disappeared between her feet and she was floating.

Her stomach dropped as she felt the wind beneath her; she was free falling, her eyes still clamped tightly shut as she waited to feel the ocean's cool embrace. Within seconds it came, the waves brushing her shoulders as she opened her eyes. The sea was calm, the red block now at her eye level as she paddled towards her parents swiftly.

"You did it darling!" the woman gushed, Misty guided by the sound of her voice.

"You jumped!" the man added, Misty's heart pounding from the sudden adrenaline boost.

The red head swam closer and closer to the block. When she was no more than three feet away, it started to shift.

"Wait!" Misty cried, "I'm so close! Wait for me!"

The block began shifting further out to see, the sunlight in the sky replaced by dark clouds and rain in an instant. The sea became rough, the waves crashing together and against the rocks, right before Misty's eyes.

"No! Please wait! I'm stuck! I can't swim anymore!" she screamed, the waves tossing her around like she was a feather caught in the winds of a hurricane. Before she could yell out again, she felt herself being dragged under the water, a whirlpool taking her tumbling beneath the sea. When it pulled her to the surface, she gasped for air, thinking she was safe, only to be snatched under, once again.

She needed oxygen desperately. She was choking; drowning, her mind was shutting down. This was it, she had been pulled under with no escape, the red block had sailed into the open ocean.

Everything turned black…

Misty jolted upright, clutching her chests in a desperate attempt to fill her lungs with the air it needed. Her eyes were still clamped shut, as if opening them would bring the picture back again.

"Mist! Hey… hey! You're okay, you're safe now…" a deep voice pulled her out of her trance, Misty allowing her eyes the chance to take in their surroundings.

Ash sat beside her on his bed in which she had been occupying. He was shirtless, which in any other circumstance would make Misty bashful, but not right now. His hands reached for hers as she still tried to catch her breath.

"Hey, focus on me. Breath in…"

Misty breathed in, following his instruction.

"And out…"

She exhaled, repeating the action as per his directions, once again.

When she had her breath back, her eyes filled with tears, and she instinctively threw herself into Ash's arms. He held her tightly against his chest, the sound of his beating heart, soothing her.

"It was just a bad dream," he whispered against her hair, stroking it tenderly with his hand. "You're safe now… I've got you …"

Misty sniffled gently against his chest.

"I-I w-was drowning…" she mumbled, "I-I swam out to them, m-my parents… and then I was drowning…"

"Just a dream…" Ash repeated, Misty still holding on to him for dear life.

When she finally calmed down a bit, she untangled herself from him and sat up, crossing her legs to make room for him properly.

"Are you okay?" he asked gently, concern lacing his words.

She nodded timidly in response. "I'm sorry I woke you up," she said.

"Don't apologise," he smiled, "it's alright…"

"Was I bad?" she questioned him, screwing up her nose.

"Do you get these nightmares often?"

"I used to get them all the time when my parents died… now, not so much. But be honest, was I bad?"

Ash shook his head, "It just sounded like you were crying…"

"Oh I'm really sorry Ash—"

"Will you stop apologising, I'm just happy you're okay… and look, Pikachu didn't even wake up," he voiced, gesturing to the electric mouse still asleep on his pillow on the floor.

Misty smiled.

"I'll be down there if you need me… Try and go back to sleep," he instructed her, tucking a piece of orange hair behind her ear, Misty shuddering slightly at his touch.

"A-Ash?" she mumbled. "Can you stay?" Her face held an expression of necessity, her blue eyes wide and begging him not to leave her.

Ash offered her a kind smile, pulling back the blankets and moving closer to her. He rested his head against the pillow, wrapping an arm around Misty and inviting her to cuddle into his chest. When she was comfortable, he pulled the blanket over her shoulders, hearing her sigh appreciatively in return.

"Thank you…" she breathed against his chest, Ash reassuring her again, that it was okay.

After several moments of silence, Ash was confident she had fallen asleep, until her voice filled his ears once again.

"Ash?"

"Mmm?"

"I really have missed you…" she murmured, sending his heart racing.

"I know Mist. I've missed you too…"

And he did. Knowing that (for tonight at least), he wouldn't be letting her go.