Chapter Eight: The Perfect Christmas.
Sloppy, wet kisses pulled Misty from her slumber. It was cold and after struggling to fall asleep until well into the early hours of the morning, she had only just gotten comfortable within the warm sheets enveloping her body. Her eyes remained closed, as she felt the little kisses upon her cheeks, groaning in slight annoyance, she didn't want to wake up yet… she had barely slept.
"Veee!" the little pokemon whined into her ear, nuzzling into her neck when it realised it's kisses were not enough to pry her eyes open. Misty sighed in defeat, lifting a hand to pat Eevee gently, before allowing the light to hit her retinas. She yawned and stretched her slender arms over her head, sitting up in the all-to-familiar bed, in the all-to-familiar bedroom.
Her last encounter with Ash was incredibly awkward. They had almost…kissed— but they didn't. Last night, as soon as the red head found Eevee, she bumped into May and Drew, who, upon seeing her so on edge, offered her a ride back to the Ketchum residence on their way back to Cerulean City. She didn't have to think twice. If she could beat Ash home, she could fall asleep and they would not have to chat about what could have been. She didn't even bother telling him she was leaving, just Brock; who told her that he was planning on sticking around and would take Ash home a little later on. Delia had insisted on helping Professor Oak tidy up, so she would hitch a ride with them too.
However, as soon as she entered his bedroom, despite changing into her cosy pyjamas and despite the clock striking 1am, she felt wider awake then anything. Some forty-five minutes later, she heard the front door pushed open, three pairs of feet shuffling inside.
"Just lay him there, Brock. I won't even bother trying to bring him upstairs in such a state…" Delia spoke in a hushed tone, trying her very best not to disturb Misty whom she assumed was sleeping soundly in Ash's room. The red head shifted in the bed, straining her ears to hear the rest of the conversation… and more importantly, to understand what exactly Ash's 'current state' was.
"You got it, Mrs K," came Brock's deep voice, "I'll go get a change of clothes and a bucket, we might be able to get him out of that… and he'll definitely need the bucket, unless you plan on your colouring your carpet 'vomit green'".
Misty cringed at the thought, Brock's footsteps growing louder in her ears. He tiptoed into the room, just after she had a chance to fall back against the pillow, trying her best not to move a muscle, so her friend would think she was asleep. She heard Brock shuffle through Ash's dresser, grabbing what he needed and heading back to towards the door. Much to her surprise, he stopped for a second, before passing the threshold. The red head inwardly shivered, as his hands tugged at the blanket around her body. Brock pulled it over her shoulders, brushing her hair out of her eyes, like a mother would for her child. She felt his hand leave her face, as he offered Eevee a gentle stroke too.
"Sweet dreams, you two," he whispered, Misty trying not to smile and break her cover. Brock proceeded to tip toe out of the room, pulling the door so it was only half-ajar.
Misty's eyes shot open once again, as she tried her best to hear what they were saying. Spare clothes? A bucket? Was he sick? Why couldn't he change in here?... and why was he sleeping down stairs?
"Ash… how are you feeling?" Delia asked, her tone sweet like sugar.
Misty winced as she heard him groan, rather loudly.
"Shhh!" Brock hushed him, "Misty's asleep upstairs."
"Aughhh Misty! I blew it with her Brock… it's going to be so weird between us now!" he wailed, his words slurring as Misty frowned to herself.
"Don't worry about that now," Brock attempted to comfort him, "let's get you cleaned up first…"
Misty listened as Delia and Brock helped him. She assumed they had successfully assisted him in changing, as the shuffling stopped, only to be replaced by a gurgling sound.
"The bucket Brock! Quick!" Delia demanded, Ash coughing and spluttering as he threw up, thankfully he hadn't missed the bucket.
"Pikapi!" Pikachu cried, the red head only just realising he was there too.
Misty understood now… he wasn't sick. He was drunk.
"It's okay Pikachu… Oh my baby. How did you get yourself into this situation?" Delia questioned, Misty knew the woman wanted to be furious with her son, but seeing him in such discomfort wouldn't allow her to be.
"I don't want to ta—bucket!"
Taros-eye! Straight into the bucket again!
"Tomorrow…" he whispered, his body falling back into the couch. She heard it squeak with the action. "Sleep, now…" he slurred.
Misty heard Brock sigh. "I'll stay down here too, Mrs K. It's okay, I'll watch him. You get some rest, I'm sure tomorrow his going to be a super busy day."
"Thank you dear. I got out a few blankets for you earlier today, they're over there."
Misty couldn't see where Delia was pointing, but her friend must have understood, because she heard the clatter of heels ascending the steps… her insomnia intensifying.
Now, morning had fallen upon them. It was Christmas Day! Misty's favourite holiday of all. She knew he wouldn't remember much of the night, so her best chance was to forget it ever happened, so the day could go off without a hitch.
Misty reached for her phone, noticing that it was 10am, meaning Delia would be downstairs already, cooking up a storm. With his arrival so perfectly planned out, Ash's mom was hosting Christmas at her house. In an hour, the home would be filled by their family, consistent of, Professor Oak, Gary and Leaf, Drew and May, Misty's sisters, Tracey, a few of Delia's friends from her tour group and their pokemon, of course. She could hear the faint chime of Christmas carols floating into her room from downstairs, accompanied by the scent of Delia's famous Christmas Cookies. Misty's stomach rumbled at the thought.
"Merry Christmas, my little Eevee," she chimed, smiling down at the excited pokemon. Eevee seemed to share her love for the holiday and was desperate to get her downstairs. Misty hopped off the bed, tucking the sheets in neatly, before gathering her bag and heading to the bathroom. Eevee sat patiently on the freshly-made bed.
Her heart skipped a beat when she noticed it was occupied. She considered running back to Ash's room, but she knew the person on the other side of the door would hear her feet if she were to stampede back down the hall. Her breath caught in her throat as the doorhandle began to jiggle in front of her and she knew her face was Seel-white, the colour drained of it, as she stood stuck in front of the door.
"Good morning sleepy head!" a cheery voice sounded, the door opening. Its owner was dressed in a pair of tan slacks and a maroon button down, his brown hair combed tidily in its usual spikes.
"Gosh! Brock! You scared the life outta me!" Misty groaned, clutching her bag tightly in her arms.
"Why?" he smirked, "think I was someone else? …"
Misty rolled her eyes. "Umm! No! That's not funny. Now get out of my way so I can shower!" she ordered, Brock knowing better than to mess with her.
"Fine!" he chuckled, "and Merry Christmas to you too…"
"Merry Christmas, idiot," Misty teased, offering him a small smile and closing the door behind her.
It wasn't long until she had stepped into the warmth of the shower, the water relaxing her, soothing her nerves and melting her worries away. The knots in her stomach had somehow untied themselves as she massaged rose-scented shampoo into her red tresses, the fragrance tickling her nose. She loved that even a simple shower was enough to calm her, her love for water extending to such a simple, daily task. She wasn't going to dwell on the night's events, she would find a distraction. Something to push him to the back of her mind, even if he happened to appear right in front of her face. It was one moment… a moment that didn't even happen, she had to let it go… he probably already had.
Soap began to cloud her vision, prompting her to wash it away, along with the bubbles clinging to her hair. Her toothbrush felt refreshing against her teeth, scrubbing away any signs of sleep and leaving her with a minty taste in her mouth, which she happened to enjoy. She cut the water, wrapping a fluffy, pink towel around her body, another around her head to control the drops flowing from her mane. She didn't care how long it took her to get ready, she was trying to distract herself today and this was step one.
Her hair was dried thoughtfully, and she used Delia's curler to give it a slight wave, coils appearing at the ends. It fell down her back, a section pulled over her left shoulder, the right secured behind her ear with a holly-shaped barrette. After her red undergarments covered her body, Misty pulled a pair of black stockings over her legs; this was followed by a tight, long sleeved shirt, scoop necked and red in colour. The shirt was tucked into a green, red and white, tartan skirt, falling mid-thigh. She analysed her look in the mirror. It was pretty impressive that she had picked such a stylish look for herself, she was proud of the image that stared back at her. The red head, added some final touches to the outfit, framing her aquamarine eyes by elongating her thick eyelashes and pinkening her cheeks with some well-placed blush. Pulling a pair of black, heeled ankle boots over her feet, she gave herself the once over again, deciding then, to exit the bathroom.
Eevee was still sat upon Ash's bed when Misty returned to the room. She dumped her bag on his desk, scooping up her pokemon and striding towards the door.
"I'm ready!" she announced more to herself than Eevee, "let's get downstairs!"
Holding her confident façade, the red head pressed forward, down the steps, and presenting herself to the sea of voices scattered around the living room.
It was beginning to look a lot like Christmas, indeed.
…..
"Ah Misty! Merry Christmas dear," Professor Oak's warm voice filled her ears, as he placed a gentle hand upon her shoulder. He was a loving man, always so kind to the girl. But then again, he had watched Misty grow from such a young age, she was as good a grandchild to him as Gary or his sister were.
"Hi Professor, Merry Christmas…" she smiled at him, taking in the scene in front of her. Professor Oak returned to his place on the couch, where he was joined by his grandson. Gary sat beside Leaf, a casual arm swung around her as the pair engaged in a discussion with Tracey and Daisy who occupied two of the chairs Delia had placed near the fireplace, the group unaware of the red head's presence until…
"Misty! Finally!" May squealed. She was sitting on the arm chair adjacent to Professor Oak, Drew planted on the arm rest beside her. Misty giggled at her sudden outburst, May's energy was often so contagious, she was such a happy-go-lucky person and Misty loved that about her.
"Oh! Hey Red, about time you joined us!" Gary piped up, throwing her a playful grin.
"Merry Christmas guys," Misty smiled, earning holiday wishes from those around her. Daisy offered her little sister a warm smile, moving from her seat next to Tracey and in the red head's direction.
"Hey little sister," Daisy hugged her. Misty loved Christmas but it was hard for all of them… celebrating without their parents. Almost fourteen years on and things hadn't got any easier.
"Hey…" Misty returned, accepting Daisy's hug with the same amount of emotion. "Where are Lily and Violet?" she asked when she pulled away.
"Come on," Daisy added, linking arms with Misty and pulling her towards the Ketchums' kitchen. Her sisters sat along the dining room table, chatting away to a few of Delia's friends from her tour group, it seemed they were discussing holiday destinations and hairdressers, one woman sporting exceptionally styled pink locks, similar to that of her sister, Lily.
Misty's eyes found the kitchen, the cause of such an inviting aroma. Delia donned a red apron that had the words 'We Whisk you a Merry Christmas', over her long green dress; a Santa hat clung to her head. She was running around preparing dishes, with the help of her faithful Mr Mime, Brock and much to Misty's surprise… Pikachu. She began to feel bad about sleeping in, especially considering how much food had already began to cover the countertop. She noticed that Brock also wore a novelty apron reading, 'All I want for Christmas is food', but Misty knew the word food should be replaced with the words 'a girlfriend', though she supposed her friend didn't seem too girl crazy these days. Her eyes found Pikachu again, trying his best to add the garnish to a salad prepared by the man. Misty smiled to herself, her mind pondering the whereabouts of the yellow mouse's trainer. Mentally cursing herself for breaking her plan to push him from her mind.
"Misty, sweetheart! Happy Christmas!" Delia beamed, dropping her mixing spoon and engulfing the young woman in a big, warm, hug.
"Same to you Mrs Ke—" Delia raised an eyebrow, expectantly "—Delia," Misty smiled, the older woman giggling to herself. "I'm sorry I slept in, do you need some help?"
"We're okay Mist…" Brock assured her, "Lunch is almost ready!"
Delia nodded, a warm smile still gracing her features, "off you go, have fun… you can help me with the dishes later!" she said, clearly picking up on Misty's guilty vibe.
"Okay…"
"Come on Misty, we've got a gift for you," Daisy announced, calling Lily and Violet over and walking them towards the Ketchum Family staircase, for privacy. Daisy sat upon the third step, pulling Misty down with her, the other two girls leaning against the railing beside them.
Violet and Lily smiled down at Misty, as Daisy handed her a box. It was blue in colour and about the size of a post-it note, tied securely by a thick, white ribbon.
"Wha—what is it?"
"Open it," Daisy prompted, her smile never faltering.
Misty shrugged, untying the ribbon slowly. She began to grow nervous, but wasn't sure why… it wasn't like a weedle could fit inside such a small parcel… right?
She pulled the lid off the box, gasping at the necklace it held. It was white gold and an oval shape. It was rather plain aside from a tiny, blue waterdrop attached to the centre; Misty didn't even have to think about what it resembled… it was the cascade badge. The piece was beautiful and thoughtful, Misty meeting Daisy's eyes.
"It's lovely… thank you," she gushed, before Lily interjected.
"Open it…" she laughed, confusing the youngest sensational sister.
"What do you mean? I did?"
"It's a locket, little sister," Violet added, pointing to the item in the box.
"Oh." Misty's fingers found the clasp of the pendant, pushing it gently to unfasten the two sides.
When it fell open, a hand shot to Misty's mouth, as tears began to form in her eyes.
"I—it, where did you…"
So many thoughts filled her head. It was the most amazing gift her sisters had given her. Inside the locket, were two pictures. On the left, behind the cascade symbol, was a picture of Misty and her three sisters, similar to the one she had on her desk in her bedroom; the second, was the one that made her emotional. It was them. A photo of her parents, laughing with one another, as her dad held her mom close in his arms. They seemed no older than Misty was at the present moment, making her feel so close to them.
"It was Mom's…" Daisy choked, she too taken back by Misty's emotional reaction.
"We added the photo of us to it… but the necklace, their photo, it was already there…" Violet continued.
"Dad gave it to Mom, when she was twenty-two, like you are… it was an engagement gift," Lily voiced softly, swallowing an obvious lump in her throat.
"Why have I never seen it before?" Misty asked, curiously.
"We've been saving it for you…" Daisy said, "they would be so proud of you Misty, I know we are." She took Misty's hand in her own, giving it a gentle squeeze.
"But, you guys… Why me? I feel bad, one of you could have been wearing it all of these years."
"We had so much more time with Mom and Dad compared to you, little sister. Not enough time, but more. This is for you. They'll always be with you, and that locket and—" Daisy began to well up herself.
"And in here," Violet smiled warmly, finishing her older sister's sentence and bringing a hand to her chest.
"I love you guys... Thank you for the best present I could have ever asked for," Misty beamed, patting her cheeks dry with the sleeve of her shirt. "Can you put it on for me?"
"I can help you with it…" a very familiar, very male voice, sounded from the foot of the staircase behind them. In all his six-foot glory, there he was. Misty's heart pounding as she caught a glimpse of the raven-haired boy mere metres away from her and her sisters.
"We'll leave you two, to it than…" Daisy remarked, offering her younger sister a kind smile before leading her other two siblings from the foyer.
"Hey…" he spoke softly, taking a seat beside her, the place which Daisy once occupied.
"Hi…" she replied, unable to control the banging in her chest. So much for pushing him out of her mind. "Merry Christmas."
"Same to you," he mumbled, "it's beautiful," he gestured to the necklace. Misty's mind filling with pictures of the time he used that word to describe her… only hours ago. She shut the thoughts down, focusing on the pendant in the box.
"Yeah," she smiled, "it is…"
"Here—" Ash reached into the parcel, pulling the locket from its place on the velvet cushion "—I'll help you."
"Oh… thanks." Misty pulled her red locks to the side, allowing Ash to place the necklace around her, clasping it securely at the nape of her neck. She shivered slightly as his fingers brushed her skin, hoping to ignore the raging butterfree flying loose in her abdomen.
"So… you're up late, sleepyhead!" she teased, trying to ease the tension that was growing thicker by the minute.
"Oh!" Ash chuckled, "yeah…"
"What happened? Late night?" Of course Misty knew why he had woken so late, but she was anxious to see whether or not he remembered anything from the Christmas Eve Party… anything at all…
"Well—" Ash scratched his chin awkwardly "—I don't remember all of the details, it's a bit cloudy. But I do know I had a shit load to drink, because my head is on fire!"
Misty tried to hide the way her face had fallen at his words. He didn't remember… Which was good! But, why did she feel like this?
"Oh…" Misty faked a giggle, "that sucks!"
"I'll get over it. Once the aspirin kicks in, I'll be good as new!" he shrugged.
"Well come on then, we don't want to miss lunch! Everyone is probably waiting in the dining room…" Misty stood up, taking a step away from him and expecting him to follow.
"Wait!" he exclaimed suddenly, reaching for her arm, catching Misty off guard.
She looked at him in perplexity, startled by his sudden outburst.
"Are we okay?" he muttered, his chocolate orbs searching hers for any sign of an answer. "I just mean—" he rubbed his neck awkwardly "—did I do something… or say something last night? Something that would make things weird between us?"
Misty gulped, pausing for a second before delivering her answer. He really didn't remember… their dance, the way he spoke about her, their almost…
"No, not that I can remember!" she sang, cheeriness dripping from her lips as if she was the happiness person in the world.
"You're sure?" Ash questioned, raising an eyebrow.
"Positive!" she nodded, "now let's go eat! I'm starving!"
Ash smiled sheepishly at her, accepting her hand as she pulled him up and towards the dining room. He had remembered something, but he was certain it wasn't anything more than a dream. She had just confirmed that nothing happened, and he had no choice but to believe her… hopefully it wouldn't get in the way of his Christmas plans.
…..
Lunch had come and gone, the group losing a few members in the forms of Delia's tour group friends, meaning the guests that remained were more like family than friends. Mrs Ketchum had outdone herself, not only was lunch the most delicious meal most her houseguests had ever eaten, but she currently worked on building a spread of desserts, which she set up categorically across the dining room table. There was Christmas pudding and trifle and cakes ranging in flavours from chocolate to butterscotch. As expected a large tray of Christmas cookies accompanied Delia's freshly-baked gingerbread men and fluffy, chocolate mousse filled a luxurious glass bowl beside them. A large urn filled with hot cocoa sat above the table top, encouraging the visitors to fill the Christmas-themed cups surrounding the appliance.
"Help yourselves everyone!" Delia announced, receiving an abundance of praise from those around her. "Then we'll open presents in the living room!" Delia's voice held an excited tone. Even at her age, this was by far her favourite part of the day… seeing the faces of the people she loved open her gifts… oh, it was wonderful!
Similar to his mother, Ash had been eagerly awaiting this part of the day, since well before Brock threw him into the shower this morning. He was a big kid at heart, but as much as he wanted to see what snazzy gifts he would be opening, he couldn't wait to give Misty hers. The pair had been fine with one another today overall, but Ash sensed there was a reason behind her distance with him. It was slight, but noticeable and it made him think that he had done something stupid at the party, last night. That same scenario danced around in his head, but he pushed it away thinking it was no more than a silly dream… there was no way that could've happened, it was farfetched, even for him. Pikachu on his shoulder, the young man gathered a plate of his mother's famous sweets, waltzing into the living room and taking a seat beside Gary, who was happily feeding Leaf a Christmas cookie.
It wasn't long until the rest of the group had gathered around the fire place. Brock took the remaining seat next to Ash, Professor Oak on the armchair adjacent to him. Opposite the pokemon professor, on the other side of the living room were Drew and May, the brunette sitting comfortably on her boyfriend's lap as he occupied the remaining armchair. Lily and Violet filled the two chairs set up on the opposite side of Professor Oak; Daisy and Tracey in a similar predicament as they sat beside May and Drew. Ash's eyes searched for her red hair, Misty not present in the circle of friends just yet.
He watched as his mother walked into the room, standing in front of them all, grinning from ear to ear. Ash exhaled happily, when Misty joined her, squeezing into a spot next to Leaf, the brunette almost pushing herself onto Gary's lap, though he didn't seem to mind.
"Okay! I just want to say thank you all for joining us today… It's been lovely spending Christmas with the people I hold most dear," Delia gushed, catching Ash's eye for a second, grinning proudly still. He was happy he was home for the holidays this year, his mother's face was all the proof he needed to tell him his decision was the right one.
"But as much as we all love each other's company," she continued, "it's time to open some presents!"
Laughter echoed around the room, as they all stood around exchanging gifts with one another. Everyone had seemingly great taste!
A new monogramed briefcase for Brock, a leather-bound sketch book for Tracey, a new Pokeblock case for May, a bottle of Erika's famous perfume for Daisy… everyone was happy with what they had received. Out of the corner of his eye, Ash watched his mom unwrap a new Mr Mime-shaped watering can from Misty; the older woman threw her arms around the red head who giggled happily in response. Even Pikachu and Eevee were content with their presents, although Ash could kill May for the size of the ketchup-bottle she had gifted Pikachu. He too had received some pretty amazing gifts, although they would have been much more useful if he was still travelling, not that he'd mentioned that to anyone.
Delia made her way over to him, handing him a large parcel and urging Ash to open it. Smiling at her, he unwrapped the package, revealing a new duffle bag, filled with a selection of objects; candies, chocolate, a new case for his gym badges, and some socks and underwear, to name a few.
"I didn't know what to get you this year," she bit her lip, "I just threw together some of your favourite things and well… I hope you like it."
"Mom, being with you for Christmas, is all I ever needed this year," he pulled her into a tight embrace, meaning every word.
"Oh, my baby," Delia choked up slightly, "thank you…"
Ash pulled away from her, reaching in to his pocket and handing his mom a small, silver box. "Merry Christmas," he beamed.
"You shouldn't have, sweetie!" Delia giggled, fumbling with the ribbon, Ash's eyes shimmering as she opened the gift.
Delia gasped, Ash sensing the waterworks were coming any moment now. "It's lovely!" she spluttered, admiring the charm bracelet in the box.
Ash picked it up, clasping it around her wrist. "To remind you that we are always together, even when we are apart…" he voiced, his mother impressed with his wise words.
"Thank you, honey," she mumbled, kissing him on the cheek before pulling him into another bone-crushing hug.
"Mom—choking, dying—"
"Oh! Sorry," Delia giggled, "I better go and show Samuel my new bracelet, and give him his gift, of course! Thank you…"
Ash nodded, smiling vibrantly to himself as his mom made her way over to Professor Oak, the two diving into a conversation and exchanging Christmas gifts. The raven-haired man was happy with the outcome, and proud of himself for providing his mother with the perfect present. She was the best mom a boy could ask for, he owed her that much.
Without warning, his pulse quickened when Misty grabbed him gently by the arm. He turned to face her, met with her dazzling pools of aquamarine and a friendly smile.
"Merry Christmas… again," she said, handing him a neatly wrapped parcel. It was only slightly bigger than his hand. "I'm not sure if it'll be much use to you now… but well—open it."
Ash met her gaze, a curious expression overtaking his features. Misty simply gestured down to the box again, urging him to open it. He carefully unwrapped the paper, trying his best not to completely destroy the green and red gift wrap. Underneath it, he was met with a brown, rectangular box with a lid, which he hastily discarded unlike the wrapping paper; a small, blue object catching his eye.
"A cell phone?" Ash asked, his head snapping up from the device to meet her eye.
"Well… sort of. It's the newest pokégear…" she shrugged, still smiling at him.
"Woah, Mist… I don't know what to say. It must have cost you a fortune!"
"I kind of had selfish reasons for buying it though…" He looked at her in question, pushing her to continue. "I thought having a phone on you…"
"Would mean we could speak more often when we're apart," Ash finished her sentence, his heart fluttering in his chest when she dipped her head in agreeance. "Well I love it! Thank you." He engulfed her in a hug, Misty forgetting any awkward feelings between them, for a moment as she focused on the warmth his embrace provided her.
"I have something for you too…" he began, guiding her to a chair that had previously been occupied by her sister Violet, the woman now gushing over a pair of purple pumps gifted to her by Daisy and Tracey. "Sit down."
"Um… okay," Misty uttered in bemusement, following Ash's instruction. She watched as he called Pikachu over, the little mouse bounding onto her lap, before jumping onto Ash's shoulder.
"Here…" he spoke softly, Misty noticing how nervous he suddenly looked as he handed over a red box with a large, white bow. Her name was written on a gift tag, in his messy scrawl. Ash nodded at her as she pulled off the lid, as she did, a single pokeball came in to view. It was sitting upon a bed of white tissue paper and in comparison, to the box, it looked relatively small.
"Okay," he continued, "you can throw it, but you have to close your eyes when you do. I'll tell you when you can open them… Got it?"
Misty's eyebrows knitted together in confusion, as she took the object into her right hand, her left clutching at the locket around her neck. She nodded slowly at him, Ash offering her a smile.
"Alright… close your eyes." She did. "On three. One… two… three…" he counted her in, the ball leaving Misty's hand as soon she heard the last word leave his lips.
Although she couldn't see it, Misty recognised the familiar sound of the pokeball as a creature left the confines of it. The once lively and loud room grew quiet, shocking her. A gasp sounded on the opposite side of the room, Misty certain it came from the lips of May.
"Oh my gosh! Is that—"
"Shhh! Don't ruin it Maple!" Drew demanded, chuckling lightly.
Misty swore she could hear the flitter of wings before her, her eyes still closed, as per Ash's request. "Can I open them yet, Ketchum?" she questioned him.
"Pi-ka!"
Ash chuckled, "yeah… open them."
Misty allowed her eyes to flutter open, blinking a few times she reintroduced her retinas to bright room. Everyone sat silent, staring at her. More confused than ever, she couldn't see a pokemon nor could she see any wings, instead she had her friends smiling brightly at her, May was even wiping tears from her cheeks. Ash still stood in front of her, sporting the brightest grin of the bunch, Pikachu proudly atop his trainer's shoulder.
"I don't understand… why are you all looking at me like that?"
Ash laughed, stepping to the side and revealing the creature that had been let loose from the ball.
It had wings. She didn't imagine the sound, it was real. The pokemon flew towards her, Misty's lip quivering as they locked eyes. She dropped the locket and brought a shaky hand to her mouth, as the tears began to flow freely from her eyes.
"To-Togetic?" she whimpered, the pokemon matching her emotion and nodding joyously in approval. "It-it's really you?" she had to ask, but there was no denying the look in its eyes, or the feeling she felt in her heart. It soared, as if their bond to one another had been untouched, and they'd never been apart.
"Togiiii!" the creature chirped, flying directly at Misty's chest, as she wrapped her arms around it.
"I can't believe it's you!" the girl cried, her body wracked by heavy sobs, the happiest of the kind.
Togetic tweeted against Misty's body, the pair parting as the girl stood up from her chair. Ash looked at her in adoration, the grin still very much in place on his face. Misty couldn't help it. She didn't care that everyone was staring at them, she didn't care that her face was soaked with tears. This was the best surprise she had ever received, and it meant so much to her coming from him. She threw herself at him, wrapping her arms tightly around him as she let her head nuzzle into his chest. She felt him reciprocate the hug, two strong arms enveloping her body in a warm embrace.
"Thank you! Thank you!" she spoke into his chest, her voice still muffled by the sound of her crying.
"You're welcome!" he replied, rubbing her back gently with his hand. Pikachu pat Misty's head gently, causing the pair to laugh as they broke apart.
Togetic flew around the room, greeting each individual with a wave or a chirp of its name. Even Misty's Eevee, who was cuddled into Gary's lap didn't shy away from the creature. Much like her reaction to Ash, the little pokemon could tell how much Togetic meant to Misty and didn't shy away from it, instead, leapt to the floor to play with it's new friend.
"That was so sweet of you, Ash!" May announced, the rest of the room agreeing with the statement. Ash chuckled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly, like he always did when he was embarrassed.
"How did you even find it?" Tracey enquired, shaking his head in disbelief.
"It came to me actually… the other day, at the lab," Ash told them.
"I have never seen Togetic around there before… ever!" Gary piped up, raising two surprised eyebrows.
"I think," Professor Oak began, "there is a strong possibility Togetic followed you home, Ash. It must have seen you out during your travels, and thought you could be the one to reunite it with Misty… Although there isn't much research available on them, Togetic seem to be very intuitive."
"Well, it was right!" Brock added, laughing happily.
"Yeah!" Misty reciprocated the laugh, through happy tears. "Thank you, Ash… this has honestly been the best Christmas ever…"
"You're welcome…" he beamed at her, the smile permanently etched on his face.
Much like his mother's gift, he knew his surprise was successful. As he watched her move to Togetic's side, his smile never faltered, his heart leaping joyfully in his chest.
Coming home for Christmas, was definitely a great idea. For the first time in a little while he was starting to feel a bit more like himself. He was content… He was happy.
…..
"So… catch up time with Togetic over?"
Misty jumped, as the sound of Ash's voice filled her ears. She was sitting on the couch in front of the fireplace, Togetic's pokeball placed carefully on the coffee table in front of her.
"I thought I should let it get some rest… we have forever to catch up," she smiled up at him, Ash taking her smile as an invitation to sit down beside her.
"To tell you the truth… Togetic was a wonderful, fluke present," he said, shrugging his broad shoulders.
"What do you mean?"
"Well… I hadn't initially planned on giving you that pokeball for Christmas, it sort of fell in to my lap… well, flew… but you get the idea."
She didn't actually get it—what he was trying to say.
"Oh?"
Ash reached out for the table behind him, pushing an orange gift box in to her hands.
"Another one… Ash, you already gave me the greatest gift—"
"I already had this, long before I came home. It'd be a waste not to give it to you now," he interrupted her, encouraging her to open it.
Misty turned to face him, directing her attention to the gift box in front of her. She unwrapped the gift and the protective box under the wrapping paper, until a shiny, crystal statue appeared from under the last layer of tissue paper. It was a psyduck, made entirely of crystal and no bigger than the pokégear she had given him earlier that night.
"I called in a favour…" he mumbled, Misty completely captivated with the figure she held protectively in the palm of her hand. "You see, about a month before I decided to come back home, the group I was travelling with decided we should stop by Ambrette Town. It has an aquarium and the most incredible underwater show. There was this one part, where a group of psyduck swam below the water and used their confusion attack to bring a bunch of seashells to the surface—" Misty watched him contently, nodding to urge him to continue "—it reminded me of you and your psyduck, which I found so funny because I could never imagine yours doing that! I'm sure you would have to jump in after it—"
"—hey!" Misty interrupted, "don't diss psyduck, he's not as dopey as he used to be!"
Ash laughed, knowing her well enough to know that she was lying to defend psyduck's honour. "Anyway! Seeing them through the glass tank got me thinking about Mateo on Sunburst Island… and the Pikachu statue he made for me when we left, all those years ago. I asked him to make you your very own… We all know how much you love psyduck and I thought it would bring you luck… or remind you of me, I don't know…"
Misty's heart swelled in her chest. Like Togetic's pokeball, she leaned over and placed the crystal psyduck on the coffee table in front of them. She turned to face him once again, not bothering to push her feelings to the back of her head, like she told herself, all day, that she would. Here he was, the most thoughtful and beautiful man she had ever met in her life, right here in front of her… and she was in love with him. Not puppy love, not infatuation; true love, the kind that you plan your life around… the kind that you die for. That type of love. She wasn't lying to herself anymore, there was no use.
Ash continued to speak, but she couldn't hear it. She was distracted by the beauty of his handsome face. She didn't care that he didn't remember it… she did, and she craved the feeling of his lips on hers. Drunk on the allure of his chocolate orbs, she couldn't help herself, she reached out, placing a tender hand upon his cheek before leaning over and pressing her lips impulsively to his.
He was noticeably shocked at first, his eyes growing wide as she cut his sentence short, but that shock soon subsided, passion replacing it, spreading like wildfire across his body. His hands found her cheeks, as he cupped her face, responding to her contact, desperately wanting to savour the taste of her lips. Misty's hand moved from his shoulder, up into his hair, tugging black tresses between her fingers as their lips moved in sync. She felt his tongue delicately slip into her mouth, dancing with hers in an intimate battle for dominance, Misty trying (but failing miserably), to stifle a moan. Their kiss was hurried but romantic, as if the duo were trying to communicate tender feelings without the use of words. Misty's heart banged intensely against her rib cage, her lungs begging for oxygen; her palms found his chest, pushing them apart, foreheads resting against one another's as the best friends gasped for air.
"I—I'm sorry. I couldn't help it…" Misty murmured breathlessly.
Ash chuckled, moving back to capture her whole face with his eyes. "Don't apologise… you don't ever have to apologise for that."
Now it was Misty's turn to laugh, she stroked his cheek gently with her hand, moving off the couch and gathering her gifts from the table in front of them.
"Where are you going?" he questioned her, not wanting her to go.
"To bed… it's getting pretty late," she shrugged and he nodded in understanding. "Thank you for today. It really was the best Christmas I've ever had…"
"I'm glad," he smiled at her.
"Goodnight, Ash."
"Goodnight, Misty."
And with one kiss, all of her Christmas wishes had come true.
…
Thanks for reading everyone! I loved writing this chapter.
I had originally planned on gifting Misty a Vaporeon, but was inspired by a one shot I read YEARS ago about Misty and Togetic's reunion (with a name I have forgotten), that popped into my mind. So if that was you, thanks for the inspiration J
Hope you are enjoying my story so far!