Beware The Boyfriend

The Cerulean Gym echoed with the sounds of water splashing and the hum of activity. Misty stood by the pool, her whistle in hand, overseeing a training session for the younger swimmers. Her red hair was pulled into a neat ponytail, and her trademark determination shone in her cerulean eyes as she called out tips and encouragement to the trainees.

Meanwhile, Daisy lounged on one of the gym chairs nearby, scrolling through her phone. Unlike Misty's no-nonsense approach, Daisy exuded her usual laid-back aura, her golden hair cascading over her shoulders as she occasionally threw in a few comments.

The peace was interrupted when a young man strolled into the gym—a tall, confident-looking guy with sandy blonde hair and a cocky grin. He was one of Daisy's longtime friends, Jack, who had recently moved back to Cerulean City.

"Hey, Daisy," Jack greeted casually, his voice carrying across the room.

Daisy looked up and waved lazily. "Oh, hey, Jack! Long time, no see. What brings you here?"

"Just thought I'd stop by, see how things are going at the gym." Jack's gaze drifted to Misty, who was too focused on the trainees to notice him. "And… I didn't realize you had such charming company."

Daisy's eyes narrowed slightly. "Uh, that's my sister, Misty," she said, a warning note creeping into her tone.

Jack, undeterred, grinned wider. "Your sister, huh? She's pretty cute. Is she single?"

Daisy sighed, putting her phone down. "Oh, Jack. I'm gonna stop you right there."

But Jack was already making his way toward Misty. Daisy rolled her eyes and got up to follow him, knowing this wasn't going to end well.

Misty noticed Jack approaching as she turned to grab her clipboard. She raised an eyebrow as he stopped a little too close to her.

"Hi," Jack said, flashing what he clearly thought was a winning smile. "I don't think we've met. I'm Jack, Daisy's friend."

Misty crossed her arms, giving him a polite but wary look. "Hi, Jack. I'm Misty. Can I help you with something?"

"Well," Jack said, leaning casually against the pool railing, "I was just wondering… How is it that someone as beautiful as you is stuck in a gym all day? Don't tell me Daisy keeps you locked up in here."

Misty blinked, then tilted her head, her expression unimpressed. "I run this gym, actually. So no, nobody's keeping me locked up."

Jack chuckled, clearly not picking up on the hint. "A woman with power. I like that. Maybe when you're done here, I could take you out sometime?"

Before Misty could respond, Daisy stepped in, her hands on her hips. "Jack, no. Stop it right now."

Jack frowned, looking at Daisy. "What? I'm just being friendly."

Daisy sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Friendly? Please. Jack, Misty's boyfriend is, like, really scary."

Jack raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. "Scary? Come on, Daisy. How scary could he be?"

Misty smirked, crossing her arms and deciding to let Daisy handle this.

"Oh, you have no idea," Daisy said dramatically, throwing her hands in the air. "He's terrifying. He's got this death glare that could make a Gyarados cry, and he's insanely protective. And don't even think about challenging him—he's one of the best trainers in the world. He'll crush you in a battle and make it look easy."

Jack laughed nervously, glancing back at Misty. "Is she serious?"

Misty's smirk widened. "Dead serious. And he doesn't take kindly to guys hitting on me."

Daisy leaned closer to Jack and whispered conspiratorially, "And if you think I'm exaggerating, just wait until he finds out about this. Misty tells him everything."

Jack paled slightly, stepping back. "Alright, alright. I get it. No offense meant." He held up his hands defensively and backed away toward the door. "Nice meeting you, Misty. Uh, see you later, Daisy!"

As Jack hurried out of the gym, Misty chuckled, shaking her head. "You didn't have to scare him that much."

Daisy grinned, tossing her hair over her shoulder. "What? I wasn't lying. Ash is scary when it comes to you. Besides, it's not like Jack didn't deserve it."

Misty laughed softly. "Fair enough. Thanks for having my back, Daisy."

"Always," Daisy said, winking. "But, seriously, you should warn Ash about this guy before he hears it from someone else. You know how he gets."

"Oh, don't worry," Misty said, picking up her clipboard again. "Ash will probably just laugh. But if Jack ever tries that again…" Her eyes gleamed with playful mischief. "Well, then Ash can be scary."

Daisy snorted. "Remind me to never get on his bad side as Lily describes it."

XXX

The scent of home-cooked food wafted through the Ketchum household as Misty stepped through the door after a long day at the Cerulean Gym. She stretched, letting out a small sigh of relief, and slipped off her shoes. Pallet Town was always quieter, more peaceful than Cerulean City, and it was a comfort she looked forward to after the busy chaos of running the gym.

"Hello, Misty dear!" Delia called from the kitchen, a bright smile on her face as she peeked out. She was wiping her hands on her apron, as if she'd just finished preparing something delicious.

Misty walked over and greeted her warmly, giving her a quick hug from behind. "Hi, Delia. It smells amazing in here, as always. I missed this."

Delia chuckled. "Well, it's just some stew for dinner. You're staying tonight, right? Ash is upstairs, by the way."

Misty smiled and nodded. "Of course, I'm staying. Thanks, Delia."

She made her way upstairs, her steps light and eager. Reaching the bedroom, she pushed the door open to see Ash sprawled across their bed, his Pikachu sitting happily on his shoulder. A stack of training notes lay next to him, though it didn't look like he'd gotten very far in reading them.

Ash glanced up when he heard the door open, his expression softening instantly as he saw her. "Hey, Mist," he greeted with that familiar, boyish grin that still made her heart flutter.

Misty walked in, her smile playful as she leaned against the doorframe. "And how's my man doing today?" she teased, her voice sweet and sing-song.

Ash chuckled, sitting up a little straighter as she approached. "Your man's doing great," he said, reaching out for her.

Misty sat on the edge of the bed and then, with a smirk, swung her legs over his lap and settled in comfortably. "Good," she said, looping her arms around his neck. "Wouldn't want you feeling anything less than perfect."

Ash raised an eyebrow, smirking back. "I like the sound of that." He leaned in and kissed her cheek lightly. "How was your day, Mist?"

"Oh, you know," she said casually, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "Training, gym battles, the usual chaos. But there was one… interesting moment today."

Ash tilted his head, his curiosity piqued. "Interesting how?"

Misty gave him a sly smile, trailing her fingers lightly over his chest. "Well, Daisy's friend stopped by the gym today."

Ash's brow furrowed slightly. "Daisy's friend?"

"Yeah," Misty said, biting back a laugh. "His name's Jack. Pretty sure he thought he was charming or something because he came up to me, trying his hardest to flirt. Told me I was 'too beautiful to be stuck in the gym all day.'"

Ash's expression immediately shifted, his relaxed demeanor replaced by a mixture of annoyance and protectiveness. "He what?"

Misty laughed, resting her forehead against his. "Relax. Daisy handled him before I even had to. She told him how 'scary' you are and how you'd crush him in a battle without breaking a sweat. The guy practically ran out of the gym after that."

Ash's mouth twitched, half-amused and half-annoyed. "Well, Daisy's not wrong. If I'd been there…" He trailed off, his grip on Misty's waist tightening slightly.

"I know," Misty said, grinning. "That's why I thought I'd tell you. You'd have loved seeing his face when Daisy described you."

Ash smirked, leaning back against the headboard with Misty still in his lap. "Good to know my reputation precedes me. But if he ever tries that again…"

Misty pressed a finger to his lips, silencing him. "If he ever tries that again, he won't get past me. But it's kind of cute how protective you are, Ash."

Ash chuckled, pulling her closer. "What can I say? You're my girl, Mist. Nobody gets to mess with you."

Misty smiled, her heart warm as she rested her head on his shoulder. "And I wouldn't have it any other way."

Ash tilted Misty's chin up, brushing his lips softly against hers. "You know," he murmured mischievously, his eyes glinting with playful warmth, "I think I owe Daisy a thank-you for scaring that guy off. But you? You're the only one who's allowed to tease me like that."

Misty smirked, her fingers playing with the hem of his shirt. "Tease you? Ash, I think I deserve a reward for dealing with all the attention I get because of you."

Ash laughed softly and leaned in again, this time kissing her more deeply. Misty melted into it, her hands sliding to the back of his neck, her mind forgetting everything else but him.

The door suddenly creaked open.

"Are you two already planning my grandchildren or something?" Delia's cheerful voice cut through the moment.

Misty gasped and broke away from Ash, her face instantly turning bright red. Ash blinked, completely thrown off for a second before he groaned and let his head fall back against the headboard. "Mom!"

Delia stood in the doorway, her arms crossed but a teasing smile on her face. "What? I just came to tell you dinner's ready, but it looks like I interrupted something."

Misty buried her face in her hands, laughing nervously. "We weren't—! I mean, it's not—"

Ash slid a hand over his face, muttering, "Can't we get a little privacy around here?"

Delia just laughed, turning to head back downstairs. "Hurry up, lovebirds. Don't keep me waiting too long, or I might start knitting baby clothes tonight."

As the door closed behind her, Misty peeked up at Ash, her cheeks still flushed. "That was… mortifying."

Ash snorted, shaking his head. "She does this on purpose. I swear she lives for embarrassing me."

Misty peeked up at him, her face still flushed. "I'm never living this down."

Ash smirked, leaning down to kiss her forehead. "Don't worry, babe. I'll take the teasing for both of us. Let's go eat before she decides to bring this up at the table."

Misty smiled, leaning into him. "Well, at least she approves of us."

Ash grinned, wrapping his arms around her. "I guess. But next time, we're locking the door."

They both laughed, the awkward moment forgotten as they stood to head downstairs, hand in hand.