A/N: Here we go, the chapter where it all starts. (evil laughter!)

A flick of frost, glimmering in the white,

A quiet breath where fear meets light.

A rolling ball of snow slips out of sight—

What starts small doesn't always stay slight.

Gathering speed, it goes without a sound—

Joy can bloom where secrets are unbound.

Whiteout collision, nothing left but ground.

What's built in silence can come crashing down.

Chapter 10: Snowball Effect

"You are so sweet!" I squealed, immediately unbuckling my seatbelt.

Ash barely had time to blink before I grabbed his face, squishing his cheeks between my palms. "Mmf—Misty?!"

I peppered kisses all over his skin.

His eyes widened, his face flushed, and a small giggle escaped his lips.."Mphf–"

When I finally pulled back, I smirked. "Do I make your heart flutter?" I teased. "Can you not stop blushing around me, Pallet Town?" I poked his cheek, watching his ears turn an even deeper shade of pink. "Were you trying to impress me all day?"

His hands caught mine, holding them against his cheeks. "Yes," he admitted, his smile shy, his cheeks burning.

I wrapped my arms around his neck. "Smooth moves, Ketchum."

He groaned, burying his face against my shoulder. "Yeah, right…"

Just him and me, in this little car. Dim lights, peaceful silence.

"You called me your boyfriend for the first time today," Ash said quietly in my shoulder.

I leaned back and stared at him.

Did I? Was it when I was talking to Gary? I called Gary's ass flimsy and called Ash my boyfriend.

I really did.

It came out so naturally.

I asked to take things slow, but we couldn't keep our hands off each other. I accompanied him on his shoot, we constantly talked on the phone, he's staying at my place again, and we literally went on a date. I was not going slow, I was sprinting while claiming I wanted to go slow.

I smiled and sat back in my seat. Buckling my seatbelt, I said with a smile, "I did, didn't I? Did that feel weird?"

"Nope," Ash said quickly as I pushed the gas and our car hit the road.

"You're blushing right now, aren't you?" I asked, without looking away from the road.

"Big time, yeah."

I giggled. He was so nice to me. This was all so perfect.

Part 1: A Flick of Frost

I might be spiraling.

In the forgotten lores, ants were hardworking mythical creatures, tireless workers, cursed by longing. Not loved by many, but passionate about what they loved. The creatures, primarily attracted towards sugar, could only have everything exactly how much they needed it. Nothing more, nothing less. One ant, possessed by its desire, dreamed of more. Falling into the Fate's trap, it fell into the jar of sugar. It celebrated, swimming in the shimmer of sugar, thinking its wish had come true, but no one could save it from its fate of dying. The grains became its tomb, each struggle pulling it deeper, like quicksand in the middle of a desert. And inevitably, it was consumed by its desire. The desire suffocated it as quickly as it was satisfied.

While looking for the old projector in the basement for the movie night with Ash, I stumbled upon an old cardboard box full of old pictures. The one picture of grandma holding a novel stopped me in the tracks. The sight of her, so alive even in the stillness of the photo brought back so many memories. She'd always had a knack for stories—ones that were weird yet enchanting, full of lessons that stayed with me long after the words had faded. The stories carried the power to make me think, even as a kid. And now, I was once again reminded of them. The stories and their lessons. The good, the bad, the morals, the ethics, the values and everything else. Somewhere along the lines, the stories became a part of me. They were a gift from grandma. The ant's story reminded me of fate's inevitability—a lesson that was very rare to find in Grandma's stories, because she always believed in snatching what you want from fate's hands. Taking your destiny in your own hands. Holding that picture of her in my hands was so weird, she looked very beautiful in it, old, but beautiful– so full of life. The glossy surface of the picture was smooth and cold against my skin as I traced a finger across it, unlike grandma—who was always warm.

But she was gone. And all I had were the stories. For some reason, I could only remember the ones which told me I would soon be judged by fate, and I'd receive what's inevitable.

So, I might be spiraling.

I was in my best moods after the date. The excitement of the date, the shoot and the excellent battle lingered, but for me, what also lingered was the fear. The sharp fear coiled tightly in my chest like a restless ekans. It mellowed down now that we were out of the public eye, hiding from everyone, but it was still there, slithering under the surface, also hidden.

But then, Ash's excitement was followed by his playfulness, momentarily making me forget the dilemma. I knew it was there, but right now, I didn't have to think about it. Ash was being Ash in the best way possible, making my heart melt with his signature moves. The stars were out by the time we walked back to the gym, the air cool against my skin but not cold enough to need a jacket. Ash was talking about the battle, gesturing wildly like he was reliving every move. I didn't care what he was saying, not really. I was too busy watching the way his face lit up, the way his hands moved when he was excited. Surprisingly, we spent the whole evening without making fun of each other, even going as far as praising each other for how proud we were of the other's skills. Except for when he pulled my favorite pink scrunchie off my pony-tail with a smooth tug.

"Hey!" I swatted at his hand, but he was already looping the scrunchie onto his wrist. The elastic stretched slightly against his skin, and the sight of it there—a soft, silly pop of pink on his tan arm—made me bite back a smile.

He grinned, holding up his arm and admiring it. "Yep, looks way better on me. Classic Ash accessory."

I tried to glare at him, but his goofy grin made it impossible. "You're such a dweeb."

He wiggled his eyebrows. "Why you blushin' then?"

"What do I have to do to shut you up?" I asked, crossing my arms and trying to sound annoyed.

"You know what to do," he said.

"Oh my Arceus, you are such a boy, Ash Ketchum!"

For the night, we mutually agreed on watching an old, classic rom-com. Okay, I might have forced him into it, but he was gonna thank me later anyway, so did that really matter? Plus, he was a little into it after watching 'Love At First Sight' with me on our date today. As a thank you gift, I agreed to watch a spy film of his choice.

"Really?" he almost screamed with joy. "You're gonna love the one with the mass killing mystery!"

"How romantic."

The movie night that followed was one of the coziest nights of my life (yes, we did go to the movies just today, but we never saw it). I never felt more relaxed and happy in a long time. We were snuggled under the blanket, our feet intertwined because my feet were cold and his were warm. Pikachu snuggled on the top of our blanket, always wanting to be included in what we were doing. As we laughed, kissed and cuddled, I felt like I'd won in life.

Sunday morning was peaceful too, no one disturbed us, not even my sisters. My room was a little cold, but body heat and warm blankets were making it all cozy. I was flipping through the old albums I found in the basement the previous night, wrapped in Ash's arms. A bunch of albums and old pictures were sprawled across the bed. Pikachu and Ash were curiously looking at them all. Pictures from when we were travelling together, pictures that my friends sent me, pictures that Ash sent me, pictures of us celebrating festivals, of us just hanging out, and childhood pictures— dating as old as the time when I was four. Some were even older, but I wasn't in them.

"Who's this?" Ash asked, pointing at one of the pictures. Pikachu, who was perched beside Ash, leaned closer to inspect the photo.

I looked up from the picture I was looking at; the one when Grandma and I freshly cut our hair. I was so happy that day because I got the same hair-cut as her. "Show me," I said, taking the photo from his hand. I looked at the photo for a few seconds before remembering the person, and smiled before telling him the story. "One of our almost grandpas." I giggled.

Ash laughed. "One of your almost grandpas?"

I gently elbowed his stomach. "Shut up. My grandma was beautiful, even when she was wrinkly."

"Where did her genes go, then?" he asked, smirking.

I sat up, leaning away. "Do you want to get kicked out of my room in your boxers, mister Ketchum?"

He chuckled. "I meant where did her genes go when your sisters were born. You? You got'em."

I snorted. "Oh, Mew, awful save. Please don't ever try to butter me up, you are so bad at it."

"I'm good at other things," he said, and his look made my stomach flip. Surprising me over how even after a week, I was a lovesick mess around him. "Like pokemon battling," he added after a long pause.

I grabbed his thigh to push myself up and kissed his cheek, giggling. "I really thought that was the start of a pickup line."

He gasped. "You're right, it could've been. Wait, lemme say that again."

"I'm afraid it's too late."

I felt Pikachu's soft fur tickling me as he wriggled between me and Ash, upsetting the blanket and scattering a few photos in his wake. 'Pika!' he chirped, tail flicking excitedly as he clutched a photo in his little paws. I giggled at him being so invested in all of this and scratched him behind his ear while Ash went back to checking out other pictures.

Pikachu's big eyes sparkled with curiosity as he tilted his head, examining the photo he held like it was the most important discovery in the world.

"What do you have there, Pikachu?" I asked, leaning closer to see what he'd found. It was always amusing to see what caught his interest—sometimes it was a ketchup wrapper, sometimes an actual treasure. When I finally got a look, I couldn't help but laugh. It was a photo of me as a toddler, clutching a stuffed Pikachu toy that looked almost as big as I was. Pikachu tilted his head, looking at the picture, then at me, as if to say, Is this me?

"Look, Ash," I said, showing him the photo. "He's trying to figure out if this is his long-lost cousin." But Ash was holding another photo, focused on it as if he had to memorise it and draw it later by memory.

"Huh?" Ash looked up, looking lost.

I furrowed my brow, my eyes darting towards the picture which he was holding. He looked back at the picture one last time before handing it to me. "It's you and your sisters," he said.

I took the picture from him and stared at it. "Yeah, it is us."

We were all huddled up, half-heartedly posing for the picture. I was four, Daisy was nine and Violet & Lily were eight. The four of us had a grumpy face, I even looked teary. A fragment of a memory flashed through my mind—Daisy's sharp voice, Violet's mocking laugh, and me, standing there with hot tears streaming down my cheeks. It was such a strange, foggy memory. I was crying—my sisters were always making me cry. I think Grandma made us shake hands, or hug, I didn't remember exactly. Maybe that didn't even happen, or happened some other time. Or maybe she just made us make peace with each other and made us pose for the photo, to remember that day, to preserve that memory. But I didn't remember that day. All I remembered was crying.

Ash wrapped an arm around me and pulled me closer, almost sandwiching Pikachu between us. "This one is important, isn't it?"

"Not really. I think… I think it was the time when I first came to live with my sisters," I said softly. My voice caught in my throat, surprising even me. "I… I guess it was the start of everything. I didn't feel like I belonged then."

"Do you want to bitch about it?" he asked, taking my hand in his under the blanket, which made me smile for a second.

"What's there to bitch about?" I asked, getting a very strong sensation that I get right before I bitch about stuff. "I mean, once upon a time, there was a fifteen year old girl who was the gym leader's daughter, and a sixteen year old boy who was, I think, just a good looking trouble maker in the beautiful city of Cerulean. How romantic. That was where it all started," I said in a single breath.

Ash stared at me, a half smile struggling to stay there. He squeezed my hand. "And that was the voice of a girl who's got nothing to bitch about her past to lighten up, got it."

I sighed. "Okay, Yes. You're right. It was fucked up, but," I paused. Then groaned, rubbing my eyes. I looked at him. "But I really–"

"Don't like to talk about your family," Ash finished my sentence. "You hate to play the victim card, which you never do, by the way. You claim your past is just another sob story and you're over it. I know your usual drill, Mist."

My shoulders relaxed. "I already yap about my silly issues, Ash. Now this too? What are you, my punching bag?"

"I've lost my punching bag privileges once I hit puberty, for some reason." He smiled, and I knew what was coming. "Now, I'm just your boyfriend."

My breath hitched. Then, I snapped my finger and pointed at him. "But promise me, you won't see me differently. I'm not a victim. I know all about your past and your issues, and I treat you just the same. Promise to not treat me like a damsel in distress?"

Ash nodded. "I'm all ears."

I cleared my throat. "As I said, the fifteen year old girl and the sixteen year old boy–"

"Your parents?" He asked.

I nodded. "Yeah, that's them. They fell in love and boom, pregnant! They were fifteen, can you believe that?"

Ash pursed his lips. "You know what, it's not as unbelievable as it seems. My mom had me when she was eighteen herself."

I nodded. "Wait a minute, no wonder my sisters are so– actually, that's besides the point."

Ash almost chuckled.

I continued. "One year later, they had Daisy. They were sixteen and seventeen. They really could've been in school together, if you think about it—the whole damn family.…" I said mockingly, trying to cover the fact that I'm talking about it for the first time under the disguise of a joke. "And did they stop there?" I laughed. "Of course not. Two years later, they had twins! I mean," I laughed rather ridiculously, "twins? Even in that economy when you could buy a house with a few thousands, how would you even handle that at the mere age of eighteen and nineteen? No one thought of the girls and their future-fucked-up-life."

Ash's eyes softened, as if he was about to coo and cradle me like I was a baby, and sing me a lullaby to hush me– which made every cell of my body burn. "No, don't look at me like that, I told you not to look at me like that. It's not a sob story, it's very funny, really. Because guess what they did next?"

He shrugged, fully invested. "What did they do?"

"Even though they were supposedly doing this for their three girls, they dropped the three kids and travelled around, as if chasing adventure would get them fame and money. Ironic, isn't it? But what did that give them? An abandoned gym that had to be given back to my grandma to take care of along with three evil little girls who were honestly a menace to society."

Ash nodded, as if to non-verbally say valid'', but I continued before he could say anything.

"Yeah, don't judge me. Give that look to the four year old who was ridiculed, neglected and bullied. Why? Because I was accidentally born when my parents were travelling around to make a better life for the children who were waiting for them. Because they couldn't just send me back– I was just a baby. I got to spend four years with them, making my sisters jealous." I chuckled, but my chest ached with the weight of it all. "My parents couldn't just leave an infant with the old grandma too, right? An infant can't live without a mother. A child shouldn't live without their mother. So, thanks for that favor, I guess. I got to stay with you till I was four, yippee!" I chuckled again, expecting him to follow. But he didn't. "I mean, I didn't even ask to be born! Let alone all this other bullshit. Then, the rest is what you know. Jealous sisters because I got to spend more time with mom and dad when I was travelling with them and got more attention from my old grandma because I was what? Five? So they made my life hell as kids. Then they grew up and finally, thank Mew, they were more interested in boys by then. Then I grew up, ran away because I was tired of living under their shadows, and met you." I paused. "I had a lovely time with you, by the way. Thanks for that."

"I'm sorry I was an ass to you at first," Ash replied.

I shook my head. "So was I. Besides, what you were was a hundred times better than my sisters. I really thought of you as a friend from the start, because that was how I knew people behave with each other."

Ash kissed my head. "I am so sorry."

I chuckled. "Me too. I wasn't very pleasant either. Thanks to you and Brock, I realised friends and family aren't supposed to scream at each other all the time."

Ash was still looking concerned. "Mist, but did no one see through it? What about your grandma?"

"Of course she did. She used to fight with my parents all the time on the phone. That ended when they died. I was nine at that time. I don't remember grandma's age, but she was old, Ash. Imagine bearing so much responsibility at that age. When I was what? Twelve? Or Thirteen perhaps? I came back from our journey because grandma was too old and my stupid sisters didn't want the gym. Then I worked my ass off to make something out of the gym that my sisters had trashed with their laziness. Then grandma…" I shrugged, swallowing the pain that was starting to form in my throat. "...you know..." I traced a finger across my throat, implying death. "When I was sixteen. So, I became an asshole to cope with her loss and my sisters were lesser assholes, comparatively. Then you started working in the League when I was eighteen and I was less of an asshole." I simply shrugged, trying to ignore the sympathy that Ash was very badly hiding with his 'trying to look normal' look. "And that's that," I said, thinking that was the end of this conversation and we could go back to looking at other pictures. But he just stared. I waited more, but nothing behind those big, wide, beautiful brown eyes. "Wanna grab a snack?" I asked nonchalantly.

His brows twitched. "Mist," he whispered. "I'm so–"

"No!" I put my palm on his mouth. "Don't be sorry! No, no, no. I didn't go through that shit-show to hear people's condolences."

But he didn't listen. He grabbed my shoulders and pulled me in his warm embrace almost forcefully. "Just stop talking for a second and let me hug my girlfriend okay?"

I took a shaky breath. My muscles relaxed when Ash practically squeezed me with his hug. I wrapped my hands around his waist, resting my chin on his shoulder, my cheek touching his.

I felt his lips curve with a smile against my cheek. "I'm so proud of you. You are the bravest person I know. And you stood strong through all that, all those experiences that a child should never have. You lost so much at such a young age, yet you grew up to be the strongest person I know." He took a pause. I was savoring the moment, breathing the smell of his hair when he dropped the bomb. "I…I love you."

My breath caught somewhere between my throat and my lungs. I could not muster up the courage to say it back. Last time he said it, I thought eventually I'll get the courage to say it back, but I clearly hadn't. So, I reciprocated what I couldn't say with what I could do instead. I broke the embrace, held his face and kissed his cheek.

When I pulled away, the look on his face was priceless.

Ash blinked a few times, looking genuinely surprised that I'd kissed his cheek—as if we haven't already explored way more than that before. The confusion on his face sent me into a fit of giggles.

His smile grew at the sound, but not because my laugh sounded like ringing bells or anything, but because he always said I laughed like a car's engine sputtering to life. "It's cute, though," he'd insist, even when we were just friends, which made me realise how blind I must have been to not see it sooner.

"You don't have to say anything, but just know I mean it." My giggles faded. I would never get used to seeing Ash's face grow serious right before he was about to do something super-romantic. It made my knees weak. He leaned forward and planted a soft, slow kiss on my cheek. "I'm so, so proud of you," he murmured softly against my skin. "I will make up for all the times I hurt you in the past."

My heart skipped a beat. "If…" I tried to speak, but his lips were already on my jawline. "If that's what I get for my sob stories…" My voice shivered as his lips touched the skin of my neck in a long, lingering kiss. I let out a deep breath. "Then I'd like to tell you a few more…" His lips were soft, and each kiss was like a butterfree on my neck, sending tingling sensations across my body. One of his hands traced gentle circles on my waist, the other resting against my cheek, his thumb brushing over my skin.

"Misty!"

"Holy fuc– Daisy!" I yelped, lurching away from Ash like I'd been caught committing a federal crime.

Daisy stood frozen in the doorway, eyes wide in absolute horror. "Oh my sweet Arceus, what did I just witness?!" she shrieked, whipping her head away as if the sight alone had permanently scarred her.

Ash scrambled for his shirt, yanking it over his head, while I frantically tugged my own top into place, heart still hammering in my chest.

"This is the second time this has happened," Ash muttered, tugging his shirt back into place.

"Tell me about it," I said. "We really need to be more careful."

Daisy peeked at us from behind her hands. "Is everything back to PG-13? Because that's all I'm willing to witness."

I snorted. "Since when do you care about PG-13?"

"Don't laugh at me—laugh at yourself," she quipped. "May's here."

"Huh?" I blinked. "May?!"

"May as in May from Hoenn?" Ash asked, just as surprised. "Who is also my friend, by the way, so I don't know why she is visiting you and not me?" He pouted.

Daisy rolled her eyes. "She's downstairs. Waiting for you. And by the looks of her, if you don't hurry then she'll come up here."

Oh no.

I stood up. "Okay, keep her busy. Just give me five minutes, okay?"

Daisy nodded. "What about him?" she asked, looking at Ash, who was now standing as well, ready to greet his childhood friend.

I sighed. "Ash, you need to hide," I said and Daisy shook her head in disappointment before walking out of the room.

He walked around the bed and stood next to me, his hands on his hips. He watched Daisy leave before asking, "Why?"

I folded my arms, feeling myself shrink as I said, "I…I…"

"May?" I heard Daisy yelling at the top of her lungs from somewhere downstairs. "Why are you going upstairs?"

"Oh no, oh no, oh no—" I spun around in a panic before grabbing Ash's wrist.

"Misty," he deadpanned. "I am not hiding."

"Yes, you are."

Before he could protest, I shoved him toward my closet and yanked the door open.

"Misty—"

"No time for arguing!" I hissed, practically pushing him inside. He barely managed to stumble back before I slammed the door shut.

"This is ridiculous," Ash grumbled from behind the wooden panels. "You should stop watching Pokè-hallmark rom-coms."

"And you should use those spy movies as inspiration!" I whispered back just as I heard May's footsteps approaching. "When we go downstairs, just fly out the window, okay?"

"My pokemon feel used," he said defeatedly.

Part 2: A Rolling Ball of Snow

A knock.

I smoothed my hair, took a deep breath, and swung the door open like I totally hadn't just stuffed my boyfriend into my closet.

"May!" I greeted, my voice just a little too high-pitched.

"Hey!" She pulled me into a hug, and I stiffened, quickly turning sideways so that when we broke apart, she wouldn't get a clear view of the room. My elbow knocked against the doorframe.

Smooth.

"How are you?" she asked, leaning back.

"So good!" I said—maybe too fast. I forced a wide smile to hide the pain from the doorframe stubbing my elbow.

May narrowed her eyes. "You okay?"

"Me? Oh, yeah! Completely fine. So fine." I let out a laugh—loud, awkward, and way too forced. Even I didn't believe me.

Her gaze flicked over my shoulder, and I instinctively stepped sideways, blocking her view.

"What was that?" she asked.

"What was what?" My hand shot up to my hair, smoothing strands that didn't need smoothing.

May raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying it, before stepping inside. I couldn't stop her.

"Uh-huh. Anyway, it's been forever! I had to come see you the moment I got into town. I always need some time with my girlfriends—without any boy energy, you know?"

She sat on my bed, stretching her arms behind her. Meanwhile, from the closet, I could practically feel Ash rolling his eyes.

"Yeah! Wow, what a surprise," I said, trying not to glance at the closet. And if you do sense any masculine energy, it's just me. Big tomboy. No men here whatsoever, I thought.

May gave me a weird look before smirking. "You seem nervous. Were you up to something?"

Crap.

I let out another forced laugh. "Pfft, what? Me? Nooo."

She smirked. "Were you pleasuring yourself?"

I yelped. "What the fuck? No!" I said, my voice practically hitting a new octave.

May burst out laughing.

Oh. Oh my god. She was joking.

Realization hit me, and I couldn't help but laugh, too—mostly at my own overreaction.

"Someone was getting pleasured," she teased. "I can see the glow on your face."

I groaned. "May, oh my god."

She shrugged. "Hey, it's normal. When I was traveling, I met this group of hippie travelers who believed pleasuring yourself is a form of self-love. They even held workshops."

I always forgot how blunt May was sometimes. At that moment, a soft thud came from the closet.

May's gaze flickered toward the noise.

"What was that?"

My heart stopped.

I did the only thing I could think of—I threw myself onto my bed dramatically. "Oh, that? Just… a… uh, Psyduck in my closet! You know how he can get."

May blinked. "Why do you have Psyduck in your closet?"

"It helps with his headaches. You know, no light and everything?

May squinted. "Right. And Psyduck just… chills in your closet?"

"Yep!"

Silence. Then, from inside the closet, a soft bzzzzt. My stomach dropped.

Another long stare. Then, "What was that?"

"Fart," I blurted. "It was a fart. Psyduck is absolutely disgusting."

May stared at me like I had three heads.

"Shut it, Psyduck!" I yelled.

Then came a voice that would haunt me forever: "Psyy…"

A pause. Then, a muttered, "Duck."

I nearly choked. But there was silence. Absolute silence. I think even the universe was judging Ash and me.

I clapped my hands together. "Anyway! Let's go downstairs!"

Before she could argue, I grabbed her wrist and dragged her toward the living room. I didn't let myself breathe until we were safely away from the scene of the crime, which didn't mean I could stop wondering whether Ash safely made it out of the gym or not.

We both settled on the couch in the small living area near the kitchen. I brought May some juice and cookies– her true weakness being food, which made me believe her and Ash were siblings in another life.

"How long are you here?" I asked, popping a piece of cookie in my mouth. I could fool anyone with the nonchalance, the casual demeanor, but only I knew how nervous I was. I didn't even recognize myself. Since when did I go to such ridiculous lengths just to avoid discomfort? And yet, here I was—lying, panicking, covering things up like a guilty criminal. Arceus, I felt awful. Where was Ash? Had he left for Pallet? Or was he still out there, waiting for me to give him a signal? How long before he gave up on me completely?

May had half-drank her juice. She replied mouthful, "Just today. We're taking a day off."

"Oh right, how was the festival?"

At that, May groaned and slumped forward, burying her face in her hands. "Ugh. Don't even get me started."

I raised an eyebrow. "That bad?"

She peeked through her fingers. "Try disastrous."

I tilted my head. "But I saw the highlights on TV! You did amazing."

May lifted her head, looking both flattered and miserable at the same time. "I totally winged it. It was supposed to be something else, but I panicked and improvised at the last minute."

"Speaking as an audience member, I really couldn't tell," I assured her.

Her shoulders relaxed. "Thanks, Misty. Drew said the same thing, but I didn't believe him—he always compliments me."

I smirked. "Speak of the devil." This was a perfect distraction.

She blinked. "What do you mean?"

"I mean," I said, scooting closer with a knowing grin, "I knew you were going to bring him up very soon. We get all his updates from you. Like how he couldn't make it to Ash's birthday, what he's up to lately—even when none of us asked."

Her cheeks flushed. "W-Well, we travel together most of the time…and, Ash is also friends with him."

I snickered. "Relax, I'm not blaming you. I'm just saying—you kept texting him all night during Ash's party, you bring him up in, like, every conversation, and yet…" I paused for dramatic effect. "I still don't know if he is really—" I leaned in. "Just a friend."

"What?!" she squeaked, her face turning bright red. "He is just a friend! Maybe a very close one, but—yeah! That's all!"

I laughed, tilting my head back. Out of habit, I reached up to gather my hair, ready to tie it up—only to realize my pink scrunchie wasn't on my wrist.

May's eyes flicked to my raised arms. "Where's your scrunchie?"

I froze. "Where's my what?"

"Your scrunchie," she said. "You always have one."

"Lost it," I said quickly, letting my hair drop. "How do you even remember that detail, May? Do you have a photographic memory?"

"I remember when we were all travelling together you fought with Ash because he was messing with your scrunchie." She unzipped the purse that she always wore on her waist and took out a red hair-tie. "Here, take this. I always carry around a bunch because I keep losing them."

"Thanks." I smiled, taking the hair-tie and gathering my hair in a side pony-tail.

As I was busy tying my hair, I noticed May's gaze traveled lower. Then—She gasped louder this time, pointing straight at my neck. "Wait. Is that what I think it is?"

I froze. My hands were still holding my hair up—like an idiot.

May gasped, pointing at my neck. "It is," she mused. "Misty, that's a hickey, if I'm not mistaken"

I immediately slipped the hair-tie out of my hair and let my hair fall, hoping it would cover the evidence. "No, it isn't," I said calmly.

She grinned wickedly. "Then what is it? Perhaps a curling iron? Puh-lease," May said dramatically, flipping her hair as to flex about her lie-catching abilities. "I invented that excuse, so don't even try to fool me. That is clearly a hickey, you sly, sly girl!" She slapped my arm.

My face burned. I could feel the heat creeping up my neck. I rubbed my arm where she had just slapped me, but I really didn't have any other excuse. I knew anything I'd say would get used against me, so it was better to remain silent.

May gasped dramatically, leaning in even closer. "You're blushing."

"I am not," I lied, turning my face away.

"Yes, you so are!" she squealed, practically bouncing on the couch. "I need details, Misty. Who's the mystery man?"

I cleared my throat, pretending to focus on a completely imaginary speck of dust on the coffee table. "There is no mystery man."

May snorted. "Right. Because hickeys just magically appear on their own." She could not hold back her laugh. "Misty has a hickey. Arceus, that is such a big revelation, all thanks to the fact that you wanted to tie your hair and didn't have a hair tie." Then she stopped laughing. "Seriously, Misty, who is the guy? If you tell me, I'll tell you about my love life."

I scrunched my nose. "Too late, I don't wanna know anymore."

"Or is it a girl?" she prodded. "You can join the club, I'll text Dawn and she'll be happy to go on a double date." She took her phone out of her purse. "Although, I won't force you to come out. You don't have to tell me who the person is if you don't want to but–" she giggled. "I'm so happy!" May threw herself at me, wrapping her arms tightly around me to squeeze me like a plushie. I always forget how freakishly strong May was, and I, a trained swimmer, had a hard time wiggling out of her grip. "You haven't glowed like this since forever! I knew you were being pleasured."

A laugh escaped my mouth. I tried to wiggle my way out of May's hug. "Let me…breathe."

Hearing my plea, she let me go. But there was a very annoying, big smile plastered on her face. She looked at me like I'd won a trophy, the look was like torture.

"Shut up," I murmured, looking away.

She chuckled. "You know why am I so happy about it?" She asked, finally looking like she had cooled down, and was now leaning back on the couch.

"Why?"

"I haven't seen you this happy in a long time." She was smiling. "Me travelling with Drew all the time doesn't mean I don't also notice little details about you guys."

She was a great friend. I smiled. "Really?"

May nodded. "You just…glow."

I choked on my juice. "Oh, Arceus. Not this again."

May giggled. "Relax. I'm serious. You look lighter. Happier."

I swallowed, suddenly uncomfortable. Well, yeah, I did just make out with my idiot boyfriend. That does tend to put someone in a good mood. But saying that out loud? Absolutely not. "Speaking of that," I said. "You're glowing these days too."

She rolled her eyes, smiling. Her cheeks flushed and I hadn't even said anything yet. She had got it bad. "Okay, so we might be more than friends," she said slowly.

I felt my whole face lit up. "It's about time!"

Which made her giggle. And then—

A shadow shifted at the window on my left. May's back was facing the window so she didn't notice it.

I glanced up and my soul left my body. Ash.

At. The. Window.

My entire body seized in horror. He was outside, awkwardly crouched behind a potted plant that did absolutely nothing to hide him.

I panicked. Words tumbled out of me. "Ash!"

May blinked. "What?"

I froze.

Shit.

I waved a hand wildly. "C-cash. I saw… cash."'

May frowned. "Cash?"

I nodded too fast. "Yeah! Like, a coin! On the floor! Just. Sitting there. Wow."

May gave me a look. The look. The one that said, Misty, what the hell is wrong with you?

"Nothing!" I squeaked. "By the way, do you still have that lure I gave you a while ago? Can you show it to me?"

She tilted her head. "Now?"

I nodded, my eyes flicking towards the window in fear. "I wanted to see if it still looked good, if not then I'll give you a new one."

She cooed. "Aww, Misty, that is so sweet of you!" She unzipped her bag again. "Let me see where it is, I usually carry it with me…"

Her voice seemed to fade away, meanwhile, outside, Ash pointed at himself, then made wild hand motions toward the door. His shoes. I'd seen him survive near death experiences, couldn't he survive without his shoes for once? Then it hit me– his hat and gloves were in the coat hanger right in this very room we were sitting in. I scrunched my nose at him, telling him to leave that stuff for now, but he shook his head vigorously. He made cartoonish ears with his hands, like long pokemon ears, then he wiggled his fingers over both his cheeks, like indicating boiling noodles on his cheek, of frying–wait. Right! He was making gestures about sparkling cheeks, Pikachu was still in the pool area with my other pokemon! I cursed under my breath. I knew Ash well enough to know he would rather have someone burn him alive with a flamethrower than to leave Pikachu behind.

"I usually keep it with me, but I recently changed bags, so I might have put it in my drawer back in my apartment…" May was saying.

Shortly, she would look up. Before it was too late, Ash needed to leave. Or at least just chill in a cafe while May was here. I gestured to him, holding a coffee mug and sucking on the straw. He looked at me dumbfounded before covering his mouth to stifle a laugh. I looked down, and I realised what I was indicating, feeling my cheeks flush, I showed him the finger he deserved to see at this moment– which only made him laugh harder.

I sighed in exasperation and made a face at him. He took a deep breath to stop the laugh and gave me a thumbs up. Then he made a gesture suggesting I call him after May was gone so he could come back and pick up Pikachu. I nodded and gave him a thumbs up. In return, he gave me a dramatic flying kiss – which made me roll my eyes– and stepped backwards.

There was a loud noise of the potted plant getting knocked over and broken.

May and I jumped at the noise.

"What was that?" May whispered.

I was frozen. I bit my lip. "Must be a wild Pokemon. Anyways, you were saying something about something…"

May raised an eyebrow. "That noise was weird, as if coming from outside."

She was about to turn towards the window–the window–So, I nearly threw myself on her to block her view, laughing way too loudly. "Hahaha! Anyway, May! So back to your feelings—"

Too late.

May turned her head.

Her eyes locked onto the window.

Ash, frozen like a Deerling caught in headlights, slowly raised a hand in greeting.

Silence.

Long. Painful. Silence.

Then—

"…Misty."

I kept laughing, sweating bullets. "Hahahaha—yes?"

She pointed. "Why is Ash in the window?"

I whirled around. "What?! Ash, who lives in Pallet town? No way! That's Crazy! No way Ash is—"

Ash was literally still standing there. He sighed and waved again.

I wanted to die.

May turned back to me so slowly it was terrifying. "Misty."

I swallowed. "Y-Yeah?"

She narrowed her eyes. "Is that him you saw moments ago? Why did you react like that?"

Panic. Panic. Panic.

"I—I thought he was a burglar."

"A burglar?"

"Yes."

"…He's wearing his usual outfit?" She asked calmly.

"Yes."

"…And standing there waving at us?"

"…Yes."

May stared into my soul.

I had never wanted to disappear more in my life.

Finally, she sighed and got up. "I'm letting him in."

"No—"

Too late.

She opened the window.

Ash tumbled inside like a disaster of a human being.

"Hey," he said, casually dusting himself off. Like he hadn't just broken into my house.

May crossed her arms. "Ash."

"May." He grinned nonchalantly.

Pause.

"…Why were you outside the window?"

"I, uh…" He glanced at me.

I shook my head violently. Do not bring me into this.

He cleared his throat. "What about: hi Ash, it's been so long?" He pouted, pulling May in for a hug. "You haven't seen me since my birthday and I don't even get a hug?"

May looked lost, so she went with the flow and hugged Ash back. "I'm sorry, I was just caught off guard, I'm always happy to see you, you know that."

He broke the hug. "Of course, because I'm your best friend?" he asked, grinning.

I took a sigh of relief when I saw May chuckle. "Yeah, of course–"

She went dead silent. I looked up, Ash was nervously smiling at her, his eyes darting towards me for a second. Why did she stop being all jolly?

I followed her gaze, which was frozen on Ash's wrist. His stupid, cute tactic was going to be the end of me: he was still wearing my scrunchie.

May's eyes narrowed.

The gears in her brain were turning.

Slowly, she turned back to me. Her gaze dropped to my neck.

Then to my wrist.

Then to Pikachu's usual spot on Ash's shoulder, now suspiciously empty.

My stomach dropped.

She inhaled sharply.

Then—her eyes went wide.

"HOLY SHIT."

Everything hit her all at once.

The hickey.

The missing scrunchie.

The fact that Ash was sneaking out of my damn house.

The fact that Pikachu had mysteriously vanished during the whole ordeal.

She gasped dramatically.

"You—"

I lunged at her.

"No I didn't."

"YOU DID."

"I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING."

"YOU DID EVERYTHING!"

I clamped a hand over her mouth, dragging her down to the couch.

"May. Listen to me. You heard nothing. You saw nothing. You. Know. NOTHING."

She muffled something against my hand.

I slowly removed it.

She grinned. "Hey, Ash and Misty, guess what?"

I let out the longest, most suffering sigh of my life. "What?"

"I think a new universe just formed," she said, still grinning widely.

"What?" Ash asked dumbfounded.

"I hate you," I groaned, sinking back into the couch and shutting my eyes.

"Because there was a big bang." May's laughter only grew louder. Ash cleared his throat awkwardly, and I seriously considered just floating away.

I was never going to live this down.

"My best friend and my other best friend," May said between giggles.

I cracked an eye open. "How many best friends do you even have?"

With a grin, she tugged Ash over and pulled him down beside her. She slung an arm around both our shoulders, sitting between us. "The real question is: how many of my best friends are getting it on?"

I groaned again. "Can you stop mentioning that?"

"Can you stop doing it?" She grinned.

"I don't think so," Ash said honestly, causing May to laugh again.

"But guys, this is awesome."

I sat up straight. "Huh?"

She beamed. "I mean, you two just clicked so well together I'm surprised this didn't cross either of your minds sooner."

"So we have your blessings now?" Ash asked, playing along with May's happiness.

She nodded. "Of course, my sweet summer children."

Her words soothed something in me. She was not only a good friend to Ash's ex, but also a genuine person who wouldn't lie. Her accepting me dating 'the gem of the friend group' gave me a kind of courage nothing else could.

Maybe it was fine, maybe I wouldn't get compared to the rest of the world either. With Serena or with Ash. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to face my fears for once, to hold his hand out in the public. To kiss him in a fancy restaurant. To hug him whenever I wanted. To make out in the back of the car. To take a walk without having to disguise as someone else. Maybe I wasn't the mythical creature from the stories who had an ill fate. Maybe it was going to be fine.

I wanted to take things slow with going public about us. Probably talk about it with Brock first. Maybe it wouldn't be a big deal. Maybe it would go just as smoothly as Ash and I go together.

Part 3: Gathering speed

May, Ash and I ended up having lunch together. I was in a bubble of comfort. I loved my boyfriend, and he was fine with going at my pace. One of my friends found out about us and she didn't hate me for dating the gem of the friend group. I was happy. Maybe telling people wasn't so bad after all, maybe I was worrying over nothing.

We sat at the restaurant till sundown. It was a deserted place so no one had an issue, no one bothered us. Before long, May bid her goodbye, and was off on yet another adventure.

I held Ash's hand as we stepped out of the restaurant.

I beamed. "That was fun."

"Pika!" Pikachu chirped from atop my shoulder.

"Can't believe we had a date and hangout with one of our best friends back to back. A perfect weekend indeed," he said, smiling.

He took the mask out to cover his face.

I was stroking Pikachu's fur. "Don't."

Ash looked at me with furrowed brows. "I know it makes you uncomfort–"

I shook my head. "It's fine, Ash. I'll be fine. I know you hate masking up. Besides, no one knows you are in Cerulean and it's almost dark. We can just be ourselves for a while before you leave soon, right?"

He looked at me funnily and leaned in. His lips met mine softly.

I was still scared. But I couldn't keep living like this—trapped behind old rules and older fears. I wasn't crazy Misty anymore, they shouldn't hate me anymore. Yes, I was still afraid, terrified, even. But I needed to overcome my fear. For Ash. The whole world didn't have to know yet, I didn't want them to know yet. But I wanted Ash to know. I wanted myself to know– this was okay. We were safe. No one was around. It was all okay.

So I kissed him back. Not just with love, but with purpose.

I ignored the flicker of unease at the back of my neck. The sense that we weren't quite alone. The feeling of being watched returned. That someone out there, with a camera in their hand and hate in their heart, was patiently watching, preying. But it was nothing. Just ghosts of old worries. For the first time in a long time, I felt like I was taking charge of my own story. I was safe, and I would only face the world when I was ready.

I was going to tell our friends and maybe someday, the world. And no one could take it away from me.

Part 4: Whiteout collision

Pokègram | AshKetchumFanclub

Hey Trainers! Wild update today!

Guess who I just saw? ASH KETCHUM. In CERULEAN CITY of all places! I know he has friends there, but I didn't think I'd literally spot him walking down the street on a random Sunday.

And get this… he wasn't alone.

First of all, he looked so good—like, Fine fine—but the real shock? He was kissing a girl. Short red hair, denim shorts, oversized tee. I couldn't see her face fully, but she looked familiar. I could only get a (somewhat) clear picture of them holding hands because I was far and it was dark.

New girlfriend?

I was really hoping he'd get back with Serena—#AshRenaForever. They're the ultimate power couple and no one can replace them. They're literally my parents (mom and dad, please reunite). Maybe this girl is just a phase? A rebound? IDK.

Here's the (blurry) pic I snapped. What do you think? Recognize her? Fingers crossed this doesn't blow up into drama. Ash deserves the best, not someone who's taking advantage of him being heartbroken. #Spotted #AshInCerulean #AshRenaEndgame #WhoIsShe #AshKetchumFanClub

And I cut off my nose just to spite my face
Then I hate my reflection for years and years

I wake in the night, I pace like a ghost
The room is on fire, invisible smoke
And all of my heroes die all alone
Help me hold on to you

A/N: You can only guess what happens next, and if you can't, buy a big tub of ice-cream for the next one.

Peace out!