The way you move is like a full-on rainstorm, and I'm a house of cards
You're the kind of reckless that should send me running
But I kinda know that I won't get far
And you stood there in front of me, just close enough to touch
Close enough to hope you couldn't see what I was thinking of
Chapter 6: Sparks fly
"Good morning," Daisy said when she bumped into me in the kitchen the morning after Ash's birthday.
Daisy was surprised to see me at the gym after I had texted her that I'd be staying in Pallet, but we never spoke of it. That's what we did— we talked about things that didn't matter because we fought whenever we tried to discuss things that mattered. We'd mastered the art of avoiding conversations that usually ended in screaming matches and flying vessels. Or, as Brock would call it, a flying pan.
"Morning," I replied.
"How was the party?" she asked.
"Didn't Tracey tell you?"
"Yeah, but I'm, like, asking you."
I rolled my eyes. "Good."
Daisy gave me the look of annoyance and exited the kitchen. Then I indulged myself in my gym duties and didn't interact with her for a while. For a long while.
Last night I never got to sleep on the bus; I was too busy stressing out. Even after I reached home at three in the morning, I couldn't fall asleep until five, and I had to wake up at seven. So this second mug of coffee was holding me up like a thin thread trying to keep a Snorlax from falling off a cliff. I didn't even change out of my clothes from last night—the chlorine-soaked shorts and Ash's oversized shirt. I didn't really want to. But then my Pokémon couldn't tolerate me smelling like chlorine, sweat, and alcohol, so I had to take a shower.
But the shower didn't fix the hangover.
Thanks to sleep deprivation on top of the bad hangover, I couldn't think straight. Every bit of logic was thrown out the window. I even lost the first match of the day. I wanted to ask Daisy for help—she made this magical smoothie that cures hangovers like nothing else. I'd seen it work on Lily-but I didn't want to answer the barrage of questions that would come with it. Instead, I looked for a solution on the internet and went with the first video I found.
It helped, but it didn't stop me from replaying the last two days I spent in Pallet Town. Thinking about it now made me anxious. I didn't want to address the elephant in the room, but when, per the advice of the video I watched, I had to lay down and close my eyes for at least three hours, regardless of whether I was falling asleep or not, I was inevitably overthinking every aspect of my life. I wondered how long it would take me to move on from my crush on Ash. Maybe I could try dating other people? That always worked for me. But before I could think of more unhealthy ways to get rid of this crush, I fell asleep.
After that day, I avoided thinking about it entirely, throwing it in the back of my mind, hoping it would fade away so I could get on with my life.
The next few days felt way too normal, almost boring. It was like the week after New Year's or a nice vacation when you know all the fun is over and you're back to your normal life—you're bored of everything, and your life feels empty. I did the same things every day: the battles weren't interesting, there was no interesting news, no con artists plotting to steal my pokémon, nothing scandalous in my favorite reality TV show, no packages, no stupid kids thinking they could beat me with a Caterpie, and no good letters. Just regular mail from news channels– some of them requesting to interview me, while a lot of them pleading for an interview about Ash Ketchum (which I immediately threw away before Violet found them so she couldn't nag me about doing one).
Even though my days were monotonous , there was a weird restlessness in me. Maybe it had to do with the insignificant fact that Ash never called me. We usually talked over the phone at least once a week, sometimes even on a group call, but that never happened this week. I figured he was busy and that I was just overthinking the whole thing. Besides, I could have always called him, but I felt too nervous at the thought of talking to him one-on-one.
To combat this , I tried keeping myself busy, adding unnecessary things to my to-do list so I wouldn't have time to think. Then, my poor baby Corsola fell ill, and Lily had a sponsored trip across Kanto, so I had to help her with costumes and dresses.
A few weeks later, I was required to attend a two-day pre-championship conference at Indigo Plateau where all the gym leaders from across Kanto review battle records and prepare for the upcoming season. If I want, I can also request funding or renovations, but my gym's already sorted, and my match records are straightforward, so there's not much for me to do. Honestly, it feels unnecessary, especially since all the data is already digital. An online meeting would have been easier, but they're paying for travel and accommodation, so I'm treating it like a mini work-cation. The Kanto champion will be speaking, followed by a formal dinner with executives giving speeches. I wasn't thrilled about having to pack heels for the trip.
The first day at the Indigo office was exhausting, as usual. The meeting dragged on, and all we got for refreshments were tea and cookies. Four gym leaders presented their funding requests, making it one of the longest meetings I've ever sat through. The highlight, though, was a one-on-one meeting with Mr. Goodshow (gotta respect the man—he's around eighty and still going strong). He was thrilled to meet the top three gym leaders of the region, so that was nice. But honestly, the best part of the day was getting back to my hotel room and discovering they were covering the mini-fridge. Snacks and a rom-com in bed turned out to be exactly what I needed.
The second day started off slow. The Kanto Champion, Ash, had an early meeting with the Elite Four, so his session with the gym leaders got pushed to later in the morning. I took full advantage of the delay, had a lazy morning, a long bath, and indulged in the complimentary breakfast buffet. Then, finally, it was time for the meeting.
All eight of us gym leaders sat patiently in the conference room, waiting for Ash to arrive. When he finally did, we slipped into our usual routine, both of us wearing our polite masks. "Good morning, Miss Waterflower," he said, and I replied with, "Good morning to you too, Mr. Ketchum." Just like always.
This meeting was not as painful as others—nothing with Ash ever was, and that wasn't just because he was my friend. It was because he never made anything boring. He joked, used slang, and was always easygoing and friendly with his words.
"Nice meeting, Mr. Ketchum," I said before Ash could walk out of the conference room with everyone else. He stopped and stared at me, as if he didn't understand why I was talking to him. But sometimes we acted like that when League people were around.
He smiled."Thanks."
I waited for a minute, then exhaled when everyone was gone. "Okay, they're gone. So, nice meeting, huh?"
"Yup." He nodded a few times. "Real nice," he said, stretching the words.
"I'm really hungry though," I said. "Wanna grab lunch or—"
He shook his head."Oh, no, no, no. I have this… this thing with these people and I… I'm required for this task and…" He scratched his cheek, looking around, peeking out of the glass door to check if anyone was watching us. What was he doing?
"Huh? Is there another meeting?" I asked. "I didn't know."
He bit his lip. "Kind of."
"What kind?" I prodded.
"Well…" He pinched the bridge of his nose. "The boring kind?" he said sheepishly. "I just have a lot of work today. Signing those papers and stuff. I don't want to waste my time on lunch, you know. I mean, I don't want to waste your time."
Oh. Oh. Is he… is he getting awkward around me? I know this expression—I invented this expression (not really). It's that extremely subtle furrowed brow and clenched jaw—it's the face he makes for people he doesn't like. It's the kind of expression I imagine I make every time the office manager is talking to me. Why is he making that face? What's with that excuse?
"Of course," I replied. "Because you have so much tiresome work to do today—signing some papers. It's gonna be a tough day, Champion's life, am I right?"
He chuckled nervously. "Yup. Very important… stuff…"
He either didn't catch the clear sarcasm, or he was only using one brain cell at the moment. Or he was just playing dumb; I knew he did that to get out of situations. "Are you coming to the party tonight?" I asked again.
He nodded. "I am."
"So you wanna go there together or…"
"I don't think so!" He said quickly.
I tilted my head.
"I mean," Ash added. "I'll go there super early, for my speech. And we can't hang out right now either, unfortunately. You better go, though."
I nodded. "Of course. So… I'll just–" I stepped towards the door. "Head back. I mean, of course, I thought I'd make some time out of my schedule for our lunch like usual, but it's fine if you wanna sign papers instead." I waved my hand. "See you tonight if you're available."
He raised an eyebrow. "Riiight. See you tonight."
I looked at him one last time and got the hell out of there.
I was so mad at him. That was weird. Why was he acting so weird? Was it because I had kissed him? On his cheek? On his birthday? I thought it wasn't a big deal; I hadn't even thought about it after that night. I mean, I had kissed Brock before, and that was totally fine. What had gotten into Ash? Did he somehow find out that I was secretly panicking about having a crush on him, and it freaked him out? Nah. No one knew.
I returned to my room, stuffed myself with snacks and soda from the mini-fridge, and watched a movie. Then another movie. Then another, during which I fell asleep.
When I woke up, I was already late for the party, but that was fine—no one would have missed me. I avoided interacting with most people anyway, and not out of some 'I'm better than everyone, no one understands me' kind of emo attitude. I just couldn't stand those parties. They were for people looking to make League connections, striking deals and alliances, but me? Everyone had called me 'Crazy Misty' until a couple of years ago. They knew I had been an angry, rebellious teen. Even though I wasn't that angry sixteen year old anymore, no one bothered with me, except for a few like Mr. Beecher (he just had a terrible memory), Mr. Goodshow (that guy couldn't hate anyone), Lorelei, Professor Oak, Gary, Forrest, and, of course, Ash. Out of the hundreds in the League, only seven hadn't hated me.
So I took my time getting ready. I played some soothing music and, for the first time, genuinely enjoyed the process. I put on light makeup, wore the black dress—it wasn't much, just a simple formal dress, and gently brushed my hair. As I was about to tie it up, I recalled the night I fell in the pool. Ash had said, "You look beautiful like this." So, for once, I left my hair down. But then I remembered I was mad at him, so I tied my hair up again.
Then I slipped into the much-loathed heels and stood in front of the mirror for one final look when Psyduck popped out of his pokéball.
"Psy?" he said, holding his head between his webbed hands.
"What?"
"Psy, ayi."
"I like my hair like this," I huffed.
His thoughtless eyes stared at me.
"Okay," I said, pulling the hair tie from my hair and letting it fall on my shoulders. "Only because you told me to." I brushed my hair again, then went out for a night full of boring conversations.
By the time I arrived, Ash's speech was done and some baldie was speaking on the podium. As I predicted, the party was boring. It took skill to take one of the best venues on the island and turn it into something so lifeless. The big hall smelled like wood and fresh cloth, and it was very chilly. As far as my eyes could see, there were countless heads of people looking neat and formal, even the ones who usually looked like they were from some metal band. Everyone was speaking politely and laughing politely, and I felt like if I joined them, I'd suffocate from the insufferable talks.
I checked-in (yes, like we were in school), put on the ID badge they gave me, picked a corner nearest to the buffet, and stood there, hoping to stay out of trouble the whole night but also hoping that I wouldn't rot in this corner out of boredom. I didn't want to sit in my assigned seat because I was sitting next to Mr. Cooper, and that guy would push me off a cliff if he could. I tried look for people who'd talk with me, but unfortunately, I couldn't find anyone in this massive crowd, except for Ash. I caught a glimpse of him a few times, but I didn't want to talk to him with his stupid neat tux and stupid tidy hair, especially after our stupid, weird interaction earlier. Seeing him made me feel so much infuriation towards his behavior today that I accepted my fate and drank wine in peace.
It's not like he didn't see me; our eyes met twice even in this big crowd of people, but not once did he bother to smile, wave, or even react to my presence. He was straight-up ignoring me. It was not like I wanted to talk to him either. If anything, it should be me ignoring him after the whole crush thing, but was I doing that?
No.
In fact, I was keeping it together pretty well. I'd been trying so hard not to let our dynamic change, and here he was, acting how I was supposed to act. Why was he acting like that? Actually, I didn't care. He could get a perm for all I cared. I was better off alone.
"Red?" A voice called out to me amid the noise of the mindless chatter.
"Hey Gary," I greeted as he made his way toward me through the crowd and stood in front of me. He was no Mr. Goodshow, but he was not Mr. Cooper either, so Gary wasn't so bad.
"I was almost sure you and Ash were bailing tonight, you know, because of the boring speeches," he said, eyeing the front lines of tables, in front of which was a big stage.
I sighed. "I wish I wasn't here either, but I had no plans with Ash. And every gym leader's attendance is mandatory."
He looked around. "Where's he anyway?"
"I don't know, I'm not his assistant." I rolled my eyes.
"Mew, Red, chill," he said. "So that means nothing happened between you two on his birthday night?"
I choked on the wine and coughed a few times to clear my throat. I stared at him for a few moments before realizing he actually said those words. "What?!" Was all I could say.
He looked around to make sure no one was eavesdropping, then stepped closer. "I gave you so many opportunities, how could things not end in a hookup?" he whispered.
I stared at him in disbelief. The chatter around me started to die down, and I could only hear a ringing in my ears.
"Red, I'm talking to you!" He waved a hand in front of my eyes. I blinked, looking around me to find the chatter continuing as if it never went silent.
"I-I know!" I hissed. "What the fuck are you talking about?"
"Listen," he said, "you know you're like a sister to me, right?"
"A sist—since when?!" I scrunched my nose. "We're, like, semi-friends!"
"Okay, no need to demean our bond."
I gulped my wine bottoms up. "I need to sit down." I looked around, hoping to find a vacant chair.
"Jeez," Gary said, looking down at me. "I didn't think you'd panic like this."
He led the way toward the table he was assigned. No one was sitting there, so I took a seat next to Gary and leaned back in the chair.
I shook my head again. "How did you—" I breathed. "Find out?"
He shrugged. "I study mating behavior all the time; you weren't as subtle as you thought."
"I'm not a pokémon!" I hissed.
"You'd be surprised how close we are to pokémon, Red. Plus, you should see yourself when you're looking at him, with googly eyes and stuff."
"Nuh-uh. You can't tell anyone," I mumbled. "Do you hear me?" I asked loudly. "You're gonna keep your mouth shut."
"Huh?" He curled his upper lip. "So you're not gonna ask him out?"
"Ask him out?! Are you CRAZY?"
"Shhh!"
"Are you crazy?!" I whispered.
Gary rolled his eyes. "It's not a disease, Red."
I scoffed. "It might as well be. Chronically in love with Ash Ketchum."
"In love?" He raised an eyebrow. "I didn't even mention the existence of love."
"Look, I don't wanna talk about it, and if I find out you've told anyone…"
He leaned back in his chair and shook his head, disappointed. "Red, this isn't healthy. It's not good for the soul."
"What's not good for the soul?" a voice interrupted behind me.
I jumped and looked at the direction of the voice. "Nothing!" I snapped.
Ash stared at me, turning his gaze towards Gary and then back at me. "What's wrong?" he asked, but I looked away. Did he really think he could ignore me the whole day then act like nothing happened?
Gary looked at me, I shook my head. He looked back at Ash. "It's a girl thing," he said.
Ash smirked. "That's why you're included, right?" He sat down beside me, and he looked around. "Why aren't there any waiters or something? I'm so tired after so much small talk."
"There are no waiters, we have to go to the buffet and get our own plates," Gary informed him.
"Really?" Ash frowned. "That sucks."
"Yeah, it does. You should go get yourself something to eat, I heard they were gonna start serving the main course soon," Gary suggested. "You should go with him, Red."
"I'm too tired," I said.
Ash stood up. "I'll be right back."
Gary watched him leave. When Ash was out of sight, he turned his attention back to me.
"You know," he said quietly, "despite the fact that you forced me to kiss your boy for some weird fantasy, I could help you."
I shook my head. "We established this rule that friends shouldn't date, and...it just can't happen. Besides, he was ignoring me all day, so I'm kinda mad at Ash right now."
"That's a stupid rule," he said flatly. "But if you ever change your mind, let me know."
"Why are you so interested in helping us?" I asked. "That is immensely out of character for you."
He pouted. "Where's the trust, Red?"
"Gary."
"Jeez, okay!" He rolled his eyes. "So what if I have a motive? It's still a noble one."
"I'm asking you one last time."
"Look Red," he said and I wanted to punch him because I'd known that look all too well. Mostly, it appeared when we were kids and Gary was about to insult us. "Having a secret is like having constipation."
"An analogy I can only expect from you."
"Thanks."
"Not a compliment."
Gary continued, "Because there is so much shit inside of you that you just can't let out. But there may come a time when everything will come out on its own."
"I knew it, I knew you wouldn't be able to digest it, why did you have to figure it out?!" I hissed. "You can't tell this to anyone." I leaned forward on the table. "Or I'll beat you to pulp and you will forget what you look like."
"Don't get so violent. I will not spill your dirty secret to…most of the people. The person I might tell it to is someone you don't personally know." He grinned.
"So it's someone Ash knows," I pointed out. "Because you can't sleep at night without ensuring at least one human is suffering for your deeds."
He snorted. "Yes, Nancy Drew, Ash knows her."
"Her?" I raised an eyebrow. "Is that a girlfriend?"
"No, you have a girlfriend!" he retaliated childishly.
I chuckled. "Your girlfriend is someone Ash knows. Even better, he doesn't approve of it."
"No. We don't need his approval, his rules are stupid anyways." Gary pouted.
I gasped. "You're dating his cousin!"
"Wha–uhh, no!" he stammered, his face red. "How did you conclude that?!"
I snickered. "Moms, sisters and cousins are off limits. Ash doesn't have a sister, his mom has a boyfriend so that leaves the cousin."
"I'm not dating Leaf."
"I never said a name." I snorted.
"She's Ash's only cousin!" he cried.
"Okay, okay." I sat up straight, forgetting about my previous dilemma. "You are dating Ash's cousin. Which is against your stupid rule. So to cancel it out, now you want Ash to date your sister slash cousin slash mom. That's why you're forcing a sister tag on me because your sister Daisy is beyond this bullshit and perhaps is dating someone who acts like an adult."
Gary folded his hands. "No need to act so cocky about it."
"They have some nice dishes today!" Ash was back with two plates in his hands filled with whatever he could fit in there. He put one in front of me on the table and one in front of himself as he sat down on the chair next to me.
"Where's mine?" Gary asked.
"Maybe you should research human anatomy next." Ash looked at Gary before taking a bite of his food. "I only have two hands."
"Funny." Gary nodded. "Where have you been? You disappeared after your speech."
Ash let out a shaky laugh. "Miss Yuki was not letting me go."
"Ooh, who's this new lady?" Gary teased, glancing suggestively at me but I looked away.
I just remained silent, my attention focused on the stage as the speeches continued. But I couldn't help stealing a few curious glances at Ash, waiting to hear his response.
"She wants me to do an advertisement for her brand," Ash said, shifting his weight uncomfortably.
"But is she hot?" Gary pressed.
Ash cleared his throat, and the moment I looked at him was the exact moment his eyes darted briefly to me. Before answering, we instantly looked away. "I guess." Ash said.
"Did you notice Misty's hair?" Gary asked, and I felt my pulse quicken as our eyes met for another moment.
"Huh?" Ash responded, feigning ignorance.
"Her hair," Gary repeated, pointing at me. "Those orange strings growing out of her head."
"Yes," Ash replied, his gaze finally lingering on me and this time I did not look away either.
Gary raised an eyebrow. "Okay, did you two fight or something?"
"No!" we answered in unison. I stared at Gary with the most subtle-unhinged expression I could make and he smirked at me.
The audacity. I needed to shut him up.
"Gary, is there something you wanna share with us?" I asked. "Maybe about –"
"Ah, yes. I actually wanted to suggest that Ash might need a coach," Gary said. "If he ever does an advertisement. You're a theater kid, Red. You could help him."
I glared at him.
"But I guess you're fighting." Gary stood up. "So, I'll leave you two to sort whatever it is while I go talk to Mr. Raven over there," Gary said, standing up. "He can get me some fat funds for my next research." He walked away, throwing a knowing grin at me over his shoulder. "Toodles!"
He was so dead.
"What was he talking about?" Ash finally spoke up. "We're not fighting. Right?"
"Not exactly," I said flatly, suddenly very interested in the contents of my wine glass. "Why do you think we would be fighting?"
"We're not." Ash shrugged, sipping his apple juice. So he doesn't even realize.
The speeches continued, but I found it increasingly difficult to focus on anything. Then thankfully, a loud round of applause rippled through the crowd when whoever was giving a speech said 'thank you.' Then another person came on the stage and another speech started.
"Do they ever get tired of this?" Ash said, "It's almost the same speech every year."
I let out what was a fraction of a chuckle.
"I remember the speech from my very first year working in the league and that guy repeated the same speech a year after that," he said. "Word to word."
"Cool," I said. Normally, we would share a laugh because of our mutual hatred towards speeches, but his obliviousness about him ignoring me all day was making it hard for me to laugh at such jokes.
"Okay, something's wrong," Ash finally said, noticing my lack of interest in his small talk.
I raised an eyebrow. "I don't know Ash. Maybe ask yourself."
He clicked his tongue. "Misty–"
I tapped on my chin. "Maybe it's something to do with you avoiding me all day."
"Wait, what?"
I rolled my eyes.
"I wasn't avoiding you!" Ash argued. "Why would I even– okay." He took a deep breath. "Listen, Misty, I'm sorry if I made you feel that way. It's no excuse but…it's just…I've had a lot on my mind ever since my birthday, and it's been…," he thought for a proper word, "overwhelming."
"Ash."
"Like, it's just the same thought again and again and I can't stop thinking about it and it's extremely new for me and it's…it's just overwhelming, and–"
"Ash!"
"Yes?!"
"What's on your mind?"
He looked at me, his mouth agape. A light pink tint appeared on his cheek. "Nothing," he murmured. "Look, I didn't mean to do it, I'm sorry."
I glared at him, swirling my wine glass to make a mini-whirlpool with the wine. "You're sorry?"
He nodded.
I breathed out. "Arceus, Ash. What's worrying you so much?"
He pursed his lips. "Well…"
"Look, it's fine if you don't want to talk about it with me in particular, and if you ever feel like you want to, I'm here for you. But talk to someone, okay? I don't know man, talk to Brock. Just–" I sighed, "don't go avoiding your friends. I did not appreciate that."
He nodded. "Thanks, Mist."
"NO! No, thanks, Mist." I shook my head. "Tell me you understood that? You won't cut us off again like you did when–"
Ash shook his head. "Never. That will never happen, I promise."
"Good."
"Good."
Arguing with him made me feel so much lighter. Perhaps I'm still a little mad at him for making me feel like he's gonna repeat history again. I don't want to blame him for those years when the only contact he had with me was holiday postcards, because I know it can be extremely hard to keep in touch while traveling, but the least he can do is to not do that ever again. Even in the slightest.
We stared at each other.
There was another awkward silence, and this time, I was not willing to fill the gap. He was the one who caused the tension in the first place.
He sighed. "I'll go get us more wine," he offered.
I shrugged and nodded.
When Ash was gone, I looked around and found myself sitting alone. Gary was nowhere in sight. Then I spotted Ash waiting for his drinks at the bar, talking to someone I couldn't see. He laughed. I leaned sideways to see he was talking to a woman. Her back was facing me, but as she spoke she turned her head sideways, I could see a side of her face. She had long, black hair and a slender body. I looked at Ash and he laughed at whatever she said. Then he turned around, and he was surprised to catch me staring at him. I quickly leaned back, sat straight and looked away.
Moments later, he walked back with wine for me and juice for himself. "So this dinner is basically for making some good deals and making new connections, afterall," he said sitting next to me. "You were right all along." He handed me the wine glass.
"As I always am." I nodded. "What's the deal with Miss Yuki?"
Ash coughed. "Miss Yuki? You mean that Miss Yuki over there? I would never date her, she's not my type."
"I meant…" I raised an eyebrow, "what was the deal she was offering you…for business. The advertisement." What is it with him lately?
"Oh! Right, the business deal," Ash said, chuckling nervously. "Well, Miss Yuki runs this big company which produces organic pokemon food, and she wants me to be the face of their new campaign. Their main goal is to donate to pokemon shelters."
I nodded, taking a sip of my wine. "Sounds like a pretty sweet gig for a noble cause. It's gonna be good for your image. Are you going to do it?"
Ash shrugged. "I'm not sure yet. It would be good exposure, but I'm not super comfortable being the center of attention like that, you know?"
"You're the Pokémon League Champion. I think you're already pretty used to being in the spotlight."
He laughed. "Yeah, I guess that's true. But this feels different somehow. More...personal, I guess?"
"Are you, like," I shrugged, "I don't know, getting shy around a pretty lady like Miss Yuki?"
Ash's cheeks reddened slightly. "She's not the pretty lady I'm shy around." He ran a hand through his messy hair, looking a bit flustered. "As I said, she's not my type."
I couldn't help but chuckle at his reaction. "Do you even have a type?"
He rolled his eyes.
"Well, whatever you decide," I said, "I'm sure you'll make the right choice."
Ash gave me a grateful smile. "Thanks, Mist."
We settled into a comfortable silence, sipping our drinks and watching the parade of speeches continue on stage. I couldn't help but steal the occasional glance at Ash, wondering what was really going on in that head of his. Yes, he was constantly on my nerves today, but I knew there was something he wasn't telling me, and I knew better than to push. Ash would open up in his own time. For now, I was just happy we were not fighting.
As the evening wore on, the formal speeches gave way to a more relaxed atmosphere. Laughter and chatter filled the room, and to my surprise, the dance floor opened up. Ash and I looked at each other with surprise, dancing at one of these parties? This is a rare occasion. The music shifted to a softer, more romantic tune, and couples began to fill the floor, swaying gently to the rhythm. I watched them for a moment, feeling a pang of longing, I looked at Ash but instantly looked away. Then I felt Ash's eyes on me.
"This seems…fun?" he said, a bit unsure.
I looked at him. "Really? This kind of dancing fun for you? Surprising."
"I've developed various new interests lately, Misty." Ash smirked.
"Oh." I raised my eyebrows. I cleared my throat and nodded. "That's interesting."
"Do you maybe…" Ash glanced at the dancing couples, then back at me. "Want to join them? With me, I mean."
"Me?" I pointed at myself, taken aback. "Ash…I'd love to, but…" I exhaled, feeling a pang of regret. "You know what everyone thinks of me, and I don't really care about it, but you already risk your image by talking to me at these parties. Dancing is gonna give people a reason to gossip. You're their beloved champion; don't scar your image."
He shook his head. "It's no one's business but mine if I wanna dance with my best friend."
I looked at him, surprised by his confidence. I'd never seen this side of him, not for this cause.
He rubbed the back of his neck. "Look, this doesn't happen a lot at Indigo League parties. We might as well enjoy it while we can."
I smiled, trying to ignore the flutter in my stomach. "Okay."
He's completely unpredictable today. One moment he's awkward, the next he's arguing with me, and now he wants to dance. He's having major mood swings today, but who am I to judge?
We made our way to the dance floor, and Ash awkwardly placed his hands on my waist while I rested mine on his shoulders. As we swayed to the music, I couldn't help but notice how close we were, how his hands felt warm and comforting against my sides. I almost forgot that I was mad at him moments ago.
"You know," Ash said softly, breaking the silence, "I'm glad you're here tonight."
"I would say the same if you promise to not do that whole 'avoiding your friends' charade ever again."
"Yes, ma'am." He smiled and tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear. "I see you're wearing your hair differently. It looks good."
The compliment caught me so off-guard that I forgot how to speak. I felt my cheeks getting warm and all I could do was smile.
As we continued to dance, my heart raced at every brush of his fingers against my back, and I had to remind myself to breathe. This is not helping me stay mad at him or get over him at all.
"Okay, you're really good at this," Ash said with a grin. "Have you been practicing behind my back? You're basically leading the dance, because I clearly suck at it."
I laughed. "Maybe I've just had good partners."
"I bet none of them were as good as me."
"Oh, absolutely," I teased. "You're definitely the best at following my lead and dancing off-beat."
"If you keep flattering me like this, my ego might just explode."
"I'll take my chances."
We shared a laugh.
"I'm thinking of accepting Miss Yuki's offer," Ash said.
I stopped dancing for a moment and squeezed his shoulders. "Wow." I paused, "I mean, that's…that's great, Ash."
His grip on my waist tightened. "But I'm gonna need your help."
We continued dancing. "How so?" Curse you Gary.
"I'm not very good at acting, and this campaign needs me to shoot some advertisement videos."
"Shouldn't they train you or something? How will I be helpful?" I asked.
"The legend of Magical Mermaid-"
I snorted. "Don't finish that sentence."
"Fine." He chuckled. "I need someone I already know to teach me. I'll feel more comfortable that way."
I nodded. "Okay… I'll try helping you however I can."
He smiled, and I felt him gently pull me closer. But then, as the song began to wind down, the realization of how close we were, how intimate the moment felt, hit us both. We pulled back slightly.
"Well," I said, trying to sound casual, "that was fun."
"Yeah," Ash agreed, his voice a bit strained. "We should probably get back to the table."
As we sat down on the table we were previously sitting on, Gary appeared, a wide grin on his face. "I saw you two dancing, so the fight's over?"
I rolled my eyes at him.
He smiled at me, clearly enjoying himself. "Just saying."
Ash and I exchanged a look, and I could feel the heat rise up on my cheeks.
As the night continued, the tension between Ash and me lingered, but for now, we were just Ash and Misty, a couple of childhood friends. And maybe, just maybe, that was enough.
My mind forgets to remind me you're a bad idea,
You touch me once and it's really something.
I'm on my guard for the rest of the world, but with you, I know it's no good.
