SO this is what this week was all about for me. This is the one I wrote a month ago. This…is the one that is 7,800 words long.

oops

It cycles though all their peers in the order they encountered them. I hope you enjoy this one, it was a lot of fun.

Day 6-Their relationship through the eyes of others

Team Rocket

"Hey, the twerpette is back!" Meowth turned to face his companions, as they lowered their binoculars to converse. There had been many girls who had joined up with Ash and his Pikachu over the many years, but twerpette would always be reserved for the red-head.

"Wow, how long has it been since we've seen her?" James mused.

Jessie sniffed.

"So long I'd almost forgotten all about the little runt." James and Meowth shared a conspiratorial glance.

"Still not a fan?" Meowth said with a grin.

"What is there to like?" Jessie stuck her nose in the air.

James went back to his stalking, so as to avoid Jessie's wrath.

"Apparently the twerp thinks there's something." He said, not looking away. Jessie and Meowth put their own binoculars back up.

"When did that happen?" Meowth yelped, dropping his binoculars and trying to squint through the semi-darkness of dusk to see the campsite with his own eyes.

"We didn't miss something did we?" James added, pressing his own face farther into the eye sockets. "She only just showed back up today, right?"

Jessie frowned, but didn't drop her lenses.

"Well, it's about time."

Meowth and James gaped at her, and she merely raised an eyebrow without looking at them.

"But she was gone." James reasoned.

"I know they were lovebirds back in the day, but…"Meowth continued.

"It's a tale as old as time." Jessie sighed. "Young love, separated by fate, finding each other again despite the odds against them."

Meowth and James rolled their eyes at each other, then went back to watching the scene below them.

"You know, they seem pretty distracted, now would be the perfect time to-"

"Not a chance!" Jessie snapped.

"Jessie?" James asked. All three of them looked to each other again.

"What did I just say? This is romance at its finest. We've been waiting for this for nearly a decade, you really want to mess it up now, just to fail again?" She fixed them with a challenging glare, and they both deflated.

"No." They chorused.

"Right then." Jessie said with a nod. "Now, let's get started on a plan for how we're going to get Pikachu in the morning. If the twerpette is back, it's going to be harder than ever."

Brock

He wasn't ready.

He'd been waiting for this moment for as long as he could remember, but now that it was here, he wasn't sure he wanted it.

But there they were, totally unaware that he'd arrived. He watched them for enough years to know that something was different. Something had changed. He wondered if anyone but he would've noticed.

They weren't kissing, they weren't holding hands, they were barely even touching. In fact, they appeared to be arguing, which was about the most natural act the two of them had. But it was there. It was there in the way he was smirking at her while making a point, in the way she stuck out her hip and in the playfulness of her glare. It was in the way he flung his arm around her shoulder before leaning down to whisper in her ear. It was in the way she turned red as he did, then smacked him in the chest, leaving her hand there for longer than was strictly necessary.

Brock had watched for years, painfully aware of what they seemed determined to ignore. He had given up any hope of anything ever coming of it, a little miffed that he'd spent so long caught in the middle of their dance for nothing. He realized then that maybe what he was looking at was just the older version of that same dance. What if nothing had changed? What if they'd simply picked up where they left off, ten years older and none the wiser? They had invited him here to Viridian City because they "had something to show him" and he'd dared to hope at the way they giggled on the phone, but now he was afraid he'd let his own desires blind him to their reality. They were Ash and Misty, this was just how they worked. They'd probably only wanted to show him some new Pokémon or something. He'd let himself get excited for nothing. They would never wake up, they'd waited too long…

Then it happened. Misty wasn't giving him cute little glares and playful smacks anymore, she was really glaring, and her hands were planted firmly on her hips in a gesture Brock would have recognized if she was 10, 20, or even 50. She was on a roll too. He couldn't hear what she was saying, but she was saying it with fervor. Ash didn't look phased though. He considered her, clearly not listening to a word she was saying, before reaching forward, taking her face in his hands, and kissing her. She looked startled at first, but only for a moment, before rolling her eyes, then leaning into the kiss. They broke apart, and she smacked him in the shoulder, playfully again, as he grinned shamelessly down at her.

Warmth spread across Brock's chest as he watched. Those were his kids down there, and they weren't blind anymore. He sniffed, and laughed to himself before realizing that there was pressure building up behind his eyes.

"Now is not the time to cry Brock," he told himself, "wait until they tell you."

He rubbed at his eyes, then fixed his face with his best neutral expression, and headed down the hill toward his friends.

Gary

If he was being honest, Gary barely remembered Misty. He'd only met her a handful of times, but when he thought hard, and past his own contempt for Ash at the time, he could remember a girl with a temper far bigger than her size suggested. He remembered a girl who had stood up for Ash against him fiercely, and whom he wasn't sure had ever really forgiven him for how nasty he had been.

He wasn't even sure she'd remember him when he'd bumped into her and Ash at his grandpa's lab, but boy did she. Her face had immediately contorted into a mask of distrust and disdain, and she took a protective step in front of Ash, who seemed not to notice her reaction. Gary probably didn't help matters by smirking at her, but he couldn't help but be amused. Clearly Ash had not bothered to fill her in on their adventure in Sinnoh where they'd truly made peace.

"Gary Oak." she'd said with a little more venom than was strictly necessary. Ash finally looked at her then, and noticed her stance. He snorted, and she looked at him incredulously.

"Well, well, Ashy-boy finally decided to come home." Gary said, choosing to ignore Misty for as long as possible. Ash grinned at him, and after placing a placating hand on Misty's shoulder, stepped around her to shake Gary's hand.

"Okay, wait, are you two...like friends now? I mean, I know it was all nice at the end of the Silver Conference, but…" Misty trailed off, looking between them.

"Yeah, I mean, when we weren't competing anymore, there wasn't much point in being rivals." Ash reasoned. Misty gaped at him.

"We even managed to make a pretty good team in Sinnoh." Gary added. Misty turned to him, glare back in place, but before she could say anything, Gary's grandpa stuck his head around the corner.

"Ash, m'boy! Please, come here, I need you to look at something." Ash looked warily between Gary and Misty, before jogging off. Misty crossed her arms and straightened up to her full, taller than Gary, height.

"I don't know what sort of adventure you guys had in Sinnoh, but I remember you in Kanto and Johto, and you mark my words Gary Oak, if I ever see any hint that you are treating Ash the way you did back then...I still remember where my mallet is." Then she brought her fingers up to her eyes in a V and pointed them back at him. Gary only smiled.

"Noted Red." he said. "Glad to know he's still got looking out for him after all this time." Misty's face flushed, and he couldn't tell if it was embarrassment or anger at the nickname.

"Yeah, well, that's what girlfriends are for." She sniffed. She stalked off after Ash, leaving Gary alone in the hallway.

"Girlfriend huh?" he muttered. "Well damn, look at Ashy-boy, beating me again."

Tracey

There had never been a doubt in Tracey's mind that this day would come. From that very first day with Lapras, to the last time he'd seen them together at Oak's lab, to everyday he'd spent at the Cerulean Gym while Misty was leader, he'd known. They'd always been entertaining, fighting like cats and dogs, hurling insults and trying and failing to cover jealous streaks, insisting to their last breath that they didn't care about each other that way, only to share a bond the likes that Tracey had yet to encounter anywhere else. Sometimes it hadn't even felt like he was there, like he was simply lucky enough to be along for the ride with a front row seat to the beginning of their love story. Brock had been very upset when Tracey had shared some of his stories, mostly that he'd missed the pair of them at their peak of denial.

The first time Ash showed up at the Cerulean Gym, Tracey had been surprised, less by Ash actually being there, and more by the suspicion that Ash treated him with. It wasn't until Tracey explained that he was there to do some work for Daisy that he'd warmed up, and Tracey remembered the jealous streak that he had been so amused by all those years ago. Ash hadn't seemed at all amused when Tracey burst out laughing, but he couldn't help it. Luckily, Misty had arrived then, and the two had explained, with much blushing, stuttering and appealing glances between them, that Ash was going to be visiting a lot more now, and that they had started dating.

Tracey was beside himself with happiness, and though Daisy chose that moment to poke her head around the corner and insist that he "leave the silly lovebirds alone and come help her" he couldn't stop thinking about every memory of the two of them he had. He grinned to himself as he cleaned filters, and ignored an unimpressed Daisy as she tried to get him to discuss her latest audition. Ash and Misty seemed fine with each other as Tracey watched them below in the battling pool, battling each other with all the rambunctious teasing and spirit that they always had, but as he approached to bid them farewell they were reduced once more to an adorably uncharacteristic shyness, so far from the violent denials that he had come to think of as their normal behavior that it honestly threw him off a little.

He made a beeline for his box of old sketchbooks as he arrived back to his room at the lab, rifling through page after page of Pokémon until he found the one he wanted. He smiled softly at it as he held it up to the light.

He knew that having woken up before them during one of those Jigglypuff attacks would come in handy someday.

May

May wasn't sure whether she should laugh, cry, or throw a parade.

She had been sure when she'd first met Misty all those years ago in the Mirage Kingdom that there was something between her and Ash, but she never got any concrete proof. In fact, Ash had straight up refuted the claim when May had asked after Misty had returned home.

"She's my best friend, but no, we're not like that." he'd said, with a sad little grin that May hadn't understood at the time.

Truth be told she wasn't sure Ash had understood it either, but that wasn't relevant. Brock had said that reaction was new; that before when someone had accused Ash of liking her, he'd blow up, and shout that there was no way. Brock had looked smug, but May was confused. Then she herself had been accused of being a couple with Ash, and she'd understood. She watched more closely the next few times they saw Misty. She watched how in sync she and Ash were. How they barely seemed to need to talk to be on the same page. How they'd seemed so sure of each other and their abilities, despite all the time that had passed between them. Then she started comparing them to herself and Drew, and knew she was in trouble.

In the end, Misty had become one of her best friends, one of the people she looked up to most, and she had decided it would be her mission in life to get the two of them to admit that there was something more between them than friendship. Once she and Drew finally got together, her resolve increased exponentially, especially as he seemed to take an odd interest in the quest. If anyone deserved to be happy together, it was Ash and Misty.

And now here they were, coming to watch her compete in the Kanto Grand Festival together. She hadn't been expecting it, having invited them each individually, but they'd responded together.

"Sure May, we'd love to be there, wouldn't miss it for the world!"

She knew the couple response. She knew that we. Drew had had to put way too much effort into keeping her focused on the festival and not on her friends. But how could she focus on her appeals when her two friends had gotten together without her! They hadn't needed her at all, and honestly she was a little miffed. When they arrived however, all the annoyance faded away. They were both radiating so much joy, which wasn't out of the ordinary for either of them, but it was a different kind of joy. An, "everything is right with the world in this moment" joy. There was no shame or embarrassment as they approached her, holding hands and even swinging them a bit. She shot Drew a contemptuous look as she spotted this, and he pretended not to notice.

It was like they had always been in her experience. Perfect sync. Practically finishing each other's sentences. Ebb and flow. A united front. A team.

Max

He was happy for them, really he was. But why should he care if Ash had finally gotten up the guts to tell Misty how he felt? (Because surely that's what had happened. No way Misty would have deigned to do it herself, nor should she have had to. Ash was the idiot). Why should he care that she had been willing to be with him despite all his density, despite the years of being oblivious to how she felt?

Why should it bother him to see her grinning at Ash like he was her favorite thing in the whole world? Why should it bother him to see them holding hands, and teasing and joking? Why should Max have any reason to be annoyed that Misty had chosen Ash, and that they seemed to be amazing together, a perfect fit?

Sure he was happy, but why should it concern him?

Dawn

She'd known from the moment he refused to let her use the lure that there was something about Misty, but she'd never gotten the chance to meet her before she stopped traveling with Ash. Dawn had always wanted to, but Ash had been pretty mum on the subject, and Brock was little to no help with his sad head shakes, and his "it's a long story"'s. May had gotten to meet her a few times, and was much more forthcoming, so Dawn had learned that Misty was likely more than just "a really good friend" like Ash had insisted. Truth be told, she'd gotten a little obsessed, growing frustrated by all the dead ends she'd met with May's lack of knowledge and Brock's unwillingness to speak to the matter. Even after she'd split up from Ash, she'd kept it up, unable to shake the curiosity that was Ash actually having romantic feelings for a girl.

Maybe it had been overkill, making a stop at the Cerulean City Gym, but she'd been in Kanto anyway, and the Sensational Sisters show's were world famous after all. Simply mentioning Ash was enough to get her backstage, which piqued her interest to unfathomable levels.

When she'd met Misty, she understood immediately. The girl was almost the exact opposite of Dawn herself, but she could see so much of why Ash would like her in only a few moments of conversation. It was obvious Misty too carried a torch for the absent trainer, though she never said it. Dawn suspected that if she had asked outright, Misty wouldn't have lied, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. She left Cerulean as a proud member of May's crusade to bring the two of them together again, but life got in the way, and some six years later, she learned of its success at the Kanto Grand Festival Ball following May's win.

They weren't an in your face couple, in fact, one would probably be hard pressed to even tell they were together. What they lacked in public displays of affection however, they made up for in synchronicity. All she'd ever heard from the people who had known them when they traveled together was how much time they'd spent fighting, and though she could see how that may be the case (she did get into her fair share of shouting matches with Ash back in the day) all she really saw now was two people who knew each other inside and out. She saw two old friends teasing each other about the fact that neither of them seemed able to dance. People who were insanely comfortable with each other poking and prodding and pointing out random things around the room. Two stars that orbited each other, separate but dependant. Bright on their own, but twice as strong together.

She caught Misty's eye, and the two shared a knowing grin. They had agreed to not tell Ash about Dawn's little visit all those years ago, and going by the confused look on Ash's face, Misty had kept up her end of the deal. Dawn kept up her smile, glad to know that they finally had each other, and wondering if maybe now that he had the real thing back, Ash would let her try out that lure.

Iris

Iris had never really heard much about Misty. All she really knew was that she'd traveled with Ash at the beginning of his journey back in Kanto, that she'd been there through all of his trials and tribulations with his Charizard. The stories relating back to Charizard were the only one's she'd really heard about any of Ash's time before coming to Unova, with the exception of a smattering of Sinnoh stories from Dawn. He'd been pretty tight lipped about his past, and Iris could relate, so she'd never pushed.

0But now; now she sort of wished she had. Misty was amazing. She was a gym leader, a powerful one who specialized in water types. She loved the outdoors and getting down and dirty and she was tough. But she was also gorgeous, standing there in a light blue mini dress, beaming around at all the people, several of whom, including Iris, she'd never met. An engagement party had hardly sounded like Iris' idea of fun, but she'd come, more out of curiosity than anything else. What sort of girl could get Ash Ketchum to stop acting like a little kid and settle down?

"Mist, this is Iris!" Ash had introduced, taking Iris aback with his enthusiasm. True, she considered Ash one of her best friends, but the reality was that they'd only spent a year traveling together when they were 17, hardly "enthusiastically introducing you to my fiancé eight years later" material. But Misty had beamed at her, and shaken her hand vigorously.

"I have heard so much about you. And can I just say, you are my hero. I can never thank you enough for keeping this big head in check while I couldn't." She patted Ash a little roughly on the top of the head as she spoke, and he grimaced at her, but the look was quickly replaced with a grin. Iris must've looked her confusion, because Misty had pressed on.

"Ash told me all about how you always called him out, telling him he was 'being a little kid.'" She'd smirked as Ash rolled his eyes, then raised her hand for a high five. Iris only hesitated momentarily before slapping hands.

"It was my pleasure, really." she said with a smirk of her own.

"Alright, geez, I was never really that bad." he'd complained. Misty raised an eyebrow at him.

"What was that, Mr. Pokémon Master?" she teased. Iris lit up.

"Ooo, I like that one." she laughed.

"Guys, this isn't pick on Ash night!" he whined. Misty rolled her eyes, and Iris continued laughing.

"Come on now Ash, stop acting like such a little kid!" she wheezed. Misty doubled over in laughter as well, resting a hand on Iris' shoulder as they carried on. Ash let out a huff next to them.

"I should never have let you two meet." he muttered. Misty reached over and flicked him on the ear, still grinning. Ash rubbed it, trying his best to look offended, but failing as his fiancé grinned at him and reached up to smooth the hair she'd mussed up earlier. Iris beamed at them.

They were made for each other.

Cilan

This was the sort of thing that Cilan lived for. True his forte was the bonds between people and Pokémon, but of course the bonds between people fascinated him endlessly as well. Now that he was here he was having a field day, tasting all the relationships between all the friends Ash had made over the years. Some who knew each other well, some who were only meeting now for the first time. He'd been pleasantly surprised to see his own old friend Brock there, and learn that he was in fact Ash's best man.

He hadn't known much about Ash's bride-to-be beyond that she had known him from the very beginning, and that even in Unova, Ash considered her to be his best human friend. He'd gotten an odd taste from Ash on the few occasions he'd spoken of Misty in their time journeying together. He'd gotten notes of fondness, fun, friendship and nostalgia, but also those of regret, annoyance, and even a faint hint of longing. He hadn't really known what to think at the time, but Ash hadn't been particularly forthcoming, so Cilan had let the matter drop quickly. Now that he was finally meeting Misty in person however, he almost couldn't handle all the flavors that the two were putting off.

First and foremost, they tasted of love. That was for certain, and not something Cilan had ever expected from Ash. There was something similar to the bond the couple shared and the bond that Ash had with Pikachu, and indeed Misty had her own amazingly flavorful bond with Ash's most trusted Pokémon, which Cilan knew was the highest of endorsements for a pair. The bonds between people was reflected in the bonds between humans and Pokémon.

There were a few less than sweet notes between Ash and Misty. There was that same air of regret that Cilan had first noticed all those years ago, and he chalked that up mainly to the great number of years the two of them spent apart, pining silently for one another. There was also an anger simmering deep below, and Cilan remembered the stories he'd heard from Brock earlier that night about how heated and explosive the pair of them had been in their youth. There was also a mild note of fear, but from what Cilan couldn't fathom. Perhaps the natural fear that came with starting a new chapter in life, but to Cilan it felt more like the fear of loss. Fear that maybe they'd be separated again.

But it took all of his considerable connoisseur skills to detect any of that, because joy and happiness were bursting from them, flooding his palette with a sweetness that could only come from the best of friends and the most romantic of lovers. He really wished he could have seen the two of them from the beginning. No doubt their relationship would have been the treat of a lifetime to witness, though truth be told Brock and Tracey, the two that had known them longest, seemed to be struggling quite a bit under all the history they held.

When it all came down to it though, Cilan had never tasted anything more interesting, and their palette was a joy to behold.

Bonnie

"I guess if you're marrying Ash, that means you wouldn't be interested in marrying my brother."

Ash laughed as Misty stared confusedly at the blonde teenager. Truthfully, a rehearsal dinner was not an ideal place to be meeting the bride for the first time, but there had simply been no point at which Bonnie and Ash's travel schedules had matched up. She had just completed the Silver conference, having come in a very impressive if disappointing 4th. She grinned at Ash now, glad that he could at least appreciate her joke.

"See, ha haha, Mist...there was this hahaha, thing, that Bonnie used to do." He broke down into more laughter as the red-headed woman next to him watched with raised eyebrows, and Bonnie's grin turned into a smirk. "She would propose to every girl we found, and would ask...ask them to take care of her brother!"

Misty simply looked confused, and Ash looked pensive for a few seconds before snapping his fingers.

"She was like, a little Brock, but for her brother!" At this, Misty snorted, and Ash's face lit up.

"Okay, yeah, I get it now." she wheezed. "That is fantastic, I'm sure he really appreciated it." Bonnie joined in on the laughter, a for a few moments they didn't speak.

Bonnie recovered first, and watched as Ash and Misty continued to catch each other's eye and break into fresh giggles. Bonnie had only just met Brock the day before, and she had no idea how she was like him, but clearly it was some sort of inside joke.

Bonnie had been very young when she'd spent the most time with Ash. They'd managed to see a lot of each other over the years, bumping into each other at special tournaments and the like once she'd been old enough to train Pokémon on her own, but mainly her memories were fuzzy. Despite this though, she could never remember seeing Ash the way he had been in the last few days. Even back then, he had seemed like such a grown-up to her. A brilliant trainer who almost always had a handle on a situation, and a complete oaf who couldn't tell if a girl liked him, even when she all but spelled it out. But here, with Misty, and all the others he'd met along his vast and winding way, he was someone else. Not completely different, but not completely the Ash she knew. For one thing, she hadn't really ever realized that Ash was funny. She also hadn't known he was incredibly sarcastic. And she most definitely would never in a million years have pegged Ash Ketchum of all people as a romantic.

As the two of them settled down, each rubbing tears from their eyes, Bonnie caught Ash staring at his soon to be wife. Then Misty herself caught the look, and smiled smugly at him. Bonnie couldn't help the grin that spread across her face.

"Well, Bonnie, as nice as your brother is, I do think that ship has sailed. Unless…" Misty turned around, searching the room, presumably for her brother, and Ash let out an indignant squawk.

"Hey!" He shouted, and Misty turned back to him, eyes sparkling with mirth that Bonnie could very much appreciate.

"Well, he's an inventor! You know, building the future? I'm sure there's plenty of possibility in that." Though Ash continued to look upset, even Bonnie could tell that it was all for show. Misty let him keep it up for a few moments before rolling her eyes and planting a quick kiss on his cheek.

"You know I'm kidding. It's Pokémon Master or nothing for me." she said. Ash laughed once.

"Well, I guess I better get back to training then."

Bonnie beamed up at them. She hadn't known what to expect. Ash getting married, even now, seemed like such a foreign concept, but the longer Bonnie watched, the more inevitable it all seemed. She was a little annoyed even that Ash had never bothered to mention Misty before. It would have saved everyone a lot of trouble way back when if he had, but of course, Ash had never thought like that. But to see it now, it was harder to believe that the Ash she remembered was even real. Ash with Misty was flirty, all smirks and grins and playful teasing, and Bonnie realized just how much of himself he must've been holding back when she'd first known him.

So if Misty was the one who could make Ash like this, could make him this comfortable and at ease, and seeming so very much himself, then Bonnie would love her too, because that was all that really mattered.

Clemont

Clemont had never been to a wedding before, let alone been a groomsman. Ash had assured him that it would be easy, all he really had to do was wear a suit, stand up for a few minutes, then join in on the party. Easy. But Clemont had been reading up, and as usual, Ash had clearly over simplified things.

He had been shocked to say the least when he had gotten the call from Ash that he was getting married. So shocked in fact that he almost hadn't caught that Ash was asking him to be a groomsman. It was just so far from the Ash he knew. Love and romantic relationships were not the first things that came to mind when Clemont thought of his old friend. He tried to imagine the sort of girl that would be able to bring that side out of Ash. He realized that he could not for the life of him come up with a list of criteria. Would she have to be exceptionally pretty? But then Ash had never seemed the type to care about looks. Would she have to be smart? The only qualities Clemont could really land on were kind, loyal, and good with Pokemon, and that could apply to any number of girls.

Being chosen as a groomsmen in and of itself meant that Ash considered him one of his closest friends, and that was a lot of responsibility, but they had been friends for years, even after Ash had left Kalos, they had had a great deal of regular contact, something that Clemont had learned was rare. Then he'd arrived in the sleepy little town Ash came from, and he'd realized just how much of an honor it really was to be one of the ones standing up with him. Ash had been to dozen of regions over several years, and amassed a flock of friends that fully overwhelmed Clemont. Bonnie had been no help at all. She was a social butterfree after all, and hadn't stopped meeting new people since they'd arrived. Luckily, however, one person had taken pity on him.

He'd found himself straining to remember anytime that this "Misty" had been mentioned in all the time that Clemont had known Ash, but came up totally blank. Clemont hadn't wanted to ask, but Bonnie had had no problem jumping in, and Ash explained that Misty was his first real friend. That they'd had to split up when she had to go home to her gym, but they'd reconnected when Ash went back to Kanto to re-enter the Indigo League.

"It's all been a little crazy, huh?" The red-headed woman stage whispered to him.

If Clemont couldn't have imagined the kind of girl that could catch Ash's attention before, he couldn't imagine any other girl now that he'd finally met Misty. She was sensationally pretty, incredibly smart, and one of the toughest gym leaders Clemont had ever seen. She brought out a completely different side of Ash that Clemont hadn't known existed. If you had told him 10 years ago that one day he would see Ash Ketchum being flirty, he would have laughed in your face, but that just how he and Misty were. Playful.

"Uh...yeah, just a little bit." he answered, glancing over at her only to see how tense she herself looked.

"I know. Honestly, I haven't even met most of these people. Ash just went so many places, and, well, you know him. Makes a friend wherever he goes." she shrugged, and let out a little laugh. Clemont nodded.

"Are you making fun of me again?" Misty and Clemont both jumped a little as Ash butted in. Misty recovered first.

"Of course not honey, wouldn't dream of it." Even Clemont could catch the sarcasm in her tone, and Ash narrowed his eyes at her before appealing to Clemont.

"Was she?" he asked. Clemont's eyes went wide.

"N-no! Of course not, we were just...and all the people…" Ash smiled and shook his head.

"I'm only teasing Clemont, sorry." he apologized. Misty rolled her eyes.

"Sorry about him; though I guess really the benefit of everyone here being his friend is that I don't have to apologize for him, do I?" She laughed, a cute little laugh that she covered with the back of her hand. For a second, Clemont was looking at an entirely different girl, but then blinked.

"Har Har Mist." Ash said with a jovial roll of his eyes.

"Hey, bride-to-be!" A tall, gorgeous, blonde woman (Daisy if Clemont was remembering correctly) strode over, and planted her hands on her hips. "It's time to go. No seeing the groom until you're at the altar!"

"Yeah, say goodnight lovebirds!" A brunette this time, May, shouted, causing not just Ash and Misty, but Clemont himself to blush. He took a step away from the pair as they stepped into each other.

"A whole night away from you, however will I cope?" Misty said, bopping Ash playfully on the nose. He sighed and grinned at her.

"I don't know Mist, being apart really isn't our style." They both laughed.

"Not anymore it isn't." She added, snaking her arms around his neck. Clemont took another step away as their lips met, and the room filled with cat calls and wolf whistles.

"Alright, alright, break it up, best man, coming through." They broke apart, but didn't let go of each other as Brock approached. Ash and Misty raised an inquiring eyebrow at him as he laced his fingers together and stretched them in front of him.

"I have waited so long to be able to do this." He said. Misty's eyes blew wide, and she looked faintly panicked until Brock turned to Ash, and her panic turned to glee.

"Hey!" Ash protested as Brock grabbed him firmly by the ear and began to pull away. "This isn't fair! The ear was her thing!" There was more laughter as the pair disappeared.

"Hey." Another man, Gary, nudged Clemont as he looked on, still baffled. "That was our cue too." Clemont nodded.

"Well, see you tomorrow then Misty." he said, turning to her and waving. She was still doubled over in laughter, but managed to compose herself enough to give them a quick wave.

"Do I even want to know?" Clemont asked Gary as they followed Ash's griping out the door.

"I don't know myself, and knowing those three, I'm perfectly happy to keep it that way." Gary answered.

Clemont turned ahead, unsure what to say to Gary, and choosing to get lost in his thoughts again instead.

Ash had so much history he'd known nothing about. Misty was part of that history, but now she was part of whatever future Ash had too. He decided that he liked the idea of it, being able to pick up where you left off with someone, even after years and years. Ash and Misty were a beacon of hope for anyone who was far removed from someone they loved. They were living proof that if it was meant to happen it would, if one was willing to be open to it.

Maybe he would be able to be inspired by Ash just one more time.

Serena

She still wasn't sure that this was real.

It had taken her maybe a year to finally give up trying to track him down AND the hope that he would get a hold of her. For the longest time she couldn't figure out what had gone wrong. She'd been brave, and though he'd looked shocked at first, in the end he had smiled at her. Surely that had meant something good right?

But a few months ago she'd learned the full story. Brave as her last act had been, it had been overshadowed almost immediately, by none other than the red head now standing next to him, posing for pictures while they held a knife together over their cake. They were alternating between looking at the flashes and each other, and they looked calculating. She wasn't sure what that was about, until the crowd began to clap, and both bride and groom were almost instantly covered in frosting as they smooshed pieces into the other's face.

She couldn't help but grin as she watched them laugh, trying to get each other more.

She had been there, waiting.

According to May it hadn't been the first time. Usually whenever ever Ash "bothered" (May's word) to actually go home, she was there waiting for him. She'd missed him once, and he hadn't been back for two years after that, so she had resolved never to make that mistake again. May had been almost unable to relate the rest of the story to her, excited as she was. Serena almost wished she hadn't been able to get the words out.

He didn't even wait! He just grabbed her, right there, and, well, now…

May had waved the wedding invitation around gleefully.

Serena shuffled back to her seat, content to watch the assembled guests go about their party. Some were dancing, some were chatting, most had cake now. She didn't feel much like eating, so she perched her chin in her hands and continued to observe. She was so caught up in the guests, she didn't even notice when someone dropped into the seat next to her. She jumped, and let out a yelp that made her blush as she took in the intruder to her thoughts.

"Sorry!" The bride apologized. "I didn't mean to scare you, Serena."

Misty's face was a little pink, and her makeup was clearly fresh. She must've just come from cleaning off the frosting. Serena scanned the room quickly, but there was no sign of Ash.

"Uh, yeah. I-it's nice to…finally meet you." she smiled, unable again to help it as Misty let out a laugh.

"It's so weird, isn't it, meeting people that you feel like you should've already known?" Misty said. "I swear, it's just something about him." she gestured vaguely in the direction of the bathrooms, but Serena knew exactly what she meant. Ash brought people together. Even if they'd never met, just by knowing Ash, they all had this connection that felt like they were all meant to be friends too.

No matter how much they didn't want to be.

Misty must've noticed the shift in Serena's mood, because she bit her lip, and looked awkward, before taking a shaky breath.

"Look." she began, and Serena did. She was pretty sure she'd never seen someone look more uncomfortable in her life. Misty squared her shoulders, and tried her best to turn toward her, despite the restrictions of her dress.

"I need to thank you." she said. Serena blinked at her.

"You…what?" she asked. Misty looked around, making sure no one was paying attention to them.

"All of this is because of you. You probably don't want to hear this, and I'm really sorry about that, but I just…I have to." Serena was pretty sure she'd never been more confused.

"What?" she asked again. Misty looked away, clearly stealing herself.

"Ash told me…what you did…to say goodbye in Kalos." She practically whispered, and Serena's face instantly flared bright red.

"Oh!" she squeaked. "Well, I mean, it was just a kiss, a long time ago and…" Misty placed a hand on her shoulder, amusement playing in her eyes. Serena didn't miss the fact that it was her left, her rings glittering even in the dim light. She wondered if that had been on purpose, but she doubted it, as Misty's angle prevented her right hand from doing much of anything. She laughed once.

"Well, yeah, it's not really a big deal in the grand scheme of things." She said. "But, well, that was Ash's first real kiss you know." Though momentarily shocked, Serena settled into a grin.

"Actually, that seems about right." she said. "I'm pretty sure I could have held up a giant poster saying 'I love you' and he'd have just thanked me for being such a great friend."

"So, you know what I mean then," Misty said. "That without you, none of this would have happened?" She looked around the room, and Serena joined in. "You were the one who made him realize that acting on romantic feelings was even a choice." Serena's eyes snapped back to her. She looked awkward again.

"You know…sometimes I wonder…what would've happened if I hadn't been there when he got home that night." she muttered. Serena simply couldn't bring herself to put voice to her thoughts. Ones where she was the one in white.

Yeah, me too.

"I just wanted you to know how thankful I am to you, really. And…" she bit her lip again. "To let you know how much I really, truly do love him." Serena was stunned again, but she didn't have much time to think on it as Ash came up behind Misty then, placing his hands on her shoulders, and making her jump.

"Ash! Don't do that!" She scolded, and though she looked honestly annoyed for a second, it quickly melted into amusement and she wacked Ash on the hand.

"Sorry, couldn't resist." he said. He was clean now too, and looking so very happy that Serena couldn't help but smile. "Hope I didn't interrupt." He added, though from the look that the two women shared, Serena was sure they both had heard in his voice that he knew damn good and well that he had.

"Of course not, just, getting to know everyone." Misty said. Ash looked between the two of them, and Serena indulged him with the best smile she could muster. To her great relief he looked satisfied. He bent over so that his head was level with Misty's.

"Well hopefully there will be plenty of time for that later, but for now…Brock said it's time for some other silly tradition." Misty made a face, and Ash laughed.

"If I had known how many stupid traditions were involved in this, I would have taken you up on that whole eloping plan." She said, rising to her feet with Ash's assistance.

"Ah, yes, but then, you'd never have gotten to meet everyone." Ash said with a wink in Serena's direction. Her heart flipped, and she had to stare intensely at the ring that was now on his finger to get it to settle down. Misty sighed.

"Fair point." She turned back to Serena. "It was great meeting you. Really." She smiled at her, and Serena could see her repeated thanks, thanks she wasn't sure she actually wanted, still glittering in her sea colored eyes.

"Bride and Groom! Front and center!" Brock's voice, magnified by a microphone, rang out over the whole room.

"Who gave him that?" Misty hissed. Ash shrugged, then started laughing as Misty began to march toward the stage, dragging him by the hand, leaving Serena alone with her thoughts again.

She hadn't wanted to like Misty. It wasn't like she hadn't had rivals for Ash's affection in the past, and she'd gotten along with them just fine. Okay, one rival, and getting along may have been a strong term, but she had become friends with Miette eventually. But Misty was something different entirely.

Because in truth, Misty wasn't Serena's rival, Serena was Misty's…and somehow there was in fact a difference. And of course there was the fact that Misty had won.

But as Serena had watched them all weekend, mostly from afar, she had realized that it hadn't really ever been a contest. Misty had won long before Serena had even become a player. Which was of course why Serena's finishing move had been Misty's winning blow. She had watched how Ash had truly seemed so content this whole weekend. She had watched him tease and be teased. Had watched him pout and snap out insults and laugh probably more than she ever had in the entire year they had travelled together. She hadn't known Ash could be so snarky, nor had she known he could be so argumentative.

She had watched in horror as Ash and Misty had faced off in Delia's back yard, nose to nose and hands on hips, shouting "Is not!" and "Is too" in quick succession, only to have a whole different form of horror wash over her as the argument devolved into a kiss that they clearly thought no one else could see.

She'd seen how Pikachu had spent more time on Misty's shoulder than Ash's during the rehearsal dinner as Ash was constantly greeting old friends. She'd seen how casually Ash had touched her, grabbing her hand, resting his own hand on her shoulder, leaning in to her to point things out.

She'd seen how his eyes would light up every time she came into a room. She'd seen the way they always shot each other little conspiratorial glances, like they were having conversations that no one else could hear.

She'd seen how they made each other whole.

Maybe it was time she found her own Misty.