Happy Pokeshipping Week everyone! This is one of my favorite weeks of the whole year, but last year I totally fell off the wagon on my contributions, which really bummed me out. This year, however, I am FINALLY finished with school, and that means there's nothing standing in the way of me participating!

I have chosen to take advantage of replacing three of the themes, but this wasn't one of them. I have always loved the concept of Misty as a member of the Elite Four, and since I don't incorporate it into my future-verse stories, I thought this one would be really fun to tackle.

So, please enjoy my take on Misty of the Elite Four!

Elite Four Misty

The roar of the crowd was something that would never get old to her.

A smirk graced the woman's delicate pink lips as she peeled herself off the concrete wall, grasping at her bright red hair in order to pull it into a messy ponytail. She was covered in sweat, her heart still racing from the rush of adrenaline that had coursed through her veins. Her smile managed to widen as she walked down the dark tunnel, leaving the raucous audience behind her.

In just a few steps, she was back in the bowels of the stadium, the bright fluorescent lights suddenly blinding her. High ranking officials were clustered in tight circles, and journalists were wandering about in a frenzy, but as soon as the latter saw her, it was like someone had hit them with an ice beam; they all froze in place, their wide-eyed stares set directly on her.

And then, as it always did, it all broke, and they charged right at her with speed that she wouldn't have even imagined possible in the seconds beforehand, their questions coming just as furiously.

"Misty! What did you think of today's challenger?"

"Were you surprised by his Dragonite's special ability?"

"If he manages to reach the champion, how do you think he'll approach the battle?"

This was something that had gotten old to her five minutes into the job.

She scowled and was about to fire off some less-than-pleasant responses but was quickly halted when someone grabbed at her shoulder. Had she not been in such shock herself, she would've noticed the stunned expressions on the reporters' faces.

"Sorry, guys! She's not doing any interviews right now."

Before Misty could even react, she was being gently guided away from the mob, down another hallway that was inaccessible to them. Once she was sure she was no longer being watched, she sighed and dramatically rolled her eyes as she glanced over her shoulder.

"I didn't need to be rescued; you know."

"Really? Because your face said otherwise."

She rolled her eyes again, earning a hearty laugh from her new companion. "What's so funny, Mr. Champion?"

"If you keep rolling your eyes like that, they're gonna fall out of your head," he quipped. "Didn't your sisters ever tell you that, Mist?"

A smile finally returned to her face. "No, of course not. You think they were worried about my attitude when there were boys and alcohol around? I didn't have the good fortune of growing up with a loving mother like yours."

He blushed a bit and looked away. "You've got me there."

Misty scoffed. "Please, Ash. I've always got you."

"Yeah, in more ways than one," Ash lightly replied, making it Misty's turn to redden. "Anyway, that battle was really great!"

"Except for the fact that I lost," she reminded him, her eyes narrowing a bit.

"Winning isn't everything," Ash tried, showing off a sheepish grin.

At this, Misty raised an eyebrow. "I don't buy that coming from you. Not for a second."

"Okay, yeah, losing totally sucks," Ash relented, slumping his shoulders. "But it's only one! No big deal! You're still a super strong member of the Elite Four! My Elite Four! I only work with the best trainers, you know."

Misty hummed and shot him a sly smirk. "Your arrogance precedes you."

"Thanks!" Ash boasted, puffing his chest out. Misty's smirk widened, and that's when Ash's pose deflated. "Oh, wait, that's not a good thing, is it?"

Giggling, Misty spun on her heels and began to walk away from him. "Nope."

Growling softly, Ash started to jog in order to catch up to her. "So…what're you gonna do now?"

"Probably take a shower," Misty casually replied. "That battle was pretty intense."

"Of course!" Ash chuckled. "I told you it was great!"

"You did," Misty confirmed, nodding her head.

"Well, how about after you shower?" Ash asked. They had made it to the end of the hallway, where a large set of double doors separated them from the next corridor. "Do you maybe want to get dinner or something?"

Misty, who already had one hand placed on the door readying to push it open, turned to stare at him. "Do you ever think about anything other than food?"

"Sure I do!" Ash cried. "But I'm starving, so right now I'm thinking about food."

That managed to bring a smile back to Misty's face. "Oh Ash. You know I'd love to! But I've got a lot of work to do."

Ash's mouth fell open. "What?! You just finished battling! How could you still have work to do?!"

"The job of an Elite Four member is never done," Misty sighed wistfully. "You of all people should know that, Mr. Champion!"

"I wish you'd stop calling me that," Ash practically pleaded.

"What, you don't like to be referred to as the champion?" Misty teased, finally pushing the door open.

"I do, but you do it like you're messing with me," Ash whined, trailing behind her. "It's pretty cute, but still."

Misty snickered as the two walked up to the nearby elevator. "Alright, fine. We can go get some dinner. But after that I'm finishing up my work! No exceptions!"

"Now you're talking!" Ash cheered, pushing the 'up' button. "I just have to go get Pikachu and we can head out!"

"That's fine, because I have to shower, remember?" Misty prodded.

"Ugh, right," Ash grumbled.

"What do you mean 'ugh'?" Misty gasped. "I don't think you want to be caught out with me looking like this!"

Ash looked her up and down before shrugging. "Eh, I don't mind it! I think you look fine!"

"You would," Misty groaned, although the blush had suddenly returned to her face. "But I'm not doing it. It'll look bad for both of us, and I feel gross anyway. Just try not to eat the furniture in my office while you wait."

The elevator dinged as the silver doors slid open, Ash and Misty walking in.

"I know you're joking, but I'm so hungry I just might do it," Ash snickered, grinning at the exasperated redhead.

"You want to know the scary part?" Misty sighed, pressing her floor number and watching the doors close. "I can honestly see it happening."

Ash beamed and pulled his shoulders back. "Never doubt a champion!"

Misty huffed and, when she was sure Ash wasn't looking, rolled her eyes once more, but this time, accompanied by a sweet smile. "Yeah, also not something to be proud of."