DISCLAIMER: No, no, no, no, no. Pokémon is not mine. It's Nintendo's. Any usage of any copyrighted material is for pure entertainment and not profit. Leave me alone already!

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Well, here's another one-shot. This is your typical "Ash and Misty confess their feelings story," but here's hoping I make it interesting enough that you won't be ringing the town hall bell screaming "cliché!" at the top of your lungs. And if that really is how you feel, tell me about it. I don't mind negative feedback; even flames are welcomed and accepted.

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Speaks for Itself

Written by daBOSS

"Politoed, return," Misty called, beaming her frog Pokémon back into its ball.

She placed the object into her bag and walked over to her opponent.

"Great match," she declared, extending her hand for him to shake, which he did.

"Thanks," the young man replied, still somewhat not over his loss. "I guess I need to train harder. I thought for sure that a team of my best electric and grass Pokémon could beat you, but I was wrong."

Misty smiled. She heard such words all the time from opponents who played the type advantage strategy with her, most of whom had no clue how strong her water Pokémon really were.

"Choosing a Pokémon is much more than just about choosing its type," she spoke in a considerate tone, despite having said the same words an uncountable number of times before to other trainers. "If you train harder, I'm sure you'll beat me next time."

"I will," he said, hinting a small glimmer of confidence. "I definitely will. I need the Cascade Badge to get into the Indigo League after all."

He turned to leave but didn't even walk a yard before looking back at her.

"Umm…Misty?" he spoke up slightly nervous.

Misty knew what was coming, but she kept her composure.

"Well, since you gave me such a great battle…"

"Here it comes," Misty thought. "Just as I thought, he's another one of them."

"Would it be okay with you if I treated you to dinner?" he hesitantly asked, shifting his eyes upward slowly to meet hers.

Misty continued flashing her grin as if he was the first to ask her.

"That's very nice of you," she replied. "Unfortunately, I'm just too busy with the gym. Maybe if I weren't the full time leader, I'd say yes, but I'd have to turn down your offer. Sorry."

It was becoming more and more difficult for Misty to act sincere every time she spoke those words, since she felt as if she should simply tape record them and play them after every match with a male opponent. However, as a gym leader, she didn't want to conduct herself disrespectfully, so she forced herself to maintain a cheerful attitude.

"Oh, I understand," the man cast his head down in disappointment. "Well, thanks again for the battle."

"Anytime," Misty responded. "If you want to schedule a rematch, just call us at least a day in advance."

"Will do," he said, at last walking out the door.

Misty shook her head and turned her back to the door as soon as he was gone. The events were becoming mundane now: a male trainer shows up to battle, she wins, and he tries to get her to go on a date with him. She had turned eighteen months ago, and ever since then, males around Cerulean City had all wanted a piece of her. Many of them only pretended to seek a gym battle just so they could see her and ask her out.

Misty did not blame them for their interests in her. She had truly blossomed from the scrawny redhead of yesterday into a head-turning beauty queen. Her once lopsided ponytail was gone, replaced by a full head of orange-red hair that cascaded the down length of her back in elegant waves. Her physique had become relatively athletic due to her daily activities of swimming and training. She possessed the stereotypical physical features of every male's fantasies: a round chest with a slim waist and long, slender legs. She was receiving so many "gentlemen callers" that even her sisters admitted that, despite her late blooming, she had surpassed them in outer beauty.

Because of the increased attention, Misty had petitioned the Pokémon League for a two Kanto badge requirement before becoming eligible to battle for the Cascade Badge. She didn't need to go far to explain her reasons; after all, her best friend Ash Ketchum was a high-ranking Pokémon master who worked with League officials daily. The League quickly approved. Unfortunately, the change only slightly reduced the unwanted interest. It did weave out the phonies, but there was still at least one trainer daily from either Cerulean or elsewhere who tried his luck.

"Ash," she whispered under her breath to no one in particular. Her thoughts drifted to him like they did daily. After knowing each other for eight years, they were still best friends. He was living in a tiny apartment atop Indigo Plateau where he worked as the League's right hand man. It had been a roller coaster ride for him to reach the status of master and even another adventure while holding his title, having lost it half a year ago after coming up short to a surprisingly powerful challenger before reclaiming it in a rematch. Now he finally found stability in his working life, although his work gave him little time to visit family and friends.

Misty wished she could see him more often. He would pay her at least one visit per month, but he almost always had to leave after one day. It was practically impossible for her to visit him though except during the annual Indigo gym leaders meeting, since running the Cerulean Gym with three not-so-helpful sisters was a full time job. Of course, he would still make time to call her twice a week, but seeing his face over the phone wasn't enough anymore.

Annoyance was only part of the reason Misty kept turning down every male trainer who wanted to treat her to dinner. Her love for Ash was the major part. No one knew her and appreciated her like he did. In front of everyone else, including her own sisters, she had to conduct herself in a confident and professional manner, but in front of Ash, she was free to show any side of her without fearing any consequences. Only he knew the true depth of her free spirit, the peak of her strength, and her unfortunate fragility. Only he understood her as a person and saw her as herself, not just another attractive female men dream of dating.

Her sisters understood how she felt about Ash, but urged her to give some of the men who came for her an opportunity. Yet Misty knew that if she did, she would simply wind up hurting them in the end. Her thoughts would be on Ash the whole time. She would compare them to him and never find anything relatively positive about them. Most importantly, she could never bear to reveal much about herself to anyone else. No matter how comfortable they would try and make her, she could never trust them the way she trusted Ash.

"Hey Sis," Daisy's voice snapped Misty out of her trance. "Looks like you're done for the day."

"Was that the last trainer?" asked Misty uncertain.

"Yes it was. There's no one else in the lobby and I've closed the gym."

"All right then, I'll start cleaning up."

Misty grabbed a mop and began scrubbing a few tiles alongside the pool, where a trainer who had been using a poison type Pokémon had stained with sludge.

"Why don't you take the weekend off, Misty?" Daisy suggested. "Go out into the city and have some fun?"

"I wish I could, but there's just too much to do around here," Misty replied. "The pool needs to be cleaned, Pokémon food is running low, and I've got to take all of them to the Pokémon center to be healed."

"We can do that for you," Daisy offered.

Misty looked up at her eldest sister surprised. It wasn't like her, the self-proclaimed model-actress, to help her with gym chores so she could rest.

"What's the catch?" Misty asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No catch," Daisy laughed. "You've been pushing yourself too hard running this gym and we haven't been helpful enough, so this weekend, I'm chaining Violet and Lily down. You deserve yourself a break, Misty."

"Sounds suspicious, but I'll take your offer," Misty shrugged, still not fully convinced.

"No thank you?"

"Not until I discover there's no catch."

Daisy let out a small laugh, knowing fully well that her youngest sister was only joking. At that moment, the doorbell to the gym rang. Daisy walked out of the pool room and into the lobby to answer it, leaving Misty alone with her thoughts once more.

She pulled out Politoed's Pokéball and directed it to spray the sludge stain with water while she continued scrubbing. The frog Pokémon hadn't been helping for half a minute before the door opened, diverting Misty's attention. A small, yellow figure raced through the crease and leaped into her arms.

"Pikachupi!" it shouted, absolutely ecstatic to see her.

"Pikachu!" she greeted, hugging the furry creature tightly while patting it on the head. "Ooo, it's so good to see you."

"Cha…" Pikachu exhaled.

"Hey now Pikachu, save some for me too, will you?" a male voice called from the doorway.

Misty needed no time to recognize his face. Setting Pikachu atop her shoulder, she walked toward her best friend and embraced him.

"Hey you," she greeted as he returned her hug. "How's life?"

"Eh, could be better," Ash shrugged. "I had to deal with thirteen complaints today from trainers seeking to compete in the Indigo League about how hard the Cascade Badge is to earn, and I'm not kidding."

Misty laughed. "Well, I'd like to think I'm a little better than last year," she said.

Pikachu saw Politoed beside the pool and jumped off Misty's shoulder to greet its frog friend, who happily shook the mouse's hand and danced with it. Standing a few feet away, Ash and Misty smiled.

"I guess those two are quite happy to see each other again," Misty commented. "But hey, why are you here today? Don't you usually only come on weekends?"

"Well, Lance insisted I get the entire weekend off after I worked overtime every week for the past month," he answered.

Ash swung around his backpack and opened it, pulling out a magazine.

"Besides," he continued speaking, tossing the magazine to Misty. "How could I not come see you after I picked this up at the newsstand today?"

Misty glanced at the front cover in disbelief. There she stood wearing a sky blue summer dress covered with a garden of multicolored flowers. Her arms angled down to her abdomen, where her hands were clasped together. Her hair, streaming down her back, was puffed out to a width greater than her body. Her head was slightly turned, but her eyes still faced the camera as she smiled in a seductive manner. The text to the right of her photo read in large letters "Cerulean Mist: the True Beauty of the Water."

"This came out today?" she asked.

"Yup," he replied with a grin. "And if you think the cover looks appealing, just wait until you see the rest of your photos."

Misty opened the magazine to a random page and once again, there she was. This time, she was sitting atop a rock along the coast north of Cerulean City dressed in a green two-piece swimsuit with a matching sarong covering her legs. She was glancing toward the horizon, where the day was approaching its waning hours. The wind had slightly picked up her hair and was attempting to carry it off in the opposite direction. Misty read the text beneath the photo:

"'I come to the coast to be with my own thoughts,' Misty told us. 'After a long day of gym battles, nothing helps me relax more than the sound of waves splashing against the shore.' Misty's appreciation for everything aquatic started her interest in water Pokémon training."

"I had no idea they turned out this well," said Misty. "When we were doing the shoots, I felt like I was forcing too much and that the artificiality would be shown."

"Well, you look very natural," said Ash. "And you're doing a very nice thing for both the orphans of the city and Brock."

"Well, I just want to help," Misty blushed.

"And you are helping," said Ash. "I just read in the paper today that the orphanage is improving nicely, and it's all thanks to your generosity."

Her sisters had been modeling for years, so it was no surprise that the magazines discovered her. At first, she was reluctant, but after witnessing the depleted Cerulean Orphanage and receiving word that Brock's breeding center in Pewter City was struggling to stay in business, she decided she would pose for one magazine and donate her proceeds. After all, she was orphaned at a young age herself and never turned her back on a close friend. Three-fourths of the money she was paid went directly to the orphanage, where they were now remodeling the outdoor playground and constructing a new activity center. The other quarter went to Brock, who continued to struggle but saw noticeable improvement.

"Thanks Ash," said Misty, giving her friend a quick hug. "So what are you going to do with your whole weekend?"

"What does it look like?" he asked matter-of-factly. "I'm here to help you with the gym."

"No need for that," Daisy's voice came from the door. "Violet, Lily and I will take care of the gym this weekend. Misty can go do whatever she wants."

Ash turned to Misty. "Did I hear that right?" he joked. "Daisy's giving you time off?"

"I didn't think it could be true without some fine print either, but hey I'll take my chances," Misty flashed a grin.

"Oh you kids," Daisy laughed. "Just go and have some fun."

Daisy went back into the lobby and closed the door. Ash glanced over at Misty.

"How about Pallet Town?" he suggested. "My mom hasn't seen you in awhile. She misses you."

"Sure," she agreed without delay. "It'll be nice to get out of the city for two days."

"Then it's settled," he beamed brightly. "Bring your Pokémon too. Let them have a taste of the fresh country air. Come on, Pikachu! Misty and her Pokémon are coming to Pallet with us!"

"Pika!" the mouse shouted approvingly.

- - - - - -

Misty sat in the passenger seat of Ash's car staring out at the view of Mount Moon whizzing by in the mid-afternoon sun. She stole a quick glance at her driver before returning to the window, smiling as she saw him seemingly in thought. She loved that despite his wealth as a Pokémon Master, he still preferred simplicity over glamour. He never cared for purchasing the most expensive automobile, settling instead for a small SUV which he only drove to see her and his mother while riding the bus to work daily. He lived in an apartment and had no intention of purchasing a mansion, always stressing to everyone who asked that he favored the comfort of his Pallet Town country cottage to an enormous house with unlimited empty space.

Misty sighed. Not even she could fully pinpoint what it was that made her so attracted to Ash. It certainly went beyond physical, though his deep brown eyes and athletic build didn't deter her. Perhaps it was his gentle nature or the way he always sat and listened whenever she needed someone to pour her thoughts and feelings to. Perhaps it was their shared similarities of being carefree spirited, never afraid to act as their inner children in each others' presence. Or perhaps it was a complicated combination of everything plus a little more.

Since Pikachu had fallen asleep in the back seat and both humans knew the consequences of waking up a disgruntled electric mouse, the drive to Pallet was relatively quiet with only the occasional random chatter between best friends. The sun was far from setting over the long summer day when they arrived, so it was no surprise to see Ash's mother tending to her crops in the garden. She wasted no time greeting them.

"My baby boy came home to see me!" she cried excitedly while placing her usual death grip on her son, then doing the same to Misty. "And my baby girl came too!"

"It's great to see you again, Mrs. Ketchum," Misty greeted in return.

Misty smiled every time Delia referred to her as her own daughter. She and Delia had many conversations both over the phone and in person while Ash was away, and as a result, Ash's mother had become hers as well. Not only was Delia the mother figure Misty had been lacking since she was born, but she'd also become Misty's closest female friend. Quite often after a stressful day, Misty and Delia would call each other and engage in typical girly chat sessions. Misty had become more comfortable speaking to Delia than her own sisters.

The trio walked into the house with Ash carrying the still-sleeping Pikachu.

"So how have both of you been?" Delia asked.

"Okay I guess," Misty answered first. "Taking care of the gym can be a headache, but fun too."

"I've been all right," Ash responded. "Preparations for the next Johto League Silver Conference just began; plenty to keep me busy in the next few weeks."

"Oh Misty, I just saw your magazine cover picture," Delia informed. "Have you had a look at your pictures yet?"

"Yes I have," replied Misty. "Ash bought the issue and showed them to me at the gym."

"You look absolutely stunning, dear," Delia praised. "I'm very proud of you for doing this, and I know the orphanage is too."

"Thanks Mrs. Ketchum," Misty blushed.

"I'm going to put Pikachu down and take a shower," said Ash, turning toward the stairs. "I'll come back down soon."

"All right dear," Delia responded. "Dinner will be ready in half-an-hour."

"Okay Mom."

Ash disappeared into his room, leaving the two women alone. Both smiled at each other and took their seats ninety degrees apart in the living room.

"You and Ash seem to be closer than when I last saw you," Delia commented first.

"How can you tell?" Misty inquired.

"Mother knows best, dear," replied Delia. "I felt it the moment you two walked out of the car."

"I hope we are," Misty sighed, staring downward and slowly shook her head.

"What's wrong dear?" Misty heard Delia's voice.

She contemplated whether or not to say her next words, but decided that she couldn't keep it in herself any longer.

"I'm in love with him," Misty murmured barely above a whisper. "God, I've fallen head over heels for him."

Misty looked up to catch Delia's reaction. Expecting surprise, she became surprised herself when Delia's smile simply grew wider.

"It takes much courage to speak from the heart dear," said Delia. "I'm glad you told me."

Misty glanced down again before letting out another sigh and leaning back against her seat.

"I just don't know what to do," Misty admitted. "Part of me just wants to rush up to him and pour my heart out, but I'm worried that the feeling's not mutual."

Misty glanced over at Delia, who was fully listening to her every word as usual.

"Ash is the only one who gives me strength," she continued. "But he's also the only one with the ability to turn me fragile and break me. I know he'd never intentionally do it, but if he doesn't share my feelings, that's what'll happen."

"I'm guessing you never agreed to go out with any of the men who ask you after battling you?" asked Delia, well aware of Misty's ordeal with hormone-possessed male trainers.

Misty shook her head. "I couldn't. It wouldn't be fair to them or me. I know I wouldn't be able to see them the way I see Ash and would only end up hurting them in the end."

A few seconds of silence passed before Delia spoke up.

"You two have been best friends for almost a decade now," she said. "I've seen the way you act around each other. You're so close you trust each other with everything, even more than each of you trusts me. I think it shouldn't be any different when it comes to your feelings; if you trust him, you should let him know."

"I should," Misty responded. "It's just so hard to speak from the heart."

"I understand," said Delia sympathetically, getting up and walking toward the kitchen.

She stopped at the doorway and took another glance at Misty.

"When the time is right, your heart will speak for itself," she finished before smiling and walking into the kitchen.

Misty sat for a moment contemplating Delia's final words. She searched them for a subtle meaning, but gave up when she decided it was best to take her mind off the topic for the time being. She got up from her seat and carried her bag into the guest room.

- - - - - -

The sun had set but light still peered over the horizon. With dinner finished, Misty had gone into the back yard to feed and play with her Pokémon. Delia and Mr. Mime were washing dishes. Ash however, still sat at the dining room table deep in thought.

Ash peered over to the chair where Misty had been sitting and noticed her jacket hanging on the back. Without hesitation, he removed it and held it upon his lap with both hands. He stared for a few moments seemingly awed by the fabric before bringing it up to his face and inhaled the scent. It was the same heavenly aroma he smelled whenever he was near her, an aroma so intoxicating that it drove his mind insane every time.

He'd fallen in love with Misty, the same Misty he had befriended years ago after snatching her bicycle to save Pikachu. He was naïve about it for years, since the entire concept of love was even more difficult to grasp than battle strategies against the Elite Four, but his feelings had surfaced once his heart matured. He had always seen her as his best friend, the one person who understood him better than his own mother at times, but ever since he realized that the strange sensations that emerged every time she was present were signs of love, he wanted more. He was already her shoulder to cry on, her source of confidence in times of need, but also wanted to be the one she held onto and swore to never let go of.

To him, she was nothing short of a goddess. Her physical beauty alone was enough to make him melt, and her compassionate soul only increased his heart rate. She was outspoken yet sympathetic, a modern day transcendentalist. Even after a childhood of subjugation living within the shadow of her sisters, she still placed others ahead of herself. Her fame as a gym leader did not daunt her from giving to the community as her most recent modeling task showed. A stranger needed to look no further than her own adoring Pokémon in order to measure the purity of her spirit.

It made him feel terrible that he wanted her all for himself, but it was not a feeling he could keep under control. He wanted to be the only one she allowed to hold and comfort her. No one, not even Pikachu, knew how jealous he was whenever another man tried to pursue her. She had told him dozens of times about the trainers who sought dates after battles, and each time he would cringe in envy until she informed him that she turned every one of them down. This in turn made him feel even worse, seeing as how he was elated to hear the disappointment of someone else.

"Thinking about Misty again?"

Ash's head snapped up at the sound of his mother's voice. He glanced in her direction, but she never turned to him at all.

"Man, Mom, you can see right through me, even when you're not looking," he said with a cheeky grin.

"You're my son Ash," she responded in her usual cheerful tone. "Of course I can."

Ash placed Misty's jacket back in her chair and stood up from the table. He turned around so he was facing the window where he could see Misty wearing a summer dress adorning a huge smile while playing some sort of game with her Politoed and Corsola. The bluish sky where traces of daylight still remained illuminated her red hair and peach skin perfectly. Ash was absolutely spellbound.

"Look at her Mom," Ash muttered softly, fully mesmerized. "She's so beautiful."

He sighed, closing his eyes for a few moments to block the view of her out and keep his mind under control.

"God, I love her so much," he sighed to himself, though he was certain his mother heard him as well.

"You ought to tell her soon Ash," his mother said, trying to encourage him.

"I know Mom," he agreed. "It's just so hard. I want her to know so badly, but she can crush me if she doesn't share the same feelings."

"It's not as easy to speak from the heart as it is to speak with your mind, isn't it?" she asked.

"You got that right," he exhaled dejectedly.

Then, impulsively, Ash slapped his hand on the table with a new surge of determination that not even he could pinpoint the origin of.

"Pikachu!" he called into the living room while grabbing Misty's jacket. "Come on, let's go to the back yard."

"Pika!" his Pokémon exclaimed, scampering into the kitchen and leaping atop its trainer's shoulder.

Ash patted his friend on the head and handed it a kernel of Pokémon food, which it ate pleasingly.

"I'm going to go see her Mom," Ash said in a confident tone as he headed for the back door.

"Okay honey," she approved. "Oh, Ash?"

"Yes Mom?"

She handed the dish she had been washing to Mr. Mime and walked to him.

"Try not to worry too much honey," she said. "When the time is right, the heart will speak for itself."

Ash stared at her with a confused look for a few seconds before somewhat grasping her words.

"Okay Mom," he nodded and headed out the door.

- - - - - -

"Hey Misty," greeted Ash as he got near her.

"Hey Ash," she responded, standing up from her crouched position. "Came to keep me company?"

"Yup, here to let my Pokémon have fun with yours too," he added, reaching for his belt. "Come on out everyone!"

The other five members of Ash's team were quick to join Pikachu and Misty's Pokémon in running around the back yard of the Ketchum house or simply dancing in circles. All were familiar with one another, having had time to bond whenever one of their trainers paid a visit to the other.

"Looks like they all missed each other," Ash commented.

"Yeah, and for good reasons," said Misty. "Even when we did manage to see each other, we didn't have much time."

Ash noticed Misty's facial expression had changed to puzzled.

"What's wrong Mist?" he asked with concern.

Misty shivered on the inside, giddy that he had used his nickname for her.

"I'm just thinking about today," she said, shaking her head. "Another trainer came in for a battle today and asked me out after he lost."

Ash could feel himself wincing again, even though he knew without even asking her that she turned him down.

"It's getting ridiculous Ash," Misty continued. "I just want it to stop. I mean, all of a sudden, here I am, eighteen years old and everyone comes to the gym for a battle just to see if they can carve out a piece of fresh meat."

"We can't blame them, can we?" asked Ash rhetorically. "You're beautiful, so they let their hormones talk."

"I can't understand men," she shrugged. "When I was younger, I thought I'd never find anyone because my sisters were always more attractive than me. Now I'm convinced I'll never find anyone because all the men I meet are just into me physically."

A small breeze blew through, causing Misty to slightly shiver and rub her arms rapidly.

"Cold?" questioned Ash.

"A little," she answered.

Ash unrolled her jacket.

"Don't be giving up on finding someone already," he said while placing it over her shoulders. "Anyone who doesn't make an effort to know you isn't worth it anyway."

"Yeah, that's true," she responded, slipping her arms through the sleeves and adjusting the jacket.

It was then that both of them froze on the spot. Ash, standing behind her, had reached down her arm to help fix her sleeve when the palms of his hands inadvertently came into contact with the back of hers. It had happened before, and it always ended with the hand on top pulling away after an awkward pause. This time however, Ash found it difficult to let go.

Ash felt a strange force he'd never experienced before taking a hold of his body. Both his mind and conscience were telling him to drop her hands and end the moment before it became beyond discomforting, yet this new force seemed to be overpowering everything. Instead of sliding his hands away, he entwined his fingers with hers and brought her body into contact with his. The sweet scent of her hair enticed him further; never releasing her hands, he brought his own around her waist and hugged her tightly.

She did not resist. In fact, she seemed to be embracing his touch. He felt her relax and lean her head backward alongside his left shoulder. She tilted it slightly upward to observe his facial expression, but while his gut instinct told him to look away and avoid embarrassment, the strange force now in complete control shifted his eyes toward hers.

Both of them were now wearing looks of confusion, yet peering into each other's eyes, they saw something more: desire. It was a desire constructed from years of longing, years of waiting, years of worry and fear. The longer they stared, the more clear it became.

They saw deep into each others' hearts and souls, searching for answers to clear up the confusion. As more feelings were revealed through their eyes and everything became clarified, the final remnants of their self-control started to dissolve. Ash leaned his head forward and down, closing his eyes at the final moment when his lips touched hers for the first time. It was a light kiss, short and simple, but just as he pulled back, he moved in once more. This time, he gave her three light pecks similar to his first before breaking contact again.

The taste of her lips was the final straw and Ash lost what was left of his self-restraint. He planted his lips upon hers, fully giving into the newfound force commanding his every move. Misty returned his kiss with as much fervor as she descended deeper with him into the moment both of them had yearned for.

They broke away slowly, catching each others' eyes once more. This time, the fear and confusion were completely gone. All that remained was desire.

Ash smiled and released her from his grasp. Still holding her hands, he pulled her to a nearby tree, where he sat and leaned his back against the trunk. She placed herself atop him and ran her hands upward until they weaved around his neck. His left arm found her waist again while his right brushed strand of hair from her face before claiming her by her cheek. He pulled her face in and kissed her again, this time with even more intensity. He wanted all five of his senses to concentrate on her: to see her beauty, hear her siren voice, smell her heavenly aroma, taste her lips and tongue, and feel her voluptuous body against his own.

Lack of breath finally caught up to them both and their lips parted from each other's. Misty wasted no time in making herself comfortable atop him, resting her head atop his chest and fitting it comfortably underneath his chin. Ash simply lay relaxed against the tree trunk, holding her with one arm and stroking her hair with the other.

Unbeknownst to the new lovers were the smiles that surrounded them, the smiles of all twelve Pokémon in the yard as well as Mr. Mime and Delia Ketchum inside the house, who had been watching the entire time.

Neither had said anything to the other for minutes, but no words were needed. The strange force that had overpowered every counter effect within them was the power of their hearts, and it had spoken for itself.

- - - - - -

Ash rubbed his eyes as he sat up from his bed, almost reluctant to get up. It was incredible how one day changed his life. The woman he loved now belonged in his arms, though at present, she was asleep in his bed. They had not gone all the way the night before as both agreed after returning to the house that it would be wise to move slowly instead of leaping into intimacy. However, the desire to be with each other was too strong to fight off, so they wound up sleeping together.

Ash turned his head and stared in awe at her figure. Even when clad in pink Corsola pajamas with her hair a mess, she was a beautiful flower. He wanted to reach over and move the hair covering her face behind her so he could get a better view, but didn't want to risk waking her up.

At that moment, the phone rang. Ash put on his slippers and went to the receiver.

"Hello?" he answered.

As the conversation progressed, Ash's smile grew wider and wider. There was nothing but elation in the news.

"Thank you Lance," he said happily before hanging up.

- - - - - -

"Enjoying the movie?" Delia jokingly questioned.

Hearing the sound of the voice, Ash and Misty immediately pulled away from each other and sat back on the sofa as if nothing happened. They never heard Delia, Mr. Mime, and Pikachu walking in the door from her grocery shopping.

"Uh, yeah, the movie's great," Ash answered, focusing his eyes back on the television and trying his best to look innocent.

Pikachu was rolling on the floor in laughter and Delia joined in.

"I guess you kids confessing your feelings has its downsides," she teased while walking into the kitchen with Mr. Mime and Pikachu following behind. "Have you been able to keep your hands off each other all day?"

"We've tried," Ash snickered, triggering a small giggle from Misty. "It's hard."

"That's what you said yesterday about telling her how you felt," Delia called back.

"Well, you were right Mom," Ash declared, looking at Misty and beaming brightly. "The heart did speak for itself."

He pulled himself toward Misty and sealed her lips with his again, picking up where they left off and completely ignoring the movie they rented once more. They continued making out for a few minutes before Misty abruptly pulled away.

"What's wrong?" asked Ash, puzzled by her sudden halt in interest.

"I'm thinking," Misty answered. "Ash, I love you, but now that we have this relationship, how are we going to keep it up?"

"What do you mean?" he questioned, still confused.

"Well, we return to our jobs tomorrow," she informed. "You're back at Indigo Plateau and I'm back at the Cerulean Gym. We won't see each other again until the next time one of us has some time off."

Ash chuckled at her words.

"You're worried that our relationship won't work just because we don't see each other as often?" he inquired.

"No, it's not that," she clarified. "I know it'll work. I just…will miss you too much."

"Well if that's what you're worried about, I have some good news for you," Ash said smiling.

Now it was Misty's turn to be confused.

"Lance called this morning," Ash explained. "He was looking for you to break the news to and called here after your sisters directed him. You were asleep so I took the call. He wanted to tell you that a post at the Elite Four opened up and you're his top candidate to step in and fill the void."

"What!" gasped Misty, eyes wide with surprise. "They want…ME…for the Elite Four?"

"Yup," Ash responded. "Lance says your skills more than qualify you. Agatha is retiring, and since Will has taken over for Prima because she's so busy with her children now, Lance wants you for the vacancy."

"Does that mean…?"

"Yup, if you take the offer, you get to move to Indigo Plateau!"

Misty needed to hear no more. She flung herself into Ash's arms and kissed him hard.

"How can I say no?" she cried excitedly.

"Well then, in two weeks, you'll be a member of the Elite Four," declared Ash happily. "Lance will call you with more information, but what about the Cerulean Gym?"

"Don't worry about that," Misty responded. "I'll train my sisters to run the gym properly until they beg for mercy, then I'll train them some more."

"That's my girl!" Ash laughed.

They leaned in and kissed again, resuming their make out session.

"I can't believe this is happening so fast," Misty whispered between kisses. "Even in dreams, this never occurs."

"Believe it," Ash replied. "Believe it."

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AUTHOR'S NOTES: And that's it. I don't have much to say other than GIMME FEEDBACK! Thank you.