Fate of Twist

A/N: This story acts as if the events in Twist of Fate didn't happen.

Ash leaned out the balcony and looked over the city. Any other time, he would have gazed at the gleaming night skyline but tonight he didn't seem to register them. Perhaps he shouldn't have even come.

He had received an invitation several weeks ago to attend the Grand Tournament Ball. Every trainer that had at any time placed in the top eight was invited. It was always held in Safron City, which was ironic since the tournament itself was held elsewhere. But that was far from Ash's mind right now.

Yesterday, he'd run into Misty in the hotel lobby. Right in tow next to her was a man that Ash had never met. "Who's your friend?" he asked after they'd said hello and reacquainted themselves.

"Oh, this is Evan, my boyfriend."

Ash nearly jumped out of his socks when Evan instantly leaned down and began kissing her. "B…boyfriend?!"

"Of course, silly. And he's my date for the ball tomorrow."

"Date? You mean we're supposed to have dates?"

"Duh. Anyone that doesn't is going to look absolutely ridiculous."

Ash rubbed the back of his head. "hehe…Yeah."

"You don't have a date, do you?"

He reluctantly shook his head.

"Well, good luck getting one on such short notice." The two walked off towards the elevator, leaving Ash completely helpless.

The entire next day, which was today and the exact day as the Grand Ball, he'd walked all around the city, trying to find someone he could take to the ball. But whenever he finally worked a woman up to that point, he'd find some kind of quirk that made him want to run away as fast as he could.

Now, with a mere two hours before the Ball started, he was in his room completely alone and without a date. Well, he wasn't completely alone. Pikachu sat on the bed, watching him contentedly.

"I don't know what I'm going to do," Ash said to himself. "There's only two hours before the dance. I don't want to show up alone, but I just can't seem to find someone right for me." He gave a heavy sigh and hung his head. "Oh, man."

He lifted his head back up and his eyes scanned the sky. Because of the glow of the city lights, very few stars were visible. But he could just make out a glow in the sky. It had a bright, shining head and long tail. "A shooting star?" He'd seen shooting stars before, but never so clearly. It was completely beautiful.

His mother had always said that if you see a shooting star that meant you could make a wish. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes. "I wish I could find the perfect date for tonight."

Before he even opened his eyes, there came a brilliant flash of light from behind him. He quickly spun on his heel, looked at the bed, and froze.

Where Pikachu had been lying a moment ago was now a girl! She was tall and lean with flowing yellow hair. But on top of that, she was naked. "WHO ARE YOU?!" Ash screamed at the top of his lungs. "AND WHAT ARE YOU DOING NAKED IN MY ROOM?!"

"Ash?" Pikachu, completely oblivious, started to stand.

Ash covered his eyes. "No, don't stand up!"

She lay back down. "What's wrong with you?" He mouth stopped. That wasn't her usual voice.

"What's wrong with me? This is my room! You're the one that just showed up!"

"I've been here the whole time."

"The only one that's been here besides me is Pikachu!" he said, his hand still covering his eyes.

"I AM Pikachu."

"No you aren't. I think I'd know a Pikachu when I saw one."

She sighed and pushed herself up. Her feat touched the floor and she stumbled. Wasn't there a drop there? Why was she so high up? She started to fall forward, but reached out her arms and stopped herself.

Her body froze. Those weren't her arms in front of her. She picked one up and turned the hand. It looked like a human's hand. Her head turned to the mirror on the other side of the room. But there was no Pikachu in the mirror looking back. It was a nineteen-year-old girl.

Pikachu leaned back slowly, taking a few steps to get her balance, and moved over to the mirror. Her fur was gone. Instead, she had slightly yellowish skin and long yellow hair, the same color as her fur, that ran halfway down her back. Her ears and tail were gone too. Her entire body was that of a human's. For a moment, she didn't know how to react.

"Are you still here?" Ash asked.

"Ash, you need to see this."

He cracked open two fingers. The girl was standing and looking at herself in the mirror. She was incredibly gorgeous. Her face was smooth with a small nose and prominent cheeks that were a soft red. His eyes started to wander, but then he realized what he was doing and forced his eyes shut again. "Whoever you are, I want you out of here."

She turned towards him. "But Ash, it's me, Pikachu. I've somehow turned into a human."

"Oh really?" he asked skeptically.

She was starting to get annoyed now. "When I first met you, I despised you and shocked you."

"Everyone knows that."

"And you thought you didn't need me and tried to fight an entire flock of Spearow on your own."

Ash faltered. "Ok, no one knows that one." He cracked open his eyes again, forcing himself to keep his gaze on her face. Her features did look remarkably similar to Pikachu's. And that hair color didn't seem like a natural human color. Once again his eyes started to wander, causing him to shut them tightly. "Get something on, then."

She looked down. No wonder Ash was so nervous. Normal humans covered up. "There isn't anything in here."

"Get a towel."

She went into the bathroom and wrapped one of the towels around her. "Ok," she said as she stepped back out into the room.

Ash checked one more time before letting his hand drop. Now he let his eyes look her over. Her body held his gaze for a moment.

"Am I that pretty?" Pikachu asked.

He tore his eyes away and looked back at her face. She stood at almost exactly his height, allowing him to look straight into her eyes. They were remarkably like her Pokemon eyes. "You have no idea," he said under his breath. "Uh, I mean…"

Pikachu laughed. "Don't. Pokemon like flattery as much as humans."

"Wha…How did this happen?"

"I don't know. I guess it was your wish."

"That? But that's not real. Wishes don't just come true."

Pikachu stepped back and leaned on one hip, giving him one of those looks.

"Ok, so maybe they do."

She rushed up and grabbed his hand. "Come on, let's get ready."

"Ready? Ready for what?"

"The Grand Ball, silly. That's why you wished for, a date."

Ash stopped. He couldn't go out with his own Pokemon. Could he? Well, right then, she certainly didn't look like a Pokemon. Who would know? "Ok, but we need to get you a dress."

Ash made a quick call. Luckily, Misty had a spare and was willing to help out. He didn't tell her initially about Pikachu's "situation," so she got quite a surprise when she came to the door already dressed. "Ash, what is a half-naked girl doing in your room?"

"Actually, Misty, that's Pikachu."

Misty gave him a comical glance, but then looked into Pikachu's eyes. The look on her face vanished instantly. "Pikachu?" The Pokemon-turned-human gave a little laugh. "Oh my god. How?"

"I'd love to explain," Ash cut in, "but the Ball's in a little over an hour."

"Oh, right." Misty pushed Pikachu into the bathroom. While they were getting ready in there, Ash began to put on his tuxedo in the main room. Somehow, he felt very anxious, as if he had been hoping for this for a long time.

----------

Pikachu squealed as Misty pulled the dress' strings tight in the back. "It's tight."

"It's supposed to be." Misty pulled one more time with a massive grunt. The strings snapped in half, sending her flying into the bathtub.

"Misty, are you ok?"

She pushed herself out with a laugh. "Yeah, I'm fine." She looked over the girl. She had wondered about doing something with the hair, but there wasn't any time. Besides, she looked nice with it down anyway.

Outside, Ash was just affixing his bowtie. "You done out there?" Misty called from the bathroom.

"Yeah." He turned as Pikachu stepped out into the hallway. The sight caught his breath in his throat.

Standing there was perhaps the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. Her dress was a bold yellow, perfectly matching the shade of her hair. It rose up to her chest and wrapped low behind her back. The lower portion fell to the center of her calves. The slippers matched the dress.

"I'm sorry it couldn't be longer," Misty said, "but at least it fits."

Ash tried to speak, but nothing came. All he could utter was a simple "Wow."

Pikachu laughed. "Thank you."

"Well, I better get going," Misty said, opening the door. "Our limo should be here. See you at the Ball." She closed to door lightly behind her.

For a minute, the room was utterly silent. Ash just couldn't get over how beautiful Pikachu was.

"Shouldn't we be going too?"

He broke out of his silence. "Oh, yeah. Thanks, Pikachu."

"That…might get weird. You know, calling me Pikachu."

"Well, what should I call you?"

"How about Teia?"

He flipped the name in his head. "Teia. I like that. How'd you come up with it?"

"It's my name."

-------------

They went down the stairs and out into the night. Several limos were collecting passengers and taking them off. Teia started going for one of them. "Hold on," Ash said, pulling her hand. "Sorry, but I don't have enough money for one of those."

"Then how are we going to get there?"

"I thought we could just walk. It's only a few blocks away."

"Oh, ok," she said happily. She would rather have some time with him anyway.

The left the big hotel behind, walking down the large street. There weren't that many other people out, so they pretty much had the sidewalk to themselves, which Teia was immensely thankful for.

Secretly, she'd been harboring feelings for Ash for a long time. From what she understood, it was fairly common for Pokemon to secretly love their trainers. But she could never have come right out with it: the other Pokemon would have shunned her. So she'd been forced to keep herself inside.

But now, she was a human like him. And she could tell that he now had feelings for her. Why else would he have been acting the way he was at the hotel? She'd finally be able to tell him. But for now, she'd enjoy herself. That could wait a bit.

The hall where the Grand Tournament Ball was held was lit up like a Christmas tree. Several spotlights shown up it walls and reporters lined a red carpet, waiting for the top trainers to show.

Teia saw it and grabbed Ash's arm. "Oh Ash, can we?"

He smiled at her. "Sure. Why not?"

The two slipped between two limos and onto the red carpet. A few reporters snapped photos as they waved, but not as many as the others. It still made Teia smile. She'd never received such a welcome. It made her feel so important.

Inside, the entire place seemed to shine golden. Music played gently just over the din of conversing voices. Teia stopped just inside the door. She'd never been to anything like this. Ash smiled at her wonder. He had been to something like this, though on a much smaller scale, at his senior prom. Of course then he didn't have a date.

Teia rushed forward, literally pulling Ash down the stair and to the main level. When they were directly under the glass chandelier, she turned to him. "Let's dance."

Ash stopped. "But no one else is dancing."

"So what? Come on." She grabbed his hand and put it against her bare back.

Ash paused for a moment, suddenly very nervous. "Um…I don't know."

"Oh, come on. For me?" She wrinkled her face into the saddest impression she could muster.

But it only caused Ash to laugh. "You may want to work on that. But ok."

He stepped in close to her so their bodies were almost touching. And drowning out the voices of everyone else, he focused on just the music. When he got the tempo, he stepped and Teia followed his movements. After a moment, the crowd started to spread, giving them more room.

They stepped away, holding each other's hand at arms-length. She spun inwards and switched hands, going out the other end. The she rolled back in and Ash twisted past her. They stopped for a moment, facing each other, their arms held across their bodies. And then they spun again, stepping together and taking hands in perfect unison.

By now the entire crowd was watching them. One by one, they started to dance as well, and soon the entire floor was covering in dancing pairs and spiraling dresses.

Ash and Teia continued on, oblivious to the others around them. They were lost in their own little world, lost in the depths of each other's eyes.

They danced on, their bodies moving completely without thought. When the song finally ended, the stepped together and paused while the rest of the crowd turned and applauded the small orchestra. Both of them were slightly out of breath.

Teia was the first to speak. "I didn't know you could dance so well."

"Neither did I."

----------

The rest of the night was spent dancing, snacking, and mingling with old friends and rivals. May had made it, accompanied by Drew. Even Professor Oak was there, but by special invitation and not as a competitor.

When Ash checked his watch, it was almost 1 in the morning with the party still going strong. Just then he looked over and saw Teia yawn. "Getting tired?"

"A little."

"Why don't we head back?"

She nodded. "Yeah. My feet are starting to hurt anyway. I don't understand how you people can go for so long."

He chuckled as he helped her up. They said goodbye to those they knew on their way out. Outside, most of the photographers had cleared out, so they slipped past without getting their picture taken.

Ash turned down a street, leading slightly away from their hotel, and Teia followed, not realizing it was the wrong way. By now, most of the lights of the city had been turned down, and the moon shown brightly through the skyscrapers.

They continued on in silence, simply enjoying the night and their company, and that was all Ash needed right then. They arrived at the spot Ash was aiming for, and that was when Teia realized they weren't where they were supposed to be.

They had worked their way into the city's park and before them stretched a lake. The lights didn't reach out that far, letting the stars shine brightly. The lake was perfectly still and every twinkle of light reflected off of the water.

Teia gazed over it in wonder.

"I found this spot on my first trip to Safron," Ash said as he looked over the water and leaned on a cast-iron railing. "I remember because you were with Brock at the Pokemon Center."

"It's beautiful." Teia wondered if this would be a good time to tell him. Her mind got caught up in the beauty of the water and made the decision. "Ash, I think I need to tell you something."

"Yeah?"

Her gaze remained on the water. "We've been together for years now. But it's only been as friends. But…I think I want something more than just a friend."

Ash listened, making the connection. He wasn't as stupid as some would believe. He gently smiled.

She started to turn her head. "Ash, I…"

She couldn't finish. He gently pulled her chin and touched his lips to hers.

Teia wasn't generally accustomed to a kiss and didn't expect it. But suddenly her mind was being bombarded by feelings she'd never experienced. And she didn't want it to stop.

Ash held the kiss as long as could. He was experiencing the same thing she was. He'd never kissed someone he really cared about before. He didn't want that moment to ever end. But eventually, he pulled back for some air.

Teia leaned forward slightly and came back, her own breath heavy for a moment. "Wow."

"I think I love you too."

He started to lean back in for another kiss, but suddenly Teia seemed to explode in light. Ash jumped back, shocked. But as soon as it had come, the light vanished.

Teia seemed to have disappeared. The yellow dress was lying in a pile on the ground with something moving in the middle. Ash knelt down and moved a piece of cloth. A Pikachu stuck its head out. "Pikapi!"

Ash breathed a saddened sigh. He was so close. "Well, I guess I did want a date for tonight."

Teia hung her head. She'd wanted it as much as he did. Now she'd never be able to be with him.

Ash noticed her look and understood. He was feeling the same way. "It's ok, Teia." He leaned down and picked her up, placing her on his shoulder. "You know and I know. That's all that matters."

She gave a weak smile, a small tear on her cheek. She leaned down and affectionately licked his cheek.

The yellow dress was picked up and the two walk back off for their hotel.

A/N: This one was actually a little harder to write than the original. I also kind of like the original better. But this one is still some nice fluff. I hope you all enjoyed reading it.

And before you say it in the review, yes, I realize that Ash's Pikachu is most likely male. I prefer to think that Pikachu is male. But having it so wouldn't really work for a story like this, so get over it.