Animadversion

Misty sighed as her reflection stared up at her from the pool water. Resting her chin on the back of her hands she faced her own image with a perplexed look. "Why does no man want you, huh?" She asked with a forlorn humour.

Misty Waterflower could no longer be called the ugly duckling of her family by even her sisters, let alone the sort of shallow playboys they dated (Gary Oak being on the list of all three), she was now the beautiful swan.

Her bright hair reached half way down her back as it now shone with moisture from her spell in the water just a moment before. Today's chosen navy blue one piece swimsuit with a green outline floral pattern flattered the curves and chest puberty had finally gifted her at age 15. Misty had never believed in skin deep beauty, but the occasional envious look from one of sisters whom had now pushed thirty didn't hurt. Didn't hurt at all.

Yet, here she was lying on a float in her family's gym battle pool with a deafening silence as her only companion, her siblings lost to another night out to find their next set of playboys.

This loneliness was something Misty despised. It allowed her the time to think of the times she had had others around her, especially the one she truly cared about. A tear dripped from her emerald green eye at the memory of her old 'friend', causing ripples to pass over her reflection. He had meant... He did mean so much more to her than any friend or family she had, and that included the other friends she had made because of him.

Misty clenched her eyes shut hoping to will away the painful, awful, horrid, soothing, beautiful, and wonderful memories. She failed miserably but refused to allow herself to cry anymore. She had given up being hopeful for new experiences such as those in the years since their last meeting. It was then her temper began to fray.

Just who the hell did he think he was!? She spat into the water, once again disturbing her image, reminding herself she already knew the answer. "The World's Greatest Pokémon Master." Misty imitated in satire, her head now lifted as if she were speaking down her nose at someone.

If he was still on his same little adventure after all these years, perhaps, she wouldn't be as angry as she was. She could easily believe that she would be as lonely and upset, but at least it would only be her for her own selfish reasons!

How long had it been? How long since he'd simply spoken with any of them? Heck, how long had it been since he was last seen? Six, seven years...she chuckled evilly at that thought, he'd be presumed dead if he wasn't careful. Such a concept didn't bother Misty, she knew he wasn't dead just as Deliah knew he was alive. Maybe, Misty realised, she was a pessimist after all.

However, Deliah was the main source of Misty's anger for his absence. He hadn't contacted her once in those six or seven years after he'd just fallen off the Earth!

Before then, he kept in touch with them all those he had met on his journey; Brock, Tracy, Max, May, Dawn to name a few and even Misty herself. Although it hurt that he never visited her gym she had seen more than once in the years in between, but never when it was just them, and that was enough for Misty to remain silent. After that, he was just gone! No warning, no note and no phone call. Nothing.

Misty couldn't understand it and she didn't want to. The boy she had believed in to always save the day, and make her smile with only a second's glance, was able to choose to cut off a mother like Deliah. Misty really didn't want to understand, but it still made her blood boil since he had to have know how much Deliah would worry. Misty knew, because she saw it in the woman's eyes every time they met and it hurt to see such a good hearted person be betrayed by the one their life revolved around.

"You've proven yourself a bastard." Misty growled through gritted teeth. Her eyes drifted across her reflection in the pool once more and then it hit her. "Who am I kidding?" She wasn't angry for Deliah's sake; it was all for her. The rejection she felt for feelings she had never told him, the depression his total absence gave her, the loneliness caused by the truth that she could not love anyone else after him.

"'Hell hath no fury like that of a woman scorned', huh?" Misty joked at the water before scuffing her hand through the water and ruining the image a third time. "More like a woman who thinks she was. I'm worse than you, Heart Thief." She gazed into the water one more time and watched as her reflection stabilised. Her eyes nearly popped out of head at what she found their.

Above her shoulder in the water there were two perfect circle black eyes of an aged, but healthy, Pikachu next to two chocolate eyes deeper than the pool itself. The latter pair were nearly obscured by the rim of an old and worn red baseball cap.

"I thought I only stole your bike," the reflection pondered, "and I replaced that, didn't I?"

Misty immediately spun her head around to look over her shoulder, to make sure it wasn't just the water.

"Ash..."

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A/N: Hope that was adequate and not too short or OOC. Apparantly 'Animadversion' means 'a verbal exhibition of a bad temper' which does occur in the story and sums up Ash's and Misty's relationship well most of the time. The time difference from the show is meant to be around 14 years and Ash has been away for half of that, if I continue I'll obviously explain. Misty's sisters' age is simply for my own mental well being just in the hope that the writers of the series aren't insane (you can judge why that is for yourself with no hints). Please read & review/flame