A/n: And we're clear

Midnight Conversations

Ash groans in frustration and rolls over, trying for the hundredth time in as many seconds to fall asleep. He can't even finish his roll, he get's halfway to his side and his arm hits Max who mumbles something about wanting five more minutes. Ash bites back a scream and rolls to the other side only to hit Brock mid snore. He can't take it. It's too stuffy in the tent, filled as it is with stale air. And it's hot, the thin fabric of it's walls is no match for the combined heat of all three boys. And then there's the noise. He's surrounded with Brock's snores on one side and Max's mumbled equations on the other.

Ash falls back on his pillow and closes his eyes, stuffing his arms to his side, and tries to count mareep. But it's no use. It's too crowded. Though, that's not really a surprise. The tents aren't made to hold three people. Usually Max and May would share one tent and he and Brock shared the other. But with Misty visiting, Brock had insisted that the girls share one tent and the boys the other. Which was a great idea, Ash had thought. But now, sharing the tent with Brock and Max, he's packed tighter than magikarp. He can only move his arms and even that is a struggle.

He needs out. Wiggling like a kakuna, he frees his arms and unzips his legs. Instantly, he's ten degrees cooler and he considers staying in the tent now that he's free. Then Brock snores again and Max switches from equations to pokémon stats and Ash scrambles over them. For a few moments he fumbles in the dark, until finally he's able to grab the zipper and pull.

Nothing happens.

The zipper is stuck.

Ash smacks his face with his hand and then breathes out. He will not give up because of a stuck zipper. Mustering all of his strength, Ash gives one final tug on the zipper and is completely unprepared when it gives way and he tumbles out of the tent onto frozen ground.

"Smooth, Ketchum." Misty greets him, she's sitting in front of their fire circle on one of the logs that they'd pulled over when they set up camp. There's a small fire in front of her and she has a charred stick in her hand. She must have restarted the fire when she woke up.

Ash blinks slowly, trying to force the darkness from the edge of his vision. Sitting upright, he rubs his head and offers a suave "bwamph," in response.

Misty stands from the fire and walks over to him, leaning over so that all he can see are her eyes. "Are you OK?"

Ash nods slowly and stops, the world spinning when he moves.

"Seriously, Ash." Misty kneels in front of him and holds up three fingers. "How many fingers am I holding up?"

"Thirty," Ash says, grinning.

Misty's eyes narrow worriedly but she searches his face for a moment and then smacks his shoulder. "You never were good at counting." She shivers and hauls herself to her feet, offering a hand down. "Need a hand?"

Ash leans back and throws a hand up. Misty grins and jerks him to his feet. He falters for a moment, arms out trying to catch his footing, before Misty slips under his arm and steadies him.

"Are you sure we don't need to wake Brock?" Misty asks.

But Ash shakes his head. He's fine, just a little dizzy, but both of them know what concussions look and feel like. And this isn't a concussion. Probably. "No," he answers, shivering.

"OK," Misty replies, heading them towards the fire, "let's go sit at the fire though. It's cold."

Ash doesn't argue and after a few stumbling steps, they drop to the logs in front of the fire. They're quiet for a few moments, content to sit beside one another in the almost too warm glow of the fire.

"So," Ash says, quiet enough that his voice is almost lost in the dull crackle of the flames. "What's a girl like you doing up at a time like this?"

Misty leans back so that she can look at him, eyebrow raised in an expression Ash knows almost as well as any of his own. "Are you sure you didn't hit your head too hard," she asks in mock concern, "because you are starting to sound an awful lot like Brock."

Ash knocks his shoulder into hers, grinning. "I'm fine, Mist. Don't worry. But why are you up?"

"Why are you?" Misty bumps his shoulder back and settlers against him, leaning so that the line of her body is pressed against him.

Ash shrugs, the movement of his body carrying Misty with him as well. "Couldn't sleep."

"Me either...those tents are just so…"

"Stuffy?" Ash offers.

Misty nods.

"May usually shares with Max, but I think it's a one person tent."

"Oh," Misty twists her head to glare down at a damp spot on her shoulder, "I'm sure it's a one person tent."

"Eww," Ash groans, his shoulders shaking with laughter.

Misty swats at him, "Stop moving."

"You don't have to lean on me, Mist. There's plenty of space." he gestures that she's not leaning against, a sweeping motion of his taking in the other logs around the fire.

Misty shifts so she can look at him and shakes her head. "But you're warm,"she whines, leaning back against him.

"Mist," Ash sighs. "We're in front of a fire. How can you be cold."

"I didn't say I was cold, I said you were warm."

"Oh," Ash replies, uncertain what to say from there. He puts his arm around Misty, steadying her and together they listen to the fire crackling and Brock snoring. It's quiet and familiar and for a moment, Ash can almost believe that they're in Kanto again, too excited to sleep because of the adventure the morning will bring.

It's a moment broken by Misty sniffling.

"Mist?" Ash asks.

"I'm fine," she whispers, reaching and arm up to run at her face. She takes a deep, broken breath and rocks forward to stand up.

Ash catches her hand. "You don't sound fine."

"I said," Misty starts, voice rising with each letter. She stops at a frustrated kaa from the tents. For a few moments, she's silent and then she swallows. "I said," she starts again, voice quieter. "I was fine."

"And I don't believe you." Ash hisses back, tugging back down to sit beside him on the log. "What's the matter."

Misty rubs her eyes again and sinks down so that her back is against the log and her knees are pulled to her chest. "Togepi's gone." She whispers into the fire quietly enough that Ash has to strain to hear her.

"Togepi's not gone, Mist. Just evolved."

Misty sighs. "Evolved and staying the Mirage Kingdom."

Ash slips down so that his back is against the log and he's beside Misty once more. "Yeah," he says, "but all of the togepi in the kingdom will be protected."

"Which is important," Misty breathes, "really important. But I wasn't ready to say goodbye."

Ash reaches out and puts his arm around Misty, pulling her into his side for a hug. "Goodbye is a terrible word."

"It really is." Misty leans into the hug, putting her head on Ash's shoulder. "We should stop using it."

"Yeah," Ash replies. Misty moves with the word and he hair tickles his nose. He smoothes it back with one hand and she hums appreciatively. It's a sound Ash finds he likes and so he pushes her hair back once more.

"Ow."

"Ow?"

"It hurt."

"It hurt?"

"What, is there an echo?"

"An ech... " Misty smacks him before he can finish and coughs, loudly. From the tents Pikachu offers a long suffering pikaa and both Ash and Misty hold their breaths until they hear Pikachu fall back to his sleeping bag with a small thump.

"So those goodbyes?" Misty asks.

"We should forget that word. It's a terrible word."

"How would you ever leave anybody again?"

"I wouldn't, everyone would stay forever." Ash declares quietly.

Misty shakes her head. "What about your mom?"

"Well," Ash groans. "Maybe we can say goodbye to some things and people."

"Right," Misty agrees. Then she sighs. "You know I have to leave tomorrow, right?"

"Why?"

"I have to go home, take care of the gym."

"Can't Daisy watch the gym?"

In answer, Misty pulls out her PokeNav and presses play on one of the voicemails. In a tinny voice, Daisy asks Misty if it would be alright if she and Violet and Lily just handed out badges and let trainers come back later to fight because none of them want to ruin their manicures.

"Ok," Ash assents, "I guess you can't just leave the gym to your sisters."

"Nope," Misty replies, returning the PokeNav to whatever pocket she'd gotten it from.

"But don't you want to?"

Misty huffs out a sigh. "It's not that simple, Ash." She sits forward and twists so that she can look at him. "I'd love to stay with you..and Brock. And travel."

Ash grins, a full toothy smile that fills his face. "Then stay."

"I can't" Misty whines, exasperated. "And even if I could, I'm not sure that I would."

"What do you mean?" Ash asks, the smile dropping from his face.

"I mean…... I mean the gym is a way to get noticed by the League...type mastery is different than being a pokémon master. It's up to the League and not random battles."

"I don't fight random battles."

Misty throws her head back and groans. "That's not what I meant. I just...the gym is where I need to be right now."

Ash smiles. "So you need to leave to do something important?"

"Yes," Misty says, and then smiles. "You slowpoke." She leans into him, and he he tightens his arm around her.