Kiss the Rain

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon. I do, however, own this story. This is a short fic (not a song-fic) loosely based on the Billie Mayer's song "Kiss the Rain," which I also don't own.

The Cerulean City gym leader sighed, running a spindly finger through her ginger hair. Just how long had she been sitting out here? It seemed like ages, but lately time seemed to go by much more slowly than she imagined possible, inching its way along like a slow-moving Caterpie; lately her whole world, in fact, seemed as if it were bogged down in a quagmire. It almost seemed as if—

"Misty!"

Spinning around, the slight redhead caught sight of her older sister Daisy, who had just left the gym to join her in the yard. Daisy flashed Misty an annoyed look.

"What? Can't a person get any time to herself these days?" Misty asked, upset that her sister had interrupted her silent reverie. Daisy knew she had been spending some time out here at night the last few days, knew she liked to have some time to think.

"Misty, your, like, stupid Psyduck spilled all of his Pokémon food on the floor," Daisy replied, placing her slender hands on her equally slender hips.

Misty rolled her eyes. That dumb duck! "So?" she questioned, challenging Daisy to press the issues further.

"So I want you to clean it up!" Daisy responded, irritation blazing in her clear blue eyes.

"Why should I clean it up? I didn't make the mess!" Misty argued.

"Because Psyduck's your Pokémon!" Daisy fired right back. "Besides, I might, like, break a nail or something if I do it."

Misty couldn't help but roll her eyes sky high at that one! Jeez, her sister was such a ditz!

When Misty didn't answer Daisy pressed on. "Please, Misty! Pretty please!"

For some reason Misty took pity on Daisy (or perhaps she was just taking pity on Psyduck, knowing that Daisy would yell at him the whole time she was cleaning up), so she gave in, raising her hands in mock defeat.

"Fine, I'll clean up the mess," she consented, following her sister inside. It looked like it was going to be a long night.

***

Ash Ketchum, aspiring Pokémon Master extraordinaire, rolled over in his sleeping bag and looked up at the moon. It was a full moon, casting its light on his dirtied face. He had forgotten to wash up again that night. Then again, without her to remind him of his nightly rituals and routines he often did forget to wash up…

Misty. For some reason thinking of her made him smile. Every night when they traveled together she would harp on him to wash up, reminding him that cleanliness was a virtue. He never quite understood why she did it, why she cared when his face would simply become dirty again the next day. She did care, though, and that was the most amazing thing, that she cared despite their constant arguments.

Reaching into his bag, Ash pulled out a pink piece of cloth, one with yellow markings on it. He held it up to the light of the moon so as to see it better and found himself becoming slightly choked up, a lump forming in his throat.

"What 'cha got there?" a female voice asked from beside him. Ash rolled over and found himself face to face with Dawn, his newest traveling companion. He didn't say anything, though, trying desperately to swallow the lump in his throat instead.

"I asked what you have, Ash." Dawn reminded him, eyeing him suspiciously when he failed to answer.

"Oh, this? It's nothing," Ash lied, quickly tucking the pink handkerchief back in his backpack.

"If it's nothing then why were you looking at it so intently, hmm?"

"Oh, no reason." Ash flushed. Why did his face feel warm all of the sudden? Why didn't he want to tell Dawn the truth? What did he have to hide?

"Sure..."

Ash made no reply, and he and Dawn lay in silence interrupted only by the steady cadence of Brock's snoring.

"Well, goodnight then, Ash," Dawn finally spoke, breaking the silence.

"Goodnight, Dawn." Ash rolled over, facing away from Dawn and towards the moon once more. Yet again, he found his mind on Misty, only this time he was thinking of a phone conversation he had with her a few days earlier…

"Hello?" a female voice answered the phone with annoyance, almost as if she was dreading the conversation.

"Misty! Hi!" an enthusiastic Ash bellowed from the other line, glad to finally talk to the friend he hadn't seen in so long.

"Ash? Is that really you?" Misty's voice changed to one of excitement, which she seemed utterly unable to contain.

"Sure is! Put the phone on video so I can see your face!" Ash pleaded. He didn't know why, but for some reason he wanted to see Misty's face.

"OK," Misty agreed, turning on the video phone. Suddenly her smiling face appeared before Ash.

"Much better." Ash grinned. It was so good to see her!

"So, Ash, how are you?"

"I'm great! I just won my sixth badge by defeating Byron in Canalave City and Dawn just won her fourth ribbon. As for Brock, well, we still can't keep him away from the girls," Ash proclaimed with excitement.

Ash saw Misty's face fall slightly, s small frown tugging at the corners of her mouth.

"Misty, what's wrong?" Ash asked with concern.

"Oh, nothing." Misty looked down at the floor, seemingly unable to say anything else. She quickly changed her mind, however, glancing up at Ash and adding, "It's just that I miss traveling with you."

"Oh." Ash didn't know what to say.

Misty, Ash noticed, swallowed hard and looked away.

What to say? What to say? Misty seemed genuinely upset, and Ash had no clue what to say or do. He wanted nothing more than to make her feel better, and he had no idea how to do so.

"Well, I miss you, too, Misty." There. That seemed like the right thing to say. Was it really, though?

Misty's face suddenly lit up, a smile etching across it.

"Phew. It looks like I said the right thing after all," Ash whispered.

"What was that, Ash?" Misty questioned.

"Uh, nothing!" Ash lied.

"Are you sure? You don't want me to come over there with my mallet, do you?" Misty joked.

Ash laughed. Perhaps what he had said had been the right thing because it was true. Ash really did miss Misty.

"I really do you miss you, Misty," Ash stated earnestly. In the background Dawn played with Piplup, laughing as he performed Bubblebeam on her hair to make it extra shiny.

Misty looked at the floor again and then looked up with trepidation at Ash. "You do? Even with…you know, Dawn around?"

"Sure! No one could replace you, Misty! You were my first traveling companion…and my first real friend!"

Misty grinned, but her face didn't betray the small amount of sadness she was feeling. "It's just hard with you being so far away," she admitted.

"I know. Think of it this way, though. We're under the same sky, and when you look up at the stars at night you can rest assured that I'm looking at them, too, and…and thinking of you…"

Ash sighed, staring up at the stars once more. He really did miss Misty, more than he would ever tell anyone. He had meant everything that he said. Why, then, did he feel so empty? Sure, he could look at the stars at night and know that Misty was looking at the same ones, but that didn't change the fact that she was so far away.

Someday I'll see you again…

***

Misty sighed, wiping the sweat off of her forehead. Cleaning up after Psyduck sure provided quite the workout. That silly duck! Smiling, she walked over to where Psyduck was standing, his hands on his head in an attempt to ward off another headache.

"Now Psyduck, I want you to be more careful with your Pokechow for now on, OK?" she stated happily.

"Duck?" Psyduck cocked his head to the side in confusion, unsure of what he had done wrong.

"It's OK," Misty reassured the confused Pokémon, patting his head and smiling.

Walking outside, Misty looked up at the star filled sky. Was Ash looking at it, too? She remembered what he had said, and her chest seemed to glow, seemed to feel a little bit warmer. Still, it couldn't eradicate the deep sadness she experienced. He was so, so far away; when would she see him again? When would she see that smiling face?

He had said he missed her. Did he mean it? Would he have even said it if he didn't? It wasn't like Ash to say things just to make people feel better; he usually said what was on his mind.

Maybe, somehow, this separation was as difficult for him as it was for her. Maybe, just maybe, he felt the same way she did. Maybe, just maybe, someday they would be more than friends, someday they would kiss, someday they would…

Misty felt herself suddenly becoming wet and, looking upward, realized it was raining. She had always loved the rain, the sound and feel of the pitter-patter of little raindrops on the roof and on her skin. Closing her eyes, she did the only thing she could think of.

She kissed the rain.

Author's Note: OK, so I know this isn't my best work by any means, but I wanted to write it. I hope you enjoyed it anyway.

Before you ask, yes, I am working on the next chapter of Together. It's coming along slowly, but hopefully I'll have it finished soon. I've just been busy with schoolwork.

Thanks for reading. Don't forget to review! :)