Hey guys, it's been a while! I just wanted to say that I wrote this chapter back in October, forgot about it, lost it, and now I had to re-write it, haha. Enjoy!

Songs used in this chapter in order of appearance:
Skinny Love - Bon Iver
Paradise - Coldplay

I always recommend listening to the song while it's being 'sung'.

Disclaimer: I don't nor will ever own Pokemon, it's characters, or the songs used.
Suggested for ages 13+ for swearing, alcohol, drugs, etc.

Bittersweet Memories
Chapter 5: Skinny Love

Misty cringed as a wisp of thin, fresh air tickled her face. She opened her eyes, and encased in a fluffy comforter, silently cursed herself for forgetting to shut the window that disrupted her peaceful sleep. Hearing the clink of forks hitting dishes made her realize that her roommates were already up and eating breakfast. She dragged herself out of bed and slammed the window shut. Sure it was sunny outside, but it felt like it was cold enough to give her frostbite at any second. She quietly unbuttoned her pajamas and tied on her bikini. A good swim oughta get her blood flowing. She threw on her usual jumper and opened the door to the living room. Instantly the smell of bacon bombarded her unprepared nose.

She grabbed her nose, preventing anymore of the smell from entering. The rich odor of pig made her skin crawl. She could only imagine the layers of grease piled on to the little chunk of meat. With each hiss of the frying pan, her stomach began to churn.

"Mornin' Misty." Leaf greeted, still in her pajamas with a simple apron on top and a bacon-filled pan in hand. Disgusting. "Hungry?"

Misty shook her head quickly and tried her best not to run to the door. "I'm not really hungry, I'll eat when I get back okay? I'm just gonna go for a swim- bye!" She said, as hurried out of the apartment.

Dawn looked after her curiously, and after deciding that it was just typical Misty, continued to eat happily. May couldn't be bothered to look up from her plate.

...

As she gracefully dove into the water, the cool liquid surrounded her at once, gently cradling each and every curve of her body. Her muscles finally relaxed- barely straining from the excitement of being able to have an entire pool to herself. After a few laps she flipped over and allowed herself to float on her back. Though it felt like hours, it was still early in the morning so no one had come out to join her in the water. She closed her eyes as the sun's tender rays were absorbed by her pale skin.

Come on skinny love just last the year
Pour a little salt, we were never here
My, my, my, my, my, my, my, my
Staring at the sink of blood and crushed veneer

Her stomach growled. And as much as she wanted to continue swimming laps, she knew she couldn't overexert her frail self. But it was no big deal, it was just a little side effect of being famous. She was probably just stressed out from the last minute tour they shoved upon her and her girls. Yes, that was it. That would explain why she was so tired. And why she fainted. Surely no one else could really see it- between the lies they call photoshop, the pounds of make up applied not only to her face, but to her bruised body. The many hair products applied to her mane to revert it to its natural glowing self. The extra padding in her wardrobe. Hell, to anyone other then her make-up team, she was still as naturally flawless as ever.

I tell my love to wreck it all
Cut out all the ropes and let me fall
My, my, my, my, my, my, my, my
Right in this moment this order's tall

She flipped back around to float on her stomach, one side of her face grazed the water's surface while the other captured the sun's radiation. She saw Maylene and Reggie walk out into the pool. They stood far enough apart to respect each other's personal space, but anyone could tell that either one of the couple was tempted to break the boundary line at any moment. Reggie looked over at her and gave her a small wave before giving his complete attention back to Maylene.

I told you to be patient
I told you to be fine
And I told you to be balanced
And I told you to be kind

To Misty's surprise, they weren't alone. Strolling out after them was Paul. Clad in only trunks, he had his head held high though the rest of his posture was some what lazy. He looked at her and the two exchanged an acknowledging nod, before he jumped into the pool and swam. She was still in her own little reverie, but there was something about watching Paul swim that put her at peace. For the quiet, grudging one of the group, it seemed like he released his emotions through his sport. His muscular body tore through the water in a way only professional swimmers could understand.

In the morning I'll be with you
But it will be a different kind
I'll be holding all the tickets
And you'll be owning all the fines

It was like he was one with the waves. Although he'd been swimming for quite awhile, Misty continued to float under the sun and just watch his movements with never ending awe. He moved with passion, and grace. Something no one was used to seeing from the rugged boy. When he finished his art, Misty waded over to him curiously. "I didn't know you were a swimmer too."

He peak open an eye and shrugged.

She studied his face. "You're... you're so fluid. It's like you were meant for water. How did you get that amazing?"

He kept his eyes shut and floated in silence. Misty began to climb out of the pool after she assumed that it was the end of the conversation. "I started when I was 14." She stopped in her tracks and looked at the boy. She sat on the edging of the pool. "I was always an athlete. But I had no one there for me. So when I got injured, I needed to find a way to stay in shape without straining my muscles and I turned to swimming. I guess years of practice just makes it natural."

She looked at him and nodded her head. "What do you mean that no one was there for you? What happened to your parents? And Reggie's your brother, right? Didn't he help you out?"

He floated in silence once more. Misty began to get accustomed to these strange but comfortable gaps. "Reggie was too easy on me. He didn't support me training while I was injured."

She thought about asking him why he didn't tell her about his parents, or what this injury was. After debating it internally, she decided to drop the subject. "So how long have Reggie and Maylene been going out?"

"They're not." Paul replied bitterly, not with a sense of despite towards Maylene, but almost as if he's gotten the question a thousand times before.

She looked at him questionably before studying the couple. Again, there was distance between them, but anyone could see the gentle flirting. They really liked each other. Now she understood. Neither side would admit to it.

"It's been going on for years," Paul's deep voice shook with irritation. "It's skinny love." He pulled himself out of the pool, and without a goodbye, grabbed his towel and entered the resort.

Misty continued to sit at the edge of the pool, contemplating. Skinny Love? She'd have to ask Dawn about that later, she was the poetic type. Standing up, she mimicked the actions of Paul and returned to her room.

Who will love you?
Who will fight?
Who will fall far behind?
Ooh, ooh

...

Ash ran down the corridor of the resort, looking for his purple-haired friend. Running backwards and calling out his name, the drummer looked ridiculously out of place in the 5-star hotel. "PAUUU-oof." He toppled backwards. "Ow. That wasn't so bad. These floors are kinda soft."

"Watch where you're going, genius." The floor groaned. Ash sat up and looked at his cushion. "Oh hey Misty, why are you under me?"

She stared at him incredulously and offered him a hand to pull her up off the floor. With both her hands occupied by Ash's, she couldn't grab her towel as it easily slid of off her thin frame. "Aw crap.." She released herself from his grip and instantly felt self-conscious in just a thin bikini. She bent over awkwardly, trying to show as little skin as she could. But that did nothing to help her cause. As she finally had her fingers wrapped around the towel, Ash's hand shot out and grabbed her wrist with no pity as the pressure from his grip began to cause her pain.

The sudden forced startled her as her wrist slowly lost circulation from his grasp. "Ash?" She gasped.

"Misty, what's wrong?" He loosened his grip significantly, realizing that his strength was more than he intended to use. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you.." He looked down, ashamed.

She was so shocked by his outburst she was left speechless. She had never seen this serious side of Ash before. She'd only known him for a little over a month but she knew him pretty well. And he was always goofy and loveable. So what the hell made him react this way?

"Misty..." He sighed. "I know you well enough to know somethings wrong." His eyes glimmered with concern and guilt. "You know you can talk to me about anything right? Have you been to the doctor's yet?"

She shook her head no and kept her lips pressed firmly together. Ash looked her in the eyes and saw that she was obviously avoiding the contact. He studied her body. She had muscle from years of swimming, but something was different from the girl he spent time with on the boat. Although she had a slender build since the start, he noticed that her ribs stuck out further than before and the healthy curves of her body were flattened out. Dangerous assumptions began to flood his mind. "Let's go visit my friend, okay?" He wrapped the towel over her shoulders and kept a firm grip around her tiny waist.

She looked up at him and felt ashamed. He was obviously just trying to protect her, but this was really none of his concern. Still, Misty felt guilty for not coming to him sooner. His sudden maturity changed her perspective on the naive boy.

They reached her suite, and before she could knock on the door, Ash turned her around to face him and gripped her shoulders securely. "Get changed and promise me you'll eat something, okay? We'll leave later, I just have to make a quick call." He wrapped his arms around her and gave her a small squeeze. "Please. Just do this for me."

She nodded and he smiled. He wordlessly walked away and entered another room across their hall.

...

May laid out on the sofa with her laptop on her stomach. Dawn and Leaf had left earlier to go check out Saffron City's mall. It was nice, having a little alone time before they went off to rehearse with the whole group. She searched the internet idly, looking at random viral videos and untrue gossip spread by entertainment magazines. She stopped as she saw an article of her and her girls in a magazine titled 'Bittersweet- Is the famous band breaking up?' She quirked a brow at the accusation. Oh, this would be an interesting read. Apparently there was a love triangle going on between her and Leaf, fighting over a mysterious boy. She read the article, as amused as ever.

While half-way through, her brother's face popped up on the screen, startling her. "Oh my god, Max! You scared me."

"Haha, sorry May. I couldn't log on sooner, I was talking to Nurse Joy."

She giggled. "It's okay. I was just reading some mindless gossip anyways."

"I really need to talk to you." She nodded wordlessly. "It's about a new kind of treatment."

"A new kind of treatment?" May sat up immediately at these words. "What is it? What's the survival rate?"

"They've... never tried it before."

"What? If it's never been put to use, how do you know it'll work? What if it makes you worse?"

Max looked at her deep in the eye. They were only talking through their webcams, but she could feel the intensity and honesty in his gaze. "May. I know I'm only 14, and you probably don't want me to risk it, but what do I have to lose? If the treatment works, I'm saved, and I can ensure the recovery of other people like me who could use it. And if it doesn't, I've lived a happy life. And proving that it might not work can save another life who they'll test it on instead of me. Please, May. I really want to do this, and I'm not gonna do it without your permission."

She stared at him speechless. He had really put a lot of thought to it. "I... I don't necessarily agree with this... But if it's what you really want, I can't object." She smiled weakly.

"Thank you so much, May!" He grinned and awkwardly hugged his laptop in place of his sister.

She laughed. "So what do they want to do?"

"Like I said, it's never been done before..." He played with the hem of his bed sheet. "They want to give ma a complete blood transplant."

Her jaw dropped. "A complete blood transplant? As in, every gallon of your blood, transferred?" He nodded his head meekly. "Are you really okay with that, Max? It doesn't sound logical at all! What if your body rejects the transplant? What if they can't find enough donors?"

"I rather have a complete transplant then continue with chemotherapy." He slipped his coveted teal beanie of his head and patted his thin coat of hair. "I have what, like 3 strands of hair left?" He joked. "My entire blood stream is affected by the cancer. I'm willing to take the risk. I just hope my big sister is supportive of me doing it."

She looked down, his words hitting her like a ton of bricks. "I'm sorry... You know I'll always be there for you. How long will the procedure take? I can skip the concerts and go back to Hoenn whenever you need me."

"Don't worry about it." Max gave her a small smile. "You continue what your doing, and I'll be fine. I think it'll take a few days or so, considering they can't pump all of my blood out in one sitting."

Nurse Joy wheeled in with a cart. May listened to her gentle voice. "Max, I need to run some tests on you. Can you finish up soon?"

"Sure Nurse Joy." He nodded at the pink-haired women off screen. "Bye May, I love you! Good luck on your concert's sis." He lopsidedly grinned.

Even though his face was right in front of hers, she felt so far away from him. Not being able to hold his hand, or ruffle his hair was too much for May to even think about. She loved him, but it felt like she was making him go through all of this alone. "I love you too, Maxie. Take care." She gave him a soft smile as the screen faded to black and his face disappeared.

She dropped her head to her knees and ran her fingers through her hair. She didn't think Max was making the right choice, but he had his heart and soul set on the transplant. A salty tear ran down her cheek. She really missed him. She really felt like a horrible sister, abandoning him like that.

Knock, knock, knock.

Quiet tapping came from their door. "Guys, it's Misty! Could you open the door? I left my key in my room." May sat up and quickly wiped her running nose.

"Coming, Misty!" She swung open the door for her friend.

The red-head smiled and stepped in. "Thanks. Where are the other girls?"

"Shopping, like usual." She forced a smile.

Misty studied her awkward grin. "Right... Well I have to change, Ash is bringing me to the do-... uh meet his friend."

Too preoccupied with her own thoughts, May just nodded before taking her place back on the sofa while Misty made her way to her room.

...

"Misty, right? It's great to finally meet you." A tall, tan man wearing a simple white coat shook her hand. "I'm Brock, a good friend of Ash's from his non-famous days. I've heard quite a bit about you." He laughed heartily and elbowed Ash's arm.

She looked at him, a pinkish tint stained on her cheeks. His spiky hair and tan should've made him seem intimidating but he was glowing with friendliness. "Thank you. You're so young for a doctor."

He chortled. "Yeah, technically I just graduated, but I've been studying medicine since I could walk."

Ash smacked him on the back. "Yup, that's good ol' Brock for you. He can help you with anything. I'm gonna go to the food court. See ya, Mist."

She stared at him as he left the room. "How can someone who was completely concerned and controlled just walk out like that... like nothing?" She shook her head. "I swear, he's insane."

"No, he's honestly worried for you. He just trusts you in my hands so he went to go fill up the never-ending pit he calls his stomach."

She smiled. She liked this doctor, he had a sense of humor. "So, Misty. Care to tell me whats been bothering you-or actually-Ash?"

She sighed. Guess she would finally figure out what was making her feel so miserable. She told everything- her fainting, her mood swings, always being cold, no matter how hot it may be, constantly being exhausted, all of the stress. After her rant she felt lightheaded and leaned back against her chair. Brock didn't respond for a while and just continually stared at her body. Misty began to feel self conscious and remember how she felt when Ash did the same thing to her earlier that day. Oh how she wished she had a towel with her.

"Misty... Ah, I remember why you sounded familiar. You're a sensational sister."

She scowled. "No, I'm not. I'm the runt of the sensational sisters." Brock continued to study her. "I see that it's a sensitive topic. I won't push it unless you want to talk about it."

"No. I'm fine. You don't need to tell me how gorgeous they are, or how amazing they are. I know I'll never live up to their standards. I'll never be perfect like them." Brock looked at her with pity and opened his mouth to comfort her.

"Mistyyyy! I just got a text from Reggie! We're gonna be late to rehearsal." Ash said, barging in with a massive burger in hand.

"Ahh! Solidad is gonna kill me! I'm so sorry, but we have to go." She picked up her bag.

Brock nodded up and opened the door for them. "I think I know your problem. It's just stress. Just make sure you have enough to eat and enough sleep okay?"

Trying to be a step ahead, Ash held out his greasy patty. "Here ya go, Mist. You can have my patty to eat." Misty flinched at the burger. More than any person normally would. The look in her eye was apparent: It was disgust. Layered with...fear?

She scurried out the room quickly with Ash looking after her in confusion. "She never accepts my food." He pouted.

Brock's eyes widened in realization. Her problem wasn't stress. It was something entirely different. "Ash, I need to talk to you, come in here."

Ash shook his head. "No can do, Brock-o. Gotta leave. You're coming to our concert tonight, right? Just meet up with me backstage." And with that he ran off.

...

Dawn ran up to the microphone. "Hey, hey, hey Vermilion City!" The crowd roared, cheering and swooning over the gorgeous bluenette. "Nice to see you guys too! Thanks for coming tonight!" She giggled. "I'm not gonna stall you for too long- we have so much planned for you guys! Up first you have a collab between yours truly, Leaf, and some of the boys from Roulette! Enjoy!" She waved to the crowd as the audience surged forward, hoping to touch the famous band member.

She skipped to the front, right corner of the stage and picked up a classical violin off its stand. After picking it up and holding it to her chin, she cupped her hand to her mouth. "Come on out guys!"

Leaf walked out, and with a quick wave to the crowd, settled behind the keyboard located right next to Dawn. She greeted her blue-haired friend with a wink. Ash took his place at the drum set on a raised stage at the back of the main one, while Drew came out with a dramatic hair flip and a stool which he placed in the center of the stage. The performers all gave a simultaneous nod.

Dawn playing her violin with intensity as Leaf's fingers started dancing across her keyboard. After a short classical instrumental, Ash's drumming began adding an edge to the melody.

"Ooooh oooh ooooh, ooooh oooh oooh." Dawn and Leaf sang into their headsets.

Drew closed his eyes and held on to the mic stand as Dawn's playing quieted down. "When she was just a girl, she expected the world. But it flew away from her reach, so she ran away in her sleep."

Ash's drumming pattern kept steady. "Dreamed of para- para- paradise. Para- para- paradise. Para- para- paradise. Every time she closed her eyes."

The violin's sound became intense once again as Dawn and Leaf began to harmonize. "Oooh ooh oooh, oooh ooh ooooh."

"When she was just a girl, she expected the world," Drew pulled the mic off its stand and held it close to his mouth. "But it flew away from her reach, and the bullets catch in her teeth."

Ash bobbed his head to the beat, hitting each snare at the perfect moment. "Life goes on, it gets so heavy. The wheel breaks the butterfly. Every tear, a waterfall." Drew began to stand up slowly, his mic never leaving his mouth. He gazed in the audience with such intensity that the crowd fell silent, enticed by his emerald stare. "In the night, the stormy night, she closed her eyes. In the night, the stormy night, away she'd fly.

"And dreamed of para- para- paradise. Para- para- paradise. Para- para- paradise. Oooh ooh ooooh."

Drew raised an arm over his head and waved it, shifting his weight back and forth between his feet. The crowd mimicked his actions. "She dreamed of para- para- paradise. Para- para- paradise. Para- para- paradise. Oooh ooh ooooh."

The green-haired boy fell silent as the musicians played with such passion the whole stadium screamed in pleasure. He walked up to the crowed and leaned over to sing to a fan. "La, la la la la la, la la la la la, la la la, la, la, la." She went weak in the knees and fell back on her friend. Drew stood up and with a smirk, continued to sing.

"Still lying underneath those stormy skies. She said oh, ooh oh oh ooh, oh. I know the sun must set to rise.

"This could be para- para- paradise. Para- para- paradise. This could be para- para- paradise. Oooh ooh ooooh, oh oooh ooh." He waved his arm over his head once again while the girls harmonized as back up.

"This could be para- para- paradise. Para- para- paradise. This could be para- para- paradise. Oooh ooh ooooh, oh oooh ooh."

Out of the left wing, Gary walked out strumming his electric guitar and blending with the melody. Even more voices chorused behind Drew's singing. "This could be para- para- paradise. Para- para- paradise. This could be para- para- paradise. Oooh ooh ooooh, oh oooh ooh."

All instruments, other than the simple chords of Dawn's violin stopped playing completely as Drew finished up the song, sitting upon his stool once again.

"Oooh ooh ooooh, oh oooh ooh. Oooh ooh oooh, oooh ooh ooooh."

The crowd shrieked and cheered as many girls threw themselves at the stage, screaming Drew's name. His wolfish grin was wide and his hair was flipped multiple times.

May crossed her arms and blew a raspberry. "Look at him, basking in the glory of those desperate girls."

Solidad perked a brow and laughed to herself. Same old May. Okay, girls get ready to go on stage. Misty, get your sticks from Ash.

Gary, Drew and Ash exited the stage. The brunette spotted Brock on the next wing and made his way to say hi to his old friend. Drew wished the girls good luck as they walked on the stage, his eyes dancing with cockiness from his last performance.

"Hey, Ash!" He turned around to see Misty on stage waving at him. "Toss the sticks over, would ya?" He obliged, throwing both of the drumsticks over to the girl. "Thanks!"

He nodded and began to make his way to the snack bar. Performing really made him hungry. He licked his lips and honed into the table, getting ready to stuff his face.

"Ash."

Said boy turned around. Normally he wouldn't be fazed by someone calling his name when he was preparing to eat, but the voice had so much urgency that it alarmed him. "Oh hi Brock! Thanks for coming."

"I need to tell you something. It's about Misty."

Now that caught his attention. "Yeah?"

"I think..." He ran his hand through his hair. "Misty... She's anorexic."

So much dramaaaaa. I know you guys are gonna say something about Misty & Paul's encounter and how it can be taken as romantic, but no worries, this is strictly ikari&poke. I think they just need to branch out and get closer to the other boys, not just the ones that they'll end up with. :) Did you enjoy the curtainshipping? Sorry if Ash seemed OOC, I just needed it to seem urgent. The fluff and the flirting is coming, I promise! So far the only couple thats been obvious was Leaf&Gary.

You guys seemed to love the conversations between May & Max so there's gonna be a ton of that in later chapters. :) I'm planning to make this story 10 chapters, 15 at most. So sorry if it seems rushed!

And I'm soooooo sorry this took so long to get out. I promise I'll update more often! Your reviews really inspire me to keep on writing.

Review/Alert/Favorite/Check out my other stories!
~Brie

Feel free to request any songs you want them to sing :)