Chapter 11 revised - *approaching* midnight.

“right...leaving the house now, let’s go into the garden and we can find...ah look, it’s Brock...”

“oh God no, Richie, i know i don’t know you very well yet but you are not gonna be recording this whole party” May reached out and grabbed the camera from Richie, turning it off and giving it back.

“aw May, i’ve only just met you and already we’re getting on so well” Richie laughed.
Drew coughed and went a little pink, however it went unnoticed.

“so Richie, do you do contests or gyms?” May asked

“well with this fine figure...” Richie began with a smirk, “i do gym battles. I’m guessing you do contests?”

“yea that’s right.”

“ah right. What’s it like? I don’t really know many people who do contests, you’re the first”

“the first two actually” Drew cut in, “i do contests too. Brock, here, has tried his hand haven’t you? I seem to remember May beat you”

“yea but i still don’t see how if i’m honest, the points were obviously fixed” Brock replied, but grinned to show that there were no hard feelings. (A/N they were though, weren’t they? Brock was kicking ass and then in three poor hits May was winning again, i mean c’mon, favouritism or what?!)

“so do you two do the contests together?” Richie asked, addressing Drew and May both.

“naa not really, we compete against each other, and seem to run into each other quite a lot along the way” May replied
Again Drew coughed and shuffled this time, seeming a bit on edge. He was blushing too and, whilst May hadn’t noticed, Richie had, and smiled.

“oh? Well you should, you look good together” he said, this time making both May and Drew blush.

“don’t tell me you’re talking about contests” came a voice from behind, and there was enough arrogance in the tone even now that allowed Brock to identify it as Gary.

“yea, we are” Dawn piped up, feeling it was about time as she had not said anything in a while. She and May had been getting on quite well, given that they were both in the same trade and thus knew many of the same people. May was also quite keen on keeping up with how Ash had been doing with the gyms, and Dawn was happy to tell all of the tales she could remember. She spoke up now though, realising that this must be that Gary guy that Ash had mentioned, and was so loathed by he and Brock, and she was quite keen on finding out why. Gary had come to stand with them now, his cheerleader turned girlfriend hanging onto his arm.
“you do the contests?” Dawn asked.

“contests? Pah, not a real challenge. Can’t see the point in them to be honest” Gary replied (A/N i am inclined to agree)

“if you’d tried a contest, you’d know they’re a challenge” Dawn replied bitterly. “they might not be the same as gym battles, but they’re just as challenging in their own right”

“doubt it” Gary replied smugly.

“actually I think she’s...” the girl on his arm began, but Gary signalled for her to be quiet, and cut across.

“i don’t see what the point is in dressing up like a prat and having your Pokémon dance around. Pokémon aren’t for dancing, they’re for battling” he said, with a snide grin toward the three around him who were all beginning to loath him even more.

“actually Dawn’s right” Max said, coming to stand with the group. It was becoming something of a magnet now, anyone who was involved in Pokémon, contests or gyms, seemed to want to get in on the action, and Daisy and Tracy soon came to join. “they really are difficult. And Pokémon aren’t for battling, or contests, they’re your friends and they participate with you in whatever you choose to take up, contests or gyms.

“heh, that sounds just like Ketchum” Gary muttered bitterly. “listen, kids, until you’ve got some real experience in the field then don’t try to get involved with things you don’t understand”

“that’s rich” May scoffed

“listen, Pokémon do your bidding, you are the master, simple as that. Any gym leader would say the same” Gary replied.

“no they wouldn’t” Daisy put in, a little nervously if truth be told, “i-i wouldn’t”

“ok...” Gary smirked, “any real gym leader would say that”

“right, A) that’s not fair, and B) why don’t we ask a real gym leader that you can’t dispute” Tracy replied darkly. “hey Misty! Misty, come here a sec!” he called, having seen Misty wondering into the kitchen which was still fairly close by.

“hey guys...you look cheerful” Misty said, pausing in curiosity as she saw the disgruntled looks on so many faces. A quick scan of those present soon revealed why. “oh...Gary...hi” she said icily.
Brock chuckled, Misty’s attitude towards Gary was just how he had expected it to be – if only Ash could see.

“right then Gary, say it again” May said, a challenge in her voice as she turned to face Gary.

“eh? Oh well she hardly counts” Gary exclaimed indignantly.

“oh don’t I?” Misty bit back, even more indignant than Gary had been, and definitely more threatening.

“well c’mon it’s hardly a fair test” Gary tried

“and we all know how much you like to play fair, eh Gary?” Misty argued, the sarcasm flowing easily from her tongue.
For the rest gathered this was becoming quite an amusing spectacle. Gary had approached them giving the impression of a know-it-all arrogant jerk, and seemed as though he was quite accomplished at putting people down and taking the fight out of them. Here he as now though, on the back foot, being literally torn to pieces by Misty. Well, Misty had had plenty of practise in arguing, and had learnt her lessons well.

“it’s bias” Gary stated bluntly. “she’s only a caretaker manager of Cerulean gym, i doubt she’s that good, plus she travelled with and obviously has a crush on Ketchum. You won’t get an honest answer out of her”

“uh oh...” Brock, Tracy and Daisy whispered. The rest were soon thinking it too, May first of all given that she had met Misty before and seen something of her infamous temper, as had Max. Richie too knew something of what Misty was capable of when provoked, and even Dawn could see, though they had never met before, that this was clearly not a person to cross. Jessie and James wondered onto the scene at that moment, took in the situation, and decided that it would probably be a better idea not to get involved. They did not want to blast off early from this party.

“i might as well be the full time leader, i practically run the place” Misty growled, but she was nowhere near finished. “if you doubt i’m any good then perhaps you should go and speak to the seventeen trainers i’ve already seen off this month, or look at my record, or ask anyone who’s even seen me battle cos they’ll tell you” she continued, her voice raising as she went. Though she wasn’t to know it, her next comments would almost lose her the fight. “yes i travelled with Ash, and I...I...” she paused, swallowed what she had been about to say, and quickly came up with another argument. “he’s my best friend, but if you had any idea what our relationship is like then you’ll know i never agree with him on ANYTHING” she finished with a triumphant roar, the force of it ruffling Gary’s hair.

“Gary; if you’d care to repeat what you said to us” Drew said coolly, the complete opposite of the fiery argument Misty had just put forward.

“ok then, but i still say it’s not fair” Gary replied, trying to regain some composure and desperate not to be shown up in front of his new girl friend. “Pokémon do your bidding, you are the master, they’re supposed to battle for us, and every good gym leader would say the same.” Gary waited for the reply, and he didn’t have to wait long.

“you haven’t learnt anything on your journey, have you?” Misty said, and her feelings towards Gary and his statement were clearly defined in the tone of her voice. “Pokémon are our friends Gary, not our tools. Look, all my Pokeballs are empty, and i guarantee everyone else’s are too. Why? Cos we’ve let our Pokémon out to have fun, to enjoy the party with us. I guess yours are still locked away in those balls at your waist. Kind of ironic really, wearing so many, cos you clearly don’t have any yourself”
Everyone sniggered at this, even Gary’s new girlfriend, and when Misty felt the hand on her shoulder and turned to see who it belonged to, she was treated to a high-five from Ash, who must have been listening for some time.

“well i don’t have to listen to this” Gary huffed, turning on his heel “c’mon Suzie”

“actually, Gary, to be honest i don’t really wanna hang around with you anymore...sorry, you’ll have to get someone else” the cheerleader, Suzie, said and let go of Gary’s arm, stepping away.

Gary took a deep breath and clenched his fists. “fine” he snapped, “i only chose you cos i saw you first anyway” with that he stalked off towards where a couple more of his cheerleaders were standing.

“wise decision” Richie said as Suzie came to stand next to him

“thanks...he really is a jerk isn’t he?” she replied, and blinked in surprise when Ash, Misty, Brock, May...and pretty much everyone else who had been involved with the conversation cheered.

“that’s the spirit” Richie laughed, clapping a hand on Suzie’s shoulder, “i’m Richie by the way. C’mon, i’ll get you a drink” still with his arm around her, Richie led Suzie off towards the table where the drinks were sitting.

“since when did Richie get so...forward?” Misty asked in surprise

“dunno, but it seems to have worked” Brock grinned, “maybe i should be more forward, actually let Joy know how i feel about her...” he stopped as he noticed Misty, May and Dawn all looking at him pointedly, and gulped.

“Brock if you were any more forward i think i’d have to tear your ear right off” Misty said, to a nod from May and Dawn.

“although...” Ash began, “there is a Nurse Joy here, and it can’t be long to midnight”

“ooh really?” Brock did quite a good impression of James, albeit inadvertently, before scanning the horizon, spotting Nurse Joy, and setting off at a lope that would have got him a part in any low budget zombie movie.

“uh oh, i was only joking” Ash sweat-dropped “i think this is your area girls”

“nope, not me, sorry” Misty replied, though she did look quite sorry about it, “i’ve gotta go and get changed”

“eh? What’s the time?” May asked in surprise.
Max was going to look at his Pokenav but Drew got to his first.

“eleven thirty” he informed her, “so perhaps we should all be thinking of that, apart from Ash of course”

“yea i like the tux by the way” May said, addressing Ash, “looks dashing”

“oh...thanks” Ash said in surprise, blushing a little, “anyway i need to go get something from my room, i think i had some shades to go with this...”

“shades? It’s night time” Dawn said in surprise

“yea but c’mon it’s a tux!” Ash replied, walking away “you can’t have a tux without the shades”

“he’ll be walking into things all night” Misty sighed, “oh well, see you guys in a bit. I’ll get changed in the bathroom or something”

“right, there’s two aren’t there? I get the other one” May said, making quickly for the house. Misty followed a little afterwards, not in so great a rush, she had a lot on her mind right now.

“eh? But if there’s...if there’s only two then where am i gonna get changed?!” Dawn wailed

“calm down, you look fine as it is” Max said kindly, but Dawn clearly wasn’t satisfied.

“no i don’t! I wanna get changed!”

“well...ok then, i saw a shed down there, if you don’t mind the dark, damp and cold then you can get changed there. C’mon i’ll show you” Max said, and led Dawn off down the garden.
This left just Tracy and Daisy of the group that had been assembled in the garden, watching the Max and Dawn as they went off down the garden together.

“what do you think? Another match there?” Tracy asked with a smile

“oh i dunno, i remember how i was at that age, i was like, totally against the whole romance thing” Daisy grinned

“hmm i suppose you’re right. Take Ash and Misty for example, it was so obvious that they liked each other but they just wouldn’t admit it. I guess they missed their chance, but so long as their still friends” Tracy began, but Daisy interrupted him.

“oh no i wouldn’t say they’d missed their chance. Trust me if you’d like, heard the amount of time Misty spends talking about her journeys with Ash, how she had seen Ash on the TV doing like, some tournament or something, how she hoped Ash was like, alright and not getting in trouble...trust me, i doubt there’s a day gone by when she hasn’t at least like, thought of him” she said, “daft little sister of mine, it’s really hard not to tell her to stop moping and like, call the guy”

“really? I thought she’d have moved on by now” Tracy said in surprise

“you look disappointed” Daisy said quietly

“eh? Disappointed? Oh no, no it’s just i was planning to ask Misty to...you know...kiss me at midnight” Tracy replied, blushing a little, “i mean, we’ve been friends for a while...she’s pretty...and i know the person i really want to ask will already have someone”

“well you missed her anyway cos i think she like, went down there or something” Daisy said, pointing off down the garden, “who were you gonna ask then anyway? Is it like, anyone i know?” Daisy asked

“...you” Tracy replied quietly, giving Daisy a timid and hopeful smile.

“m-me?”

“yep. I just didn’t ask because...well i guess i was scared of being turned down, i knew i would be” Tracy replied simply, before sighing and looking to the floor.

“but i’m...i’m not gonna turn you down” Daisy replied, “i hadn’t asked anyone, and i hadn’t like, said yes to anyone who’d asked me because...because i wanted to see if you would”

“oh...oh.” was all Tracy could think of in response. He was shocked, genuinely shocked at what Daisy had just told him. “ok...well then...let’s do this properly shall we?” he could barely contain his relief, surprise and delight that Daisy, the girl he had liked from the day he had met her, more than liked, shared his feelings too. “Daisy...will you kiss me at midnight?”

“i’ll kiss you every midnight if you want me to” Daisy replied, and with that she threw her arms around Tracy and kissed him.
Max came back from having shown Dawn the shed which, it should be added, was most definitly not to her liking, yet when Max had reminded her that it really was the only place to go, she had consented and stepped inside. He had walked away, wondering why his cheeks were burning red, and no sooner had he got back then he saw Daisy and Tracy, and stopped in surprise

“there’s still half an hour left!” he called to them from a distance, before setting off to try and find somewhere to get changed that wasn’t already occupied.

“i hear there’s a spare room up for grabs” Drew said as he came to stand next to Max, “Mrs Ketchum say’s we can use it, if we manage to get Mr Mime out “

“i thought Mr Mime was cleaning somewhere” Max replied, looking around to where he thought he had seen the compulsively tidy Pokémon polishing people’s wine glasses in their hands, but found nothing.

“no, apparently he’s on strike. Doesn’t like the mess we’re all making. What really finished him was someone leaving a whole tray of food in the middle of the floor apparently” Drew explained with a forlorn smile

“i’m guessing either Ash or Brock...probably Ash, because Brock’s been chasing Joy around the garden for a while now. Kinda funny seeing him without any restraints, and to be honest i’m not in the mood.”

“well it was found outside Ash’s room, from what i heard” Drew replied

“ah right, thought as much. Well, might as well go and try kick Mr Mime out then”
With that Max and Drew, soon to be followed by Tracy under Daisy’s insistence that the clothes he had gone to such trouble preparing should be worn at some point during the night at least, and then Brock who lost the scent and resolved to try and wow Joy with his good dress sense instead. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Chapter 12

Misty didn’t take long getting changed, she had always been quite quick and besides, there was something she needed to do.

“i’m gonna ask him” she said to herself for the umpteenth time as she carried the tray of food upstairs. She didn’t need to take the food, she knew that but it was an excuse to go and see Ash, so she had taken it. Besides she thought it might be quite funny, since they had spoken about it earlier and he was probably not expecting it anymore. She walked up the stairs and down the small corridor, turning right to the hallway where Ash’s room was. She paused briefly as she rounded the corner, preparing herself. She had never done this before, and had been waiting for so long for the chance to do it...was she really ready? Or would she mess up. Taking a deep breath she took a step forwards, but then stopped again as another figure appeared in the corridor, emerging from the door to the bathroom opposite Ash’s room. The figure in question was May, having finished getting changed herself she was now in quite a spectacular red dress. May quickly crossed the landing and knocked on Ash’s door. She seemed quite nervous, though for what reason Misty did not know, and she couldn’t help herself but wait back and watch. She saw Ash’s door open and watched him step out, apparently not having found the shades yet, but he had something in his hands...there was no time to see, he quickly withdrew and hid whatever it was behind his back.

“hey Ash”

“oh, hi May, what can i do for you?”

“err...i’ve got a question...can i come in?”

“is that your question or...” Ash chuckled, stepping back inside. May followed him and Misty heard the door shut, and crept forwards until she was right outside, pressing her ear to the wall to try and hear what was going on.

“so, what did you want to ask?” came Ash’s voice, just audible through the wall.

“Well i was just wondering...would you...kiss me at midnight?”
Misty stepped back, unable to speak, unable to think. She had missed her chance. these years they had been apart had taken their toll, clearly the feelings that had been mutual during their time together, and had grown together towards the end...they were gone, replaced by his for her. Misty took a trembling breath and tried to think what to do. Her plan was scuppered, she knew that but equally it failed to factor because of the overwhelming sense of loss in her heart. She didn’t need to hear the answer, she knew what would happen, and couldn’t bring herself to stay and listen. Carefully, quietly, she laid the tray of food down, not even stopping to take her own from it, turned on her heel, and walked away, ignoring the clamour that arose behind as her tray was discovered, she simply didn’t hear it. She half walked, half ran, down the stairs and out into the garden, keeping her head down and avoiding meeting the eyes of the other guests. She passed Max and Drew without them noticing, and Daisy and Tracy who didn’t notice her either, albeit for a different reason. Dawn saw her, but did not seek to trouble her as she made her way down the garden, past the other guests all eating, talking and drinking happily together. They looked in her direction of course, as she was almost unrecognisable, beautiful, but the beauty was saddened now.

The bottom of the garden was all but empty and so that is where Misty went, though in truth she knew little about it herself, she just walked and walked until there was no more garden to walk in. Still, the fence was low, she was strong and athletic, scaling it was no problem and so she did, dropping down lightly at the other side and continuing on. There was a lake in the distance, and had she been in the mood to work out her geography, she would have realised that this lake was just behind professor Oak’s lab. It was of little consequence though, except for the fact that it was water, and Misty had always felt comforted and soothed in the presence of water. The presence of one particular person too, but that option had been taken from her, and was the reason she was where she was now. She sat down on the bank, slipped off her shoes, and slowly placed her feet in the cold water. From that point onwards she simply sat, thought, and cried.
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Dawn was  not keen on spending any more time than was necessary in the dark, damp shed. she got changed as quickly as was possible for a girl with nothing but a pocket sized makeup kit, hairbrush and mirror, and left for the house. She was thinking as she walked, about the problem of who to ask to kiss her when the time came, and given there could be no more than twenty minutes left, the problem could not be put off any longer. She knew she was probably a bit young for this kind of thing, but there was one person she had considered asking, though she had not known him long, not at all, and was very nervous about doing so. Still, there was no harm in trying, and she’d have to do it at some time in her life anyway, so what was wrong with getting an early start. It didn’t take her long to reach the house, dodging people and their complements on her and her dress, though they did make her feel somewhat warm and fuzzy inside. She met the girl though, Misty, Ash’s old friend and the one she and Brock has been teasing him about, but didn’t stop to talk. In any case Misty looked in no state to, though this would only occur to Dawn later, but she seemed upset about something, walking quickly with her head down, she could even have been crying. Dawn sidled into the kitchen, past Mr Mime who was coming the other way, clearly with no intention of stopping for anyone and few would try and stop him with broom in hand. She stopped then, as she realised she didn’t know where he was.

“Mrs Ketchum, where’s...?” she tried, but Mrs Ketchum was too busy it seemed to take much notice.

“huh? Sorry dear, i can’t stop, ask Ash if you’ve got a question, he’s in his room. i think Mimey might... Mr Mime stop that!” she yelled into the garden before taking off after her Pokémon

“Ash’s room...right, fair enough then” Dawn said to herself and left the kitchen. She didn’t get very far though, just about up the stairs before she walked straight into Drew who came out of the room right next to her.

“oh sorry” they said in unison “have you seen...?” both stopped, waiting for the other to continue.

“have you seen May anywhere?” Drew asked. He seemed in something of a hurry, and Dawn was fairly sure she knew why.

“no, sorry, haven’t seen her. She said she was getting changed in one of the bathrooms, perhaps she’s...” Dawn’s answer was brought short however when a door opened just behind them and May walked out, backwards, followed by Ash.

“well i’ll...see you later then, i guess” May said as she turned to leave.

“ok then, i guess i will” Ash replied with a smile, “and...thanks...you know, for asking”
Dawn, who had been watching this in puzzlement, turned to where Drew had been.

“there you go” she said, “there’s...” she stopped, Drew was no longer standing next to her...
“oh...fine then. Typical boy, never in the right place when you want him” she muttered

“hey Dawn” came May’s voice, bringing Dawn out of her momentary spell of brooding.

“hey May, have you seen Max anywhere?” she asked

“Max? No, must be still getting changed. Why?” May asked

“err...no reason, i was just wondering” Dawn replied, trying her best not to look guilty or suspicious but failing equally in both.

“right...i bet...” May smiled, she could guess why Dawn was trying to be discrete “anyway no, sorry, i haven’t seen him. Hey, you haven’t seen Drew anywhere though, have you?”

“Drew? Well he was just here, looking for you, but...i dunno where he’s gone now, he just disappeared. You could try the garden i s’pose. Anyway, why do you want to find him?” Dawn asked, seeking to turn the tables on May.

“oh...no reason” May replied, but without the edgy look, instead she smiled, winked, and walked off down the stairs.

“agh damn it” Dawn swore to herself, “maybe Ash will know...” she turned, but had taken no more than a couple of steps in the direction of Ash’s room before the door next to her opened again, and Brock came out. He was followed by Tracy who seemed to be in a hurry, and then, finally, Max.

“oh, hey Dawn” he said as he almost walked right into her. He was preoccupied, after what he had been talking about to Brock, Drew and Tracy, he had plenty to think about.

“hey, Max...nice outfit”

“oh...mom always insists on this kind of thing for a party, comes from being the wife of a gym leader i expect, always have to present a good image...good meaning posh...” Max stopped, realising both that he was blabbering, and that Dawn wanted to say something. This was  one of the things that he had been advised not to do; if he was going to ask then he was not to blabber.

“listen, Max...i know i only met you today, but i was wondering...well you’re my age, and i think i can say we’re friends, so...”

“will you kiss me at midnight?” Max blurted out.

“huh? Yea, but...how did you know that’s what i was gonna ask?”

“no, i was asking you, i really didn’t know what you were gonna ask” Max replied with something of an embarrassed grin.

“oh...ok then, well...yea, ok then i will” Dawn replied.
Max smiled back, but then something occurred to him, and he just had to ask, to be sure of one thing.

“but...don’t mention anything to May, will you?” he asked, the embarrassment even more evident, “only...well the amount of grief i’ve given her about the whole Drew thing, i think she might try and use this to get me back”

“naa no problem. I mean, it is just a kiss right? Nothing more...”

“oh sure, yea, just a kiss”

“well then...no need to say anything” Dawn concluded, giving Max a half-smile, one which he returned.

“let’s go then, can’t be long now, i think everyone’s in the garden” Max said, turning to leave, followed by Dawn. A noise from behind made both look around again however, and they saw Ash coming toward them and looking worried about something.

“oh, hey Ash...” Dawn began, but Ash interrupted

“hey, listen i need to know quickly, do you know where Misty is?”
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Ash had been in his room searching for the elusive shades that he really did not need, for some time. He had quite literally turned his room over looking for them, but had made no headway at all. Really it wasn’t that big a problem, as the shades were really just an excuse to be alone for a few minutes in order to think, to work out exactly what he would say and do. There was one thing he had needed to retrieve from his room, but then he had not needed to look for that. That one particular Pokeball had been on his belt ever since...ever since he had decided to do it.
He didn’t know how long he had been idle, the clock in his bedroom had not been replaced for more than ten years, and had been broken at about ten on the evening before his tenth birthday, when he had become a little carried away in his dream, and thrown it as a Pokeball. As such, there was no way for him to tell what the time was, and all he did know for certain was that he really did need to get his act together and get downstairs, ready to ask the question, soon. Of course, there was always a chance that Misty would come to see him before midnight, but the chances of that were slim. she must have been asked by dozens of people by now, but still there was a chance, and so Ash was always on the alert. It was because of this that he jumped up so quickly when he heard someone knock on the door. Was this it? Could it be her? He grabbed the Pokeball in his hands and leapt for the door, tugging it open and then...

“hey Ash”

“oh, hi May, what can i do for you?” Ash quickly hid the Pokeball behind his back, hopefully May had not seen it. He didn’t want any questions about it right now, and he didn’t want anyone to see what was inside before the right time...

“errm...i’ve got a question...can i come in?”

“is that your question or...” Ash managed a nervous chuckle before walking back inside his room, followed by May. He placed the Pokeball down on the desk in the corner of the room, before turning to face May again. Of course, knowing his luck, he was bound to forget where he’d put that, too.
“so, what did you want to ask?” he said, once they were inside and the door was shut.

“well i was just wondering... would you... kiss me at midnight?
Silence followed this question. Ash blinked in surprise, and then did it again because it had still failed to sink in.

“m-me? Kiss you? At midnight?” he repeated.

“yea...”

“but...what about Drew?” Ash asked. Had he got it wrong? Had all that stuff with Drew been nothing more than playful banter, was there really nothing between he and May? He was sure Drew had feelings for May, that had been made clear before Drew left for Johto, and Ash felt a bit bad for him now that it seemed his feelings were not to be returned.

“oh...i dunno” May replied, sitting down on the foot of Ash’s old bed and looking at the floor, “don’t take offence or anything but...well i would have asked him, but...i just don’t think he’s that kind of person, he’d never have said yes”

“but you’ll never know that, unless you ask him” Ash replied

“basically this is you turning me down then, yea?” May asked miserably.

“no, this is me telling you...this is me telling you to pull yourself together and ask the guy May” Ash said, as forcefully as he could, “he really likes you, more than likes you. You want to be with him...so why not just go and ask him?! As for me...sorry, i’ve gotta be blunt, but i’m asking someone else, and it’ll be...more than just a kiss at midnight, i hope”

“but i don’t know where he is!” May wailed, “there can’t be more than ten minutes left, and i have no idea where to look!”

“look, don’t worry about that, i’m fairly sure he’ll be looking for you too, and there’s bound to be someone who’s seen him” Ash replied, calmly and kindly, though really he did not feel calm at all, he was very aware of the time now and that he had no idea where he himself should begin looking.

“right...right, you’re right, i’ll go look for him” May replied, standing up with resolve and backing towards the door  “well i’ll...see you later then, i guess” she said as she backed out of the door and onto the landing,

“ok then, i guess i will” Ash smiled, “and...thanks...you know, for asking” he finished. May left, and as soon as the door was shut Ash turned to pick up the Pokeball...where was it? He was sure he’d left it on the desk, but now... he leapt to the floor, scrambling around in earnest looking for it. how typical of him to have lost it, now, the time he needed it...ah, there it was, it had rolled onto the floor and under his bed. He got down on all fours and wormed his way into the gap, considerably smaller than it had been when he was ten, but then he had grown a fair amount. He was covered in dust when he got out, clearly Mr Mime had been slacking when it came to his room, but at least he had the Pokeball. he leapt up and ran to the door, wondering now where he should begin his search.
He practically ran into Dawn and Max on the landing, and decided that it would be worth asking them to see if they had seen her.

“oh, hey Ash...” Dawn began, but Ash interrupted

“hey, listen i need to know quickly, do you know where Misty is?” he asked quickly

“what, you mean you still haven’t asked her?!” Dawn asked in shock and alarm, “Ash for God’s sake there’s only ten minutes left!”

“i know that!” Ash yelled in frustration, “and you’re not helping! Have you seen her?”

“nope, sorry” Max replied

“erm...actually yea, i have, i think she was in the garden” Dawn said, suddenly remembering, “but Ash you have to be quick, she looked a bit upset”

“upset? Why?” Ash asked in surprise

“i dunno, she was walking down from the house. You didn’t say anything to upset her, did you?” Dawn asked suspiciously. It was well within Ash’s capabilities to insult someone and not realise it.

“I...no, i haven’t seen her since that thing with Gary” Ash said. He turned around, hoping that the empty landing would offer him some clue as to why...and it did, in the form of a tray of food sitting by itself outside his door. Two plates to be precise...of course!

“oh...crap” Ash swore quietly

“what?” Max asked, surprised at the tone of Ash’s voice.

“well...May just came and asked...Misty must have overheard but missed...right, got to go, see ya” he said, before skipping past them and leaping down the stairs three or four at a time, slipping past professor Oak who approached him saying something about a Pokedex, and out into the garden.
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Chapter 13

All around him there was activity, there must have been over a hundred people there crammed into the garden, all standing together making it impossible to look for Misty. Ash clenched his free hand into a fist in frustration before setting out into the crowd, looking both for Misty, or for someone who could tell him where she was.
He pushed past people, slipped between them and even once took a leap off of a bench to scale a few small children, such was his desperation. He found Brock chasing Nurse Joy but he didn’t know where Misty was, then he found Daisy with Tracy, already smooching but they too knew nothing of Misty’s whereabouts. Finally, just as he was getting even more desperate, Ash came upon May and Drew. They were standing, holding both hands of the other, talking but when he noticed Ash, Drew broke away for a second.

“Ash, you’re looking for Misty, right?” he asked

“huh? Yea, yea have you seen her?”

“i have, and she’s really upset just so you know. She thought...you and May...”

“i know, i figured that out but i can’t find her!” Ash said, panicking so much there may even have been a tear in his eye. This was not how it was supposed to be, it was all going wrong.

“she’s past the garden, over the fence down there, by a lake” Drew replied, “but Ash you have to hurry, you’ve got two minutes, tops”

“right, thanks Drew, you’re a life saver” Ash said, breathing a sigh of relief, “you two just try and save it for midnight, yea?” he grinned, before taking off at a run towards the fence at the bottom of the garden. He vaulted that no problem, his years of travelling having toughened him up, he was quick, strong and agile, but would it be enough to get him there on time? There was just a flat grassy slope between Ash and the lake now, and he was sure he could make out Misty sitting with her back to him. He began sprinting in her direction, picking up the pace all the time as he heard the countdown start behind him.
Ten...Nine...he sprinted as hard as he could, surely he was not going to miss his chance now? Eight...Seven...he was nearly there, he could see her, he was so close as he could make out every ripple in the water, see her hair flowing in the wind. Six...Five... just a few more yards and...
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Drew left the house and stood for a few minutes just outside the door. He looked at the stars and blinked a couple of times; his eyes were watering. He couldn’t quite believe it in truth, couldn’t believe that on the night he was going to tell her, tell May how he felt for the first time and...and now he couldn’t. She didn’t like him, or not in the sense in which he liked her, and for perhaps the first time in a long time, he almost felt like crying. He didn’t though, he held it in as he had often done over the years. He took a deep breath and sighed, before heading off down through the garden. All around him there were people, couples, having fun. Singing, dancing, drinking...he wished he was more of a light hearted person, that he could adapt to the party atmosphere as well as everyone else. Still, it just wasn’t in his nature, and that in turn made him quite a hard person to really be friends with he supposed.
Looking down the garden there was one person in particular who caught his eye, a girl, walking quickly away from him. He recognised her, she was the one who had given Gary such a hiding earlier, and the one who had a crush on Ash, or such was the general prediction anyway. Of course if that was true, and by the way she was behaving now it looked very likely, then she was probably in exactly the same position as he was and...well it might help them both to have the company. With that thought in mind Drew set off after Misty, finding it quite difficult to keep up as she slipped quickly in and out of groups of people, always moving. Eventually though Drew managed to reach the fence, climbed it carefully, and walked off down the grassy verge towards the lake where Misty was just sitting down.

“life’s a bummer sometimes” Misty said as Drew approached her.
He stopped briefly, surprised that she had known he was there, but he supposed she must have seen his reflection in the water.

“hmm...mind if i join you?” he asked.
Misty just nodded in reply and Drew sat down next to her, though without touching the water as she was doing.

“you and May huh?” Misty asked after a while

“...i’d hoped so, but i guess not” Drew replied. “i’m used to travelling alone...i suppose i just hoped that perhaps she might feel the same way about me as I do her”

“i know what you mean” Misty replied quietly, and even as she spoke a single tear fell from her cheek into the shallows of the lake at her feet. “and, for what it’s worth, i thought you two went well together”

“heh well i thought you and Ash...”

“shows a lot about our judgement skills then i guess” Misty smiled grimly.

“...you know, i never thought i’d be here right now” Drew muttered, pulling at the grass between his fingers. This was hard, harder than he thought it was going to be.

“i actually thought i’d ask him tonight” Misty carried on, bowing her head and digging her toes into the soft earth at the bed of the lake. Neither of them were really listening much to the other, there was little or no link in what they said, other than that they were both reminiscing about the same problem and the same failure.

“i was going to ask her tonight” Drew nodded, “but now...” he stopped, there was someone standing behind him. Misty hadn’t noticed, she was staring past the reflection on the lake’s surface, almost completely oblivious to what was going on around her. Drew wasn’t though, he knew someone was there, and as he looked around...

“hey” May said quietly.

“May? What are you doing here, you’ve not got long before...” Drew began but May stopped him.

“which is why i’m down here now. Since you haven’t asked me yet, i kinda figured you’d chickened out, so i’m doing it for you” May replied. She sounded a little affronted, definitely stubborn, but she was smiling too.
Drew for his part had not realised just how far his jaw had dropped.

“but...you and Ash? You asked him, didn’t you?” he asked eventually

“well...i did, yea...look i’ll tell you about it on the way up to the garden. Is Misty ok?” May paused in her attempt to drag Drew away as she noticed Misty, still sitting and staring at the water. She hadn’t heard a word, she didn’t even know May was there.

“well...i don’t know, it depends what Ash’s plans are now, since i’m guessing he’s not kissing you...” Drew began as he and May walked back towards the fence.

“should i tell her he’s looking for her?” May asked worriedly.
Drew thought for a moment, arrived at a conclusion, and smiled to himself.

“no, the look on her face will be priceless when Ash turns up with five seconds to go” he chuckled.

“knowing Ash, five seconds will be an achievement” May sniggered.

The two of them walked back away from the lake, climbing the fence at the top of the grass slope back into the garden. They didn’t go far though, just outside the rest of the crowd gathered, so they could have a little privacy when the moment came.

“you know...i was going to ask you tonight, until i saw...” Drew began, but May put a finger on his lips, and he shut up obediently.

“the only reason i didn’t ask you was because i thought you’d say no” she said.

Drew just laughed, “you don’t know me at all”

“well...maybe we can change that” May said quietly, taking Drew’s hands in hers.

“about a minute left...shall we wait, or not?”

“well...it’d be special i guess”

They were getting closer and closer, and it was looking increasingly doubtful that their resolve in waiting to midnight was not going to last, or that was until they were distracted.

“hey look, it’s Ash” May said suddenly, noticing Ash hurrying past them, eyes darting left and right as he cast around, searching.

“Ash, you’re looking for Misty, right?” Drew asked, getting Ash’s attention with the mention of the name alone.

“huh? Yea, yea have you seen her?” Ash asked quickly, jumping from foot to foot in agitation.

“i have, and she’s really upset just so you know. She thought...you and May...” Drew replied

“i know, i figured that out but i can’t find her!” Ash wailed, his eyes glistening.

“she’s past the garden, over the fence down there, by a lake” Drew replied, “but Ash you have to hurry, you’ve got two minutes, tops”

“right, thanks Drew, you’re a life saver” Ash said, the relief clear on his features as he blinked and took a deep breath. “you two just try and save it for midnight, yea?” and with that he was gone, tearing down the garden towards the fence, and he was soon out of sight.

“well then...guess we’d better get ready” May said after a while, she and Drew reassuming their positions, this time for the countdown.

“ten”

“nine”

“eight”

“seven”

“six”

“five”...
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Misty didn’t notice Drew’s absence until long after he had left. Nor had she known anything about what had transpired up in the garden, and in the house before hand, which was why she was still to be found looking out across the lake, the tears increasing as the midnight hour drew ever closer. She closed her eyes as she heard the countdown from the garden, the ominous ‘ten, nine, eight’ echoing all around her.

“ten...nine...eight” Misty counted along, by herself. “seven...six...” were they footsteps behind her? In her dreams perhaps; there was no one coming for her now, he wouldn’t be there with her when the clock struck twelve. “five...f---“ Misty stopped. There was someone there, someone right behind her and as she stood up in surprise, turning to meet the newcomer...his arms around her, holding her close.

“i’ve got something to ask you”

“Ash you...you...damnit i can’t be mad at you now” Misty laughed, the tears still present on her cheeks but the feeling associated with them was a distant memory now.

“three...”

“two...”

“one...”

“happy new year!”

The call went up all over and at the same time. The laughing, singing, clinking of champagne glasses, the merriment in general reaching its peak in a way that could only happen once a year, one minute, one hour a year. There was nothing quite like celebrating the new year, simply nothing compared, and for several guests at the party, this would be a particularly special one.

Daisy and Tracy kissed again as the party poppers and fireworks went off. They had already past that step of course, several times already during the course of the evening, but nothing yet had matched their midnight kiss.

May and Drew might as well have completely forgotten just how close they had come to missing this chance, it just didn’t matter anymore for the simple reason was that they had not missed it, they were together now under the full moon with so much time now to be together, and in such an atmosphere...they kissed for the first, but most definitely not the last time, and they too made that vow to each other then that they would be together now for as long as they could, no matter what happened.

If Max and Dawn had been nervous and edgy before the moment, it was nothing to how they were during and immediately afterwards. It wasn’t that they didn’t want to do it, in fact secretly they probably both wanted to, but the idea of kissing a girl? Or kissing a boy as it was for Dawn, was still one of the tabooed subjects of their age group. They did kiss though, briefly, a quick peck on the lips before they both fell apart, blushing profusely. For the rest of the party one would glance at the other, realise that the other was glancing back at them, and then both look the other way as red as a sunburnt Charizard. Still though, there was no doubt that the two were to become good friends in the future.

Richie had somehow managed to charm his way into Suzie’s good books to such an extent that not only did they kiss at midnight, but also it would not just be the old Richie and Sparky duo when the time came to leave.

Gary managed to get his image back together to have his request accepted by another cheerleader, though unlike in all the other cases a kiss was what it was, nothing more, and really it was just so no one could be said to have outdone Gary , that really wouldn’t have been acceptable.

There would, of course, have to be the odd failure and, unsurprisingly, Brock’s overenthusiastic flirting proved to be his downfall. He failed to keep track of Joy, frustratingly managing to lose sight of her not a minute before midnight. So no Joy, and the only Officer Jenny present was already accounted for, and so when the time came Brock was left defeated, and soon retired to the cocktail fountain.

Finally then, back at the comparative peace and serenity of the lake, perhaps the most special event unfolded itself in  privacy. Ash had just managed to make it in time, not having long enough to ask the question he had been planning to ask for some time, the special Pokeball was left forgotten, at least for a while, as he took Misty in his arms, exchanged little more than a few words and a relieved, longing gaze, before kissing for what must have stretched well past the five minute mark. It didn’t end there though, it couldn’t, each of them had so much they wanted to say to the other, so much to catch up on and talk about, so much contact they had missed and of course, Ash had that one question still nagging at him.


“i really thought you didn’t care about me for a bit there” Misty admitted, Ash lying by the lake and Misty lying with her head on his chest as he gently toyed with her hair and stroked her cheek.

“i couldn’t not care” Ash replied quietly, “ever since i met you...or almost anyway, i’ve always cared about you but it was only while you were gone that i really realised just how much I...how much...”

“how much what?”

“well...how much i love you, i guess”

“well i’ve always known” Misty replied smugly, but was unable to keep a straight face as she heard Ash laugh, and had to join in herself.

“really though i mean...really loved you” Ash carried on, a sense of seriousness restored. “i mean...well i always thought you were pretty, i suppose, but...well it’s more than that, it’s...well it’s just you, i guess”

“i know what you mean” Misty replied, turning to her side so she could look Ash in the eye, “you were always kinda cute...dense, but cute...”

“not sure if i should be flattered or insulted” Ash muttered with a grin. Misty scowled out of habit but soon stopped and giggled, most uncharacteristic but then, now she was with Ash again, she felt as though something was changing inside her/

“but like you said...it’s more than that...i can’t really explain it, but just being with you...it’s all i could wish for”

“then...i’ve got something to ask you” Ash said suddenly, pulling the Pokeball out from his pocket. They both sat up, but whilst Misty did so out of curiosity, Ash was still shifting himself, stopping when he was on his knees.

“Ash what...?” Misty began but Ash shushed her gently and held out the Pokeball.

“Misty i want you to come with me” he said, “don’t go back to the gym, come and travel with me again...it’s not the same without you, I...I don’t want to go on without you so...well will you come with me?” he asked. Silence followed. Misty was going to say yes, she had to and there was nothing in the world she wanted to do more, but she got a feeling that Ash wasn’t finished yet.

“Ash, of course i’ll come with you, i’ve missed it...missed you, so much, i can’t say no can I?” she said

“but...well if you get called back to the gym again, you won’t go will you? Even if Daisy wants to give away gym badges again, or whatever, you won’t leave me again will you?”

“i was stupid to do that” Misty said sadly, “i guess i just felt i owed her something, given that she pretty much brought me up...and the gym was my home and everything but...well since i got back i realised that the gym really wasn’t a home to me anymore, cos where i really wanted to be...was with you”

“then this is for you” Ash said, holding out the Pokeball. Misty was about to take it when she stopped, it was opening. “Misty Waterflower...will you marry me?”
Silence followed. Misty was staring from Ash to the ring sitting inside the Pokeball, hardly able to believe what she was hearing. Ash had eyes only for her, gazing at those two beautiful aqua-marine eyes, flowing dark red hair framing her face, the moonlight shining down on her; she really was beautiful.
Misty didn’t take long to make up her mind, her eyes soon fixing on his as they stared at each other, deep meaning flowing between the two as they held each other’s gaze.

“yea...” Misty replied quietly, “yea, i’ll marry you Ash”
Ash shut his eyes, and when he opened them again he was smiling, and Misty was smiling back. He took the ring out of the ball and, gently, slipped it onto her finger. Misty looked at the ring on her finger, the moonlight glinting off of the aqua-marine jewel encrusted in the centre, and then back at Ash. There were tears in her eyes, but these were tears of happiness, and as she leapt forwards into Ash’s arms one or two spilled down her cheeks, but she didn’t mind, she couldn’t mind, she was as happy now as she had ever been, and it was all down to Ash. They would be together forever now, free to go where they wanted and when they wanted, but always together, and that was all they wanted to be.
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Chapter 14 – time to go.

“well...that was a party with a difference” Mrs Ketchum said as she watched the young travellers preparing to leave, assembled in the front garden.

“you can say that again” Tracy said cheerfully, “i can’t believe Ash actually asked...can’t believe it” he chuckled to himself, “that could be us eventually” he said to Daisy as she shouldered her pack next to him.

“how long is it until eventually like, comes around?” she asked, giving Tracy a sideways look

“whenever you want to my sweet” he replied with a grin, and shouldered his own pack.

There were several changes of note to the groups that had come, and that were now leaving Pallet Town. Obviously Misty would be going with Ash now wherever he went, and Brock would accompany them, if only to make sure that they didn’t starve given their collective lack of cooking skills. Pikachu too would be going, it wouldn’t be the same without him perched on Ash’s cap, or Misty’s head as was the case at the moment.
For the sake of logic and practicality, Dawn would now be travelling with May, Drew and Max as they travelled around the contest halls. It would be a little odd, having three competing contest entrants all travelling together but then they were such good friends now, and they would be travelling around together, so really it made sense. Of course, there was still a feeling of uneasiness between Dawn and Max, as they still had not been able to stop that glancing thing, but that would pass in time.
Tracy had left his post as professor Oak’s aide in order to go back to the gym with Daisy and help her fill the role that Misty would be leaving. It was quite a role to fill too, there was no denying that though Misty’s modesty had developed over the years, and she would never have said so herself. Whilst Jessie, James and Meowth had blasted off some time earlier, but blasted off at a leisurely pace in their hot air balloon rather than by the actions of anyone else. They, it seemed, had not been particularly bothered with the whole kissing at midnight thing, preferring to spend all of their time at the buffet table, given that there was no guarantee that they would be able to get a half decent meal for a good while after the party.
Gary was leaving in his car with almost all of the cheerleaders who had arrived with him, with the exception of one. Suzie and Richie had ‘hit it off’ for want of a better term, and at some point during the course of the night before one of them had asked the other about travelling together, and it had been agreed.

“right we’d better be off then” Ash announced as he, Misty, Brock and Pikachu made their way to the gate and out into the road, “thanks for the party mom, see ya soon!”

“oh...bye honey!” Mrs Ketchum called back, “keep safe, eat well, and i’ve packed you’re clean...”

“right, thanks mom” Ash interrupted her, highly embarrassed. To try and get himself out of the limelight he turned to the road and pulled out a map. “right...” he began, “so we’re heading to Vermillion port which is...that way...so we need to go...this way, right, we’re off, see ya everyone!” he called, and set off down the road. It took him a few seconds to realise that he was the only one moving, as even Pikachu had vacated his head in favour of sitting in Misty’s arms. Ash looked around, confused, and of course it was Misty’s face he was drawn to, and her expression told him exactly why no one was following him. He knew what was coming, and Misty knew he knew, but she couldn’t resist it, it had to be done, for old times sake.

“Ash...you’ve got the map upside down again” she said patronisingly, reaching out and rotating the map in his hands. “and now you should be thanking me, cos otherwise we’d have ended up lost in some dead end of nowhere...” she was stopped before she could build up the insults though by Ash, who had closed the gap between them remarkably quickly and pressed his lips to hers.

“wow...this is gonna take some getting used to” Brock said to himself, observing the two, “c’mon, surely you can wait til dinner can’t you?” he said sarcastically.

Misty broke the kiss, just for a moment, enough time to say “oh shut up Brock, just cos Joy rejected you”

“that’s all Ash’s fault” Brock objected as he set off down the road after the others, “i said i should be more forward, but...” his voice drifted off as they walked away, the sun blazing overhead, the open road before them. This was how it should be, this was just like old times; old times with something of a difference. There was now no speculation about Ash and Misty, no questions, hints or jibes, no need to hide the feelings. This was old times without all of that – this was old times AaML style, and it was going to be absolutely spectacular.

                                                                       The End.