Chapter 3

Iris, Cilian and Brock went off to bed after the group broke up for the night, but the others had other plans. Dawn was by herself outside watching the stars when a dark shadow appeared next to her.

“Oh!! Who is that?” She demanded standing up and reaching for pokeballs that were not there.

Paul sat down on the bench that Dawn a few seconds ago had occupied. Dawn slowly retook her seat shooting a curious glance at Paul. She was not that entirely sure why he had sought her out. He never was interested in her or what she had to say. In fact she was not even sure if he knew her name or what she did.

Dawn slumped a little. Why was Paul out here and saying absolutely nothing too? Just when Dawn was contemplating whether or not to go back into the centre Paul spoke up.

“What are you looking to improve on while you are here?” Dawn blinked in surprise; she hesitated before turning to him. Paul was not looking at her but she had no doubt he was aware of her movements. Even if he was there blankly staring at the stars.

“I still want to be a top Co-ordinator but I also want to be a good pokestylist. I’m looking to improve on the way my combinations appear and also to improve on my battling.” Paul just sat there after she spoke. The silence was no uncomfortable but it was a bit unnerving.

“How do you plan on improving that?”

“There are all sorts of competitions here Paul, so I will just enter the ones that are the most challenging for me and my pokemon. No need to worry that is if you worried.”

Paul turned his head toward her a rare full blown smile on his lips. “I worried Blue.” He whispered. “Before I remembered who I was thinking about.”

It was not the sweetest thing she had ever heard. But Dawn flushed before staring back up at the star filled sky in silence.

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May was outside in the garden slowly tracking a group of Caterpies. Her hands were forming a familiar camera pose as she went along. “May’s expedition is off again. The question of where these lovable bug pokemon are heading lies in all our minds. Hidden treasure? A secret ritual, maybe even a safe place to evolve.”

“You still don’t get out much do you?” The low drawl came from directly behind May and she reacted without thinking.

“Water gun!!” Wartortle burst from his pokeball and doused Drew thoroughly.

“GAHHH!!” yelled Drew as he flew backwards to hit a wall.

“Drew!! Oh no.” May moaned and rushed towards Drew. “Sorry Wartortle, Return!” May fell to her knees by Drew. “You shouldn’t have crept up on me! Are you hurt? Are you in pain?”

“Uhh, no May I’m fine.” Drew murmured sitting up. “You gave me quite a soaking there, your Wartortle gave me quite the soak. Its water gun has improved by quite a lot.”

“Oh Drew, you gave me quite a shock there.” May went to help Drew up but he was already rising and pulling a scarf from his pocket to wipe his face.

“It will dry.” Drew said when he noticed May looking at his soaked shirt. “I came to see how your training went for you; I expected an explanation with a demonstration later.” Drew winked at May. “You keep surprising me.”

May blushed; this Drew was a little different to the one she was accustomed to. She was expecting the criticism to come from whatever angle, but it was not coming. Drew was just there, looking at her, after all this time he was in front of her.

How much she had missed him. The Orange islands were so much a big a place; water wise that was, all that travelling on boats, it had her missing home so much. Knowing that no matter what she would not be running into Drew had hurt so much. She had so badly wanted to run to where he was. Where in the most random places he would turn up offer advice, argue with her, and give her a rose.

Almost on cue, Drew produced another of those blood red roses for her. “I missed you May. Without you in the festival it was empty.” Drew said in a lowered voice.

“I was trying to find that style Drew, the one that makes me, me. Remember? Back in Kanto I told you I wanted to find a battling style that was mine and mine alone. I’ve been searching and travelling all this time. Now I’m ready to get back into the contest circuit. But this, this will be my......”

“Training wheels.” They said simultaneously. Drew blinked down at May. Somehow he had moved closer to her. She plucked the rose from his hand and cradled it. She got the sense he wanted to ask her something. In fact she could see the fight he was having with himself. But as usual he pulled himself together before flicking his hair away.

“I want to see this style of yours, so we had better see each other in these contests May.”

“The way you will be travelling there is very little chance of it Drew!”

“That’s why you have my number May! Just call me regularly. Because there is no way I’m going to wait until some grand festival to battle you!!” Suddenly the area had gotten hot with the building tension from the two of them.

“I’m just not ready to battle you yet Drew.”

“When will you learn that we are rivals? May how can you be ready for Dawn, and that girl Zoey, but can’t battle me? I was there from the very beginning; I was your first contest battle. Yet you can’t even show me how good you have gotten?” Drew stepped back his face cold.

May felt her heart speed up, how had it gotten to this? How was she to explain to Drew that battle wise she was way away from his league? He was so good, and she felt like she had stumbled into the majority of the places she ended up. How to explain that Drew was the one with the talent and she was the one with the lucky breaks?

As usual Drew knew what she was thinking and his face softened. “May, to get better you have to challenge yourself, and your pokemon. You can’t become the best by doing the weak stuff.”

Before May could respond to that Drew did. “I know, I know, your friends are not weak. Whatever. But it’s not them that I want to battle. It’s you. I won’t take no for an answer May, you have gotten this far, either shake yourself out of this funk you are in or I will.”

Drew spun away from her and started walking towards the pokemon centre. He got a few feet before he stopped “You have gotten this far May. You can’t back out just because of a few doubts you may be having. You wouldn’t be letting down yourself and your friends, but your pokemon too. You owe them to become the best, to make them the best.” Drew strode off without another word leaving May clutching the rose and staring after him with confused thoughts in her head.

“Oh Drew.” She whispered the sound carried away by the soft night breeze.

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Finally they were alone, at least sort of. Ash sat on the grass behind the pokemon centre. Misty by his side but Pikachu on her lap. He did not mind though. Pikachu and he were buddies, and his presence ensured that Misty could not immediately run off. Because make no mistake they had to talk.

The stars were so pretty. Misty could not seem to figure out what to look at. The beautiful stars, happy Pikachu, or the uncharacteristic quiet Ash. She opted for the safer option and kept her gaze at the twinkling diamonds in the sky as she petted and cuddled Pikachu. She had missed them so much.

“Hey Mist?” Ash started.

“Yes Ash?” Misty replied looking at him to find him looking at the ground.

“I, I really missed you Misty.”

“Me too Ash.” Suddenly outside had become hot and uncomfortable. Just where was this going?

Ash let out a sigh before collapsing on the ground to stare up at the stars. “I really can’t believe how this whole trip has started out so far.” He turned to look into her eyes. Molten chocolate kept her prisoner. “First Drew and Paul, people I haven’t seen for so long I run into, and then you Mist. Only they are travelling with me and you won’t be. And I would take you and that temper of yours over them any day.”

Misty felt embarrassed, this certainly was not an Ash she was used to. The old Ash would have just said how good it was to see her before asking if she wanted to hear about his adventures. This Ash seemed alot more mature. But considering how many times she had been reminded the hard way that pokemon was where Ash’s heart and interests lay. Misty decided to take his words as words from a best friend to a best friend, a male best friend to a male best friend at that. There was no way Ash had even matured to the point he knew that she was a girl and that girls had important purposes.

“Ash, trust me I missed you too. Especially when I’m ordering a hamburger.” She hugged Pikachu closer. “And when I’m pouring ketchup I remember you too Pikapal!”  Pikachu chaa’d in her lap causing smiles from both Misty and Ash.

“How was the gym life? We never got to really go into detail over that. Even when we ran into you, there never seemed to be that much time.”

“Oh, well firstly there was no vacation that’s for sure. I was so thankful for the times that Tracey dropped by. My sisters were more interested in shopping and travelling to work in the gym. Then because gym leading is full time there was no real time to catch or study water pokemon. Some of my pokemon are easy to manage and train, but others needed a little more attention than I was able to provide, especially with us running to a challenge every few minutes. It was something that I loved though Ash. “Misty paused before mimicking Ash and lying on her back to look up at the stars.

“I really loved it though, almost as much as I loved travelling. I enjoy showing off water pokemon, almost as I loved battling with them. I feel almost guilty about how I feel about m sisters taking over the gym. I mean I’m glad I get to travel, but I’m not too sure how I feel about feeling so free right now.”

Misty turned her head to the side to face Ash. “You get what I’m saying right Ash?”

Ash paused, looking into her eyes and trying to find the right words that would not offend yet reassure her. “I think you should be happy about the whole distance thing Mist, when I saw you in Kanto you were almost run ragged. So you should be feeling calm about this whole thing.” Ash rolled closer to her so that their noses were almost touching.

“A chance to make yourself stronger, make new friends. Create a whole new bond with your pokemon, and maybe learn something new.” Ash broke off wondering if he should go any further, but this was Misty and one thing he was with her was honest.

“Mist this is a chance to get away from everything, things that were upsetting you, expectations that were too much, a chance to think about your dreams.” There was a pause after his statement with Misty just searching his eyes.

“Do you think this is too much too fast?” She whispered.

“No, but if your sisters can celebrate over some wacko fanatic practically forcing you on a date because you haven’t been out relaxing in so long, then you know you need some time off.”

There was another pause, Pikachu was almost forgotten but he was there quietly listening to the exchange over his head. Suddenly Pikachu was engulfed in a three way hug as Ash reached over and crushed Misty in a bear hug.

“I missed this, all we need is our sleeping bags, and Brock snoring and it would be like old times.” Ash whispered in her hair.

“When it so much easier and our goals were so much simpler and easy to define; and all these problems did not exist you mean.” Misty whispered.

“Yes, when our biggest problems were running out of food, Team Rocket, and getting lost.” Ash laughed. “I miss those days.” He confessed. “Because now here we are, so much to say and no way to say it. All because the shock has not worn off and deep down we fear all this is a dream.”

Misty smiled. “I really missed you Ash. Soon to be Pokemon Master Ash.”

Ash pulled back and smiled. “I really missed that too Water pokemon Master Misty and I know Pikachu missed it too.”

Their laughter filled the air as both of them lay back to watch the twinkling stars. Just like old times.