Past Friendships...

Chapter 19 - Past Friendships...

Ash had won his second match of the tournament without losing any pokémon and had gone back to his suite's building with his friends. Sarah, the first trainer he had beaten in the tournament, followed them, hoping to convince him to help her train or give her some pointers. Before heading back upstairs after talking with Joy for a bit, they heard a commotion between a boy and girl as they entered the building.

"I told you I don't want to go out with you!" shouted the very attractive girl. She was wearing a blue skirt, showing of her slender legs, a tight black tank top with a blue poke ball symbol that had a low v-cut showing off her noticeable bust's cleavage, on her head was a blue and white Pokémon League cap, and her long brunette hair went past her shoulders.

"Quit lying to yourself, you know you want to. And we agreed you would if you win your last match, which you did," said the boy. He was taller than her by about a head, wearing red pants, a white shirt and a red, short sleeved jacket. He looked like your average ace trainer.

"No, I never agreed to such a thing! Stop making things up and….and…my boyfriend won't like you talking to me like that!" she added hastily when the idea came into her head.

"Boyfriend? Yea right, stop lying. Look one dinner is all I ask."

"You think I'm lying?" The girl looked behind her and saw Ash and his group of trainers, who had their backs turned to them. "That's my boyfriend right there!" She pointed at Ash as she walked up to him and grabbed his arm. Pikachu jumped onto the counter, sniggering at his friend's predicament.

"Why me?" muttered Ash quietly, so only his friends heard him as the girl made him turn around. His friends quietly chuckled as they turned around as well to see what would happen next. Gary was smirking at first but then his jaw dropped after noticing how beautiful the girl was. The four girls were red in the face though they didn't react, which was surprising. The new girl was a bit stunned seeing how handsome her pick was but immediately overcame the initial shock as she continued her plan and got really close to Ash, then got on her tiptoes to reach his face, her mouth near his cheek.

"Please help me," she whispered very quietly, barely moving her lips and gave him a quick peck on his cheek, before facing the ace trainer and glaring at him. She wrapped her left arm around his waist and placed her right arm on his chest. She blushed slightly as she felt a jolt go through her body when she felt his firm and hard body. Oh Mew, he's fit!

"You're her boyfriend?" asked the ace trainer. Ash glanced at the girl, her eyes giving him a pleading look when she raised her head to gaze at him that only he caught. Both Ash and the girl had thoughts race past their minds in that moment.

Damn, he's handsome. He looks familiar too. Wait…Those eyes…They're very familiar. I can see a fire burning in them. Who is he? Have I met him from before? Maybe after this fiasco I can thank him and get to know him better if he turns out to be a good guy.

WHY? Why is it always me? (Internal Sigh) Well can't help it now, she's using puppy dog eyes. I guess I'll help her out…Wait, those eyes…They're very familiar but I just can't place from where. She's very pretty too…and….ah shit, she's wearing some revealing clothing. Fuck! The girls are going to kill me for this!

"Yes I am," answered Ash confidently, having made up his mind to help her out. He smiled at the new girl as he wrapped an arm around the girl's waist and brought her closer to him, before raising his gaze and glared at the ace trainer. The girl blushed slightly at the stranger's actions but kept up the act as she too glared at the annoying guy.

Tell the girls that I'm just helping her out to get away from this guy please before they kill me.

Ash sent that mental message to Gardevoir and Lucario so they could update the group before the four girls killed him. The two smirked and quickly, but quietly, told the fuming girls and the others why Ash was going along with it. Everyone understood and the girls calmed down a bit; now knowing what was going on but kept their eyes narrowed.

"Really? And who are you?" asked the ace trainer with a frown.

"What does it matter who I am? But if you must put a name to my face, it's Ash Ketchum."

The girl's eyes widened as she looked up at him again. Ash? Could it really be you?

"Ash Ketchum? Oh wait; you're the trainer who won his last two matches easily from what I've heard from everyone here. You're good, I admit but why are you lying for a random girl you don't even know? Anyway, it's not like she can do better than me, she's not that pretty. I was doing her a favor trying to take her out," said the ace trainer without care trying to save face since he had made a fool of himself because of the girl.

Everyone grew angry at his statements while the brunette had tears fill her eyes. Ash let go of the girl before swiftly moving in front of the ace trainer and stared him down, being a little taller than the rude ace trainer.

"Apologize," snarled Ash.

The fury in his voice was unmistakable. Even Sarah could feel the power radiating off of him. She was appalled at what the boy said but was amazed as to how quickly Ash was willingly helping out a random stranger. The girls no longer were suspicious of the brunette and were instead getting furious at the guy themselves. The new girl stared at the back of Ash's head, amazed at what he just did.

"Who the hell do you think you are? You think you're some big shot who can boss people around? Screw you and get out of my face!"

He threw a punch at Ash who dodged it effortlessly, surprising the attacker. He threw another punch and he dodged that as well. He aimed a kick at him but Ash blocked that and when he went for another punch, the raven-haired trainer deflected the attack and grabbed his arm. Ash quickly twisted it around his attacker's back and kicked out one of his legs, dropping the ace trainer to one knee.

"Apologize!" repeated Ash.

"Fuck you!" insulted the ace trainer, making Ash put more pressure on the arm. "AAAAAGGGHHHH! Get off of me you jackass!"

"Apologize first!"

"AAAGGHH! S-s-sorry!" cried the trainer and Ash eased up on the pressure but held the lock.

"If you ever bother her again, you'll be much sorrier. Are we clear?"

"Yes! Just let me go you asshole!"

"Good." Ash let him go. He walked towards the brunette as the ace trainer massaged his arm.

"You okay?" he asked her.

"Yes, thank you." She half smiled, her wet eyes shining under the light. Her smile faded away before suddenly shouting; "Look out!"

Ash spun around and caught the flying fist in the palm of his hand where his head would've been. The brunette gasped loudly and even Sarah's jaw dropped. His friends however, weren't that surprised. They'd seen Ash train with Lucario and this was nothing, though they did get angry that he attempted to land a cheap attack like that. Ash didn't need the warning from the brunette, as he had sensed it with his aura, but it was better that less people knew. The ace trainer himself looked quite shocked and was quickly getting scared.

"Why do people like you always have to make things hard? Why can't you ever admit defeat and learn from your mistakes?" growled Ash.

He bent the caught fist backwards, causing pain to shoot up the ace trainer's arm. The trainer let out a cry in pain before he threw a panicked punch with his free hand and it connected against Ash's chest, freeing him and making Ash take a step back. He swung again, this time at Ash's head but the raven haired trainer dodged and quickly delivered a punch to his stomach. The boy doubled over and Ash grabbed his throat, picking him up with one hand, raising him off the floor, as he had done to another jerk in the past. Sarah and the new girl took in a sharp breath at his display of strength.

"I love this part," said Dawn gleefully. The others glanced at her. "Hey, don't give me that. I know you guys like it too! Plus, it's cool," she finished with a devious smile.

"I gave you a chance and you spat in my face. Why does scum like you even exist?" growled Ash. "Don't ever come back here. And don't ever bother her again or I will find you. Now, GET OUT!" roared Ash as he hurled the ace trainer towards the building door.

The ace trainer landed hard against the floor but quickly got up and ran out, scared out of his mind. Ash turned around and faced everyone before letting out a deep sigh.

"Why is it always me who has to deal with stuff like this?" whined Ash.

"Because you're the one who constantly has to save everyone Ashy-boy," teased Gary.

Ash? Ashy-boy? It really is him and that other guy has to be him too, thought the brunette. She stopped her thinking when she saw Ash moved towards her.

"Hey, you're safe now. You okay?" he asked her with caring eyes.

The brunette looked at him for a second, noticing the concern in his eyes before nodding with a smile. She then gave him a tight hug and a quick peck on the cheek before she withdrew from him. Ash rubbed the back of his head in response, a little blush on his face and the others sniggered, but the four girls' eyes narrowed.

"Not necessary but thanks. By the way, what's your name?"

"I'm surprised you haven't figured it out yet Ash. Then again, you've always been a bit slow." The brunette giggled at Ash's confused face before finishing. "It's me, Leaf Green."

Gary's eyes widened after hearing her name. No way, he thought. This gorgeous girl is Leaf?

"Leaf?" Ash blinked stupidly. "Leaf!" he cried out suddenly and hugged the girl tightly, lifting her into the air who laughed out loud instantly. Everyone looked confused except for Gary. "Gary it's Leaf!"

"Yea I figured when she said her name," said Gary dryly.

"Wow, how have you been Leaf?" asked Ash after her put her back down, both of them smiling a bit.

"Ah-hem," coughed Serena making Ash look at his friends.

"Oh sorry guys. Guys, this is Leaf Green. She's a childhood friend of mine and Gary's. We haven't seen each other since we started our pokémon journeys. Leaf, this is everybody; Misty, Brock, May, Max, Dawn, Iris, Cilan, Joy, Richie and of course you know Gary." Ash pointed out each person, finishing up with Gary who grinned.

"Hi everyone. And yes, of course I remember Gare-Bear," teased Leaf and Gary face palmed.

"Gare-Bear! I forgot about that!" Ash laughed. The others laughed and right after started teasing Gary about it.

"Alright, very funny. Yea yea, you're hilarious. C'mon stop. Seriously enough. SHUT UP!" yelled Gary, fuming, red in the face as a vein throbbed on his neck.

"Still the same I see," giggled Leaf, as the others calmed down after laughing so hard with Ash wiping a tear from his eye because of laughing so much. "And you haven't changed either Ashy, always having to be the hero."

"Hey, you're the one who dragged me into it," defended Ash.

"True, but if I hadn't, you probably would have stepped in anyways."

"No I wouldn't!" lied Ash, obvious to everyone.

"Don't lie Ash. It doesn't match you. Plus we know your personality. Though we did get a little annoyed with your little stunt there, pulling her close to you," remarked Dawn, a little peeved.

"Sorry, I was just trying to make it look good," admitted Ash as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Oh I'm sorry. I didn't mean to piss of his girlfriend. I just needed to get that guy out of my life," replied Leaf quickly after to help defuse the situation.

"Oh he's not my boyfriend. Not yet anyway," corrected Dawn with a wink at Ash who blushed.

"Oh really? So you're still available huh?" Leaf eyed Ash interestingly, who sweat dropped and the girls glared at Leaf.

"Well, it's complicated," said Ash hurriedly. The girls smiled at Ash for coming up with an excuse.

"Yea, Leaf, you don't want to get involved with what he's gotten himself into," joked Gary.

"Is that so Gary? Hmm…I'm intrigued. Might be fun to get in on the action. What's going on Ashy? Lost a bet? Made a promise? Maybe I should get involved if it's so interesting."

"NOOOO!" shouted Ash suddenly, fearing the girls' wrath, especially Misty's.

"Keep your pants on, Ash, I was only joking," teased Leaf. "Wow, you're still so easy to mess with, even after all this time."

"Leave me alone," pouted Ash, his shoulders sagging. Most laughed while the four girls merely giggled, not wanting to give him too much of a hard time.

"Fine I'll drop it for now. So you're in the tournament huh? I assume so are you Gary?" asked Leaf turning to face her other childhood friend.

"Nope, not this time. It wouldn't be fair to the other trainers here if I joined in," boasted Gary. "Plus I'm a Pokémon Researcher now like Gramps. Richie and Ashy-boy are in the tournament. By the way, why are you here?"

"Pokémon Researcher huh? Cool, it suits you. I guess not all of us have the patience to become the next Pokémon Master, eh Ashy?" She elbowed Ash lightly in his side who grunted, making her chuckle. "Anyway, I'm here competing in the tournament as well. I just won my second match as well and that guy kind of latched onto me after the battle. Thanks again for that Ash."

"No problem Leaf. Just be careful from now on alright? I can't keep pretending to be your boyfriend."

"And what's wrong with that? Oh I know why. You can't handle such a beautiful girl, that's why," teased Leaf as she made a seductive pose at Ash.

Misty, May, Dawn and Serena were about to interrupt their conversation, getting a little annoyed at Leaf's words and actions when Ash said something that surprised them.

"You're right, I can't. Maybe you should have Gary be your boyfriend," suggested Ash.

Gary and Leaf both looked at each other for a moment before they each burst out laughing, which made everyone raise their eyebrows in surprise.

"Me, with Gary? Yea right. He's too full of himself," remarked Leaf.

"Good one Ashy-boy. You know she's too psycho for me," said Gary, circling his finger around his ear, signifying that Leaf was crazy.

Both Leaf and Gary soon got into a heated argument, calling each other names and insults, making everyone shift around uncomfortably. Ash remembered the old days when they would do this every now and then. It was funny back then but now it was just annoying.

"Alright you two, that's enough!" shouted Ash.

Both Leaf and Gary glared at him and were about to combine forces against him while Ash merely smiled, sending out a mental command. Gardevoir's eyes glowed blue and picked up both of them into the air with her psychic powers.

"Put me down right now Ash or you'll regret it!" said Leaf.

"That goes double from me!" agreed Gary.

"Ah look, they're finally agreeing with one another," sniggered May. Gary and Leaf glared at her so fiercely she gulped.

"I'll put you down if you promise to relax and stop," said Ash.

"I promise if you don't put us down, I'm going to beat you into a pulp!" vowed Leaf.

"Hard to believe coming from someone who asked someone else to fight her battle for her," teased Ash.

"HEY! That's different!"

"I doubt that," laughed Ash. The others couldn't believe how much fun Ash was having. He noticed the expressions on their faces and grinned. "Don't worry guys; I'm not going to do anything stupid. I just haven't been able to get back at these two for a long time and it's just perfect right now."

The others nodded with smiles on their faces, understanding, since they've seen his long rivalry with Gary and his relationship with Leaf must've been similar.

"Alright we give!" pleaded Gary.

"Speak for yourself Gare-Bear!" shouted Leaf.

"I'm not putting either of you down, until you both agree!"

"Damn it Leaf, just admit it!"

"No I won't! Gardevoir is getting tired. She'll stop soon."

"Gardevoir, are you tired? Do you need to stop?" Gardevoir smiled, her eyes still blue as she spoke with her telepathy.

"No, I'm good Ash. I can keep this up for a long time." Her talking stunned Leaf and Sarah for a moment, since they haven't heard her speak yet. Ash raised his head back at Leaf and Gary, crossed his arms and smirked at them.

"Looks like we'll be here for a long time. I hope you both have some good stories to tell everyone."

Gary glared at Ash then at Leaf. Leaf slowly turned her face towards Gary.

"Will you just admit defeat?" growled Gary.

"Alright. I give," sighed Leaf.

Ash nodded at Gardevoir who let them back down. They both landed on their feet, their heads hung down, staring at the floor.

"Are you guys good?" asked Ash.

Leaf and Gary glanced at each other and gave a slight nod. They both leaped at Ash, trying to tackle him but he dodged them, rolling out of the way and the two crashed against the floor, grunting.

"Really guys? After what you've seen me do just now? And you Gary; are you kidding me?" asked a bewildered Ash while the others chuckled.

"I forgot alright? Leaf being here made me remember the old days when we would constantly get you, but looks like no more."

"What do you mean Gary?" asked Leaf, messaging her side as she got back up.

"Let's just say Ash is not slow anymore. He's still dense in some regards, but our old tricks won't be good enough anymore," revealed Gary.

"Really? Well Ash, I must say I'm impressed," looking at Ash as if seeing him in a new light.

"Yea yea, don't listen to Gary too much Leaf. Anyway, we're about to head up to our room. Where are you staying at?" asked Ash.

"I'm camped out near the edge of the woods," answered Leaf. They stared at her. "What? It's not that bad. It's nice at night; I get to see the stars." They weren't buying it. "Oh alright, I arrived late and all the rooms were taken, so I'm roughing it okay? There I said it."

"Well not anymore. You can join us in our room," offered Ash, the others agreeing, though the four girls were a bit hesitant but didn't show it.

"That's okay. I don't really want to sleep with ten others on the floor, cramped together."

"It's much roomier than you think Leaf," said Gary. "Why don't you come see then make up your mind?"

"Alright, I'll come check it out, just so you don't cry Gare-Bear and so I can catch up with Mr. Pokémon Master here," said Leaf, sticking her tongue out at Gary while pointing at Ash. Misty went red since Leaf used the phrase she would usually say for Ash.

"Cool. But before we go…" Ash turned to Sarah who was still standing near the corner of the room. "Hey Sarah, what's up? You wanted to talk to me?"

"How did you know?" asked Sarah, startled at first but she slowly moved closer to the group.

"Not many would have stayed there throughout this whole time, staying quiet without wanting something. I have the feeling you wanted to talk to me," explained Ash.

Sarah said something quietly, her cheeks turning pink.

"I'm sorry, what did you say? I couldn't hear you."

"I wanted to know if you could help me train or give me some advice," repeated Sarah.

Ash scratched the back of his head as Gary's jaw dropped, not believing what he just heard. What the heck is going on? How is Ash getting all of these beautiful girls to just come to him? Are we in some parallel universe or something? And why am I not getting any action? Have I really lost my touch? Gary's thoughts were interrupted when he heard Ash speak again.

"Really? You do?" asked Ash as she looked at him, astounded.

"Of course I do! You completely creamed me with just Pidgeot. I've never lost like that before and I just beat the Johto Elite Four. I wanted to know if you could give me some training techniques or give me some advice," answered Sarah.

"You really did cause her to forfeit then Ash? I didn't believe it when I heard the rumors but hearing it from her…damn…when did you become so strong?" asked Leaf, clearly impressed.

Ash ignored her but the four girls put their hands on their hips, glaring at Leaf, who either didn't notice or didn't care as she continued eyeing Ash as if studying him, getting slightly red in the face as she noticed how fit he was and how much he had grown..

"Ah I see. Well, I can't tell you my secrets." Sarah hung her head. "But I can give you some pointers if you'd like. I'll watch over one or two of your regular training sessions and give you some advice on what you could add or focus on." Sarah lifted up her head, beaming with a radiant smile.

"I'd love that! Thank you Ash!" she gave Ash a quick hug and released him.

"No problem." His stomach then made one of its infamous loud mating calls.

"Looks like Ash hasn't completely changed," giggled Leaf.

"That's one thing that will never change," said Gary. Everyone laughed while Sarah smiled a little as she thought something; they seem to know each other quite well and seem like a good group of people.

"C'mon lets go eat. Sarah, you're welcome to join us if you'd like. Joy, you're coming aren't you?"

Sarah agreed and Joy said she's finishing her shift in ten minutes. She would've finished earlier but ended up covering for someone else, explaining why she was not able to join them before. They squeezed into the elevator, Ash returning Lucario and Gardevoir, who also told Ash to let them stay at home for a bit while Pikachu was on Ash's shoulder.

When they got to their room, and entered, Leaf's and Sarah's jaws dropped as they took in the sight that befell them. They couldn't believe how big and luxurious looking the place looked. After a quick tour by Ash, they rejoined the others in the living room, with Cilan and Brock working on dinner.

"How could you guys afford this place? Even split among all of you, it must've cost a fortune!" gasped Leaf, while Sarah nodded.

"We couldn't and didn't. Ash was given the place as a token from President Goodshow himself," said Iris. Leaf's eyes grew wide as she turned to look at Ash.

"Well, look at you. Friends in high places, grew into a handsome gentleman and a powerful trainer. What other secrets are you hiding Ashy?" she asked, batting her eyes and moving towards him seductively, slowly swaying her hips. Ash started sweating, as he backed away from her.

"Nothing I swear!" He replied back quickly. A little too quickly and Leaf picked up on it. She was very keen on details.

"Now, what did we say about you lying Ashy?" Ash ended up against the wall as Leaf continued her advance and Pikachu jumped off his shoulder.

"Traitor!"

"Pika pi pika pi kachu pikachu ka pi."

"What do you mean I'm on my own with this and you're not getting involved when it comes to dealing with girls?!"

Pikachu merely shrugged and shook his head. He faced forward and saw Leaf getting dangerously close while the others merely looked on motionless in shock.

"Ah…I…Leaf…please…" stuttered Ash. Before anyone could do anything, Leaf spoke.

"You know, I have to admit that I kind of liked it when you pulled me closer to you downstairs. It made me get close to your body…oh Mew it's so firm and muscular…ooh…I like it. I want you Ashy," said Leaf softly, sending shivers down Ash's spine. She placed her hand on his chest as she started leaning in towards his face.

That was the last straw. Four girls shot forward and placed themselves in between Ash and Leaf, after pushing Leaf back with furious expressions on their faces.

"Don't you dare try that again!" fumed Misty.

"Ash is off limits!" yelled May.

"Ash is with us!" screamed Dawn.

"If you can't behave, you can't stay here!" finished Serena.

Everyone was stunned at their reactions. Brock and Cilan were frozen in place as they held plates over the table. Gary, Richie and Max had their jaws drop and Iris had a proud smile on her face. Sarah was just completely lost at what was happening in front of her. After a moment of awkward silence, Leaf burst out laughing. She fell to the floor, laughing so hard that she had tears run down her face.

"HA HA HA HA! Oh my, you really fell for it….HA HA HA HA! Oh, I can't breathe! HA HA HA HA! I knew something was up, but now this just confirms it! HA HA HA HA HA!" Leaf continued laughing for a while, the four girls still angry, though not as badly as before since now they were also confused at Leaf, along with everyone else.

"What do you mean Leaf?" asked Ash annoyed and confused. Leaf pulled herself together after laughing so much and took deep breaths before she stood back up.

"Well, ever since you said it was complicated and Dawn said that she's not your girlfriend, I wanted to know what you guys meant. I waited for the perfect opportunity to push some buttons and there it was. Sorry Misty, May, Dawn, Serena…but I just had to know. And doing that to Ash…it was just payback for downstairs. Now I know why it's complicated. I'm impressed Ashy. I thought you would be last to find love, so focused on becoming a Pokémon Master. Looks like not only was I wrong, but you have four incredible girls after you. Good luck choosing," finished Leaf with a wink.

The four girls stood silent, awestruck as to what Leaf would do to get what she wants. Could they be like that? They glanced at each other, and when they realized they couldn't, they shook their heads.

He has four girls in love with him? And he likes them back? That sucks. Looks like that idea went out the window, thought Sarah with a slight frown.

"Damn it Leaf! I should've known!" Ash said suddenly. "Always pulling off moves like that with everyone, trying to get what you want or to wiggle out of something you didn't want to do. Too bad it didn't work on the guy downstairs." Leaf turned away, not facing him. "Wait a second…" Ash quickly understood. "You did! You did and it backfired on you didn't it!"

Everyone stared at Leaf, who quickly became red in the face.

"Yea well, it worked on you didn't it?" shot Leaf back.

"Not something to be too proud of Leaf," joked Gary.

"HEY!" whined Ash. Everyone laughed. Ash shook his head and shrugged. "Whatever. So Leaf, you staying here or what?"

"If you don't mind and if I haven't pissed off your girlfriends to the point of killing me, I would like that," answered Leaf, waiting for the girls to answer her. The girls looked at each other for a second before they faced her and Misty stepped forward.

"It's fine; you can stay with us. But try something like that again with Ash, even as a joke and I will mallet you into the ground. Got it?"

"No problem, it's a deal," said Leaf as she shook Misty's hand.

"Make sure you keep that deal Leaf," said Gary. Leaf turned to look at him, as he rubbed the back of his head, messaging ghost pain from his beat downs. "Misty packs a punch with her mallet." Leaf turned back to face Misty who was sporting a grin on her face. Leaf shivered a bit, a little scared now. If Gary worried about it, she knew to stay clear.

"You know all too well yet you still mess up, Gare-Bear," teased Misty.

"Ah man! Why'd you have to say that Leaf? Now I'll never hear the end of it!" whined Gary as everyone laughed.

"Dinner should be ready in about half an hour guys!" called out Brock.

"Cool. Need help packing up your stuff Leaf?" asked Ash. Leaf looked at him for a second then nodded, thanking him for the offer. When the two left, Sarah took a seat on the couch.

"Is it always like this with you guys?" asked Sarah.

"Pretty much but you get used to it after a while," answered Richie, as he sat down on the large couch and turned on the TV. Pikachu jumped onto the couch and curled up to take a nap again. The others joined him as they sat down to watch TV, waiting for dinner.

Ash and Leaf soon reached her campground that surprisingly wasn't too far away. Leaf packed her personal items while Ash took her tent down and broke down the fire pit she had made. They finished up pretty quickly, considering the fact that Leaf didn't have too much stuff with her. This was one of the things different about her; she didn't like to carry unnecessary things, especially when traveling. The raven haired trainer noticed that and couldn't help but be impressed that she was mostly concerned with essentials.

As they entered the building, Ash asked Joy if she was off work yet, which she confirmed she was, so they invited her to dinner. She happily joined the two and the three went back to the suite. They entered right at the moment that Cilan called that dinner was ready. Richie hurriedly got up and welcomed Joy, who instantly turned the same color as her hair. Everyone gathered around the dinner table, one person short. Pikachu was enjoying some actual food for a change instead of ketchup, enjoying his dinner on the couch.

"Where's Ash?" asked Sarah, who got a smirk from Gary as a response and right as he opened his mouth to comment, someone cut him off.

"Right here," said Ash. They looked around to face him as he walked forward, in the process of putting on a new clean shirt. His other one got dirty while helping Leaf pack up her tent. The girls all went slightly pink as Ash sat down and grabbed some food.

"I swear, if you let him, Ash would come and eat naked," joked Leaf.

Everyone but Ash laughed whose face turned red. A couple people choked on their food, requiring Brock and Cilan to perform the Heimlich maneuvers on Iris and Gary. The two coughed up the piece of food that was stuck in their throats. After the near death experience, Gary and Iris gulped down some water.

"Leaf, for the love of Mew, don't ever talk when we eat," gasped Gary after drinking his cup of water.

"Sorry Gary, I didn't mean to cause you and Iris to choke on your food," replied Leaf, embarrassed.

"Yea I know. Just be careful what you say and when you say it alright? We already have one dense person here," said Gary, pointing at Ash. "We don't need two."

WHAM! Gary was lying down on the floor, groaning as Misty put her mallet away.

"That's twice in less than two minutes you almost died Gary. Maybe you should watch what you say as well," sneered Misty. Ash smiled and winked at her, causing Misty to smile and blush slightly.

"Misty, remind me to never get on your bad side," remarked Sarah with Leaf agreeing with her.

"You have nothing to fear from me. Just don't act like Gare-Bear down there and you'll be fine."

They continued their dinner, talking and joking. Gary rejoined after a couple minutes, messaging his head. After dinner, Misty, May, Dawn, Serena, Iris, Joy, Sarah and Leaf went into one of the rooms. Brock and Cilan cleaned up the table and washed the dishes as Gary, Richie, Max and Ash plopped onto the couches and watched some TV. Ash rubbed his starter's back, the yellow mouse cooing in delight, who had joined them on the couch.

The girls soon came back out and asked them if they wanted to do something. They thought about poker but quickly shot that idea down, noticing Dawn's evil smile. Richie mentioned Pictionary and they agreed. They split up into two groups; Iris, Cilan, Richie, Joy, Brock, Gary and Max on one team, Ash, Leaf, Sarah, Misty, May, Dawn and Serena on another team. They played for a few hours, shouts, yells and arguments filling the air as they played. The last round caused an uproar over the fact that Cilan couldn't draw a Lapras, costing them the game. Ash's team cheered in victory over the other group.

They glanced at the clock and saw that it was extremely late, almost midnight. They offered Joy and Sarah to spend the night with them and they agreed, thanking them. Everyone said goodnight and Sarah, Joy and Leaf joined the girls in their two rooms.

Ash went into his room and changed for bed, wearing only pajama pants. Pikachu curled up in his makeshift bed on the side of Ash's bed and fell into a deep sleep instantly. Before he was able to lie down to sleep, there was a knock on his door. When Ash opened it, he saw Misty who was dressed in her yellow semi-transparent nightgown. They both blushed slightly, noticing each other in their slightly revealing clothing.

"Hey Mist. What's up?" he asked as he moved aside to let her in and closed the door.

"Well I'm here to let you know that the girls and I have decided the order and I will be up first, then May, Dawn and finally Serena. We're basically going with the order you traveled with us in."

"Sounds like a plan! I promise to give it my all and give each of you the best date I can."

"I wouldn't have it any other way," smiled Misty. "Also, there's one other thing. We decided that to further along the whole boyfriend, girlfriend thing and see how comfortable we are with it, we thought it might be a good idea to sleep next to each other." Misty blushed a furious red and so did Ash, as he scratched the back of his head.

"Ah, okay, I guess that makes sense."

"Good. But you better not try anything Ketchum!" warned Misty suddenly, poking her index finger at his chest hard.

"Okay, okay, no need to worry." Ash said smiling.

Misty smiled and moved towards the bed. Ash glanced at her walking towards the bed. He could faintly see the outline of her undergarments and her curvy yet athletically toned body, the result of all her swimming. The red head had grown to be a very beautiful young woman, with the right amount of curves to accentuate her already perfect body and Ash had a hard time not looking at her. Misty knew that Ash was checking her out and she smiled to herself as she continued towards the bed, climbing onto it with each move made slowly to tease him. Ash went red and felt himself heat up. He quickly turned away and he went into the bathroom to wash his face, in an attempt to cool down. After a couple minutes he got out of the bathroom and lied down on the bed next to Misty, on top of the covers while the red head was underneath them.

"What are you doing dummy?" asked Misty with a smirk as she plopped herself up on one elbow.

"Ah, lying down to go to sleep?" answered Ash innocently, raising his head.

"Ash, we're supposed to be boyfriend and girlfriend, not just friends. Plus I trust you, you dense head." They both chuckled a bit.

"Okay, if you really want me to," teased Ash as he got underneath the covers, joining her.

Misty playfully smacked him against his arm, making Ash pout in return, which caused Misty to giggle. The raven haired trainer smiled shortly after. They were lying down on their sides, facing each other. Ash slowly reached over and grasped her hand and Misty blushed a little at his action.

"Misty, I just want to say that I'm glad that we're trying this out, being together and the dates and everything. And I'm sorry for taking so long to gather the courage to tell you how I feel. Thank you for giving me this chance. I know I'm an idiot sometimes and can act rashly, but I truly do appreciate everything you've done for me, like at the dinner table earlier and I care for you greatly."

Misty drew in a sharp breath before responding with barely a whisper. "You do?"

"Yes, of course I do Mist. I care about you a lot. You are my Mystic Mermaid Misty and nothing will ever change that." Ash said that in a low voice as he gazed into her eyes.

"Ash…That was the most romantic thing you've ever said to me." Misty's heart melted and her entire body filled with such a feeling that she never felt before that she didn't think she could bear it.

Chocolate brown eyes and cerulean blue eyes were locked onto each other as they slowly leaned in together. Their eyes closed as their lips met with a simple yet passionate kiss, but it ignited them, sending electricity through each of them. They separated and opened their eyes to look at one another.

"My first real kiss. I'm sorry if it wasn't magical for you Mist," confessed Ash, frightened that he couldn't live up to her expectations, especially after so long but Misty smiled at him.

"It was my first as well and it was every bit as special as I thought it would be," replied Misty.

"Really? That was your first kiss ever?" asked Ash, surprised. Misty's face went crimson red again.

"Yes. I rejected many guys who asked me out because…well because I was waiting for you," admitted Misty, her face turning even redder somehow.

Ash had the biggest smile ever appear on his face after hearing that. They gazed into each other's eyes once more, letting that do their talking for them. Before they knew it, they were kissing again, locked in a passionate and heated embrace. They were learning from each other as they tasted each other's lips, enflaming them. Misty soon ended up on top of Ash, one hand going through his black hair, the other hand placed on top of his bare and firm chest. Ash had one of his hands in her red hair as well, while the other was going up and down her back, feeling her toned body through her thin nightgown. Even though it was their first make out session ever and didn't really know what they were doing, they still enjoyed every second of it and learned from it. They stopped after a couple minutes to catch their breath, eyes still closed while their foreheads touched.

"That was…pretty intense," whispered Ash as Misty giggled a bit.

"After so long, I'm not surprised."

They kissed again, their passion soon erupting out as they were releasing years of locked up feelings for each other. They stopped shortly after though, careful not to let it go too far since it was their first time together. When they stopped, they opened their eyes, brown and blue eyes reflected off of each other, both filled with love for the other, burning with fiery passion yet they knew not to continue. They didn't want to rush in too quickly and mess things up. Misty got off of Ash but laid down next to him on the bed with her head on his chest and wrapping an arm over his stomach. Ash wrapped his arm around her after bringing up the blanket over them again since it slipped down during their intimate moments.

"An interesting day awaits us Mist."

Misty looked up at him, smiling.

"I bet it will be Ketchum."

She kissed him again, not out of passion or heat, but of pure loving emotion, which Ash felt fully as another spark rushed through them both. They stopped and Misty placed her head back onto his chest.

"Goodnight my Pokémon Master."

"Goodnight my Mystic Mermaid."

Ash and Misty soon fell asleep together, both comfortable and happy that they were finally able to be with one another.