Pokemon Fan Fiction / Pokemon Fan Fiction ❯ Closure ❯ Times of Change ( Chapter 4 )

Title: Closure

Author: Chibi/Warlordess

Pre-Author's Notes: Reviews! Reviews! Reviews! Thank you, my beloved readers for sending in your comments and letting me know what you think! I didn't really know what to think about this 'flop' of an idea at first but... Let's just say that you all have convinced me that it's worth continuing! Like I said, thanks oh-so-much for the comments and I hope that you enjoy this chapter! Remember, any idea's (though I can't promise that I'll use them) can be sent in your Review Reply by pressing the li'l bluish button at the bottom of the page! (Unless you're on TPT or any other site that's not FFN; then you can use the according Reviewing Page)! Arigatou!

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon. I don't even think I own this idea. I'm just the first person that I know of whose decided to post anything on FFN/anywhere else about it.

Summary: Ash's stupidity gains him a visit to Misty's Gym after his finish in the Hoenn League and there, things between them get a little hasty. Implied and possibly serious AAMR.

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Chapter Four: Times of Change

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"Go, Misty! You're doing great!"

It was three days later. After risking another couple of chancy dinners made (once again) by Misty, using the bathroom for remedial purposes, and getting a good few nights sleep on a comfortable futon, and then waking up to scurrying from downstairs every morning, Ash was pumped and ready to see how Misty's battling skills had improved while they'd been separated.

Knowing her well enough to know that she wouldn't go a day without monumentous training and preparation for a defense in the name of the Cerulean Gym, Ash wasn't that surprised when he got downstairs and saw her whipping an eleven year old and his Ratatta (who weren't at very high levels or very strategical, anyways). But, all ready having acknowledged her as a good trainer, he couldn't just sit back and ridicule her and so he got active.

"Good match, Misty! You're good enough to take on other Gym Leaders for the League, you know?" Ash stated, smiling very widely at her.

"Ash, c'mon, you don't have to say things like that, just to make me feel proud of myself..." But she was still glowing scarlet, "Besides, that kid still needed a lot of practice before he took me on. He told me himself that he had slacked off training when going through Mt. Moon so he was unprepared." She took a deep breath, "Some of the other trainers are really tough, even for me. In fact, I've sometimes resorted to using the strategies you did in your Gym battles so that I could overrule them..."

"Really? Huh; I'm glad that I could be of help, at least." He smiled at her.

"Yeah; you have been." Misty looked thoughtful for a moment before a grin flitted across her face, "Tell you what; as payment for the wonderful job you've been doing here at the gym, I've decided that, after all of the trainers have come and gone for today, (and once they've faced my wrath), we can go out to eat. I think there's a new buffet restaurant open down the road and word is that they specialize in foreign foods. I owe you anyway, for being the best friend I've ever had." She blushed but didn't let it get the best of her, even when Ash stared in her direction in confusion.

"Hey, Misty, what's with the sudden compliment?"

"I don't seem to give you enough of those, do I?" She replied in question, interrupting his bout of puzzlement.

"Huh..? But-sure you do, Myst! I know how you really feel about me, even if you don't show it that often!"

Misty's eyes widened as she stared in front of her. He did..? How could he?! She might have been slightly obvious but his brain capacity couldn't have picked up on how she truly felt about him, could it? Did Ash really deserve that much more credit..?

"Y-you know how I feel about you..?" She finally turned around and met his eyes, "Then tell me how you feel about me! You don't make much of an effort letting me know what you really think about me either..." She crossed her arms and waited for him to answer her.

Ash was having a bit of trouble thinking of a good reaction. Every time he tried to spout out something along the lines of "best friend and a good trainer", the words would get stuck in his throat. Finally, after about two minutes of spluttering, he was able to say something.

"Awe, c'mon Myst! You know what I think about you! You're smarter than that!" He waved his hand casually and walked around her, reaching the doorframe that led to the main entrance of the gym.

"Yea, I think I have a pretty good idea..." Misty murmured sadly as she stumbled half-heartedly after him.

"You'd better be ready; you have three trainers out here waiting for a battle and a Cascade Badge." Ash stated, looking back at her with a coy grin, "But I'm sure that they'll have a good challenge trying to get it. I'm rooting for ya, Misty!"

Misty felt a small smile reach her face, even though she was trying her hardest to remain pouty. It always upset her, somehow, knowing that all it took was one compliment from him to make her happier. And she always beat herself up for it, thinking about how easy it was to give in. She hated everything about him that made her feel so wonderful and safe inside.

"Okay, trainer number one! I need the first person to come to the gym to please enter the battle arena. Today's schedule features one-on-one battles so please be sure to have your Pokemon ready."

A an hour later, Misty knew why so many people had visited her gym to try and win a Cascade Badge. Alongside her hometown's horrible reputation (that she was slowly but surely repairing), a lot of the travelers would take advantage of her system of one-on-one battles during that day. They would appear, the main thought in their head being 'All I have to get through is one match; I only have to beat one of her Pokemon to win.' And they would use that vote of confidence for succession.

It worked partly well; the battlers were confident and courageous, if not too flashy or bold. They trained their Pokemon well, used powerful, yet even, techniques, and brought a great assault against Misty's Pokemon. It was nothing new to her that she lost two out of three of the matches.

After winning the first one, she'd gotten a little ahead of herself, taking her next opponent too lightly and suffering quite a loss against his Pidgeotto. And then, frustration settled in with the doubt of her abilities and the shame of losing with Ash sitting in the crowd watching her. The last match of the day was probably her most embarrassing one ever, having lost with her Staryu against a Metapod. That's right; a METAPOD.

"Aw, c'mon Misty. It's okay that you're not the best. I mean, it's hard trying to keep up appearances and everything and, managing so much at once, I can see where some things might not go the exact way you want them. We all have those types of problems!" Ash patted her on the back as she collapsed beside him, sighing deeply and checking a small Jigglypuff pencil case, cushioned and holding eight wedgings for single Cascade Badges, two of which were empty.

"I don't get it... I've trained so hard and when I win, everything's so perfect and easy, but when I lose, somehow I can't concentrate and end up feeling just as much pain as my Pokemon..." She pulled out her Pokeballs containing Starmie, Staryu, Horsea, Psyduck, Politoad, and Corsola, "I need to train them some more; maybe get Horsea to evolve, finally... And Psyduck."

Ash smiled, "Well, it's nice to know that you didn't just throw him into the streets and give up on him. It's obvious that Psyduck has really great potential if you can just strengthen his will to battle. He just seems a little lazy... If you could get him on a diet and maybe teach to swim laps and exercise, then I'm sure he'll be a Golduck in no time!"

"Yeah..." Misty got up from her seat and pulled on her raincoat, "C'mon, Ash. Let's go out to lunch; my treat. I wanna drop off my Pokemon at the Centre so that they can rest up for the night. Cause tomorrow, things are gonna change!" She marched out the door.

Ash pulled Pikachu from the lounging chair he'd been resting on in the arena and laid him on his shoulder, tapping him awake and following after his friend.

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"Whoa! This looks good!" Ash's over-excitement at seeing so many foreign cuisines steaming, broiling, baking, and frying in front of him was pretty funny. His mouth was slightly open, as if he'd just started getting over a bit of a shock, and there was a sudden look in his eyes that said: 'Hand me a bib and stand back!'

"Um... I'm glad you like it. I told you this place had some good..." Misty's voice caught in her throat as she watched Ash shovel a bowl of Pork-fried rice into his mouth, and then she watched him swim through two egg rolls and a plate of lo mien, "A-Ash... It's a buffet restaurant. You can slow down; we're not in a hurry..."

"Mmm... This stuff is so good! I don't even know what half of it is!" But that didn't mean that he wasn't taking advantage of a free meal.

A lot of time passed as Ash served his own way through eleven main courses, twenty-nine side dishes, sixteen desserts, and at least forty drinks. By the time he was ending his little lunch raid, he was rather drunk in himself.

Ash finally had a chance to look up and saw Misty sitting opposite him with half of the faculty behind her; all of them were wearing looks of either disgust or wonderment, "Whassa matter, Misty..? Dun'cha like the food..?"

"Ash, it's almost six o'clock. We've been here for five hours and I finished eating a LONG time ago. The manager and his crew have to get ready for the dinner parties and we have got to go!" Misty was looking slightly harassed, and her eyes were locking onto him.

She pulled herself out of her seat and grabbed onto his arm, pushing him towards the door. Once she got there and Ash was wavering outside waiting for her, she turned back to the waitress who'd served them their drinks and handed her a twenty dollar bill, bowing in apology and saying, "I am so sorry for my friend's rudeness. He's such a dingbat!"

"Am not!" He shouted from behind the glass doors, his voice muffled by the barrier between them.

Misty huffed loudly and left to tend to him as he giggled from the sugar-rush he'd obtained by drinking so much soda. The on-going rain continued to fall around them as they walked, their moods and faces in the opposite direction. After a minute or so, she aggravatedly held out the umbrella she'd folded under her arm in order to shroud the both of them from the storm.

And then she cracked.

"Ash! Why did you have to act that way in public? I don't ask for much but a little common courtesy would go SUCH a long way... I don't understand why you have to behave so badly? I know that you like to eat and that you have trouble saying 'no' to a nice, large plate of food but..." Misty sighed. She knew what was coming as soon as Ash interrupted her to comment on her former statement.

"If you know so much about me then why don't you let me do what I like without acting like I'm an embarrassment to humanity! I mean, c'mon Myst! I don't like it anymore than--" Ash saw Misty cringe at the name, obviously discovering new hatred for it.

"--Don't call me that! Not right now!" She stomped ahead of him, her face screwed up in anger. Ash followed after her, fast becoming angry at her attitude and her lack of explanation as to why she was behaving so irrationally.

"Why not? I've been calling you that nickname for almost two years... I thought that you liked it." Ash had gone quiet but he was looking upset and pouty. In absense of his former glee, he was looking exceptionably miserable at the moment but Misty was in front of him and facing down the road so she didn't see his expression.

"Yeah, well I don't. I don't like how you call me that, like it's always been okay to give me whatever name you want! I don't like the way you treat me! I don't like how you act so indifferent towards me! I'm not your boyfriend or your pet, Ash! I'm a girl and I thought that I was one of your best friends! I hate everything you've been putting me through over these past four-and-a-half years!" She turned around to face him with her hands on her hips, and after seeing the hurt and (slightly) heated expression upon his face, she changed her tone, hoping to make Ash understand how she felt while in a calmer sense, "...I'm sorry, Ash; maybe it was just the way that you were acting like such a kid this afternoon but--" Her voice died in her throat again as she saw his silhouette standing against the streetlight.

Ash was looking rigid; his hands were fists at his side, his eyes were screwed shut, and he was looking suddenly aggressive.

"Well, Misty, I've got quite the list for you! You think that I love the way that you hit me all the time?! I don't! You think that I love the way you act around other people while I'm there, how you talk about me as if I'm not, how you say all those things about my lack of training skills and my idiotic, dense personality?! I don't, Misty, I don't! I can't stand your attitude, your tomboy appearance, the way you treat your Pokemon and friends! No wonder you were alone when we first met! You're so pushy, stubborn, angry, irritating, ugly; it's a wonder how your sisters put up with you for all those years!" He took a moment to catch his breath and looked up as he heard something fall to the ground in front of him. It was Misty's umbrella.

But Misty, herself, was no longer standing beside or underneath it.

She was running in the opposite direction with tears in her eyes... And she wasn't looking back. The rain continued to fall as Ash stood there, unable to move for all of the good it would do him.

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Post-Author's Notes: Yay! The best chapter yet! When I added the second part in here (the restaurant and onward), I didn't have the exact finish in mind. It took me awhile to piece all of the less-flattering characteristics together, considering some of them I like. But I had to put it in Misty and Ash's POV's about each other so it was a little harder... Especially since I haven't watched one episode since the one where she left...

But, ignoring that pain... Thanks for reading! I hope that you find time to review and that you keep the title and my penname in mind so that you can continue reading next time!