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No forest floor or pokémon center mattress could ever compare to the comfort of Misty's own bed. Returning home from her latest journey with Ash and Brock had left her feeling all kinds of things—nostalgic, energised, lonely, old—but waking up to soft pillows and warm blankets every morning? That had certainly helped her readjust back to life at the gym.
Not that she had much time to appreciate it. Exactly one week after her return, Misty found herself wide awake as the sun began to rise, just like she had every other day since she got back. She groaned as she glanced at her clock and confirmed how early it was.
As a teenager, shouldn't she naturally be able to sleep until noon? Or at least until her sisters started banging on her door, nagging her to get up and start her gym chores. But instead they slept like baby pokémon every morning while Misty laid awake, sighing and shifting around until she finally admitted defeat and got up.
Honestly, mornings kind of sucked. They were too quiet. There was no Pikachu chattering, no Brock offering her breakfast, no Ash rubbing sleep from his eyes, looking equal parts cute and pathetic. When her sisters were still asleep in the first light of day, there was so much space for Misty to miss her friends.
So she found creative ways to distract herself.
Instead of moping, she sprang out of bed and grabbed her bike, pedaling fast and following familiar roads towards the water. If she started early enough, she could fit in a good hour or two of fishing before the day began. Fishing was always there to cheer her up. It led to new pokémon, new friends. More than once, it had even led her to great adventures.
The water flowed gently as she set up her gear on her favourite rocky verge. She had it all to herself, with the exception of Psyduck who never seemed to let her be truly alone. The sky was a beautiful blend of blue and orange, so pretty that Misty paused for a moment to take it in. It was exactly what she needed. How could she dream of being anywhere else when her hometown shone so bright?
When she was ready, she assumed her starting position and drew herself up tall. She always enjoyed showing off as she cast her fishing line, even when no one was watching. She had the skills to pull it off, so why not? Maybe a passing water pokémon would be so impressed that it’d follow her back to the gym. They’d train together and she'd become stronger than ever and people would write books about Misty and her outstanding water team. The best of the best, they’d proclaim. That girl can even beat the world champion!
She felt more pumped than ever as she swung the end of her fishing line back over her shoulder.
“Alright. Here we g—whoa!”
Misty stumbled as the line caught on something behind her. As it tugged her back a few steps. She was startled, until she remembered Psyduck was free of its pokéball. She sighed as she turned around.
“If you want to play then just tell me! You don't have to–”
Misty’s words faded out to a small gasp. Because it wasn't Psyduck behind her. It was Ash.
She blinked a few times. That couldn't be right. She must be sleep deprived. Seeing things. Maybe her Psyduck had been replaced by a Ditto, and that Ditto had transformed into her oldest friend, only somehow, the eyes were right. They were warm and brown.
Ditto must be better at mimicking eyes these days. That was the only explanation. There was no way Ash could actually be holding her Misty-lure between his fingers. Barely a week had passed since they said goodbye, and based on past experiences, it could be anywhere between three months and three years until they met again.
“What are we playing?” Ash asked, with a smile that was too bright for the early hour. “I’m in, as long as you don’t get too mad when I beat you.”
Ash tugged gently on her Misty lure, then let it go. The line pinged back to her. The movement snapped Misty out of her daze. It was really Ash, and that made no sense, because he should be halfway across the world. Misty should be nothing but a memory that blurred around the edges.
She set her fishing rod down on the ground, any hopes of catching new pokémon gone. The only thing Misty consistently reeled in was the same confusing boy she met when she was ten.
“You're not Psyduck,” she said as Pikachu hopped into her arms like it had been years, not days, since their last contact.
“Nope,” Ash said. “I’d like to think I'm a little smarter than that. Uh, no offense, buddy.”
Psyduck made a pleased sound, simply happy to be mentioned. The joy of seeing old friends again seemed to override any other potential thought it might have.
“I dunno,” Misty said. “Your sense of direction could certainly use some work. Weren't you going to see your mom?”
“Oh, I did! Then I left, hit the road again. You know how it goes.”
Misty absolutely did not know how it goes. She might’ve been friends with Ash for years, but she still had no idea what was going on in that brain of his. Especially now.
“How did you end up here?” she asked.
“Am I not allowed to be here?” Ash asked. “You run the gym and guest list in this town?”
“Am I not allowed to ask why?” Misty fired back. “You've gotta have a reason.”
Ash shrugged. “Someone once told me this was a great place to fish. Well, I say once. It was at least two or three times.” Ash made his voice higher. “You wouldn't believe all the cute water pokémon you’ll find there! I’m gonna catch them all! Sound familiar?”
Misty felt her cheeks warm. She did like to enthuse about her favourite spots from time to time, but she wasn't sure anyone was actually listening. Brock maybe, and Lana sure, but Ash? He really remembered her mentioning it?
“So… you're here to fish?” she asked.
Ash shrugged again and stuffed his hands in his pockets. Misty was gonna stuff his head in the water if he didn't give her a straight answer.
In her (not very frequent!) daydreams when Ash found her unannounced, he was always more assertive. More likely to hug her or announce that he'd missed her. The real Ash seemed to have zero intentions of explaining what he was doing in her spot in her town at approximately 7.30 in the morning.
And Misty wasn't going to let him get away with that.
She stepped around Ash, and he turned to face her, his back to the water now. Pikachu leapt out of her arms and darted away, Psyduck trailing behind. That pokémon sure had a better sense of self-preservation that his trainer did.
“Ash Ketchum,” Misty said, taking a step closer. “Are you on some dangerous, undercover mission?”
“No?” Ash said, shuffling back a little.
“Involved in a huge, public champion-related scandal?”
“Not that I know of.”
“Are you in hiding?” She moved closer again. “On the run?” And again. “Being followed here?”
Ash backed up some more. “I sure hope not.”
“Then I'm afraid,” Misty said, “that you have no excuses.”
She placed her fingers on Ash's chest. He looked down at her hand in surprise. He'd shuffled back enough that he was right on the edge of the rocky verge. Exactly where she wanted him.
“I'm pushing you in that water if you don’t answer my question! What are you doing here? You have 5 seconds. 5, 4, 3, 2–”
“Fine, okay, okay!” Ash said, holding his hands up in surrender. “It was an accident, kinda. I didn't have a plan when I left my mom’s, but when I saw the Cerulean City sign, I remembered that I wanted to ask you something. But I didn’t know you’d be here! I was maybe gonna call in the gym or something."
“Oh.” Misty's hand fell from Ash's chest in surprise. “Okay.”
Ash moved forward, his feet finding more stable ground. Misty stepped back, giving him space.
He wanted to ask her something.
That was… huh.
Knowing him, it was probably a stupid question. If you could evolve into any pokémon, what would it be? or how many french fries can you eat in one go? Misty knew better than to get her hopes up, but her heart didn't seem to. It beat faster as she held her breath, waiting for Ash to say something.
“Uh, whenever you’re ready?” she prompted after a long moment. “Ask away.”
“I–” Ash took a breath, his fingers twisting together. “I wanted to ask you how Clauncher is.”
Misty exhaled. Of course that was what he wanted to ask. Why was she expecting anything else?
“Exactly the same as it was a week ago,” she said, trying to hide her disappointment.
“Right.” Ash laughed and it rang out nervous. “I just thought I’d better stop by and make sure it was coping. Since it missed out on the chance to come along with a super cool trainer like me, you know? If I got stuck with you, I know I’d struggle to recover from something that tragic.”
Misty sighed. She was too confused to even insult Ash back. Or to remind him how she wiped the floor with him in the battle.
“Seriously? Is that really what you wanted to ask me?”
Ash hesitated. “Well…”
“Have I got to threaten to push you in again?” Misty held up her hands, inching them closer to him. “Because I'll do it. If that's what it's gonna take to get you to talk…”
“How was the gym?” Ash blurted out, as Misty's fingers made contact with his shoulder. “When you got back? Was it all good?”
Whatever Misty was expecting, it wasn't that.
“It was fine,” she said, lowering her hands. "Good, even. My to-do list is crazy long now, but my sisters took pretty good care of things. I think I can trust them.”
“Okay. Great. That's good.” Ash nodded a few times. “So - so I guess that means that maybe you'll leave again one day. To go traveling?”
“Yeah. I hope so.”
“Then…” Ash paused for a moment. When he spoke again, his words came out in a rush. “Then next time will you let me know?”
Misty blinked in surprise. “Huh?”
“Um, if I'm far away then I might not bump into you so easily,” he said, not meeting her eyes. “So maybe, I dunno. The next time you're headed out, maybe you could call and tell me which way you’re going. And then…”
Misty felt her heart racing as Ash’s sentence trailed off. She got the meaning, maybe, but she couldn't say it. She could barely even think it. It felt too presumptuous. Despite how long they'd been close friends, even best friends, admitting they might want to spend time with each other felt way too forward. She'd rather be locked in a room full of bugs than ever ask Ash if that's what he meant.
But as he stood there, gaze fixed down on the ground, a soft blush spreading across his cheeks, it was hard to imagine what else it could be.
“And then what, Ash?” she asked, her voice small and hopeful.
“A-And then I’ll make sure I’m on the other side of the world!” Ash said, gesturing at her forgotten fishing rod. “Gotta make sure I'm not nearby if you're still reeling guys in with that thing.”
Nope. Misty wasn't biting this time. She wouldn't let them fall back to the safety of playful insults so easily. Not when they were tiptoeing on the edge of something actually honest.
“Not likely,” she said softly. “You’re the only one I’ve ever caught.”
She felt her cheeks warm too as she said it. It felt like saying nothing and revealing way too much all at once.
“W-Well, let’s keep it that way, okay?” Ash said, and Misty felt her breath catch again. "I mean, I wouldn't want some other guy to have to deal with your face in a morning."
"Yours is so much worse," she said, but there was no bite. It was hard to keep herself from smiling.
“So… will you?”
“It might not be for a while, but…” Misty's heart beat faster as she nodded. “Yeah. I will.”
“Cool.”
Ash cleared his throat. He tightened the straps on his backpack, like he was preparing to leave. Like that was all he had to say.
“Is… is that all?” Misty asked.
She wasn't sure what she was searching for, but she knew she craved more of it. There had to be something else. Ash paused for a moment, then nodded again, a grin spreading across his face.
“For now,” he said.
For now? Misty wanted to scream. What does that mean?
“Well, I'd better get going!”
Ash turned, as though that was enough. As though it was normal to turn up out of the blue, utter three significant sentences, and then wave goodbye.
But the problem was, it was normal for him.
It was typical Ash Ketchum.
He spotted her bike leaning against a railing as he retreated, and ran his fingers across the shiny handlebars.
“Now this would speed things up. Can I–”
“No. Not a chance, absolutely not, don’t even look at my bike.”
Ash stepped back and laughed, holding his palms up in surrender. “Worth a try, right Pikachu?”
Pikachu leapt to Ash’s shoulders and refused to comment. That pokémon always had been smarter than Ash.
Ash looked at her for a moment, amusement fading in the early morning light.
Misty had more questions. So many of them. But maybe she didn't need to ask them all right now. They had time. And Misty felt more hope than she ever had that Ash might actually answer them one day. Though she might have to threaten to drown him a couple of times first. It was an option she’d use if she had to.
“See ya Misty!” Ash waved and then tore off at a pace even he couldn't maintain for long, Pikachu bouncing along at his feet.
“That boy,” Misty muttered to herself as she watched him leave.
She shook her head, but she was grinning. She was so glad he wasn't there to see it.
Misty didn’t catch any pokémon that morning, but she found herself doing her chores later with an unexpected spring in her step.
It was foolish, she knew, to feel such a rush. But in the bright morning sun, the words for now sparkled with possibilities.