Okay, this is the first fic I ever wrote, back when I was barely 17. I'm not overly happy with it myself. The story is too fluffy and basic, and my ability has (I hope) increased greatly since the time I worked upon this, but I've decided to post it anyway. I spent a lot of time on it back in the day.

“Ah, Viridian City at las,.” Misty said with a relieved tone. “We’ve been travelling back here for over a week now, and it’s about time we arrived.”

“I agree with you there,” Ash replied.

“At least you both agree on something,” Brock commented with a small smile on his face.

The three just stood for a while on the summit of one of the hills that over looked the city. It was a glorious day. The sun was strong, but bearable, and its light played on the glass windows of the builds.

“No more sleeping bags and bugs for a while. Just a nice, clean hotel bed with a shower and hot food.”

“It’s not that bad when were travelling, Misty. Yeah, we may not be staying in the lap of luxury, but it’s still okay,” Ash told her.

“I know but you must admit luxury is a nice change now and then.”

“Yeah. Your right.” Ash creaked his back and let out a slight whimper of pain. “My back is getting sore sleeping on rocks all the time.”

“Well, come on then. Lets head down and find a place to stay for the night.”

“You’re right, Brock. We better get moving,” Ash answered.

The three headed into town, exhausted but happy. It took the group no time at all the find the Pokémon Centre, so they signed up for a room, went down to the lobby to recharge their Pokémon and then sat for a while in the common area eating at one of the tables.

“Mmm. What's that poster on the wall over there?” Ash pointed to it, and Misty, Brock and Pikachu all turned round to where he was looking.

Misty squinted her eyes and read the notice, several metres away from their table. “It’s a disco for Pokemon trainers right here in the centre.” A wide smile spread across her face. “Cool. Free admission.”

“When is it?” Brock asked. “Tomorrow night. I don’t know what you guys are doing, but I’m going.”

“Me too.”

“Me three,” Ash added.

“Pika pika,” Pikachu excitedly whooped.

“Great, I can’t wait. It’ll be great, won’t it, Ash?”

“Yeah, Misty. We haven’t had a party for a while. Just what we need after a long time of travelling and battling.”

They all went back to the food, happy to have something to look forward to.

“This food my not be the best but at least it’s better than what we usually eat,” said Misty.

Brock looked up from his food, hurt. “Hey, I’m a good cook. What’s wrong with my cooking?”

“Nothing, it’s just we haven’t eaten anything fresh for days now. No matter how good your cooking abilities are you can’t hide the taste of tinned food. Isn’t that right, Ash?”

Ash, too preoccupied with eating to care about the conversation, turned to his friend. “What?”

Misty let out a distressed sigh and heavily put her head down on the table. “All you care about is food.” Well, perhaps not just food, Misty thought. He thinks about Pokémon too. If he would just think about the things most teenagers think about, he may see the way I feel about him. Misty’s covered face began to blush from embarrassment. How could she possibly have feelings for someone like him, who didn’t care about things like girls and love? The closest he ever got to a relationship was blushing when a pretty girl came along. She knew by that he was interested in the opposite sex, but just didn’t hold it as important enough. What was he afraid of?

“That’s all you think about, food and Pokémon,” Misty whispered unintentional, with her head still on the wipe-clean table.

“Hmm?”

She sat up and looked into his dark eyes, and forcibly answered. “I said that all you think of is food and Pokémon. You don’t care about the finer things in life.”

“I do care about the finer things.” There was an awkward pause for a moment, and then, with a confused expression on his face, he asked, “What finer things?”

“Oh, you are ridiculous, Ash. What do you think I mean?”

“I don’t know. Trying to figure you out is one of the hardest possible things to do.”

“Well, then, I will explain to you and hope your simple brain comprehends. I mean what about relationships, love. You’re going to grow up lonely if you don’t eventually start thinking about these kinds of things. You’ve never even asked a girl on a date, never mind actually been on one. Are you afraid or something? If that’s the reason why don’t you talk to Brock. At least he asks girls out, although he always gets rejected.”

Brock, pained by another blow to his ego (first his cooking skills and now his woman problems!) yelled, “Hey, don’t bring me into this.”

“Misty, how the hell am I going to start going out with someone when we are constantly travelling. I could never have a serious relationship with the way I have chosen to live my life. The only possibly person I could have a relationship with would be-” He stopped before he said her name.

Misty stared at him. Was that the reason? He felt that he shouldn’t even try as he could never have a proper relationship? She didn’t answer him, understanding his reasoning fully.

They all began to eat again in total silence until a soft, beautiful voice broke the hush.

“Ah, excuse me.” The girl sounded a little nervous. “Are you Ash Ketchum...of Pallet Town?”

The three humans and two Pokémon looked up at the young woman who stood by their table at Ash’s end. Her vivid, green eyes looked straight at Ash. The group were all amazed at how she looked. She was about Ash’s age, maybe a little older, with silky purple hair that hung to her waist. She was tall, with a slim, but not skinny, build. Instantly, both guys began to blush.

“Hi. I hope I’m not disturbing you, but I just wanted to meet you.”

Misty turned to the girl, curious, and a little jealous, of her interest in her friend, and his easily noticeable reaction to her. “How do you know Ash?”

The girl tore her excited eyes away from Ash and looked at the questioner. “Oh, I’m a fan.”

“A fan?!” both Misty and Brock shouted simultaneous, totally amazed at what she had just said.

The fan’s attention was again on Ash. She grabbed his hand and shook it vigorously. “I heard you were coming to the city so was hoping I could find you. I’ve heard everything about you, and have seen you compete before. You are considered one of the best current young trainers and it is a real pleasure to met you.”

“No,” Ash stood and looked deep into the girls face, “the pleasure is all mine.”

“Could I have your autograph?”

“Sure.” He searched his pockets but came across nothing. “Ah, do you have a pen?”

“Oh, sorry.” She took out a pen and some paper and handed it to Ash.

He took them, put the paper on the table and, as he was about to write, stopped himself. He had never signed an autograph before and was unsure what to write. “Ah, what’s your name?”

“I’m Stasi. That’s short for Anastasia.”

“Hi, Stasi.” He began to write on the paper; To Stasi. Thanks for your support, Ash Ketchum.

While writing Brock, recovered a little from the blush made a move. “Hello, Anastasia, I’m Brock, Ash’s friend. How about-”

Before he could finish, Misty hit him over the face. She was becoming annoyed by the fact that both her friends were drooling over Stasi, especially with Ash enjoying his new-found fame a little too much to her liking.

Ash, finished writing, handed the paper and pen back to Stasi.

“Thanks very much. I really appreciate this, you going to this trouble and all.”

“Oh, don’t worry,” Misty said, a little sarcastically. “Ash loves any attention he can get.”

Ash give her a irritated look. He didn’t want to be made fun of when a cute fan was watching. He looked away from Misty and began to talk to Stasi again. “Are you from Viridian?”

“Yeah. I’m just back to see my family for a few weeks then I’m off again. I’m a trainer too.”

“Oh.”

“Well, I better go. I don’t want to bother you any longer. Thanks, Ash.” And with that she began to walk from the table.

When the girl was near the exit, Ash looked towards Misty, with a suspicious grin on his face. He couldn't resist a challenge. “I’ll prove it to you that I’m into the ‘finer’ things in life, that I have no fear of such things.” He turned and saw that his fan was mere inches from the door. With a quick, confident pace, he reached the door before she had left. “Stasi, can I talk to you for a minute?”

Her face lit up and an even greater smile spread across her pretty face. “Sure.”

Back at the table, his two friends watched the short conversation before the objects of their attention walked from the room, not before Ash gave the table’s occupants a boastful glance. The two remaining humans both looked jealous, but with Brock it was the usual look of rejection, while Misty seemed depressed.