A/N: Hehe, it's me again. OK, here's the neat thing about this episode: I introduce my first original character ever! Go me!!! *Ahem* Anway, I hope you enjoy this episode! I worked... *Jessica yells: GET ON WITH IT!* WAHH! Okay, on with the fic!
((whispering))
[pokemon translation]
{author's notes/comments}
"character lines"
'character thoughts'
It's a bright, sunny day in Viridian Forrest, and a lone girl is walking north. She looks
to be about 17 years old. Her hair is strawberry-blonde and she has a seemingly permanent
smirk on her face. "Excuse me," she said sweetly to a man who has just stepped out of a
woodland cottage. "Yes?" said the man. "Is this the way to Viridian City?" she asked. "Well,
yes and no," he replied. She started to turn red.
"IS THIS OR ISN'T THIS THE WAY TO VIRIDIAN CITY?" she screemed. "Y-y-yes..." the man stammered. He looked petrified. He had never expected such a sound to come out of this sweet-looking girl. She set off again, huffing to catch her breath after screaming. After a few steps she turned and smiled pleasantly. "Thank you!" she said, before taking off at a run.
The man scratched his head. "Yes and no. Yes, that's the way, but no it's not the fastest way," the man said quietly to himself before shaking his head and walking back inside his cabin. 'It's going to be one of those days...'
Meanwhile, in Viridian City, a familiar young pokemon trainer was just waking up. *YAWN* Ash stretched and opened his eyes. He sighed in contentment as he saw the most beautiful person in the world sleeping in the other bed in the room. He quietly stood up and walked over to her. "Good morning, Mist," he said as he kissed her gently on the forehead.
She opened her eyes and smiled up at him. "Good morning," she said. She reached up and wrapped her arms around him. This almost caused him to fall over onto the bed with her, but he caught himself. She noticed this and playfully tugged on him, causing him to slip and fall into bed next to her.
He blushed furiously as soon as he landed. "Uhhh..." he said. She kissed him, this time on the lips. He was beginning to think that they would be there a while, but she got up and tugged at him. "Come on, Ash. Let's go get some breakfast." His stomach growled at the mention of food. She giggled, then said in a mock-angry tone, "Well, I can see you're more interested in food than me!" He grinned as he crawled out of bed. "Only when I'm hungry," he teased back.
They were still laughing and hanging onto each other when they made their way into the cafeteria. They grabbed some food and started to eat.
"Hey, you!" said a girl around their age as she walked into the room. "Who, me?" asked Ash. He looked around and realized he and Misty were the only other people in the cafeteria. "Yes, you! What's your name?" the girl demanded. "Ash Ketchum," he said simply, then resumed eating. Misty was staring at the girl with a peculiar look on her face. 'If this is another girl after Ash...' she thought, fingering her mallet.
"I thought so," the girl said cockily, "You're the one that Team Rocket keeps talking about. My name's Jessica, and I challenge you to a pokemon battle!" Ash looked at her again, but didn't stop eating. He had time for a battle later, but he was busy now. He told her as much as soon as he swallowed. "I'll battle you later. I'm eating now," he said.
"GRRRR! I challenge you to a battle NOW!" Jessica yelled at him. "Hey, you can't talk to him like that!" Misty yelled back. 'Chick fight,' thought Ash, 'this could be fun.' "Oh, yeah?" asked Jessica. "Yeah!" "I bet he's not that big a challenge anyway," Jessica stated haughtily. "GRRR! Take that back!" Misty was really pissed now. "I won't!" "Yes, you will!" "No, I won't!" "Yes, you will!" "Make me!" Jessica taunted.
Misty stood up, grabbing her mallet. "Gladly," she said, taking a step toward Jessica. "Umm, Misty, don't you think that's going a bit too far?" asked Ash. "Ash, she insulted you." Ash rolled his eyes. "She said I wasn't that big a challenge. I'll be the one to prove her wrong there!" Ash said confidently. He looked over at Jessica. "Fine, I accept. we'll battle right now."
In a few minutes, Ash had gathered his pokemon and met Jessica outside. "Any rules?" asked Ash. "Yeah, this'll be a best out of three battle! Hope you're ready!" said Jessica.
(switching to Kenshin's battle format!)
Jessica: Go, Rattata!
Rattata: Rattata!
Ash: Hmm, a Rattata, huh? Alright, Ivysaur, I choose you!
Ivysaur: Saur!
Ash: Ivysaur, use your razor leaf attack!
Ivysaur used razor leaf.
Jessica: Watch out, Rattata!
Rattata was hit by razor leaf and fainted.
Jessica: Rattata, return. That was luck! Let's see how you do against...Fearow!
Fearow: Fearow!
Ash: Ivysaur, return! Go, Pikachu!
Pikachu: PikaCHU!
Jessica: Fearow, use your peck attack!
Ash: Pikachu, dodge it with Agility!
Pikachu dodged Fearow's attack.
Ash: Alright Pikachu, time to finish it. Hit it with your Thunderbolt!
Pikachu: Pika...CHU!!!
Pikachu shot a Thunderbolt at Fearow. Fearow got hurt and collapsed.
Jessica returned Fearow and reached for another pokeball. "What are you doing, Jessica?" Ash asked. "The battle isn't over. I still have a pokemon left," she stated. "No, I won already. You said this was a best out of three match. I won two, so that's it," said Ash. Jessica looked confused. "Is that what a best out of three means?" she asked. Misty sweatdropped and Ash did a facefall.
"Wow, you're pretty tough," Jessica continued, "Could I hang around with you guys for a while? I bet I can learn a lot from you...plus you're kinda cute." Ash blushed. Misty stepped between them and yelled, "Don't even think about it! He's my boyfriend and I won't stand for yet another girl trying to steal him!" Jessica looked a little disappointed. She peered around Misty to look at Ash. "Does she always treat you like this? I wouldn't treat you this bad if you were my boyfriend." "WHAT?! I'll have you that I've never done anything to hurt Ash...on purpose," she said. She added the last as she remembered the whole ordeal that had gotten them together in the first place (See Episodes 1 & 2).
"Yeah, whatever. I just want to travel with you guys and learn more about pokemon. Is that okay?" asked Jessicas. "Well..." said Misty, still not convinced. "The more the merrier," said a voice from behind Ash. "So, where have you been, Erika?" asked Misty. She was still trying to keep a close eye on the former gym trainer. "Yes or no?" asked Jessica impatiently. "Sure, if it's okay with Misty," said Ash. "Oh, fine," said Misty.
"So, who are you?" Jessica asked Erika. "I used to be the gym leader of Celadon city, but a quit to travel around with Ash," she said. "Oh, are you his girlfriend, too?" Jessica asked. "GRRR! Stop saying stuff like that!" yelled Misty. Erika giggled. 'Oh, great. This is going to be one of those days...' thought Ash.
"So, Ash is a good trainer?" asked Jessica. She was sitting in the pokemon center's lounge talking to Erika. "Yeah. He's beaten all the local gym leaders. I'm not sure if he's strong enough to beat the Elite Four or anything, but he's pretty good," admitted Erika. "He beat all the gym leaders? So, he beat you right?" Jessica asked. "Yep. I admit, that's one reason why I'm traveling with him." "Uh-huh. I bet you have a crush on him," she said. "I...I..." Erika stammered. "Yeah, it's pretty obvious after talking to you for a while. I bet you've even made a few moves on him," Jessica continued to ramble snottily. "I'm...I'm not sure if I like him or not," admitted Erika. "Yeah, whatever. I bet you've even thought about trying to seduce him, haven't you? Wouldn't blame you if you tried...he's cute."
Erika couldn't believe she was hearing this. What was this girl's problem? She would have to keep an eye on her...
That night, Ash and Misty shared the same room at the pokemon center again. They hadn't left yet because they were waiting on Brock and Daisy to arrive. Ash shook his head in wonderment. There would no longer be two or three people traveling with him, but five. He slowly closed his eyes and went to sleep. Misty was already dreaming before Ash had crawled into bed.
Neither of the sleeping teens heard their room door open a little. A figure peeked in at them and frowned. The door closed.
The next morning, Ash woke up slowly. He felt Misty curled up next to him in bed and smiled. His arm snaked out around her and pulled her closer to him. She rolled over and delicately kissed him on the cheek. He lay there a few minutes holding her close, eyes still closed. He wanted to just stay like that all morning.
"ASH?!" he heard Misty yell. His eyes snapped open. Misty was standing at the foot of his bed staring at him in shock and rage. He looked over at the figure snuggled up to him. Jessica. Ash tried to jump up so fast he fell out of bed.
Jessica yawned. "What's all the commotion?" she asked sleepily. "M-Misty! I thought that was you, I swear!" Ash apologized. Misty looked at him for a second, then nodded. "Jessica, you tramp! How dare you!" yelled Misty. "Yeah, whatever. He didn't really seem to mind. Plus, you were in the other bed, so I figured you two weren't that serious anyway."
*SLAP* "Oww," whined Jessica. Her cheek was stinging. "Serves you right, you little pest," said Misty. "Yeesh, what's the big deal? It's not like I tried to have sex with him or anything," Jessica complained. Misty's temper flared and she turned a dozen different shades of red. Ash just stood there watching them fight. He wasn't sure if he wanted to butt in or not, since that might get him injured.
"If you ever touch him again, I'll make sure you're crippled for life!" yelled Misty, her temper getting the better of her. "Yeah, whatever. I'm leaving," Jessica said, rolling her eyes as she exited the room. Misty was still shaking with rage, so Ash walked up behind her and began massaging her shoulders. "Don't get so tense. You're pretty when you're mad and all, but this is getting out of hand," he said soothingly. She began to relax. "Ooo, that feels good. Could you rub my back, too?" she asked, slowly forgetting her temper.
Ash gave her a back rub, then they went downstairs to eat breakfast. "Hopefully, Brock and Daisy will show up today so we can get moving again," said Ash. "Yeah, what's taking them so long anyway?" Misty wondered out loud. "I don't know, but I wish they would hurry up," said Erika, joining them. "Where's Jessica?" Erika asked as she sat down. Misty started to turn red again. "Uhh, we don't know," said Ash, trying to change the subject. Erika gave Misty a querying look. Ash sighed and told her what had happened earlier. "I knew she would be trouble," said Erika. "Yeah, whatever," said Jessica as she walked into the cafeteria. Everyone else sweatdropped.
"Pikachu!" "Hey, Pikachu," said Ash as his pikapal also walked in and jumped up in his lap. ((Where were you this morning?)) Ash whispered to his pokemon. "Pika-pika Pikachu," explained Pikachu. [I was outside helping Erika train her electric pokemon.] Ash sighed. "Really? ((Jessica got in bed with me this morning and Misty nearly killed us both.))" whispered Ash, filling Pikachu in on recent events. "Chaa." said Pikachu. [Oh, brother.] "You can say that again," Ash agreed.
"Ash, you can understand your pokemon?" asked Erika/Jessica. They looked at each other strangely as they asked the question at the same time. "Uhh, yeah. I've always understood Pikachu," he responed. "I can understand Pikachu, too," Misty said proudly. "Wow, I want to learn to talk to my Gloom," said Erika. "How can you understand him?" asked Jessica. "Well, I don't know. I just kind of understood him since I got him. Misty's understood him since a few days after we met," said Ash. "Ahhh, I thought there would be some secret to it or something," Erika said, clearly disappointed. "Hmm," said Jessica as she lost herself deep in thought.
"Brock still isn't here. What's taking him so long!?" Misty said, frustrated. Ash sighed again. They had been waiting two days at this pokemon center for him. He was just as tired of waiting as Misty was. They were back in there room, sitting around acting bored. "Why don't we go out and do something?" asked Ash. "You mean, a date?" asked Misty, perking up a little. "Uhh, sure!" said Ash, happy to see her cheering up. "Ok, why don't you go wait in the lobby while I get ready. Maybe you can figure out where you want to take me while you wait," she suggested as she pushed him out the door. "Okay..." said Ash.
He trudged down the stairs, happy to be doing something, but disappointed that he still had to wait on Misty. He walked into the lobby and stepped up to the counter. "Hello, can I help you?" asked Nurse Joy. "Uhh, yeah. Where's a good place in town to go on a date?" he asked. Joy blushed. "Well... there's a pretty nice restaraunt a few blocks away. There's also a big park about a quarter of a mile south of here. And there's a movie theater across town," she said, acting embarassed. "Okay, thanks," said Ash, turning to go sit down. 'Oh, he wasn't asking me...' thought Joy, disappointed and really embarassed now.
Ash sat down to wait on Misty and tried to decide where to go. 'Food's always good,' he thought, 'but Misty might like the park a lot. Then again, there might be some sappy movie on that she would really enjoy...' He couldn't make up his mind. "Huh, what's this?" Ash asked to nobody as he picked up a small sheet of paper that was lying on the table next to his chair. "Hmmm..." He began to read it.
'Seven Dating Tips for the Hopelessly Unromantic Guy:
1. Always remember to compliment your date.
2. Don't argue with your date. Arguing is a big turn-off.
3. Remember that money is no object. Treat her to what she wants.
4. Don't mention other girls to your date.
5. Think of something that a guy in a romantic movie would do, then do it.
6. If possible, ask your date to dance. Even if you can't dance well, your
date will appreciate the effort.
7. Carpe Diem (Seize the Day!) Take the initiate! If she looks like she wants
to be kissed, then kiss her!'
'Maybe I should try some of this out on Misty," thought Ash. "Hey, cutie. I'm ready to go," said Misty as she came down the stairs. Ash looked up and immediately started blushing. 'WOW!' She was no longer wearing her usual outfit. Instead, she was wearing a button-up blouse and a skirt. Her suspenders were missing and her hair was out of its pony-tail, flowing freely. (Always remember to compliment your date.) "Wow, Misty, you look great!" Ash said. "Hehe, really?" Misty giggled. Ash nodded, offering his arm. She linked her arm through his as they headed out the door. Just as they went out of sight Nurse Joy sighed. "What a lucky girl..." she said dreamily.
"So, ummm, where are we going?" asked Misty. 'Oh, I still hadn't decided...' thougth Ash. 'Well, we have plently of time...let's eat first.' "Why don't we grab a bite to eat first?" asked Ash. "Okay." Ash led Misty to the restaraunt Joy had told him about. It was a small French cafe. Ash walked up to the Mater'die and asked for a table. "Ash, are you sure we can get in here? This place looks pretty fancy...and expensive," said Misty. "Ash? Ash Ketchum?" asked the Mater'die. "How did you know my name?" asked Ash.
"Oh my goodness! You are Ash Ketchum! I will have a table for you in one moment!" said the Mater'die excitedly as he grabbed a waiter and furiously whispered instructions to him. "Umm, I guess that answers your question, huh Misty?" Ash asked, laughing nervously. "How do you know who he is?" Misty asked the Mater'die curiously. "Oh, I'm a huge fan of the pokemon league. I know who all the great trainers and league finalists are. Ash was a favorite to win last year!" he babbled. 'Great, another pokemaniac. ...Well, it did get us in,' thought Ash.
"Your table is ready. Please enjoy your meal," said the Mater'die as he ushered Ash toward a table that was next to the small stage. A man was sitting at a piano playing slow, romantic music. Misty's eyes lit up as they walked into the restaraunt proper. "Hey, it's even nicer inside," commented Ash. They sat down and pondered over the menus for a while. 'Man, this stuff is expensive all right!' thought Ash. "Hmmm, I'm not sure what to get. It's all really expensive," said Misty. (Remember that money is no object. Treat her to what she wants.) "Order whatever you want. I'm buying, so don't worry about it," said Ash. Misty looked surprised, but smiled.
Half an hour later they were done eating. Misty had the escargo {Blech!}, which she enjoyed. Ash had ordered the filet mignon, not realizing what a small cut of meat it was. He wasn't too disappointed, however, as it was the tenderest steak he had ever eaten. "That was good," said Ash. He still a little hungry, but he could hold out until dinner. "Yes, it was," Misty agreed. 'Hmm...what can we do now?' thought Ash. (If possible, ask your date to dance.) "Hey, you wanna dance?" asked Ash. "Uhhh, I don't know, Ash... nobody else is dancing." "Well, that doesn't matter. There's music and there's a dance floor," Ash said. "Well...alright," Misty assented. They walked over to the dance floor and began to dance slowly. The piano player saw them and transitioned smoothly into a slower waltz. Ash gave him a thumbs-up behind Misty's back. 'I'll have to tip him before we leave.'
After the song was over they left the dance floor. Ash paid the check and tipped the pianist. As they left the restaraunt, Misty turned to him. "Thanks Ash. I had a great time," she said, kissing him on the cheek. He blushed. "Well, I had to do something special for a first official date, right?" he asked. Misty's eyes grew wide. "That was our first date, wasn't it?" He nodded. "Do we have time to catch a movie?" she asked. 'I kinda wanted to go to the park," he thought. (Don't argue with your date.) "Sure, there's a theater across town. Maybe we can catch one of those romantic movies you like," he said.
They walked across town, chatting about random subjects. They reached the movie theater without incident and watched a romantic comedy about a doctor who fell in love with a nurse. Ash didn't get some of the movie, but Misty seemed to enjoy it, so he was happy. After the movie, they headed back towards the pokemon center. "It's almost time for dinner. I wonder if Erika and Jessica have eaten yet," said Ash. "Who knows?" said Misty. (Don't mention other girls to your date.) 'Oops, I goofed," he thought. "Ah, forget about it. Let's just enjoy the rest of the day," he said. Misty didn't seem upset, so he guessed he hadn't messed up too bad.
They passed the park on the way back, so Ash suggested they stop for a while. They sat around watching some Pidgey play in a fountain for a while. Misty stared at the sky, lost in thought. "Whatcha thinking about?" asked Ash. "Hmm, oh nothing," she said as she came back to Earth. She seemed like she had enjoyed the date a lot. Ash was getting ready to suggest that they leave when another of the dating tips struck him. (Take the initiative!) He looked over at her. She looked into his eyes. He leaned over and kissed her. They sat like that for quite a while, lost in the kiss. When they snapped back to reality, the sun was beginning to set. "Woah, that was..." said Ash, not knowing how to put it into words. "Yeah..." agreed Misty.
They walked back to the pokemon center hand-in-hand. Erika and Jessica, who had been playing cards in the lobby watched them walk in. Jessica grinned as they walked up the stairs. "Yes! Jessica the matchmaker strikes again!" she said happily. "Huh? What are you talking about?" asked Erika. "I made Misty jealous of me so Ash would take her out on a date, then I left some dating tips lying around for Ash to find so he wouldn't screw it up! I'm such a genius!" Jessica looked almost insanely happy. "Uhh, you do know that they were like that before you showed up, right?" asked Erika. "WHAT?! You mean I wasted all that effort on getting them together for nothing?" asked Jessica. "Yeah. Misty wasn't kidding when she said that Ash was her boyfriend."
Jessica looked shocked. "But, she didn't act like...I've heard them argue...really?" she stammered. "Yeah. Misty almost killed me when I tried to seduce Ash a few weeks ago," admitted Erika. "Ahhh, and that was a great plan, too," said Jessica. "Well, I'm sure it wasn't totally wasted. The dating tips probably helped Ash out, but your life may be in peril since you acted interested in Ash."
After a few moments of silence, Jessica's look of confusion disappeared. "Yeah, whatever. I could take that Misty girl on anytime, anywhere." Erika sweatdropped. 'Yeah, Jessica's definitely going to be trouble...' she thought.
FIN
Jessica: Well, that was dull.
Kenshin: Hey, I worked hard on that!
J: Yeah, whatever! Just write the next part so I can start kicking butt!
K: Just for that, you're not gonna win your next pokemon battle!
J: Hmph. Yeah, whatever.
Hehe, I've been working on her attitude...think I've just about got it right, too. *Kenshin grins mischievously* Next chapter we'll
learn some neat stuff about Jessica. Don't miss it!
Sayonara,
Kenshin