For the next half an hour, Ash and Misty wandered inconspicuously and quietly through the woods and the unbearable, humid heat that encompassed them. They barely said a word to each other, but both knew what they were looking for and what the plan was. A smile was all that passed between them as they crept, crawled, and trudged through the bushes and grasses, a sly smile that reflected the devious, clever plan Misty had concocted a short while before. Ash saw it as brilliant, and he had told her that; he realized and admitted that even he didn’t have the mind to strategize like that. Plus the fact that they were going to attempt to pull it off on Gary made it even juicier.
Surprisingly, they had not spotted any other players on their exploration, and Ash assumed that most of the players had already met their fate. They had been playing for quite a time now, after all. But it didn’t matter to them who they met up with or spotted. They were looking for one person, and one person only, and Ash knew with all certainty that he would have no problem distinguishing Gary from the assortment of Pallet Town paintballers.
Ash was practically on his toes as they traveled, the anticipation of finding Gary and going through with the ingenious plan running through his blood. It was perfect and infallible – or so he believed. He fully had faith that Gary was still active in the game, since the other years he had played he turned out to be one of the last players standing. He was never ultimately the last, but from what Ash heard and knew, he was always heading back to camp a heck of a lot closer to the end of the game than to the beginning. He was just naturally good at it – or lucky – but not this year. Ash beamed deviously.
“I hope he’s still in,” he said, despite the inner belief he possessed. The painstaking waiting was killing him.
“Yeah, me too,” Misty agreed. She was walking directly beside him as opposed the trailing she had done previously. She grinned excitedly. “This is gonna be so good.”
Ash sighed pleasantly. “I know,” he said, gripping the gun filled with yellow paintballs tightly in his hands. He could almost envision the moment in his mind, the complete perfection and execution of Misty’s plan, the look of pure shock washing over Gary’s face, the face of undeniable snooty pride Ash would shoot at him. Who cared if he was trying to keep the hostility down? At that point, all he realized he wanted was for Gary to be shot out of the game, and no one was better to do the job than himself.
“You think he’ll fall for it, though?” Misty asked a bit suspiciously, giving him uncertain eyes. They approached a fallen log and crouched behind it for a pause.
“Oh, sure,” Ash nodded confidently. “Misty, this plan is so good, it’s unbelievable! It’s like perfectly created for Gary.”
Misty leaned her head against the log, shutting her eyes for a second. “I guess. I’m just afraid he’s going to take a shot at me as soon as he sees me.”
“He won’t do that,” Ash assured her. “Besides, you’ll be the second one to make the appearance, remember?”
Misty smiled, lifted her head and pulling at her chin strap. “Yeah, I remember. I just hope we find him soon so that we can finish up. This outfit is really starting to bug me now.”
Ash nodded and stood, holding out his hand to hoist her up. She groaned slightly as she rose, shaking her head at herself. Although the day had not really been that long, she was considerably pooped.
“Now then,” Ash said, scratching his chin as he looked about, “where could he be?”
“Could you imagine if he was following us this whole time, watching everything we did?” Misty asked, grinning.
Ash gave her a considerably fearful look. “Oh my God, don’t even talk like that.”
Laughing, Misty gave him a shove and they set forth again. They were way into Misty’s territory now, imagining Gary to be preying on the players there. Misty, unlike Ash, was more worried that Gary was already out of the game, and that they were chasing nothing. But Ash seemed to have confidence, and she wasn’t ready to challenge that. Besides, this plan was too good . . . and Gary being out of the game was not a way of failure that Misty was ready to accept.
This time, she found herself going ahead of Ash, taking control of their path. She felt calmer than she had earlier, and a surge of adventure pressed her to move on. Ash, in the meantime, watched her as she walked, practically in awe with how much she changed. He still couldn’t get over it. And now with the idea of hers that he couldn’t see any more flawless, he was more than impressed. He was mesmerized.
I’m so glad I ran into her, he sighed
happily to himself, astonished with his luck.
God, I’m so glad I ran into her .
. .
Ash took a deep breath of the heavy air, shaking his head contentedly. He was in high hopes – impossibly radiant high hopes. Everything else had fallen into place, and therefore everything else was going to happen to his advantage. He felt it in his bones.
I had so fun with her today, he found himself realizing, still paying more attention to her than to the surroundings that he should have been heeding. It was puzzling, he had to admit. He had lots of fun with Misty, but never before did he enjoy this kind of bonding without the presence of Brock. Usually, the fun they both created was molded by Brock’s input as well; with Ash and Misty, eventually it turned into war. Somewhere along the line, one comment was taken the wrong way, one simple disagreement turned into a full-out physical argument. But not today . . . today was something totally different, and Ash couldn’t help but look upon it fondly.
I . . . I really had fun with her. He found it remarkable how much this hit him, how much it intrigued him. Looking at her now, as her head swung back and forth tentatively in search of Gary, one thought shot to his mind.
I don’t want this day to end.
Suddenly, as they sauntered sneakily into a rather dense patch of wooded area adjacent to the preserve’s mowed field, a chill ran up his spine, pulling him abruptly from his pleasant, longing thoughts. He immediately halted, his head raised alertly. Misty had not noticed, and before she could wander off any more, he reached out and grabbed hold of her extra-large shirt, yanking her to a halt.
“What’s the big idea?” she barked, instantly met with a very cautious looking pair of eyes. Ash put a finger to his lips and promptly fell to his knees, motioning for her to do the same.
As she dropped beside him, her face full of worry and surprise, Ash gazed at her for a moment. He was looking at her while he listened, watching her face wrinkle into anxious curiosity as he prolonged his silence.
“Ash–?”
“Shh!” he finally said, startling her. He smiled to calm her, his teeth glistening. “Someone’s near.”
Misty was immediately thrilled. “Really? Is it Gary?”
“I don’t know,” Ash said, though he truly believed that it was Gary who he was sensing the presence of. “Maybe.”
“Oooh, I hope!” Misty gibbered, clutching her fists excitedly. “This is our chance! We’re gonna do it!”
“Shhh!” Ash shushed her again, giving her a warning glance. She cowered sheepishly and complied with a nod, smiling softly. “I’m gonna go check and see, okay? Stay down.”
Misty tensed eagerly, a broad smile sweeping across her face. Hugging Ash’s gun close to her chest, she gave him a small thumbs-up, encouraging him on with a quick rise of her eyes.
“Be careful,” she cooed.
Ash grinned and winked at her, gave her one more admirable look, and got to his feet. The woods were suddenly a lot quieter and a lot more mysterious, all the more convincing Ash there was someone slinking around nearby. He hoped and prayed that he wasn’t setting himself up for disaster, that there wasn’t someone from the Vistor’s team watching him get up and look about. Even if they did attack, he was defenseless – he was carrying a gun filled with yellow paintballs, after all.
Trembling slightly, Ash stayed low behind the shrubbery, his eyes keen. Not daring to move a muscle, he just stayed where he was, observing the scene. He froze and allowed his senses to do their job. Hopefully, whoever this was that was making his nerves go haywire would show himself soon, and by luck, it would be Gary.
“C’mon now,” Ash whispered, a sweat breaking on his brow. “I know it’s you, Gary. Come on out.”
A rustling of bushes was heard, and Ash’s head darted to the source. His heart stopped and his muscles clenched in worry. He barely had a moment to pause and realized what was happening before he heard a gun pop, and suddenly Ash felt a tremendously sharp pang attack his shoulder, causing him to leap back.
Oh my God, oh no . . . ! was all Ash could think as he felt the impact on his shoulder throb, fearing the worst – he was shot. In a matter of seconds, everything fell apart, and he shivered frantically, his heart beating insanely. His head twisted rapidly to the source of his dismaying discomfort, he sagged as his eyes fell upon the sight of the pink paint clashing against his green attire, confirming dreadfully –
Wait a second! Ash thought, doing a double take. Pink paint? Pink!? His eyes widened as he stared at it, the most overwhelming feeling of relief and luckiness he’d ever experienced slowly taking hold of him. His heart was raging, but it was finally beginning to calm as he took deep breaths.
“All right!”
Ash immediately perked. He knew that voice – too well. A camouflaged figure hopped from behind the bush from where Ash had heard the rustling, thrusting his arms into the air. Sure enough, Ash found himself looking straight into the face of his rival.
“Hey, what’s the big idea?” he spat right away, shrugging almost angrily at a very shocked Gary before him. “What are you doing shooting at me for?”
Gary’s eyes rose incredulously. “Ash!?” he gasped, emerging slowly from the bushes. “Wha – wha . . . what are you doing?”
“What do you mean what am I doing?” Ash retorted, gesturing to the pink splatter on his shirt. “Why’d you go and shoot at me for?”
Gary came up to him, looking at him skeptically as he couldn’t still grasp that it was Ash in front of him. As the shock wore off, he slumped his shoulders, and rolled his eyes.
“I’m sorry,” he said a bit bitterly. “I thought you were someone from the other team. Where the hell’s your ribbon?”
“I didn’t have one – well, not a pink one,” Ash responded wearily, reaching up to pull at his shirt. The area where the paintball had struck him was kind of numb, but not painful. It was still an odd sensation, one that was bound to get irritating if it happened more than once.
Gary shook his head. “Just great, Ash,” he mumbled. “Just where the hell were you? What were you doing this whole time?”
Ash sweatdropped, having not expected to answer this question so soon. “W-well . . . yea-yeah,” he stuttered, finding his words, “I was . . . I was staking out the area.” He ended firmly, crossing his arms.
“Yeah, you said that over two hours ago,” replied Gary exasperatedly. “What did you do, get lost or something? I wasted so much time looking for you!”
Ash
growled under his breath at him, clutching Misty’s gun in his sweaty
palms. No, no, Ash, he told himself.
Don’t do it, calm down . . .
“I didn’t get lost,” he answered, narrowing his eyes. Seeing Gary before him and the recollection of what had happened in the first half-hour of play (which, to Ash, felt like years ago) made his vexation flare. He wanted desperately to shoot the gun at him now, but he couldn’t . . . Misty had to be there. Suddenly, the realization that Misty was still sitting behind the bush made him perk, and a mischievous chill ran through him.
“But I did happen to pick someone up along the way,” he smiled, drawing Gary’s attention.
“Really?” he replied excitedly. Giving him a fiendish look, Ash spun around and dashed over to the bushes where Misty was hiding.
Misty stared up silently as he approached, her eyes falling to his “wounded” shoulder.
“You okay?” she whispered. She had witnessed the entire ordeal, feeling her own body shake with extreme trepidation when she saw Ash get shot. She couldn’t even begin to imagine what would happen if Ash was gone, what she would do all by herself. And yet, the pink paint stood out like an eyesore, relieving Misty almost more than it had Ash himself.
“Of course,” Ash whispered back, his voice cracking with excitement. He winked at her, squeezing her hand extra tightly as he pulled her up. Catching his cunning little look, Misty smirked secretly, her eyes flickering momentarily at Gary. The plan was afoot.
As soon as Misty was to her feet, Ash stuck his gun into her, as planned, and escorted her out of the shrubbery by her hand. As much as she desired to clasp his hand as strongly as she could, Misty restrained, and their hands entwined loosely as though it was an awkward and unfriendly compromise. She dragged her feet behind her as Ash led her towards Gary in a stubborn manner. It was fun to act this out.
Gary looked undoubtedly pleased as he watched Ash pull her reluctantly forward. “All right!” he said, nodding to Ash approvingly. “Good job, Ash! How long you’ve been tagging her around?”
Ash smirked. “Oh, not long,” he lied, sneering at her. Misty shot daggers at him with her eyes, their acting superb. To make it even more dramatic, she viciously attempted to tear her hand away, but Ash gripped it fiercely . . . exactly what Misty wanted.
“I, uh . . . I went around shooting some of her teammates while I carted her around,” he bragged. “Right, Misty?”
For Misty, it was a horrible struggle to keep her laughs within her. She realized looking at Ash was making things harder, so she snubbed him coldly, turning the other way. “Whatever,” she hissed.
Gary chuckled. “Wow, Ash, you were that cruel to her? Heh, you guys must really love torturing each other. That’s rough!”
Ash nodded, letting go of her hand and sweeping his arm around her waist, yanking her abruptly towards himself. “I know,” he replied, giving her a sassy look. Having grown a bit, the two were now nearing the same height, and the pull had brought Misty’s face right to his. Their face-shields clipped together, and Ash stared her down, a mocking smile spreading from ear to ear. Misty just bit her lip, trying to hold in both her smile and her blush as their bodies came together, Ash’s hot breath blowing on her neck and his arm embracing her waist firmly but gently.
Gary was still smiling, shaking his head as he watched the act play before him unknowingly. “Believe it or not, Ash, she may very well be the last player from her team. We took out most of them.”
“Huh?” Ash asked, turning to him in surprise. “Really?”
“I think so,” Gary nodded. “I haven’t seen many others lately, and I know a lot have been sent back already. Hehe, which of course means we might win the game when we take her out. When were you planning on doing that?”
“Hmmm,” Ash wondered, glancing at a very “irked” Misty, “I don’t know. Figured I was going to save the best for last, but I suppose that’s now, isn’t it?”
Just for fun, Misty growled at him.
Gary was literally thrilled, getting a tremendous kick out of the display. This was just the type of competition he loved, not to mention seeing Ash taunt Misty mercilessly. Coincidentally, he had actually been keeping an eye out for Misty throughout the game, figuring she would be an easy target, but now that Ash had a hold of her, he realized this was even better.
“So, whaddah ya say, Ash?” Gary said, smirking at Misty. Misty glared at him, only this time it was real. She was sticking her tongue out at him from the inside, unable to contain her excitement over what was to happen. “Wanna end this game now and walk back to camp victors? Go on, do it!”
A laugh fought its way up Ash’s throat, but he choked it down. He bit his tongue viciously to keep it from emerging. As Gary voiced his aggressive encouragement, Ash gave Misty a quick little squeeze as a cue, causing her to slightly squirm from the tickle. She clenched down on her teeth as she held back her smile, reaching over and tugging Ash’s shirt in response, hidden from Gary’s eyes naturally.
“Alrighty, then!” Ash proclaimed, releasing Misty and stepped away from her. Misty was jealous of him smiling the way he was. She wanted so badly to smile, but she kept to task. She couldn’t screw it up now with one stupid slip.
Ash hopped around on his toes, holding the gun loosely in his hands. He cracked his neck back and forth and swung each of his arms around separately, preparing for the kill. Misty cocked her head tiredly.
“Hey, she’s getting fed up,” Gary said, motioning towards her. “Keepin’ her in so much horrible suspense.”
Hehe, you wish, Ash thought, lifting his eyes at Misty. He was in suspense, however. So was Misty, and she was indeed getting fed up . . . she couldn’t wait to see when Ash would spring around and turn on Gary. She was as clueless as to what he was thinking as Gary was.
Ash didn’t want to wait any longer. Looking as though he was planting his feet firmly on the ground, he was really ready to jump in an instant. He faced Misty, the gun hanging down. Slowly and dangerously, he lifted it. Misty’s face lit up in a brilliant look of sincere fear, and Gary’s grin spread. His heart pumping intensely, Ash smiled at Misty – a zany, crazed smile.
In the matter of a split second, he spun around, raising his gun in a flash. He took one moment to look at Gary’s indisputably confused look before he shot twice, blasting two yellow paintballs directly at him. They struck his shoulder in succession, inducing him to reel back. His confused face was immediately changed to one of shock and disgust, his jaw dropping.
“Hey!” he cried, nearly stumbling. His eyes went wide as he looked down to see the yellow paint gleaming off his shirt. “What the hell’s the big idea!? What are you doing!?”
Ash and Misty couldn’t hold back any longer. They started to laugh hysterically, the uproar resounding loudly and boisterously throughout the calm setting. For Misty, it was the sweetest relief, and she nearly doubled over at the sight of Gary, aghast and dumbfounded.
Ash didn’t reply to Gary’s enraged cry, simply succumbing to his hearty hysterics. Tears formed in the corners of his eyes as he watched his rival, practically rendered speechless in surprise, hold his arms out helplessly and defeatedly, not knowing what had happened or what to do. Actually, he did know of one thing to do – give Ash the dirtiest look he could humanely produce. He regained his words rather quickly.
“Ash! What is this – why did you do that!?” he spat angrily.
Misty collided into Ash, her face reddened, and grabbed his arm elatedly. Yanking it, she nearly pulled him over as the two roared in laughter. Grasping her arm back excitedly, Ash smirked at Gary.
“Oh, I dunno,” he managed to say. “Just helping out my real team.”
“R-real team?” Gary huffed, baffled. “What are you talking about? You’re on the Pallet Town team, you moron!”
Ash shrugged, “Maybe. But I decided I didn’t like that team that much. This one’s a lot more fun!”
He wrinkled his nose in slight distaste, though a joyous, delirious smile was still plastered on his face. He and Misty held onto each other as they continued to laugh, hardly appearing to let up. Gary could feel his blood pressure raising, his body heating up in rage. There was no way he was going to accept this, just allow this to happen.
“You can’t just change teams, though!” he yelled. “You’re a traitor, that’s all you are! A traitor!”
Ash and Misty just bawled, holding onto each other for support, their hands flying to their mouths to desperately stifle their laughter and catch their breaths.
“You can’t shoot me!” Gary went on furiously. “That’s cheating, that’s being a traitor!” When they refused to respond a second time, Gary ground his teeth in a miserable frown. “Well, it doesn’t matter anyway, Ash! You lost the game anyway! You ruined it for everyone, and you’re a loser!”
Ash’s eyes rose at that comment, and finally, he settled down to stare at him. Still giggling happily, Misty calmed with him, looking up into his face to see what he would say. Gary was livid, but she was certain Ash wasn’t faltering from his words one bit.
“I didn’t ruin the game for everyone,” Ash said, his voice rather perky. “Me ‘n’ Misty sure had fun, didn’t we?”
“Sure did!” Misty replied, hopping up and down and punching his arms giddily. She glanced at Gary. “Didn’t ruin the game for me!”
Gary narrowed his eyes at her, snarling under his breath. “Oh, yeah?” he grumbled, fists tightening. “Well, then I’m just gonna shoot you, that’s what I’m gonna do! Then I’ll have fun!”
Misty’s eyes widened as he said this, her laughter coming to a screeching halt as Gary pointed his gun in her direction. She yelped, twisting Ash around so that he was facing the gun rather than her.
“Don’t you even dare, Gary!” Ash warned, his jovial expression turned rigid and sour.
“What’s stopping me?” Gary shrugged, maneuvering around to get a clear view of Misty. He could see her grabbing hold of Ash’s shirt desperately, shying away from him as he approached and throwing Ash constantly into his path.
“Well, for one thing, you’re already shot out!” Ash pointed out. “You’re not allowed to shoot anyone after you’re out, and even if you do, it doesn’t count!”
“Yeah, and like what you did counted?” Gary snorted. “At least I’m not a traitor and shooting my former teammates!”
Ash frowned at him. “I’m not a traitor,” he replied haughtily, reaching around to usher Misty protectively behind him. “I never wanted to be on the Pallet Town team, and just because I’m a Pallet Towner doesn’t mean I have to be on it. I have a right to be on whatever team I choose, and I chose to be with my best friend!”
“Whatever,” Gary responded harshly. “But I’m still gonna shoot her! After they hear what you did, my shot will be legitimate, and since you’ve decided you wanted to be on the Visitors’ side, I guess that means that my shot on you also counted, hmmm? Which means that – wow! – I’m the winner! Look at that!”
He began to laugh as Ash and Misty’s faces fell, their trick suddenly turning against them. Ash could feel his body freeze nervously as he watched Gary’s tongue flop out of his mouth competitively, inching his way towards Misty with a devious glint in his eye.
Gary had him there . . . who was Ash fooling anyway? Sure, Gary was shot out by Ash and the opposing color, which would count if Ash had decided to join the Visitors’ team. However, if he had done that, then the pink paint on him also indicated that he himself was officially out of the game, as well. He suddenly became confused, not knowing what to do or even how to think properly. He was just worried about Misty.
Think, Ash! he told himself as he put himself before Misty, glaring down at Gary as he prowled around them, hungrily stalking Misty and waiting for the perfect opportunity to take her out. No, he wasn’t going to allow that. Whether it counted or not (and he knew that it technically did not count), he didn’t need Misty to get shot. Especially by Gary – the one who aimed for the head. What if he aimed for Misty’s head? What if that was just his way of sickening fun? What if . . . Misty got hurt for no reason?
Ash bit down hard on his lip, thinking desperately. He needed to act fast, he needed to solve this before Gary went and did his damage.
But what? Ash thought, wracking his brain. How can I . . . what can I do . . . ?
Suddenly, the idea sprung to his head. It hit him like one of Pikachu’s thunderbolts, sending a shock of spontaneity through his body. In a flash, he flipped around to Misty, shoving his gun back into the startled girl’s hands. Her other gun fell to the ground as a result of the forceful action.
“Quick, Misty! Shoot me!” he ordered.
“Wh-wha?” Misty stuttered, shocked.
“Huh?” Gary gasped, startled.
“Do it, Misty! NOW!”
Misty had no idea what Ash meant, but the fire of demand in his eyes took over her. She grasped the gun in her hands as Ash leapt away from her, and without a second thought aimed and shot. Gary, frozen in surprise, could only watch with wide eyes. Right on target, the yellow paint exploded on Ash’s arm.
The gun fell from Misty’s hands, and her jaw dropped.
Oh my God, she thought. I can’t believe I did that . . .
Ash had his eyes shut from the impact, which was still not bad but stung a bit more than the shoulder hit. He opened one eye to look down at the yellow paint, and slowly but surely, a smile pulled at his lips. Misty saw the smile, and gradually, his spur of the moment plan made sense to her. Only she still couldn’t believe it.
Gary stood motionless, looking at Ash with a pale face. As Ash lifted his head, he first looked at Misty, grinned at her, then turned his attention to Gary.
“Well, I guess no matter what way you look at it,” he said, “I’m out. And so are you. Which means . . . that Misty wins the game.”
Misty’s jaw fell even further, but now her lips were curving upwards to an incredulous grin.
I . . . won?
“No! NO!” Gary disputed, waving his arms around frenetically. “That’s ridiculous!”
“Why?” Ash hastily questioned. “Look at us. I have paint on me, you have paint on you . . . Misty doesn’t . . .” He cocked his eyebrows.
“But it is!” Gary raged. “I mean, you come along . . . and then with the whole gun switching and the treason, and – and the . . . and then the . . .” Suddenly, he stamped his foot, groaning loudly in annoyance. “You know something? I don’t even want to deal with this anymore! You two are both losers! You and your loser girlfriend! Two big, cheating losers!”
“You forgot tricky,” Misty beamed.
Gary fumed, throwing one more burning glare at each of them. “I just – forget it! Forget it! I – I don’t even care anymore! I don’t give a damn dealing with you losers! Play the game and cheat however the hell you want!”
Ash and Misty didn’t say a word as Gary stormed off, slightly surprised. They watched him march off into the woods, heading back to camp in a rut. They could practically see steam shooting from his ears, he was so mad.
As he faded away into the green distance, their heads simultaneously turned to one another. Ash and Misty’s eyes locked, and without another second passing, their smiles spread as far as they could go across their ecstatic faces, their teeth gleaming blissfully.
“Haha!” Misty screamed, thrusting her fists into the air and letting out a whoop. “We did it!”
She rushed towards Ash, her arms extended victoriously, and Ash welcomed her with the same. Misty crashed into his arms, and they hugged jubilantly, hopping up and down vigorously as their excitement went into over-drive.
“I can’t believe it!” Misty hollered. “That was great!”
“I know!” Ash agreed excitedly. “I know!”
They bounced around some more, their embrace tightening. As they calmed, Ash gently pried her away, beaming radiantly into her face.
“How’s it feel to win, Misty?” he laughed.
In all the action, Misty had almost forgot what Ash made her do. She looked down at his paint-splashed shirt, the pink and yellow still wet and sticky. It was certainly something she didn’t think she’d see in the course of the game. And the fact that the yellow paint was hers was something she was having difficulty grasping.
“I can’t believe it,” she responded, whispering. “I can’t believe you made me do that.”
Ash shrugged impassively. “I had to. I wanted you to win.”
Misty just smiled, exchanging her thoughtful gaze from his face to his shirt. “But . . . but you lost the game,” she said, her voice conveying compassion for him and shock.
“Yeah, but you won!” he replied, grinning all the more. He chuckled happily. “That’s even better! You won, Misty! You! That’s, like, the comeback of the century!”
A giggle escaped Misty’s throat. That statement seemed so surreal to her, but she loved the sound of it; she couldn’t dispute that. Still, just as he had done throughout the game, Ash’s actions blew her away. She honestly didn’t understand what was going on in his mind . . . he had placed all concern and consideration on her, not caring one bit what happened to him. Sacrificing himself so that she would win the game – be the last standing! – in her first try, an overwhelming upset victory, so to speak, was the icing on the cake, however.
“Ash, I –” she started, her mouth hanging open as she tried to form her words. She was speechless, and seeing this made Ash beam. She was happy, incredibly happy . . . a bit of that was shock, as well, but it was starting to settle within her. Her eyes darted about, but soon they fixated on him, glistening with appreciation.
“I don’t know what to say,” she admitted finally, shrugging defeatedly. “This day . . . it’s just been so perfect. I mean, first you helping me, and now this . . .”
“Oh, Misty, would you stop with that already?” Ash begged, giving her a silly smile. “The day was perfect, you’re right. But it was perfect for me, too. I had fun showing you what to do, and shooting Gary was a blast, and sacrificing myself to see you win! That stuff was great! I had the time of my life today! I . . . I loved hanging out with you today.”
His voice lowered gently, and his smile softened. Misty’s smile strengthened, as she blinked contentedly.
“I loved hanging out with you, too,” she murmured.
They were looking at each other, but only then did their eyes fully lock. Their smiles were not fading in the least, but suddenly they were quivering almost nervously.
Ash took a deep breath, feeling his face heat as her eyes blazed into his. “I – I don’t want you to think that all I did today was just because I felt sorry for you, or that I felt that I needed to do it. I did it because . . . because . . . I wanted to. ‘Cause . . .”
Misty leaned forward interestedly as he struggled to find what he wanted to say as perfectly as he could, tilting her head. Her eyes and face were calm, but her body was shivering. She fought the urge to finish his sentence, fill in his words.
“’Cause . . . I do like being with you,” he finished. “You have no idea how excited I was before to think about how I was going to hang out with you for the whole game. I was s-so excited, and that thing with the teams . . . I felt like the day was ruined. Because I just knew that . . . this was going to be something that we could both have fun with.”
He paused for a moment, literally catching his breath. “I like having fun with you, Misty.” He spread his smile timidly. “You’re a really fun person to be with, ya know that?”
Her body heating, Misty clutched Ash’s shirt in her hands. Instinctively, her smile grew, both out of excitement and true humility. His words were so simple, yet so perfect. She wanted to respond just as perfectly, but it was hard. Her mind was a mess, her body likewise as her heart began to race and her stomach fluttered.
“You’re fun, too, Ash,” she replied. “Actually, you made this game fun. It would’ve stunk otherwise.”
They both chuckled, the tension lifting for a second. But it returned just as strongly as they fell into silence again. Gazing at each other, their blood began to rush. It wasn’t, of course, the first time this had ever occurred. It never failed to cause them to tremble, being an uncomfortable feeling, a confusing, awkward one. And yet, it made them feel wonderful just as much.
“Thanks, Misty,” Ash said, hoping that maybe talking would help him calm his nerves. It wasn’t helping entirely, but as he spoke with gentle sincerity to her, letting her know how he felt, it seemed to be getting easier. “I just . . . hehe, I just hope I wasn’t that much of a pain in the neck.”
Misty’s jaw dropped slightly. “A pain in the neck!?” she chortled incredulously. For the first time, Ash did say something wrong, completely false. She knew he was probably kidding, but she wasn’t going to even let him believe a bit of that for a second. “You’re joking, right?”
Laughing, Ash shrugged. Misty watched him as he ducked his head, fidgeting with his face-shield. “I dunno . . .”
“Ash, you were anything but!” she exclaimed gently, barely lifting her voice. “Seriously, I . . . I don’t think I ever had more fun with you before.”
“Really? Nah, there musta been something else –”
“No, no,” she interrupted him, tugging on his sleeves. “I mean, yeah, we had fun lots of times. I can’t even begin to list the great times we had together.” She laughed gently and shortly. “But today was different. Today . . . it was just you and me. It . . . it’s never really you and me, is it?”
Scrunching his face, Ash shrugged. “Not really.”
Misty looked down. “You know, when you took me prisoner today, I honestly thought that you were doing it . . . well, not to be mean, but you know, to mess with me. Make me angry.”
“Nope,” Ash shook his head.
“I never thought, though,” she went on, “that it would be one of the best times I ever had with you.” She smiled longingly. “I just . . . I just wish this day wouldn’t end.”
Me neither . . . Ash thought, a rush of pleasure running through him as her wish matched his. Misty, at the same time, was breathing uneasily but unnoticeably, finding it rather difficult to explain to him just how wonderful she felt as simply as she could. Some things couldn’t be put to words, and the whole day and how she felt up to this point was one of those things.
Misty chuckled shakily, feeling chills run through her. Mixing with her heavy outfit, which was suddenly heating up more than it had the entire day, her head began to float. The lack of response from Ash, except for the gentle smile etched into his face, was just making her more nervous. She felt surrounded by this heat; this uncomfortable hotness that was somehow pressing her on, encouraging her.
She looked at him, scrutinizing his dark eyes, staring back at her. Blinking once and long, she pulled at his sleeves.
“You were my hero today, you know,” she told him, watching him pull his head back slightly in surprise.
“Your hero? Yeah, right!”
“No, you were,” Misty contradicted quietly. “You did so much for me today, it was like you were my hero.” As the word passed through her lips, she trembled.
Ash blushed lightly, and reached behind to scratch the back of his head. “Well, I dunno if that makes me a hero.” He ducked his head, grinning.
Misty didn’t reply. With a jittery hand, she pushed her face-shield up, exposing her crystal-clear blue eyes. She then unclipped her neck strap and pulled the entire helmet off. Her gleaming hair, albeit weighed-down from the helmet, blew in the soft, warm breezes.
Their gaze never leaving each other, Ash watched her, then went to undo his own helmet. For some reason, he found that his desire to rid his hot, sticky head of the confines wasn’t the only thing making him do it. He pulled it off slowly as Misty had, letting it drop to his side.
He couldn’t keep in his apprehensive chuckle and smile as they looked at each other, almost in an entire new retrospective without their headgear.
“Well, maybe you don’t think that necessarily makes you a hero,” she finally said, wiping some strands of her ginger hair away from her sweaty, glistening forehead. “But I do. A hero comes to someone in their time of need . . . and I really needed you today.”
Her voice was low and grateful, warm as the afternoon sun. It floated to Ash’s ears, making him slacken enjoyably. A hero . . . he thought.
“So,” he wondered, smiling timidly, “that makes you . . . the damsel in distress?”
Misty giggled, looking away. “I guess so,” she replied perkily. Her laughter lightened as she stared into his face again, feeling another jolt wrack her body. To laugh was her initial reaction – her mind reacted all too differently. The trembling in her muscles heightened, intensified.
Swallowing uneasily, his smile working his way through her body and straight to her heart, she braced. “I wish . . . I just wished there was a way I could thank you for today,” she said, moving closer to him. “After all . . . isn’t the damsel supposed to thank the hero after he saves her?”
Ash sweatdropped and grinned. “Misty, it’s just a paintball game!” he said silently.
“I doesn’t matter,” Misty replied, her voice falling into a whisper. She squeezed into him, their noses just inches apart. “You were super sweet today, Ash Ketchum.” Her stomach flopped. “You were my hero . . .”
Clutching her fists and her toes, she felt her heart accelerate rapidly as she leaned forward to kiss his cheek. She shut her eyes and felt her lips overheat on contact, pulling them away quickly but tenderly. She bit down on her lower lip as she leaned back, feeling a gasp for breath cry from her lungs.
Oh, wow, oh wow, was all she could think as she turned her head away, keeping her eyes from Ash. She was too nervous to look at him, to see his reaction. At the same time, her body went crazy, blissful, excited shivers cascading through her and her heart racing. Slowly, her eyes lifted to Ash’s, and a gentle, crooked smirk flew across her face.
“Thanks, Ash,” she whispered. “Thanks for the best day I’ve had in a long time.”
Though he was indeed shocked from her action, Ash couldn’t keep his smile away. It overpowered any other response within him – that, and the instant rush of heat to his face. He could still feel her breath on his face, her body brush against his. He was scared, overwhelmed . . . and amazed. The sensation of her lips – the short time they had been there, nevertheless – never left his cheek, and the more he strove to feel it, the more he became excited.
“You’re welcome,” he said in reply, a faint blush streaking across his nose. He cleared his throat as his voice cracked. Suddenly, his surroundings vanished; the trees and bushes were gone, the heat became obsolete. In that moment, all he saw was her. “But . . . but the hero also has to thank the damsel, too.”
Misty cocked her head. “Huh?”
Ash shrugged, biting down on his lip. “The hero has to thank the damsel for a great day. Because . . . heh, this is the best day I had in a while, too.”
Misty froze and braced, her heart taking a leap as Ash leaned in, pressing his lips to her own. She clenched her eyes shut tightly, trying to settle into the fact that he was kissing her. She hadn’t expected this at all, and the shock of it lingered as their lips remained locked. Ash wasn’t pulling away, and even as awkward as it was, Misty had no intentions of doing it either.
I can’t believe he’s doing this, she thought, reaching up to tug at the sides of his shirt. I can’t believe we’re doing this . . .
The awkwardness was wearing off, and Ash and Misty’s bodies gradually loosened. The kiss was loose and gentle; a mere peck that endured. As weird and crazy as it was, after just a few seconds, neither could believe how extraordinary it truly felt.
Ash was the first to break it, languidly detaching his lips from her soft ones. Their wavering eyes attracted each other yet again, blazing with fervor and awe. Sharing a quivering, coquettish grin, they chuckled nervously.
“Oh, man,” Ash mumbled, covering his face with his hands.
“Yeah, I know,” Misty agreed, absentmindedly brushing off her clothes as they stepped away slightly from each other.
Looking at each other once again, they began to laugh, their faces equally reddened.
Ash took a deep breath. “Well, that was some thanks.”
Misty smiled pleasantly. “Meant every bit of it, though.”
“Me, too,” Ash replied a few seconds later, throwing her a delicate gaze. “This really has been an eventful day, huh?”
Spinning around energetically and scooping up her gun and helmet, Misty gave him a toothy smile. “Sure has,” she replied, popping the helmet on her head. She motioned towards his, winking. “Better put that on before your mom sees. Gotta head back to camp.”
Chuckling, Ash put his helmet on. They stared at each for a moment before Misty extended her hand, wiggling her fingers invitingly.
“C’mon, hero,” she said, nodding her head for him to follow.
Beaming, Ash jumped forward and grasped her hand, squeezing her fingers. “Sure thing, prisoner.”
As they started the triumphant walk back to the preserve, where congratulations, friends, and good food awaited them, Ash and Misty were quiet, their heads lifting and taking in the final sights of their adventure. Their arms swung back and forth, their fingers opening and closing as they entwined. Thoughts of the day – and the final moments, mostly – plagued their minds, washing them over with feelings of rapture and delight.
“You know something, Ash?” Misty asked him as the edge of the forest loomed before them. She rested her head on his shoulder, taking a deep, blissful breath of the fresh country air.
“What’s that, Misty?”
“I can’t wait for next year’s paintball game,” she answered.
Ash giggled, letting go of her hand and reaching around to embrace her waist. Pulling her closely to him, letting his helmeted head rest atop hers, the reality of the day’s outcome took hold of him again. It couldn’t have been more perfect.
“Neither can I,” he said, hugging her softly. But who cares about the paintball?
THE
END