Misty blinks. Did she hear that right?
āWhat do you mean, Ashās here?ā She frowns. āOf course I know heās hereāitās his party, Brock,ā she states flatly.
Brock, who is standing beside her with a bottle of fruit beer in hand, smiles knowingly. āThen why havenāt you talked to him yet?ā he asks.
The tone infuriates Misty.Ā
What kind of question is that? She crosses her arms. Why hasnāt she talked to him yet? He is busy, obviously! He is the world Championā people are lining up just to shake his hand.
The lawn buzzes with conversations and laughter. The night sky above them glows as if the party lights have seeped into the stars. Across the yard, the long buffet tables groan under the weight of the dishes so enticing they seem to beckon guests towards them almost comically. Professor Oakās estate is large enough to fit the whole town, along with every acquaintance Ash has ever made, without feeling cramped.
Her head whoops in his direction, eyes glaring at the older friend. āWhat now?āĀ
Brock shakes his head. āNothing. Itās justā¦ā He shrugs, taking another sip out of his fruit beer.
Misty slaps his arm lightly. āTalk.ā
āOkay,ā he says, grinning. āYouāve been acting weird.ā
āWhat?ā She points at herself. Ā āMe? Weird?ā
Brock nods. āEver since we got back from our journey, you know, after Ash won the coronation series?ā
āWe just got back, like, a week ago Brock. You havenāt seen me since and this party started, like, an hour ago. How can you accuse me of something so preposterous?ā She huffs, throwing her hands in the air.
BrockĀ calmly nods, again. He enjoys watching Misty act just like her sisters in a state of panic. Itās funny to him knowing how much the girl despises her sistersā behavior most of the time. Amused, he decides to add fuel to the fire. āIām aware, yes. But I can still tell youāre acting differently. Does it have something to do with your crush on Ash?ā
Misty chokes on air, coughing as she rubs her chest. She straightens up quickly, ready to redeem herself. āWhat?ā
āNot beating the allegations with that reaction,ā he teases.
She steps closer to Brock, her face flushing with what she believes is anger. āI do not have a crush on Ash, okay?ā she hisses.
Brock leans in, smirking. āOne question: Why are you so dolled up then?ā
She glances at her shoulder, shifting away from Brock. Brock smirks at her, waiting to hear the excuse she must be cooking in her head. āBecauseāā she stutters. āBecause itās a party andā¦I couldnāt just wear my regular clothes.ā Her hand absentmindedly finds the hem of her flowy, blue dress, scrunching and caressing it like it has a mind of its own.
āOh, please,ā Brock scoffs, rolling his eyes. āThis coming from a girl who wore bicycle shorts on her sixteenth birthday is ridiculous.ā
āYouāre ridiculousā¦ā Misty murmurs.
And then, as if summoned by sheer irony, the very person Misty swears she hasnāt been thinking about emerges from the crowd.
Sixteen-year-old Ash Ketchum, dressed nicely for onceā in his best white shirt, his only black slacks, and a leather jacket added (probably) just to look coolāgrins ear to ear as he strides toward them.
āDid you guys eat that fancy stuff? It was so good!ā He gushes, his eyes sparkling as he steps closer to the duo.
Brock laughs, patting the younger guy on the back. āIām glad fame hasnāt changed your appetite!ā
Ash grins. āNever will.ā Then, he looks at Misty, who consciously fixes her posture. āMy friends from other regions are hereāwant to meet them?ā
Misty smiles.āThat'd be great, Ash!āĀ
āHeyāā Ash pauses mid-thought, suddenly noticing Misty. āYou look different, Mist.ā
Mistyās face heats up. āItās justā¦ a dress. What is it with you two today?ā
A silence settles, enveloped with the faint murmurs and soft music of the party.Ā
Brock grins from behind Ash, the same teasing expression he had earlier.
āMaybe youāve never noticed her before, Ash,ā Brock says, eyeing Misty.
āOf course, I have plenty of times,ā Ash replies casually, unaware of Mistyās subtle jump of surprise and Brockās widened eyes. āHey, Iāll be right back, then weāll meet my other friends.āĀ
Like a gust of wind, he was goneāprobably off to greet another well-wisherāleaving Misty and Brock standing there, still processing what just happened.
Brock whirls toward Misty, eyes wide with mock shock. āOf course, I have plenty of times!ā he mimics, then snickers. āThat was so intentional.ā
āWas not,ā Misty snaps, ignoring the tickle in her chest.
āAsh doesnāt have the comprehension skills to be subtle, Brock. If he didāā She stops, blushing. āNever mind.ā
Brock raises an eyebrow, grinning. "Oh, no, no. You canāt just stop there. If he had what, Misty?"
Misty groans, rubbing her temples. āNothing. Forget it.ā
Brock leans in, lowering his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. āIf he had, youād be swooning right now?ā
Misty jerks back as if he just accused her of a crime. āExcuse me? Swooning?ā She scoffs, crossing her arms so tightly they might fuse together. āThe day I swoon over Ash Ketchum is the day the world ends.ā
Brock hums thoughtfully. āYou know, I think I saw something on the news about a comet approaching us.ā
āI will dump your fruit beer on your head.ā She deadpans.Ā
He chuckles, taking a sip as if testing her patience. āAlright, alright. But you have to admit, that was interesting.ā
Misty fidgets with the hem of her dress again. "What was?"
"Ash. The way he looked at you."
She opens her mouth and closes it. Because no, Ash Ketchum didnāt look at her. Not in that way. He barely even noticed she was wearing a dressāhe just pointed out she looked different.
She rolls her eyes, trying to shake off the heat creeping up her neck. āYouāre reading into things again, Brock.ā
āMm-hmm,ā he hums knowingly, taking another sip. āThen do me a favor, Misty, and you try to read into things tonight.ā
He grinned. āJust notice how he acts around everyone else compared to you.ā
A voice suddenly calls from across the lawn. "Misty! Brock! Come on!"
Misty turns her head just in time to see Ash waving at them with a grin. He is surrounded by a bunch of people, some Misty recognises, some she doesnāt.Ā
āThen do me a favor, Misty, and you try to read into things tonight.ā
The party lights cast a golden glow around him, and for the first time, she actually registers how different he looks. Not just his clothes, but him. The same Ash Ketchum, but tallerā not taller than her, but taller. Sharper. Is it the refined jawline? Is it his longer hair? Is it the tan skin? Is it the brown eyes? Still smiling like a dork, but something about him feelsā¦ different. Is it the sweet smile?Ā
She blinks. What the heck was that thought?
Brock nudges her with his elbow, his smirk returning. āWell? Are you coming, or do you need a moment to process?ā
Misty scowls and shoves him lightly before walking ahead, ignoring the way her heart does an annoying little flip when Ash grins wider at her approach.
As she walks closer to the lot, everyone turns towards her, but most evidently, Ash steps ahead, welcoming her into his little circle.
Or maybe she is reading too much.
āBrock! Misty!ā he says, flashing that same wide grin. Then he turns to his other friends, who wait patiently for him to finish the introductions.
Misty and Brock exchange polite smiles with the group, nodding at familiar faces and offering small waves to strangers. Itās nice meeting themāat least, it would be if Misty werenāt hyper-aware of Ash standing just a little too close.
Is that musky scent coming from his hair?
Amidst the chatting and celebration, Misty shoots Brock a glare, making a mental note to kill himāafter the partyāfor putting this ridiculous idea in her head in the first place, for asking her to read into things tonight. How dare he chat so casually with Cilan after setting a monstrous spark loose in her perfectly fine head. She will not condone this.Ā
āThen do me a favor, Misty, and you try to read into things tonight.ā
What the hell? That stupid idea has ignited her curiosity, burning away any lingering shame. And so, against her better judgment, she grudgingly lets her gaze drift toward Ash.Ā
She stares at Ashās face, glowing under the soft fairy lights. His smile is just as wide with Dawn as it is with her. Of course, it is. Dawn is just as close to Ash as she is, after all.
āHey, Misty, what are you up to these days?ā Mayās voice cuts through Mistyās daze.
Following the conversation with May, Misty makes it her mission to read into things tonight.
She watches as the group decides to eat, how Ash remembers Irisā dislikes towards ice cream just as well as he remembers Mistyās hatred for carrots and peppers.Ā
That doesnāt bother her. Why would it? Of course, Ash remembers Irisā dislike of ice cream and Mayās dislike of spicy food. Thatās how itās supposed to be. If it were up to stupid Brock and his crazy ideas, then Ash must be in love with everyone in his friend circle.
That doesnāt bother her at all.
Sheās happy instead. Gosh, what would she have done had he actually treated her differently? If he saw her differently orā¦or if he liked her.
She is glad thatās not the case.
The buzz of the party only increases from then on. The music gets louder and the people more cheerful. The Pokemon and their trainers all frolic around the lawn; some dancing, some laughing, everyone lost in celebration.
Misty, along with the girls of the lot, finds herself lost in laughter as they dance together, spinning and swaying under the fairy lights. The music thrums through her veins, the night air is crisp against her skin, and as she twirls in her flowy, blue dress, she feels a rush of happiness as the girls cheer her on.Ā
The music gets faster, and Serena holds her hand, the girls making each other twirl like two platonic soulmates. Then the girls form a circle again, singing the lyrics of the song on the top of their lungs, jumping and swaying with joy. The music is so loud that Misty has to put in extra effort to hear her own voice.Ā
And yet, even as she dances with joy, her gaze keeps drifting.
Across the lawn, at a different corner every time, Ash is deep in conversation. Every few minutes, heās with someone newālaughing with an old rival, shaking hands with a professor, letting some wide-eyed kid gush about his battles. Heās always moving, always talking, always smiling.
āThen do me a favor, Misty, and you try to read into things tonight.ā
She wants to do herself a favor and use her mallet on Brock.
Because sheās read into things plenty tonight. And it feels like reading a comic bookāloud, colorful, impossible to ignore.
Ash takes care of Lillie as she spills juice on her dress.
He shares some inside jokes with Clemont that no one else understands.
He steadies Goh with a firm hand when he stumbles on his own feet.
He brings Serena a cold drink when she slumps on a chair, exhausted.
He hugs Tracey as the older guy gives him a nicely wrapped box.
The world tilts. Or maybe she is the one spinning. The joyful music suddenly starts to feel nauseating. The cheers of everyone around her suddenly feel scrutinizing. The Soft, glowy lights now burn her eyes.
Somewhere along the way, sheās stopped moving. She stands frozen in the middle of the laughter, the celebration, the party that suddenly feels too loud.
āThen do me a favor, Misty, and you try to read into things tonight.ā
She doesnāt need to. She already knows.
She doesnāt need to read into things to know why she picked this dress.
She doesnāt need to read into things to understand why Brockās words rattled her.
She doesnāt need to read into things to recognize the pitiful truthāthat she let herself believe, even for aĀ
second, that Ash would finally see her.
That now, with his dreams coming true, heād finally notice something other than PokĆ©mon.
That heād notice how long sheās been waiting.
She forces her legs to move, pushing herself out of the celebrationĀ before her bleeding sorrow paints anyone else blue.Ā
She weaves through the crowd, bumping into people as she goes. No one notices. Theyāre too immersed in the joy to notice. Or maybe she has become too good at hiding.
The music fades as she walks further into the Oak estate, swallowed by the vast stretch of green.
Away from the golden lights, into the moon-less dark.
Ā Away from the laughter, toward the quiet hum of chirping PokĆ©mon.
Ā Away from the warmth, into the cold embrace of the wind.
Sheās read into things. And now?
From now on, when she watches him battle on screen, she wonāt search his face, trying to guess if heās tense or exhausted. She wonāt linger on every article that mentions his name.
Sheāll smile when she sees him. Talk to him like always. Act like nothingās changed.
And it will all be normal.
She doesnāt cry, though. Maybe somewhere in her heart, she always knew.Ā
Sheās been telling herself to wait.
Wait till he travels through Hoenn.
Wait till he conquers Sinnoh.
Wait till he explores Unova.
Wait till he becomes the Kalos champion.
Wait till he returns from Alola.
Wait till he becomes the World Champion.
And like a starry-eyed little girl, she held her heart in anticipation.
Maybe something will change if she joins him on his journey.
Maybe something will change when she teases him like old times.
Maybe something will change when she bids yet another goodbye.
And each time, she looked at himāwaiting for him to look back.
"Then do me a favor, Misty, and you try to read into things tonight."
Sheās been reading into things forever. Sheās tired.
The wind is soothing. It threads through her hair, brushing against her cheeks like a whisper. Her dress flutters with it, moving in sync as if the night itself is holding her.
Read the rest on AO3, it's too long lol
