It’s too quiet, Ash decides.
He flips over in his bed, facing his tellingly empty room, and mindlessly stares down the dim streetlamp just outside his window until his eyes get all blurry and unfocused.
The quiet isn’t just his room or his house, he realizes, it’s the entirety of Pallet Town.
He returned home by himself this time, by request of his mother, who hinted, oh so subtlety about four million times over the last month, that it would be nice to spend her next birthday with her one and only son, so what choice did he even have?
He had sent out a blanket invitation to all of his friends, but they all regretfully declined, their weeks already booked by one thing or another, to Ash’s immense disappointment.
It seems like the older they all get, the harder it is to get everyone together.
But even if no one else can be there in person, Ash decides, that didn’t mean they couldn’t be there in spirit.
He runs through his mental catalog of friends, figuring out what time it is where everyone else is, and finally settles on the one person he knew would probably not only still be awake, but was also willing to indulge in his shenanigans.
“Thank you for subscribing to Bug Facts on the Hour!” he types, a grin stretching across his lips. “Did you know? The largest weedle on record weighed a whopping 10.6lbs with a height of 1.47 feet! It was found just outside of Cerulean City, where scientists believe it is a the perfect climate for bugs to grow nice and big! To unsubscribe from Bug Facts on the Hour, text back UNSUBSCRIBE at any time.”
“UNSUBSCRIBE 😤😖😒” Misty types back immediately, to Ash’s delight. “Not that you’ll ACTUALLY stop. I’ve been trying to get you to stop sending me these stupid bug facts since you got that stupid rotomphone.”
He snorts loudly, and has to bite his lip to quiet himself down after Pikachu makes a little scrunched up face and snuggles deeper into the blankets.
“You have successfully unsubscribed from Bug Facts on the Hour,” he types back, barely suppressing his giggles, “and have officially subscribed to Bug Facts on the 10!!! Did you know? Dewpider love to hang out in inclosed pools, just like the one found at the Cerulean City Gym! Stay tuned for your next Bug Fact in 10 minutes!”
Misty: NOT FUNNY ASH KETCHUM 🤬”
He barks out a laugh, and Pikachu’s head swings around to glare at him with an angry “Pika!” before grabbing the corner of his blanket in his teeth and heading to the opposite side of the bed.
“Sorry, Pikachu,” Ash apologizes through his laughter, and immediately returns to his phone as another text from Misty comes through.
Misty: Aren’t you home? Stop terrorizing me and go spend some time with your mother.
Ash: She’s sleeping! Don’t you have a show tomorrow? Shouldn’t you be sleeping too?
Misty: I always have trouble falling asleep the night before a show. Not that I could if I wanted to, with SOMEONE texting me stupid bug facts all night. 😒
“What are you doing for your mom’s birthday?” she asks, so Ash assumes he’s forgiven.
Ash: Still working on that, actually…
Misty: Ash! Her birthday is in two days!
Ash: I know!! There’s just not much to actually do in Pallet.
Which sounds like just an excuse, but sadly is the truth. Pallet had always been lacking in the entertainment department, and he can’t even take her out to eat, not when she’s the owner of the only restaurant in town.
The typing bubbles appear and disappear a few times before finally ending in a text from Misty: “Would she want to come to a super corny water ballet?” she asks. Ash’s eyebrows raise in surprise.
Ash: For real? Isn’t it sold out??
Misty: I mean, yeah, publicly. But you guys aren’t the public.
Ash smiles down at his phone fondly. His mom would love that, actually. She was always going to local pokemon shows when they were actually nearby. Plus, she never shut up about how he needed to visit with Misty more, so it was kind of a perfect win-win.
Ash: That would be awesome, Mist! Thank you!! 🥺
Misty: Of course! Call it a birthday gift to your mom from me 💕 The show starts at 2pm, so try to get here around 1:30. Go to the back door and tell Dennis your names. I’ll tell him to expect you
Ash: Oh, does he help keep out all the dewpider trying to get into your pool all the time?
Misty: DON’T MAKE ME REGRET THIS ASH!
Ash grins to himself, feeling the familiar warmth in his chest that usually accompanies poking at Misty’s buttons, and before he can think too much about it, sends her one last text before nearly tossing his phone away and curling into his pillow, his cheeks flushed and pink.
He bites back a grin. He’ll deal with the fallout of that particular emoji in the morning.
