Confessions
by Krystyn Poe
Author’s Note: Well, not much to note here. This is just a little bit of pre-AAMRN-like fluff that popped into my head one day. It’s not that great, but I am merely a humble writer trying to fill the world with more nonsense, so it’s really up to you. Feedback would be greatly appreciated.
(Ages: Ash – 14 Misty – 15 Brock – 17 Pikachu – who knows?)
Disclaimer: The names of these characters have not been changed to protect the innocent. The incident in question has not been edited so as to provide you, the reader, with the truth, just the truth, and nothing but the truth, so help me Toaster. As the bailiff, recorder, judge, jury, and narrator, I cannot be held legally responsible for the actions of characters under my control. This is a non-profit court of fiction so don’t sue me or I will hold you in contempt of court and counter-sue. Now that this little part is done, go ahead and read the story…please…
Ash, Misty, Pikachu, and Brock were wandering aimlessly down yet another road in the middle of yet another forest. None of them really paid attention to the landscape around them; it looked almost identical to all the other roads they’d been travelling for so long. The only difference was on this road there was very little shade where they were walking, and since it was about midday in July, they were all moving rather sluggishly.
Ash and Misty had gotten into a fight that morning, and this time it had been serious. Neither one would speak to the other at all, and the sheer volume of it had been enough to make Togepi cry so hard that Misty had to confine her to a pokèball. Even though Brock didn’t know what it was about, it had been almost serious enough to come to blows. Thank goodness he had been there to stop it before they both did something they’d regret for the rest of their lives. And so the walk had been in an uneasy, sweltering silence ever since it had begun. Finally, Ash stuck a hand out and put all his weight on the tree he touched.
“That’s it, I quit. It’s just too hot to go any further right now.” He sighed.
Misty and Brock exchanged a surprised look; they had been extremely close to doing what Ash had just done, but they never expected that Ash, of all people, would be the one to call it quits. They quickly looked back at him, and collapsed into the shade off the side of the road, agreeing with his statement. All of them just sat there, breathing heavily and enjoying the break from the blazing sun above.
Pikachu suddenly perked up and started dashing off into the forest. Ash groaned.
“Pikachu! Come back!” Ash yelled tiredly, not wanting to run after him.
“Pikapi! Pi pikachu!” He heard Pikachu yell back. Sighing, Ash lifted himself into a standing position and trudged after the amazingly perky pokèmon. Misty and Brock just stayed under the trees, lightly dozing off in the midday heat.
After a few moments, Ash’s voice floated back to them, lifting them out of their dazed stupor with it’s enthusiasm.
“Hey Brock! There’s a river here, and I’m not waiting for you to get here before jumping in!”
Brock leaped up and dashed off after Ash once they heard the word “river”. Misty hesitated, but was way too hot not to run after the boys. By the time they reached the little thing, Ash had already stripped down to his boxers and was happily floating on the surface, grinning. Brock followed Ash’s example, while Misty simply took off her shoes and ripped out her hair-band before gracefully diving into the surprisingly deep river. (Note: Misty wasn’t wearing the silly suspenders and cut-offs today, she was wearing the outfit she ran in when she was carrying the Pokèmon League Competition torch.) She surfaced and then took in her watery surroundings.
It was your typical run-of-the-mill river. Just barely deep enough for them to swim in, for at the deepest the water was a good five or six inches below Ash and Misty’s shoulders. It wasn’t all that wide, enough for the three of them to stand side by side perhaps, but no more than that. There was a little trickle of water coming down a few stones behind them, and the river curved out of sight. The more Misty thought about it, the more she realized how strange it was to have such a deep river (for it was deep as small rivers go) in the middle of nowhere, but just shrugged it off, glad to have the water.
She saw Brock lazily swimming in circles, and Ash was doing the same, but then he got a devious look on his face and ducked underwater. Now alert, Misty tried to keep an eye out for him, but before she could do anything she felt someone grab hold of her waist and pull her underwater. She surfaced, sputtering, and came face to face with a grinning Ash. She considered hitting him for daring to pull a stunt like that, but then decided that revenge was sweet. Without any preamble, she leaped forward, grabbed hold of his shoulders, and dunked him underwater. She held him there for about two seconds before allowing him to breathe, but she ducked underwater before he could retaliate. The war was on.
However, it didn’t last too long. Ash, upon not seeing her above the water, dove under the water as well and found her about to surface, but instead of letting her do that he clamped onto her wrist and pulled her back down deeper into the water. She struggled to get free, but Ash’s grip was surprisingly tight. He managed to encircle his free arm around her waist in such a way that her other arm was pinned to her side. Together, still in that position, they surfaced and gasped for air. Misty took advantage of this and managed to free her wrist from his grip, but the force of the pull spun her around in his arms so that their faces were less than an inch apart, and his arm still held her to him around the waist tightly.
It took both Ash and Misty a moment to realize what was going on, and they blushed furiously once they realized how close they were to each other, but strangely enough neither one felt an urgent need to break away from the position. Time froze and they just gazed at each other, neither one understanding the rush of mixed emotions running through their hearts and minds. And then came the spark of realization, almost as if Pikachu had shocked them. Maybe Ash wasn’t such a self-centered, uncaring, egotistical bastard, and maybe Misty wasn’t a scrawny, big-mouthed, annoying little wench. And maybe, just maybe…
Misty’s free hand found its way to his hair and brushed a lock out of his eyes. Ash’s other arm came to encircle her waist and she slid her previously trapped arm free of his embrace, only to use it to capture him in a hug which he was returning whole-heartedly. Floods of memories assaulted them both; all of the arguments that they had had, all the teasing, all the little things that hadn’t meant a thing, the larger ones that nearly crossed the line, but mostly of the one argument that had done just that. Neither was spared as all of the hurtful things they’d said to each other came back to haunt them.
“I’m sorry.” They both whispered in unison. Misty and Ash loosened their grip on each other just enough so that they faced each other again.
“I didn’t mean any of it.” Misty confessed, looking away slightly. “I-I didn’t mean to hurt you. You’re not a self-centered, uncaring, egotistical bastard…you – you’re one of the best things that’s ever happened to me. I didn’t have anything left when you fell in the river four years ago, and if it wasn’t for the dumb luck that you smashed my bike, who knows what would’ve happened to me? I don’t follow you around for the bike…well, it may have started out that way but I never really expected it back. I followed you for the…” she hesitated slightly “um, companionship. You’re my best friend, and I would never hurt you intentionally…” She looked back at Ash, not sure whether to stop or continue, but figured she should stop before she said anything else. The bike thing had already come out and she didn’t need to bare her soul anymore.
“I didn’t mean any of it either.” Ash confessed, looking down. He looked straight into her eyes for the rest of his confession, though. “I don’t know what got into me, I didn’t expect it to go that far…I didn’t want it to but I couldn’t seem to stop. I didn’t mean to hurt you either, Misty. I’d rather die than hurt you. You – you’re not a scrawny, big-mouthed, annoying little wench, you’re one of the smartest, prettiest girls I’ve ever known, and if anyone ever tells you different then they have some serious problems.” He smiled before adding, “And if I ever start to go that far again, hit me with your mallet…hard.” She smiled at this and hugged him again, extremely glad that they had made up. She was a little sad that she hadn’t told him how she felt about him, but those feelings were still too young for her to be truly certain of their existence. Maybe some other time…
As Ash held Misty in his arms he was struck by the realization that he didn’t want to let her go. He was afraid if he let go of her now they’d have another fight, that maybe they’d go too far and he’d drive her away completely. This prospect frightened him more than he thought it would, and he was almost tempted to tell Misty that maybe his feelings for her were going beyond friendship…but he couldn’t be sure. Not yet. He’d have to explore this avenue of thought before even considering talking to her about it. Besides, feelings like these could ruin their newly mended friendship, and there was no way he’d risk that.
Brock sat by the bank of the river, watching the whole scene unfold. He, in the past few minutes, had seen Ash and Misty go from hating each other’s guts, to flirtatiously playing in the water, to shock, to tenderly apologizing to each other, to something he couldn’t quite put his finger on. Their body language was telling him there was more going on than met the eye, but no one really quite knew what it was. He shrugged, figuring that it would come out at some point. Still, it was nice to have them speaking to each other again. He walked into the water once again, came up behind them and splashed them, bringing lightheartedness back to the group.
The sound of laughter could be heard long into the night.
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