Whispering Darkness Part 5 By Crysta Disclaimer: Crysta and the story's mine, Gamefreak and Nintendo own everything else. Note: The POV note on part 2 still stands here. As per usual. Actually, it now also applies to Tracey and Crysta. I'll make sure you know which one. ;) Also, yes, I made Ash wear a shirt. Basically picture his T- shirt with buttons. That's all. His mom was washing the T-shirt ;) ********** Misty lay in her bed thinking. About things. They were back at Ash's house, well, she and Ash were. Crysta was staying with Tracey at Professor Oak's. Ash. She wanted to admit to him she loved him. She couldn't. She knew she couldn't. She felt desperate to tell someone. She rang Professor Oak's. Tracey answered, looking like he'd just been roused from a deep sleep. "Tracey, is Crysta there?" "Yeah. Crysta, it's Misty." He handed Crysta the phone. "Hi Misty. Could it not have waited until morning?" "No. It's tearing me up inside. I had to ask someone's advice." "I see. Fire away." "Well, you know Ash." "I do. What about him?" "Well. I love him. I always have." "More mush. OK, OK, just go and tell him." "I can't! I'm too scared to." "Misty, trust me, he loves you just as much as you love him. Tell him, it'll make his day, I swear it will." Crysta told her. Misty's blue eyes widened. "He does?" "Sure he does. Don't tell him I told you though, or I'm Charizard Chow. But trust me. If you tell him you love him, he'll be the happiest man on Earth. I should know. Right Tracey?" "Right." Tracey's voice said from off-screen. "See. Now, go to bed and tell him in the morning. And Misty?" "What?" "Could you not make a habit of ringing at 11 pm?" "Sure. Night." "Good luck. Night." Misty put the phone down. Her heart leapt. She felt great. She tiptoed back up the stairs and into bed. Once in bed, she looked across at her bedside table. On it, framed, was the piece of art Crysta and Tracey had produced whilst she was blind. It was a drawing of her and Ash, together in a forest clearing. In the background a Chansey watched. Crysta's addition. She smiled. "I want that scene to come true." ********** Ash lay in his bed thinking about something. "Misty." He said her name softly, and he smiled, remembering the times they had been through together. He wanted to hold Misty close and never let her go. He looked at the picture Tracey and Crysta had drawn. They had reproduced it and given Ash a copy. The image was so perfect. It was the was he wanted things to be. "I love her. I always have, and I always will." He whispered. He rolled over and closed his eyes. Shortly after, he was fast asleep. ********** Misty brushed her hair back and fastened it in a slide, letting it flow down her back in untamed red waves. Smiling, she picked a blue dress and slipped it on. Then, she went next door to confront Ash with her feelings. Her first mistake was not to knock. Ash whipped around as she walked in. He was decent, but his shirt was only half buttoned up. Misty blushed. "I'm sorry, I should have knocked." She said. Her heart raced. *He's so handsome.* she thought. "No, that's. OK, Just give me a little warning next time, OK?" he said. His eyes took in Misty's hairstyle, her dress that brought out the blue of her eyes. *She's beautiful* he thought. His mind raced. *I have to tell her! Now! Just tell her Ash, then you'll know what'll happen.* Misty's heart skipped a beat as she looked at Ash. *I have to tell him! Now! Just tell him Misty, then you'll know what'll happen.* "Ash, I have to." "Misty, I need to." Both fell silent. Ash spoke. "You first." "Well, Ash, I need to tell you something. Something I've always wanted to tell you since I first met you six years ago. It's time to tell you the truth." Ash felt unnerved. One of two things could happen. She could say she loved him, or she could say she liked him as a friend. He didn't even want to consider a third, unnamed consequence. "I. I love you." Ash's mind shut down. He stood in shock for a minute, then it clocked. "You. love me?" Misty nodded. "I always have, and I always will." She said. Ash felt like everything in his life had gone right. He was walking on air. He smiled. "Ash?" "Wha?" "What did you want to tell me?" "Uh, well, that is, I." Misty waited. She knew the three possible answers. She hoped for the one she had given Ash. "I love you too Misty." He said. His hazel eyes locked with Misty's cerulean blue ones and they leaned closer and closer. In fact, they'd completely forgotten about Pikachu, who looked on with interest. From nowhere, Pikachu produced a bucket of popcorn and started to eat it as he watched Misty and Ash. Misty flung her arms around Ash's neck. She felt Ash's encircle her, holding her close to him. It felt so. right. Ash leaned closer. Misty lifted her head. Both closed their eyes as their lips met. Their kiss lasted five minutes, before Pikachu made himself known. "I don't usually like romance movies." Ash and Misty jumped apart. "But this one is worth seeing a million times over!" Pikachu winked. Misty grinned. Ash spoke softly. "Don't tell Crysta and Tracey. we want to tell them ourselves." "No problemo. But can I please tell Brock?" "Sure." Misty said. "Oh, and Misty?" "What Pikachu?" "Enjoy the kiss?" Pikachu darted down the stairs before Misty could whack him. "That mouse!" she said. ********** Well, I guess that was a good time to tell Misty I love her, with my shirt half open and my mind working so fast it was moving backwards. Nevertheless, despite Pikachu's comments, it seems to be going well. I can hear Pikachu on the phone to Brock now. No doubt spreading the news. ". They admitted it." "They did WHAAT?" Brock said on the other end. Pikachu laughed. "Misty told him, he told her. Then they kissed. I'm glad they finally got together. Although Ash could have been a little better dressed for the occasion. erk!" I grabbed the phone off Pikachu. "Never mind that, Brock." I said. "Ash? Good to hear from you! I hear you and Misty finally spilled the beans to each other." "As a matter of fact, yes." I laughed at Brock's face. "I'm happy, she's happy, Pikachu's happy watching." "Hey!" ".Everyone's happy." "I'm thrilled for you Ash. It's great over here too. I'm learning lots of thinks about breeding." "Glad you're enjoying it. Hear from you soon?" "You bet!" "Oh, yeah, Crysta and Tracey got together." "Tracey? As in sketch pad and pencil Tracey? Will wonders never cease?!" Brock laughed. I grinned. "I gotta go now Brock, but don't forget to call me sometime." "I won't. Go on, back to Misty!" "Brock!" "Joke." "OK. Bye Brock." "See ya Ash." I hung up and walked into the kitchen, to see Misty, looking even prettier. My mind's stopped functioning again. ********** "They're coming!" Tracey said. Crysta smirked. "Pay up!" she said, holding out her hand. Tracey placed a five dollar bill in it. "Thank you!" she said. "Now then." "Crysta? Tracey?" Ash called. Crysta grinned. She ran to the door, Tracey hot on her heels. "Ash, Misty, what a nice." she threw a sly look at Tracey. ".surprise." "We have a bigger one." Misty said. "You don't need to tell us." Tracey nodded to Crysta, "Don't set Charizard on me Ash, but I told Misty of your little crush on her last night." "You WHAT?" Ash grabbed her by the neck of her dress. "Erk!" Crysta gasped for air. "If I hadn't, I wouldn't have got you two together! Now lemme go!" Ash dropped her. "Guess you got a point there." "But of course. She also made a bet with me." Tracey smiled. Crysta nodded, and told them. "After Misty called last night, I made a bet with Tracey that you and her would be together when you next saw us." "I didn't believe her. My bad. It cost me five bucks." Crysta stuck her tongue out at Tracey. "Oh yes, Ash, Oak tells me the pok‚mon league is in a month. He says the pokemon master is required to return each year to defend his title." "Oh! I completely forgot!" Ash groaned. Crysta smirked. "Thought you would." She said. Ash reached over to whack her but missed. Crysta winked. "If you want to train, there's a rather nice mountain you can climb to train." "Thanks!" Ash said, running off. "Here we go again." Misty darted off after him. ********** I haven't met Mrs. Ketchum before but she's incredibly embarrassing from what I see. She's doing it to Ash now. Crysta's nowhere to be seen and Misty's tring not to laugh. Pikachu? Well, he's. laughing. "And don't forget to change your underwear every day." Ash's mum said. Ash blushed. "Mom! I'm sixteen! I can take care of myself!" "I'm just making sure honey." His mum said. She kissed him goodbye. He stepped out of the door and took one step towards the mountain. ********** "Hold it!" Ash whipped around. Crysta was standing before him. "I'm coming too." He smiled. "Hurry up!" Crysta held up her hand. A backpack materialised. She grinned. "I'm ready." Ash just stared until Misty caught hold of his collar and pulled him backwards. "Come on Ash." Crysta donned a jacket and, shouldering the backpack, walked off after Ash. Tracey darted after them. It amused Crysta that they always walked in height order, unintentionally. Ash was smallest, then Misty, then herself, and Tracey was the tallest, and brought up the rear. Tracey was getting a little hot under the collar. "That sun's nice." Misty said. Crysta nodded. "It's hurting my eyes." Tracey groaned. Crysta started rummaging in her backpack, and produced a baseball cap and something odd. Passing the cap to Tracey, she laughed. "At least one of us came prepared!" What Crysta wore was weird. It was literally a loop of plastic, with a small gap in the back. This band fit around her head. The brim was simple, with a sheet of thin orange plastic in it. Crysta explained. "I can't wear baseball caps because of my ears, so I wear this. It doesn't hinder my ears and it keeps the sun out of my eyes!" "Why don't you get a cap with slots for your ears?" Ash asked. "No point. Besides, this is just as effctive. I used to wear it when I played tennis with Sabrina to unwind after a long day training in the pokemon center." "You played tennis with Sabrina? As in the Saffron Gym leader?" Ash said in amazement. Crysta nodded. "Come on, or we'll never get to this mountain." ********** Ash was red in the face and getting even hotter by the minute. Crysta had taken her jacket off and stuffed it into her backpack. Tracey looked OK. Me, I was fine. "I'm frying." Ash groaned. Crysta grinned. "If you want to take your jacket off you're welcome to put it in my bag, it'll be safe in there." "Thanks" Ash slipped his jacket off. Crysta stuffed it in the backpack. It didn't seem to increase in size any. Pikachu thought of something. "Did anyone bring any food? I'm hungry!" "Pikachu!" Crysta groaned. She fished around in her backpack. Ash noticed it only seemed big enough to take her arm up to the elbow in it, but her entire arm disappeared inside it. "Uh, Crysta, is there something weird going on here?" "No. But then again when yu have a magic backpack for three years you tend to think it's normal." "Magic?" I asked. Crysta nodded. "Yeah. It holds anything with space to spare. It also contains whatever you desire. Here." She passed Pikachu a bottle of ketchup. "Don't get it down Ash's neck." "I won't." Pikachu said. Crysta zipped up the backpack. She said something with her powers to Ash. "I may need to ask something extreme of the backpack if you and Misty are alone." *Crysta!* Ash thought Crysta smiled. "Just joking. I can read your mind, by the way, so if you just think of responses we can hold a conversation without them listening in." *That's odd. Crysta, you scare me.* "Thanks." Ash looked at her. She winked. Ash shook his head. He would never understand women, he decided. To Be Continued.