Main characters: Ash: 18 Misty: 18 Brock: 23 Sandy: 15 Duplica: 18 May: 15 Max: 10 Dawn: 13 ½ Ok, I don’t own Pokemon, okies? I am just a small fish in a big pond…a very big pond…with sharks in it…and piranha…and Gyarados too…ok I’m finished. Also I don’t know exact age differences, but let’s say this is close enough, okies? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ash Ketchum was returning to Pallet Town for a big celebration. Professor Oak was having his 60th birthday, and he had invited Ash and his friends to come to the party. Ash, Brock and Dawn were returning past Cerulean City to meet Misty and Duplica, who was in town for the party and was staying with Misty, and Ash was nervous. VERY nervous. “What’s up, Ash?” Dawn asked. “You’re sweating and it’s hardly hot.” He wiped his forehead and avoided her gaze, a slight tinge of red creeping into his cheeks. Brock leaned in to her. “It has to do with Misty,” he said. “He’s loved her since they were only around 10 or 11 years old.” Dawn nodded. “Ah, wish I was in love,” she said to him. “I talked with Misty briefly about it a while back, but I didn’t know they were…you know,” she said. Brock smiled. Soon they were approaching the Cerulean Gym, and Ash was starting to almost tremble. Brock decided to give him a little pep talk. “Ash, just relax. The big surprise you have planned is all set up, I checked with Sandy and May the last time we were at a Pokemon Centre. They have the path to the spot lined the way you wanted, and the finale is ready…AND just so you know, Max did all the wiring so there won’t be any trouble. Ok?” Ash nodded. He was glad that Max, Sandy and May had gotten to Pallet Town first to help set things in place. “Ok, it’s all up to me now.” He moved forward to the door of the gym…but before he could open it, it swung open and almost hit him in the face. “ASH!!!” Duplica threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. “Oh my God it’s so good to see you!!! How’ve you been? Have you grown since last time I saw you? How’s Pikachu?” “PIIKAAA!” (Hey Duplica!) She let go of Ash and hugged Brock as he came over. “How are you Brock?” “Surviving, looking after these two mostly.” She turned and faced Dawn, who was standing alone off to the side. “Who’s this then?” “Hi, my name’s Dawn, I’m from the Sinnoh region.” They shook hands. “Pleasure to meet you. Oh, so you’re the one who found Pikachu when Ash first went over there!” She nodded at Duplica and Ash smiled. He knew they’d get along somehow. Then he heard a voice behind him, a soft heavenly voice that made his knees quiver and his heart skip a beat. “Hi, Ash.” He turned around to see Misty standing in the doorway, smiling at him. He smiled back as they hugged. He almost didn’t let go, not wanting to release her slender body, wanting to feel her soft skin forever. Sadly he couldn’t and the moment ended, but he felt even more ready to let her know his feelings. “Hey, Mist. It’s been a long time.” Her heart leapt as he said her nickname. She loved it when he called her that. No one else did, just the love of her life. She knew that after all these years of loving him, she wouldn’t stop. And she hadn’t. She thought she would tell him, eventually, but time after time passed her by. Now here he was, and she knew she wasn’t going to let him leave her again without knowing how she felt. All that remained was what she would do if he rejected her. She knew her heart wouldn’t bear it, but she had to risk it. Losing him again, having to live without expressing herself…she couldn’t do that anymore. They all went inside briefly while Misty finished packing a few last things. Duplica pulled Brock aside. “So, is it all ready?” she whispered. “Yeah, Sandy, Max and May set it up…don’t give me that look, Duplica. Ok yes May admitted she liked Ash, but she told him that she didn’t think it could work so it was best to forget it all, and she did. She met one of the two trainers who set out at the same time as Ash and Gary and they’ve been together since then, you know that. Just chill, she loves this new guy, ok? If it wasn’t for May, why, we wouldn’t even know little Sandy.” Duplica smiled, remembering the lively little 14 year old who was May’s boyfriend’s brother. The two of them had a bit of a connection going. “Ok, fine. Just…don’t expect us to be all buddy-buddy,” she said. “Alright, not yet at least.” Brock said, smiling. --The Party-- Professor Oak’s party was set up out in a clearing on Route 1, in the area that was still protected over by Ash’s Pidgeot. Everybody was there, except for Sandy and Max, the two youngsters, who were still working on things for the big surprise for Misty. Partway through the celebrations, Ash pulled Misty aside. “Hey, can we walk? There’s something I wanted to show you.” He said. She followed him a short distance from the party, only to find a pair of parallel trails of candles on the ground. He led her between the candles to a small river, a grassy patch, and not far off, a roaring waterfall. It was decorated by more candles and red roses. Duplica and Max were hidden up in the trees, manning two mortars that would launch rose petals into the air at the right moment. Sandy sat at the top of the waterfall with May, ready and waiting to do their bit. Misty gasped when she saw the site. “Oh Ash…” “It’s the place we first met. Remember?” she turned to him, too shocked to be embarrassed about holding his hand as she walked with him into the centre of a large rose circle. “It…it…it’s just beautiful.” She said. “It’s perfect!” “Well, now that you’re here it is,” said Ash, and Misty turned to face him. At that moment, May was grabbed from behind as a hand covered her mouth. She kicked and struggled but it was no use. She kicked out and knocked over a box with odd looking tubes in it, which got Sandy’s attention. He turned and saw her being held by a large man wearing all black except for a large red R that emblazoned his shirt. Ash looked deep into Misty’s eyes, mesmerized by their beauty. He leaned in towards her and whispered to her. “I’ve wanted to tell you for so long…” On the waterfall, Sandy lunged forward, grabbing May’s arm and managing to kick the grunt in the crotch, freeing May. Another grunt appeared and swung a burning torch at them. They leapt backwards as another grunt tore off his cape and, almost throwing Sandy over the waterfall, wrapped the cape around May. Ash and Misty leaned towards each other, and finally their lips met in a passionate kiss, expressing all the love they had for each other. As they pulled away, Duplica and Max let off their rose petal mortars with a bang and a shower of red. The grunt with the torch leapt back in fright at the loud bang and dropped the torch…right next to the box May had kicked over, full of fireworks for a big finale. The three grunts yelped and dove backwards, sending May flying, still tangled in the cape. Before anything could be done, the open flame set fire to the box and the fireworks went off, blasting Sandy over the waterfall and into the river below. May flew off to the side as fireworks shot out not vertically, but horizontally…straight for Duplica’s hiding place. She screamed as a firework blew up the trunk of her tree, sending it to the ground. Misty shrieked as it fell and more fireworks exploded around them. Ash pushed her into the stream, the one place she would be safe from the fire, as the remaining boxes clattered over the falls to explode halfway down, showering Ash with stones blown off from the waterfall’s rocky side. Max fell from his tree as he heard sirens approaching. Misty, Sandy and May were nowhere to be seen. Duplica was somewhere underneath her tree trunk, and Ash was lying unconscious amongst the rocks and rubble from the explosion. ‘How did it go wrong?’ he thought miserably. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ There, that’s the first part done. I hope you liked reading it. If you didn’t, I’m sorry. I tried. There are others out there better than me so remember to read theirs. Also, if you would like to review that would be very nice of you. Thank you