Love is a Battlefield Part 1

Love is a Battlefield Part 1

By: Ranmano1fan
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Ash, Misty and Brock, along with Pikachu and Togepi, found themselves in a busy little town while traveling their way through the Johto region. They looked at their surroundings, confused by the red, white and pink streamers that were hung from tree to tree that lined the streets.

"What's going on?" wondered Ash.

Brock opened up his guidebook and read aloud, "Looks like we've stumbled onto this town's Valentine's Day festival. It seems to be very popular because this town was founded by a couple on this day a long time ago."

"I guess we've been traveling so much we forgot what day it was," said Misty, looking at a store window display of heart-shaped boxes of chocolate and she blushed at the thought of someone special giving her one of those boxes.

The residents seemed to be more cheerful than was necessary, as if there was a loving aura that was blanketing the town. The group was only passing through and they weren't really planning on stopping for long, only to get a few things before heading off again. They stopped at the local Pokèmon Center and were there for only a few minutes when a poster announcing a local tournament had caught the boy's eye.

"Hey look! They're having a Pokèmon tournament!" shouted Ash.

Filled with excitement at the thought of battling, the youngster could wait a second longer.

"Come on guys, let's go!" he said and not waiting for a response ran out the doors.

"Ash, wait up!" called Misty as she, with Togepi in her arms, ran after him.

Brock on the other hand stood and stared at the poster some more. That was when he noticed something Ash must've overlooked.

"Hmmm," he said with his chin between his forefinger and thumb, "This might turn out interesting."

Leaving the Center, the young man looked left and right for his companions, and though he did not see them he did see instead couples of varying ages walking up and down the street, taking in the sights before them. Giving a quick thought of how nice it would be to have girl's hand to hold, Brock started off in the direction he believed his friends went, the opposite direction they took to arrive at the Center. Soon enough he caught up to his friends, with Ash standing anxiously in the short line to sign up and Misty off to the side, rolling her eyes at the way he was acting.

As soon as the older boy got to her side he said, "Misty, I've got something you need to hear."

When it was finally his turn, the young man could hardly contain himself anymore.

He walked up to the table and said, "My name is Ash and I want to enter the tournament."

The man wrote down his name and asked, "And who is your partner?"

Pikachu jumped onto his trainer's shoulders and replied "Pikachu!"

"Yeah, Pikachu's my partner," agreed Ash.

The man gave them a confused look, "You can't have a Pokèmon as your partner."

"But isn't this a Pokèmon tournament?" asked the boy.

"It is," answered the man, "A Couples Pokèmon tournament, you need a human partner."

"C-couples?" repeated Ash, his face a nice shade of red.

"Yes," said the man, adding, "Dating, engaged or married is preferred. So, I'll ask again: who is your partner?"

Ash tried to swallow the lump that had formed in his throat, because he knew he was sunk. The boy was about to tell the man that he didn't have that kind of partner when a voice called out.

"There you are!" called Misty, walking up to her friend, "Have you finished signing us up for the Pokèmon tournament yet?"

The boy couldn't quite get the words to come out, he just stood there opening and closing his mouth like a beached Magikarp.

"You're his partner?" asked the man with a raised eyebrow.

"I am," said the girl as she put her arm around Ash's, she looked at the boy and added, "Didn't you tell him we're dating?"

"D-d-dating?" he wondered embarrassingly, finally finding his voice.

The girl looked at the man and gave a nervous laugh, "He's just being silly." Then Misty pulled Ash to the side and quietly said, "Brock told me you needed a partner, so I'm going help you win that tournament. Just play along."

After the boy nodded, she brought him back to the table and said to the man with a smile, "Sorry about that, he was just so excited about signing up I think he forgot some minor details. He's always doing that, aren't you sweetie?"

The only thing the boy could do was nod, his face a bright red.

Looking at the two of them, the man gave a shrug and handed over some paperwork, "You'll need to fill out this form. Rules are rather easy: each of you can register up to 3 pokèmon, battles are 2-on-2 with each partner only using 1 pokèmon. Only when both pokèmon on one side are unable to battle will the victory be awarded."

"Thank you!" said the girl as she dragged Ash away from the table, all along the man watched them with an even more confused look.

When they got far enough away Misty released her hold on Ash's arm and scolded him, "You should've paid more attention to the poster, if you had you would have seen the tournament was for couples only. Now, because of you, we're in this mess."

"You didn't have to help me," countered the boy angrily.

"I couldn't very well leave you hanging like that," she replied, "Besides, you're going to have plenty more chances to make yourself look stupid."

"What do you mean by that?" he retorted, "If you get in the way, it'll be your fault if we lose."

The two of them glared at each other until Brock stepped between them, pushed them apart and said, "You two need to focus right now and pick the 3 pokèmon you're going to use."

Misty turned away and replied, "I'll go with Corsola, Politoed and Staryu."

"In that case I'll choose Bayleef, Cyndaquil and Pikachu as my team," added Ash.

"Good. Now that we've gotten that out of the way, you two have to start acting like a couple if you want to pull this off," he told them.

"We'll be fine," said the younger boy, defiantly adding, "We've done double battles before, this won't be any different."

"But you're going to have to work as a team to win here, Ash, and that requires the two of you to come up with a strategy, more than just attacking the opponents," explained Brock, "Most likely you'll run into teams that will have their pokèmon defend and help each other, much like couples would. Using both offense and defense will be key in how far you go."

"Defense isn't really Ash's strong suit, so I guess that will be my job," replied the girl in a mocking tone.

"Oh yeah?!" shouted Ash, giving her an angry glare, "I can be defensive if I need to, just watch me."

Brock sighed, "This may take a while."

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"Welcome one and all to our town's annual Valentine's Day Battling Couples Pokèmon Tournament!" called the Emcee over the loudspeaker system.

The small stadium-sized crowd erupted in cheers and shouts, lasting for a good five minutes.

When the noise finally died down enough, the Emcee continued, "This year we have 16 rough and tumble, fighting couples ready to battle it out for your viewing pleasure! And for the winning pair, as always we have our Battling Couples trophies, along with the Mystery Prize Pokèballs that are being guarded by the town's mayor."

A stout man in a black suit and matching top hat rose up out of his chair in his heavily guarded viewing box and waved to the crowd, and behind him sat the pokèballs and the trophies mentioned by the announcer. At first glance it looked like there was only one trophy; a golden heart sitting on top of 4 pillars; but one could just make out a zig-zag line down the middle of the heart so it could be separated into two.

The Emcee continued some more, "But what is in those pokèballs? Could they be legendary pokèmon perhaps? The only way to find out is to win! The rules are like any tag battle: it'll be 2-on-2 with each participant using only one pokèmon and the winners will be the team that knocks out the opposing pokèmon. Let us not waste any more time and get right into it with our first battle of the afternoon!"

Again, the crowd started cheering as the first couple, a man and a woman in their 40s, made their way onto the battlefield. She looked to be a doting housewife and he appeared to be a businessman of some sort.

"First up we have a local pair that keeps coming back year after year to our stage," said the Emcee, "Give it up for George and Marge!"

The crowd seemed to like them very much, they cheered for them by name.

The Emcee continued, "And making their first attempt, a young couple from the Kanto region, let's hear it for Ash and Misty!"

As the people in the stands cheered for them, the boy and girl walked out onto the field side by side; Ash having Pikachu on his shoulder of course, but Misty wasn't holding onto her Togepi, Brock had been given the task of babysitting; each of the humans had a bit of pink in their cheeks, having been called a couple by the announcer. They knew they had to play the part and play it up for the crowd, but both of them were nervous and embarrassed to even look out at the people.

Right as they reached the designated area for the trainers the judge for the match repeated the rules, "Each trainer can only use 1 pokèmon and the winners are the team that knocks out the other side. Good luck everyone."

"Here we go!" shouted the Emcee.

"Go Tauros!"; "Go Miltank!" called Marge and George, releasing their pokèmon.

"Bayleef!"; "Corsola!" answered Ash and Misty, doing the same.

"It looks like George and Marge are going with Tauros and Miltank, a couple in their own right, while Ash and Misty will be going with a Bayleef and a Corsola. Let's see which pokèmon combo is better," said the Emcee.

"Tauros, let's start off with a Take Down attack on that Bayleef," called the man.

The bull responded with an all-out charge at its target, leaving a cloud of dust behind it.

"Bayleef, dodge it and counter with your Razor Leaf!" commanded Ash.

Just as Bayleef jumped out of the way Marge said, "Now, Miltank use a Body Slam on Bayleef."

From out of the dust cloud the cow pokèmon appeared; as if it had been running behind its partner; and jumped into the air over Bayleef, who could not attack or dodge in time.

Misty shouted, "Corsola, Tackle attack that Miltank, fast!"

The coral pokèmon dashed forward but was too late as the Miltank made contact with Bayleef and pushed it to the ground. Corsola did however manage to hit the opponent and tackle it off its own partner.

The crowd began cheering loudly as it looked like the pace for the battle was set.

Bayleef just managed to get to its feet as Marge called out, "Miltank, be a dear and use your Rollout on that Bayleef."

Miltank rolled up into a ball and launched itself at Bayleef, kicking up more dust.

"Corsola, intercept it again with a Tackle attack!" shouted Misty, hoping to stop it this time.

"Tauros," replied George, "Use Take Down and head Corsola off!"

Before the coral pokèmon could stop the Rollout, Tauros appeared from the dust this time and pushed it aside, allowing Miltank to knock Bayleef onto it's back.

"Oh! It looks like George and Marge are going with their "Hidden Strike" strategy," said the Emcee to the crowd, who continued cheering on the battle, "We've seen them do this every year. How will the young couple come back from such tactics?"

"Good job, Miltank, keep using Rollout," commanded the woman as her pokèmon turned and headed for Bayleef again, once more leaving a cloud of dust behind it.

"Corsola, jump in front of Bayleef and take the attack!" shouted Misty.

The coral pokèmon did what it was told and stood in front of Bayleef, embracing itself for the Rollout, when George called out, "Tauros, lift Miltank up and over the Corsola!"

In one swift movement the bull, who was running behind its partner as it had been the entire battle, lowered its head and lifted the cow into the air. The entire crowd was in awe as Miltank soared over Corsola's head, aiming itself directly for Bayleef.

"Bayleef, try your Razor Leaf!" shouted Ash.

His pokèmon reacted in an instant, swinging the leaf on its head around and launching a few leaves at its opponent. And even though it did manage to make contact, the attack however didn't stop it and Miltank crashed hard onto Bayleef's back, pushing it to the ground.

"Tauros, Tackle the Corsola!" commanded George.

The coral pokèmon's attention had been on the airborne Miltank and couldn't react in time as the bull crashed headlong into it and pushing it onto its partner's back.

"It looks like Miltank and Tauros have this battle well in hand," said the Emcee to the cheering crowd, "Ash and Misty haven't been able to get much offense going and their defensive tactics haven't been working against these two in-sync trainers."

"Bayleef, are you okay?" wondered Ash.

"Corsola, can you keep going?" asked Misty.

The boy's pokèmon stood up to show it could continue, and the girl's pokèmon nodded to show it wasn't any worse for wear.

"Misty, what can we do? Everything we've tried hasn't worked. Bayleef can't take another Rollout from that Miltank," said Ash.

"I know, we don't have much chance unless we can think of something to stop that Tauros, as long as it can keep our pokèmon from helping each other, we'll lose," she replied.

It was at this moment she noticed how Corsola was standing on Bayleef's back and it gave her an idea.

"Miltank use your Rollout again and finish off that Bayleef," said Marge, and George added, "Follow right behind it, Miltank."

Both of their pokèmon charged forward towards their opponents.

"It looks like George and Marge want to end this battle right here, right now," announced the Emcee.

"Hey Ash, I just thought of something," said the girl.

"What is it?" wondered the boy.

"When that Miltank gets close, have Bayleef dodge," she told him.

"But then Tauros will come out of the dust cloud and attack," he answered.

"That's what I'm counting on," she replied with a grin.

Closer and closer the Miltank came, it was mere feet away when Ash called out, "Bayleef, dodge it by jumping to the side!"

Just as his pokèmon did what he asked George countered, "Tauros, use your Double-Edge attack!"

And like before the bull appeared from the cloud of dust and charged for its target.

"Now, Corsola, use your Water Gun to stop that Tauros in its tracks!" said Misty.

Her pokèmon reacted, blasting a hard stream of water at its opponent, holding it in its place and keeping it from advancing.

"It actually looks like Ash and Misty's pokèmon still have some fight left in them," shouted the Emcee, "They're not going down without a fight, folks."

The crowd was louder than it had the entire battle, sides started forming and they started cheering for who they wanted to win.

"Miltank, help Taurous out, turn and take out both of their pokèmon," called Marge, and the cow made a wide turn and headed for both Bayleef and Corsola.

"Ash, have Bayleef stay put until I give the signal, okay?" said Misty, quietly.

"Right, I'm trusting you know what you're planning," replied the boy.

"I'm making it up as we go, but we're about to find out if it works," she told him.

Miltank was rolling at full speed towards its opponents, while Corsola kept shooting out the stream of water at the Tauros and it still could not move forward.

"Tauros, bust through that Water Gun!" shouted George.

The bull gave a loud bellow and stomped its feet harder into the ground, and slowly started pushing back against the flow. Miltank's Rollout was nearing ever so closer and yet Misty had not given the call.

"Okay, now!" yelled the girl and Ash said, "Bayleef, jump!"

His pokèmon did as commanded and jumped into the air, and the cow pokèmon rolled under them. Marge and George were too busy watching the jump and only realized it a moment too late as their pokèmon collided together, kicking up a large cloud of dust.

"What a move! Ash and Misty used their opponent's momentum against them!" shouted the Emcee among the roaring crowd.

"Bayleef use Razor Leaf!"; "Corosla, Spike Cannon!" commanded the young trainers.

A hail of spikes and leaves rained down on the dust cloud, kicking up even more than before.

Their pokèmon landed safely in front of them as the wind blew away the dust, showing both Miltank and Tauros out cold on the battlefield.

"Miltank, Tauros, both are unable to battle," said the referee, "Victory goes to Ash and Misty!"

Both boy, girl and yellow mouse raised their fists in victory, and the crowd rose from their seats and cheered loudly for the young trainer's.

The Emcee lowered his platform to the ground while saying to everyone, "What a battle, people, who would have though these two would be able to turn it around there at the end. Amazing showing by this young couple from Kanto. But let's give it up for George and Marge, their pokèmon fought hard today and deserve a round of applause."

The stadium was loud with the sounds of cheering for the losing couple as they waved and walked off the battlefield. Then as the clapping began to die down, Ash and Misty started to walk away.

"Where are you two going?" asked the Emcee, coming towards them.

"What do you mean?" wondered Misty.

"It's time for the question part of the battle," he told her, explaining, "After every battle we ask the winning couple a question about their relationship. It's all part of the tournament."

Both boy and girl stared at the man, this was the last thing they had expected to happen.

"Now," started the Emcee, turning to the crowd, "Since this is your first time participating, everyone here would like to know, how did you two meet?"

He put the microphone in Ash's face.

"Well, we... um...," stuttered the boy as his face began to turn red.

Luckily Misty was able to answer that question, "His Pikachu destroyed my bike. I was determined to have him pay me back for it, so we started traveling together."

A few people started to laugh, and the boy's face went crimson, and Pikachu tried to hide its face.

The Emcee continued, "Really?"

She nodded, "Yeah, and he still hasn't paid me back yet."

More laughter arose from the crowd.

"Well, they do say love comes from the strangest of places," said the Emcee, "Thank you and good luck in the next round."

"Thank you!" said the girl as she pulled Ash away, and they walked off the field.

"Did you know there would be questions?" he asked her.

"No, not really," she replied, "But now we do, and if we win again, we'll have to be ready for any kind of question, even if we have to make it up."

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The rest of the battles continued, with couples of varying ages and status. And after each battle the winning couple was asked a question. Each question was different for each pair, depending on whether or not they have participated in the tournament before or not and, if they had, how many times. Ash and Misty watched from the back; he was more eager than ever for the second round to start. The last match of the first round featured last year's winning couple, an engaged couple in their early 20s, and according to the Emcee picked up where they left off and handily won against their opponents.

Once the final fight of the first round was completed and both sides of the field were cleared the crowd was buzzing with excitement over the action that had happened so far and were eager to keep things going. The announcer could feel the aura in the stadium and wasn't about to let it settle down.

"Alright, ladies and gentlemen, it's time for the second round," announced the Emcee, and the crowd responded with more cheering, "Let's bring out our first couple: Ash and Misty!"

The people erupted in chanting of the pair's names as they walked out, acting different than their first time, walking with their heads held high and brimming with confidence.

"And their opponents for this round, a young newlywed couple, John and Jane!" continued the Emcee, again with the crowd cheering loudly for the young man and woman as they walked out to the other side of the battlefield.

When both couples were ready, the referee gave the signal for them to start.

John and Jane were the first to send out their pokèmon, "Go, Nidorino!"; "Go, Nidorina!"

Misty and Ash followed suit, "Go, Politoed!"; " Go, Cyndaquil!"

"Here we go with the second round!" called the Emcee.

"Nidorino, start off with a Poison Sting attack on Cyndaquil!" commanded John, and his pokèmon reacted, opening its mouth and shooting poisonous needles at the mouse pokèmon.

"Swift attack, Cyndaquil!" countered Ash, with it spinning head over heels, firing off stars towards the Nidorino.

Both attacks met halfway, colliding with each other and canceling the other out.

"Nidorina, Tackle attack that Politoed!" shouted Jane. Her pokèmon began charging for the toad.

Misty replied, "Politoed, stop it with your Water Gun!"

Her pokèmon shot a hard stream of water at its charging opponent, and like last battle, stopped it dead in its tracks. Then the force of the water pushed Nidorina backwards, finally overcome by sheer pressure of the water.

"Looks like these two teams are evenly matched, matching attack for attack. But one of them has to get the advantage, question is, which team will that be?" wondered the Emcee as the crowd chanted louder for the competitors.

"Cyndaquil, Flamethrower attack! Go!" called Ash, as the fire mouse opened its mouth and let loose a burning stream of fire at the male poison pin pokèmon.

"Dodge it, Nidorino!" shouted John, and his partner responded by jumping to the side.

"Water Gun, Politoed, quickly!" said Misty, and in an instant another stream of water was fired from the toad pokèmon, hitting its target.

"Nidorina, Double Kick!" answered Jane. Her pokèmon came charging forward, turned and used its hind legs, planting them on target, pushing away the Politoed and halting the Water Gun.

"These four pokèmon are battling hard, not giving the other an inch," said the Emcee excitedly, joining in with the crowd, "Still waiting on the breakout by one of these teams."

"Looks like we need to switch gears, Jane," said John.

His wife nodded, "Ready when you are."

Ash and Misty weren't going to wait, "Cyndaquil, Tackle attack!"; "Politoed, Double-slap attack!"

Both their pokèmon followed their orders and went for the Nido pair.

"Nidorino, Thunderbolt on the Politoed!" shouted John, while Jane added, "Nidorina, Water Gun!"

His pokèmon began to glow and shot off a bolt of lightning at the toad pokèmon and the female pokèmon fired off its own stream of water aimed at the fire mouse. Neither of their opponents were expected it, as were their trainers, and could not dodge in time.

"Oh!" called the Emcee, as the stadium got behind the young married couple, "I don't think anyone was expecting some unconventional attacks like that!"

"Politoed, are you okay?" wondered the young girl with a concerned tone.

Her pokèmon stood and did it's best to shake off the attack it had received.

"Cyndaquil, can you get up?" asked Ash.

"Pika pika?" wondered Pikachu.

The fire mouse got up and flashed the fire on its back to show it was okay.

"Ash, we've got to be careful about those pokèmon, they're able to learn a wide variety of moves, so we have to be ready for anything," explained Misty.

"Yeah," replied the boy.

Both John and Jane called, "Nidorino/Nidorina, Poison Sting attack!"

The pokèmon pair opened their mouths and fired their attacks.

"Dodge it!" shouted both young trainers and their partners responded, with Ash adding, "Cyndaquil, Smokescreen, go!"

The fire mouse let out a large cloud of black smoke that surrounded the battlefield. Nidorino and Nidorina cried out from having zero visibility.

Their trainers tried to respond, "Try a Thunderbolt, Nidorino!", and the male pokèmon fired off a bolt, but its arc went skyward.

"Nidorina, Double Kick!" shouted Jane and her partner ran forward and kicked with its hind legs but did not make contact with anything.

Ash called out, "Cyndaquil, Swift attack!"

His pokèmon shot off a round of shinning stars and were aimed perfectly at both of its opponents.

"It looks like John and Jane have been put on the defensive with that smoke on the field. But Cyndaquil with its Swift is able to hit them with no problem," explained the Emcee.

John smirked as if this wasn't the big of a problem, "Nidorino, Dig attack, underground now!"

From under the cover of darkness, the pokèmon dug into the field. Unable to see, all trainers had to wait and see. Then in an instant, Politoed was launched into the air from being on the receiving end of the attack.

"Politoed!" cried a horrified Misty, seeing her pokèmon rising helplessly into the air.

"Now, Nidorina, jump and use Double Kick!" commanded Jane, and her pokèmon responded by jumping out of the smoke and into the air close to where the toad pokèmon was.

The young woman's partner turned and used its back feet to kick Politoed back towards the ground.

"Politoed!" screamed Misty again as the toad pokèmon disappeared back into the smoke and the sound of a thud echoed through the stadium.

From the spot where the pokèmon landed, the smoke swirled around due to the disturbed air.

"Cyndaquil, aim a Flamethrower up at Nidorina!" shouted the boy and a stream of fire shot out of the smoke and hit its midair target.

With its body blackened by the flames, the female poison pin pokèmon fell back down to the field.

"Nidorino, catch her!" called out a concerned John.

His pokèmon ran to its partner, jumping at the last second as Nidorina disappeared back into the black cloud. The crowd was at a standstill, still unable to see thru the smoke. But again, the air around had been disturbed and the cloud began to dissipate. When it had cleared enough the referee was finally able to make sense of what had happened. Politoed was laid out in a crater on the field, while Nidorino was putting Nidorina gently on the ground.

"Both Politoed and Nidorina are unable to battle!" said the referee, making his decision.

The female trainers called back their pokèmon as the crowd started to cheer again.

"You better win this, Ash," demanded Misty.

"Make him pay for burning my Nidorina," said Jane behind tears in her eyes.

John and the boy locked eyes and called out at the same time, "Tackle attack!"

Cyndaquil and Nidorino ran at each other with full force and collided in the middle of the field.

"Horn Attack, Nidorino!" shouted the young man and his partner responded by jabbing its horn into the fire mouse and pushing it backwards.

"Quick Attack, Cyndaquil!" countered Ash, and his pokèmon dashed forward like a blur, making contact with its opponent.

"It looks like neither trainer is willing to give up," announced the Emcee, "But one of them is going to have to give in here soon, their pokèmon don't look like they can last much longer."

"Dig, Nidorino!" commanded John.

His pokèmon dug back into the ground and all Ash and his Cyndaquil could do was wait.

"Keep an eye out, Cyndaquil, we don't know where it'll pop up," he told his partner.

It seemed like an eternity while the eerily stadium waited for Nidorino to come back up.

Until John suddenly shouted, "Now, Nidorino!"

That was what Ash was waiting for. Before the pokèmon burst thru the field, he called out, "Jump and aim your Flamethrower down at the Nidorino!"

Cyndaquil did what it was told, jumping up into the air, and when Nidorino popped out of the ground to strike it was met with a face full of fire. The poison pin pokèmon was pushed back into the hole it had created by the force of the flame. Only after the fire mouse extinguished its attack was the referee able to see the condition of Nidorino.

"Nidorino is unable to battle!" said the referee, "The winners are Ash and Misty!"

"Once again it seems Ash and Misty were able to pull out the victory!" shouted the Emcee, "What a match!"

The crowd erupted in cheers for the young pair of trainers, who also started to celebrate. Chants of their names were being heard again. John recalled his pokèmon and consoled his crying wife. Then like that, they walked away, defeated just like their partners.

"Let's give it up for John and Jane, they fought hard today, but it just wasn't enough," said the announcer as he once again lowered his platform and made his way over to Ash and Misty, "But now we get to ask this intriguing young couple yet another question as they advance to the semifinals."

Both youngsters stood ready and waiting for the Emcee's question.

The man walked right up to Ash and said, "Last time Misty answered our question, so this time it's your turn, young man."

"Okay," replied the boy, visibly nervous.

"Tell us in your own words, what is it about Misty that you like the most?" wondered the man.

The girl's eyes went wide, and her cheeks went pink, surprised at the question. It was such an intimate question; she was sure Ash wouldn't be able to answer it without making up something outrageous. The black-haired boy took a minute before he answered, looking like he had to give it some thought.

"She's a pain in the neck, always bossing me around, she's a bit of a tomboy with a nasty temper..." starting the young man, as he counted them off on his fingers.

If he had been looking at Misty, he would have seen that temper he talked about flare up on her face, her cheeks red with rage and her eyes flashed with that inner fire.

Then his answer changed, "But she's also a goodhearted friend and always willing to help both people and pokèmon. Out of it all, if there was one thing I like most about her is that she's always been there for me, and I wouldn't have it any other way."

Pikachu added, "Pikachu!"

And just as quickly as it appeared, her anger vanished and was replaced with a deep embarrassment, the crimson color on her face matching it. She didn't know what it was she was feeling, nor could she tell whether what Ash said was the truth or just something he made up in the moment, all she knew was that it had sparked a reaction inside her chest.

"I must say, you two are an interesting pair," said the Emcee, "But I think we've got a good idea about what keeps you together. Good luck with the semifinals."

The boy nodded and walked off the field, and the girl followed a step behind him, her head held low to hide the rosy state of her face from the cheering crowd. When they reached the waiting room and were alone the girl just had to know something.

"Hey Ash?" she started.

"What is it, Misty?" he wondered.

"What you said out there, did you really mean it?" she asked.

He looked into her shimmering blue-green eyes and lost all conscious thought; he saw behind them a pure curiosity in her question. He could feel that if he answered her honestly, she wasn't going to ridicule or scold him for saying what his heart has been telling him for so long.

"Well, I..." began the boy as he started to blush.

"Well, well. Look what we got here," said a new male voice.

Both Ash and Misty turned and came face to face with another couple.

"Aww, how cute. It looks like we interrupted something important," said the woman in a mocking tone.

"Who are you?" asked the girl.

She already knew who they were, they were last year's winners. In their early to mid 20s, the engaged couple certainly were the ones to beat.

"We're Dan and Patty, and we're going to win this tournament like we did last year," said Dan, a young man with the shoulder length light purple hair.

They definitely had the confidence to back up that claim, having gotten so far this year without many problems.

"What we don't need are two little upstart trainers getting in our way," added Patty, brushing a hand thru her short black hair with its yellow highlighted tips.

"If you two were smart, you'd quit now before we embarrass you out there, that is if you make it to the finals," smirked the young man, "But after seeing how close you were to losing this round, I'd say that's a long shot."

"Why you," growled Ash, "We'll see you in the finals, and we'll beat you too, right Misty?"

She agreed, "Yeah, then you'll be eating those words of yours."

Pikachu added, "Pika-pika!"

The young woman feigned fear and wrapped her hands around her fiancé's arm, "Sweetie, they're scaring me, make the mean little kids stop."

Dan gave a chuckle, "It's alright, dear, let's go and leave these children to dream."

As they walked away, the young trainers could hear laughter coming from the older couple.

When Dan and Patty were gone Misty turned on Ash and said, "We can't lose to them."

"If we face them in the finals, we'll show them what these 'little kids' can do," he told her with a smile.

Pikachu chimed in with a, "Pika!"

End of Part 1