Chapter 2: Part Two

Disclaimer - I'm too lazy to try and be creative about this. No, I don't own anything to do with the series, including plots or characters. I just take advantage of them.

Notes - Did I mention that I wrote this fic in 2010? Because that's how old this rag is. Yup.

Oh, also, there's some warning for. . . mature!Ash. Lol. I just wanted to put that out there in the open so nobody can come whining to me about how he isn't like himself.

This fic starts in Johto.

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Author - Chibi / Warlordess

Title - "The Ancient Language of Mistynese"

Summary - Ash learns the difference about boys and girls while trying to understand Misty better. And thanks to Brock of all people.

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Part Two

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A month or so later, Ash was shocked to find that his secret was still just that - a secret. He had been so sure that Misty would follow up on her suspicions, snooping around until she found exactly what she'd been looking for. But she chose to let it go, which made him feel bolder. She wasn't looking for answers because, somewhere inside her, she liked what was happening. Did she want him to keep going?

Their group approached the Whirl Islands very quickly. Before Ash knew it, he and Misty had entered into the Whirl Cup Water-Pokemon tournament, though it wasn't starting for a day or two, so Brock suggested they look around town for supplies and souvenirs for their families back home.

It was when they passed the toy store (one of Brock's brothers was dying to have a Tyranitar action figure) that Misty got distracted.

"Awe, look at them all! Aren't they just adorable?" She shrieked, dragging Brock, Ash, and Pikachu over to an area covered nearly wall to wall in Water Pokemon dolls. She hurriedly snatched up a Squirtle plushie and held it up to Togepi.

"Toki tokeprii!" She said ecstatically, trying to throw herself at the toy as though embracing a new friend. Misty laughed at the adorable sight before putting the Squirtle back and picking up a Chinchou. That was replaced with a Marill, then a Poliwhirl, then a Starmie, Golduck, Dratini, Totodile. . .

"C'mon guys, tell me these aren't the sweetest things ever!" And she held up her newest choice - Seel - for them to investigate.

"Hm. . . well, they look good. The craftsmanship here must be high quality. But," Brock noted after leaning in to see for himself, "these just aren't my thing."

Misty pouted, silently turning to face Ash, but he shook his head and shrugged, not all that impressed.

"Sorry Misty. I just don't see what you see."

Her pout turned into a scowl and she put the Seel back down, spinning around to leave. At the last moment, a Tentacool caught her eye and she bit her lip to keep from squealing. Her fingers brushed against the plush material but she withdrew them almost immediately.

"Okay, sorry guys. Ah, but hey, I think I saw something I could get for my sisters next-door in the window. They had a Clamperl barrette collection. You don't mind if we check it out real quick, do you?"

"As long as there are no more stuffed dolls, anything is okay," Ash laughed as he said it, waving an arm around. They began walking through the isles towards the front door, Misty drifting a little bit behind. It was as they walked through the entrance that Ash happened to hear her mutter to herself when he held the door open for her.

"But it was so cute."

A secret event took place a few days later, the night before Ash and Misty were supposed to battle one another. While Brock was helping Misty prepare Togepi's meal to distract her from the nerves she felt because of the oncoming competition, Ash snuck away back to that same shop and bought the Tentacool plushie.

After all, according to Brock's book, [So cute,] translated to, [I want one,] and though Ash still couldn't see why Misty liked it so much, he didn't need a reason.

The Tentacool plushie, just large enough to sit in the palm of his hand, was stored safely in his bag until the time he would need it. He felt nervous, fidgety, again. He'd never given anybody a gift before, especially a girl. But then again, it was supposed to serve as more of a consolation prize. At least, that's what he told himself.

The next day, he and Misty would battle against one another in their first and only official tournament, and though he was limited in Pokemon choice, he still assumed he would win. Partially due to his ego and partially his self-esteem, he could see it ending no other way. When Misty lost, therefore, he would give her the Tentacool plushie to help her feel better, then remind her that the loss was not a setback when compared to her grand dream. At least, that's what Brock said to do, because Ash could never know what to say all on his own. It was the weirdest thing in the world to him, realizing he wanted to do this right.

But then he'd been blown away unexpectedly after Psyduck had plowed through to victory against his Kingler. He wondered for a second in that moment if his absentmindedness had been caused by that same anxiety. The plushie was sitting in his bag back at the PokeCenter and he hadn't been able to get it off his mind since he'd bought it. . . And how else could he have been so dense so as to forget that Psyduck's headache fueled his power?

It hit him too that Misty was as serious about her dream as serious could get. It had been a close call, but while he swapped his Pokemon out for other types and situations, she had always known Water Pokemon the best of all. Strangely, it was the greatest battle he could ever remember (and the greatest loss), even if only because his stomach was tumbling and his mind was buzzing in excitement the whole time. It was due to the tension that victory held before him but also that of pitting two best friends against each other. Misty gave it her all and came out of the war unscathed, he could tell, because she respected him.

And though he never told her so, he was pretty sure she knew that he respected her too.

Ash kept the Tentacool doll for another night, not sure what to do. He could give it to Misty as a victory present, but he doubted it would compare to the step she'd finally taken in reaching her dream of being the greatest Water-type trainer. It frustrated him because he wanted the gift to be something she would appreciate.

It made him wonder what he had truly expected in buying such a thing.

Misty lost in the semi-finals of the Whirl Cup, but placing at all was such a great feat that she was only a little disappointed. And so Ash realized he shouldn't have worried at all. She was perfectly capable of taking care of herself. But what was he supposed to do with the stupid Tentacool?

"Oh, Nurse Joy! Where'd you get that? It's so cute, isn't it?" Misty said excitedly after catching sight of the little doll sitting on top of her computer monitor.

"Yes, I thought so too," the Pokemon nurse smiled kindly before continuing, "but it's the strangest thing. I closed the front down last night, and when I came out this morning to open up it was just sitting here waiting. There was a note with it saying it was from an anonymous donor."

"Wow, that's weird. But it's definitely not a bad addition to the lobby!"

"Yes, I was thinking of using it as a comfort tool for those young, inexperienced trainers who have suffered a recent loss."

And still, as Misty talked with Nurse Joy, as she held that adorable little doll again, and as she picked up Togepi after her nutritional check-up, she wished that somebody would be brave enough, sweet enough, to put that kind of thought and feeling into a gift for her.

Soon after that botched event, Ash gave the book back to Brock. It was time for he and Misty to return home, for how long he didn't know. But he felt uncomfortable holding onto the guide when Misty wasn't around for him to use it. More-so than that, it had failed him in a way because he hadn't had any clue what to say to the Misty who ran away from him at the Viridian PokeCenter, thinking he didn't care, until it was almost too late. He wondered if he'd simply outgrown Brock's advice, learned as much as he could so that he could graduate from it.

In truth, the words Misty seemed to want to hear from him were not hard to find, but rather, they were hard to say. He'd never been scared of telling her something before (he was usually too stubborn for that) and because of that, he bit his tongue. What if she didn't want to hear that after all? What if she expected less of him? What if she expected more?

It was the role reversal that took place that day. When the two of them separated, Misty found herself at peace with Ash's farewell. Ash, on the other hand, felt awkward and unfinished. There had been something else that needed to be said, but he couldn't be sure it was safe to tell her.

Brock rejoined him soon after that in Hoenn and, when Ash and May finally shattered the tranquility of their group with their first fight, he offered the use of his wonderful, magical, stupendous guide once again.

Ash rejected it right away, though there was no clear reason why. In his head - (heart?) - the only suitable excuse he could find was that the book had been his special link with Misty. It had helped them grow so close. Using it with another girl made no sense to him and, in fact, seemed downright taboo.

Luckily May was more mild-mannered than Misty. She and Ash rarely butted heads, and he learned fairly quickly that their relationship somehow differed from the one he had with Misty. Well, actually, there were a few reasons for that. Firstly, he was the teacher, the more experienced trainer, and she knew it. Secondly, though it might have just been him, there was a certain fire lacking between them. He didn't feel as driven after a conversation with her, but it wasn't as if he didn't enjoy talking to her. And then, thirdly, there was her eccentric bond with her rival, Drew. Ash found it interesting (and a little off-putting) that Drew distanced himself from most anyone (like him, for instance) but that he would begrudgingly accept May.

But then again, as Brock put it, to each their own. And besides that, May and Drew seemed to have the very same potential as he had with Misty. Not that he knew what that meant.

Then May journeyed to Johto and he met Dawn, another new trainer. She was a little harder to get along with at first because, well, she was a bit shallow despite caring for her Pokemon so much. And not just hers, he reminded himself, seeing as she'd saved Pikachu right after the two of them had arrived to the Sinnoh region.

Her motto was to look the part and, as a Coordinator, a trainer who fought with style just as much as substance, she wanted to dress to kill. Ash had never cared too much for such a thing, minus his official Pokemon League cap, which was now sitting in a trophy case back home. Even that was stretching it, seeing as he'd gotten it for its collectors value, not to make a fashion statement. Wearing it to show how much he wanted to succeed in the Pokemon League was just a plus.

And even disregarding that, by the time they met at all, Ash was sixteen years old, and very proud of it. He wanted to befriend Dawn and maybe help her out as thanks for her helping Pikachu out, but felt no obligation beyond that.

After finishing the Sinnoh League, placing fourth of all participants and thinking finally all of his training was paying off for him, Dawn visited him later on into the night. They'd splurged after their victories, renting out a few rooms in a higher-class hotel. Even Brock congratulated them, saying they deserved it. Ash was relaxing on his bed after a full three course dinner, in the recovery stage.

There was a knock on the door. He paused in answering it. It was going on midnight after all. It couldn't be that important, right?

"Are you still up? Please open the door."

He still hesitated, just a moment longer, due to the curiosity. May had never done this before, and Misty had rarely ever complained about sharing a room with the boys since it was all their budget allowed. At the same time, he hadn't sensed anything strange in sharing a room with a girl. At that young age, they were no different then he was. But then why did it seem so peculiar - why was he so uncomfortable - now?

"O - oh, it's you Dawn. . . Is something wrong?" He asked her cautiously upon letting her in.

"No. I mean, not really. I guess I just wanted to talk, I sort of had something to tell you."

"Really? Uh. . . what is it?"

The two of them went to sit down, Ash immediately leaping for the computer chair, eyeing the bed as if it were his mortal enemy. Luckily Dawn took the armchair next to the window on his right, fidgeting with the hem of her pink cotton nightshirt, her ankles hanging from her too-short pant legs. She was unsure about this, she was nervous.

Knowing this made Ash's throat run dry.

"We came really far, didn't we?" She asked quite suddenly, her face bold.

"Huh. . . ? Ah, yeah, sure. I guess." This made him feel strange. What point could she be trying to make when starting a conversation with that question?

"I mean, you placed fourth in the Sinnoh League! I didn't think you could do it but I guess I was wrong," she said teasingly, poking at the ego she had just begun to inflate. "And I. . . I guess thanks to you and Brock, I was able to make it to the championship coordinating festival."

She suddenly got to her feet, the seat she'd been in before seemingly making her restless. She couldn't sit still.

"I've thought about it a lot the past few days, and when I realized what I wanted, I didn't know how to tell you."

"Well, I'm not a very deep person, Dawn. If you've got something to say, then say it. I mean, what do you think I'm going to do? And if it effects me, you're eventually going to have to tell me, right?" He tried to convince her, and she nodded in approval of his logic.

"Okay then, I guess you're right." She paced before him for a second, "It's just that I know that this thing is kind of hard for you to accept."

"What are you talking about?"

". . . I'm leaving, Ash. I'm gonna continue my journey alone."

He stared at her, his eyes slightly wide because of what he thought was a decision made based on impulse. Then he blinked and began to absorb the words, opening his mouth to respond but she beat him to it.

"After I finished in the festival competition, at the party to celebrate all of the participants, Zoey was talking about it, where to go next. It made me curious too, because I hadn't even thought of it until then. But I remembered what you told me about that other friend of yours, May. You said, before she'd witnessed a coordinating competition in Hoenn, that she wasn't even that interested in Pokemon training. I figure that something that can change a person's perceptions to that degree must be pretty intense. So I decided I'll go there next. I plan to call my mom tomorrow to tell her, but I thought maybe you'd like to know sooner than that."

"And why did you think that?" Ash gulped back his anxiety.

"Because you always, always talk about people who aren't there anymore. May, who left for Johto; Tracey, who went to train with that poetry professor; Misty, who left to maintain her family's Pokemon Gym. You've even mentioned Gary when he wasn't around. You talk about them proudly because they were your friends, but like you're sort of disappointed because you want them to still be traveling with you.

"It's pretty easy to see that you're the kind of guy who thrives on companionship. So I'm telling you now so that you have more time to figure it all out. Well, that and. . . I also wanted to thank you. I mean, I didn't know much when I started, just what I picked up from hearing my mother's stories about her days as a coordinating champion. I know sometimes I was a little obstinate or selfish, and maybe immature," she paused here, realizing for herself just how humble she was at the moment, "but you made me eager to learn more. You were always so excited, always looking forward to the next challenge. . . so that it was easy for me to get excited too."

He was a little embarrassed, and wanted to say something that would inflate his ego out of habit, but he bit his tongue. Even he could appreciate a time like this, when one of his friends was bravely confronting him. And when that thought struck him, he finally understood. Yes, Dawn wanted to let him know what she was doing, but on the other hand, it had become clear that she was afraid. Her gaze wavered, her shoulders shook, her knees wobbled.

Yes, she definitely needed his support.

"You'll be great, Dawn. After all, I was the one who helped you all this time." He puffed out his chest a little and it lightened up the mood, just as he'd hoped it would. "And that means that I've seen how strong you've gotten. I've watched you grow. You did well this time around, and you'll do even better next time. Your mom will support you too. I'd wish you luck, but you definitely don't need it."

He clapped her a couple times on the shoulder before withdrawing, a yawn expelling from his throat in the next moment. She beamed up at him, content with his answer. It wasn't until she left about ten minutes later that Ash realized the words he'd said, the wisdom he'd shared, had come from him. He must have matured at least a little bit then, right? Something bristled inside him, something proud. He had accomplished something, he had taken a step forward in the right direction. He wanted to rub somebody's face in it but that was probably going to lessen the value of the moment.

A few days later he, Brock, and Pikachu bid Dawn and her Pokemon farewell as the young girl boarded the ferry alone that was heading to Slateport City in the Hoenn region. And then Brock announced that he had to return home a little bit sooner as well. There was something about seeing one of his younger sisters off as she started her journey but no elaboration. Ash, apprehensive about parting with one of his best friends again, moved up his departure time so that they could at least journey back to Kanto together. They parted in Vermilion, where Ash decided he wanted to wander around and sight-see. He hadn't been there in over a year and Brock told him that it was good to see if anything had changed since then.

But nothing really interested him. The biggest shock had been finding out that Lieutenant Surge had gotten married. The woman, formerly employed by Ericka, had brought her green thumb with her. Now shrubbery and flowers littered the entryway of the electric Pokemon Gym. Surprisingly, Lt. Surge had welcomed the changes. He was obviously a big softie under all of his rippling pectorals, Ash surmised as he stared at the place where he'd earned one of his first badges in reminiscence.

"Well, it seems like my next challenger is quite the cutie!" A distant voice echoed in his memory. He blinked, not sure why that had surfaced now. Sure, Lt. Surge had introduced himself all those years ago by flattering Misty, but that hadn't meant anything, right? Misty had definitely withheld any sort of forward responses anyway. And adolescent Ash had not sensed anything, hadn't noticed any detail at all out of place.

It must have been his subconscious putting him at ease then. Even now it was hard to understand but he could think of no other explanation. That had taken place so long ago. He didn't even know how he could have possibly remembered so-

-Suddenly, he realized he'd wandered too far, coming to a stop at the edge of the city only because he'd nearly run into the sign announcing the route number and the destination reached upon moving North. There was Saffron City and then. . . Cerulean City.

Ash gulped, drawing Pikachu's attention for the first time and apparently disturbing the nap he'd been preparing himself for.

"Pika pika pi chu, Pikapi?" He asked lazily, but peeked open one eye and saw for himself what was wrong. And then he got excited, "Chu pi pika Pikachu Pi?"

"No, no, we're not going to see Misty. Besides," he gave an exasperated sigh, "I told my mom that I'd be home in two days or less. She wants to cook me a congratulatory meal and can't wait to see us. That means no rest stops. Sorry buddy."

"Pikaaa. . ." Pikachu moaned, collapsing back into Ash's arms. And then he begged the question. "Pikapi, chu pikachu pi pika?"

"I don't know why I sound upset. I mean, I definitely love my mom's cooking, but I wouldn't mind. . ." He faltered then cleared his throat. "Never mind. Besides, we should head to the eastern exit of the city. Brock said that they excavated the cavern nearby for trainer usage. You know, the one that the Diglet and Dugtrio made all those years ago. After they began migrating, the cave became vacant so somebody opened it up to the public. That's how Brock got home too. So c'mon!"

He took off at a run without a second glance, telling himself all along that it was not because he really wanted to go the other way. The long way. The underground cavern would have him outside of Viridian City before the night was through, he thought logically. If he traveled through Saffron, there was no direct route to Pallet. It would take him over a week to get home. He had to convince himself that the choice really wasn't a hard one to make. But then again, it still was.

It took a lot more emotional strength than it should have to tear himself away from the idea. In a matter of a few hours he had made it through the wide, empty tunnel. It was a lot easier with the electrical circuits lighting the way. It also limited the number of scavenger Pokemon that happened to make it down there too.

Soon enough he was outside, just south of Viridian City. The sun had set a short while ago and Ash had decided to camp out overnight. It was the safest thing to do when he was traveling alone, and he knew his friends would agree. Luckily the area was used quite often by other trainers looking for a good camping site and still well-lit thanks to the cave. He was able to find a clear area quickly where stones were centered around a dusty circle used for prior campfires and he took advantage of it.

"Hey Pikachu, think you can get the firewood alone while I prepare Brock's leftovers?" He asked his friend, who jumped lively from his shoulders and saluted his trainer from the ground. Then he took off at a run, almost too soon to hear Ash's warning. "But be careful! We haven't seen Team Rocket in awhile so who know when they'll strike again. . . !"

It took Ash little more than five minutes to dump all of Brock's ingredients into the pot. Pikachu reappeared a short while later with his paws full, trying to walk on his hind legs only. That didn't last very long but luckily, since a lot of trainers used the same camping place, one didn't have to go far to find the items necessary for a one night stay.

He put the fire together and lit the flames, then placed the pot over it and began to stir. It was one of Brock's best dishes, ironically also one of his easiest. Basically, every time they overstocked on produce or had something left from lunch, he would put it all together and make a stew. Brock had prepared it this time too, of course; all Ash had to do was heat and stir occasionally.

Still Brock, ever the house maker, had done it again. After supporting ten siblings for the better part of his young life followed by two to four growing teenagers who were constantly on the road, he had overestimated in how much Ash would actually be able to finish off.

And worse than that, a lot of Pokemon didn't have the stomach for human food that wasn't one hundred percent natural, which was why Brock had also supplied him with a container of PokeChow.

By the time he'd given Pikachu his dinner and then served some for himself, he'd come to terms with the darkness of night and only his thoughts to keep him any real company. Then again, that was not so real, was it? But the loneliness sure did the trick. . . He finally understood what Dawn had meant in saying he thrived on companionship. Any random person would do him some good now.

"Even. . . even Team Rocket!" Ash exclaimed a little louder than he'd originally planned.

There was a distinctive rustle in some bushes nearby. He and Pikachu pricked up their ears, warily turning to face one another.

"Pika, Pikapi?"

"Yeah, maybe we should investigate. . . "

The two of them reached their feet and cautiously approached the shrubbery just in time. . . to hear it talking.

"Do you think he suspected us before, Jessie?" James whined.

"Don't be silly James, now be quiet!" Jessie admonished him with a hushed tone. "You know the plan and we've get to stick to it. We wait until the twerp falls asleep, and then we sneak up and steal Pikachu!"

"And den we's makes a run for it, right Jessie?" Meowth muttered.

"Well," Ash interrupted with a scowl, taking back what he'd said before. How could they possibly be good company? "Well, I don't see anything, Pikachu, but maybe you should Thundershock it just in case," he pointed at the bush and winked.

Pikachu nodded and smirked mischievously, pretending to charge up for an attack.

"Pii. . . kaa. . ." He started to chant menacingly.

"No, no! Don't do that!" Three distinctively panicked voices shrieked, and the next thing Ash knew, the trio of baddies had appeared at his feet, and apparently his mercy as well. "We'll do anything, just don't blast us off!"

Ash sighed, not angry but decidedly irritated. More than that, however, was the downright crazy thought going through his head. No way could he possibly even be thinking of-

-The idea was interrupted by Team Rocket's unanimously growling stomachs. He raised an eyebrow at them but they seemed hell-bent on cowering before looking for food, even as their noses took a hopeful whiff at the pot sitting behind him on the fire. Silently, he weighed the pros and cons of what he was about to do. If he offered them all a place to sleep (though his campsite barely qualified as such) and a free meal, he and Pikachu would be on guard all night and hard-pressed to find sleep. If he didn't, the hunger that could not be sated by food and only by other people would continue to grow.

He inwardly cursed Dawn for her observational skills. He could have very well gone on not knowing how much he needed other people around, especially if it would lead to crazy thoughts like. . .

Before he knew it, he'd thrown an apologetic look at his Pikapal and given the three would-be villains before him the ultimatum.

"Look, if you guys promise on your lives that you won't try anything funny, you can stay here for the night." He would never admit to them that they were inadvertently doing him a favor too.

"Oh yeah? A - and why would we want to do that?" Jessie was the first to respond, on her feet with her hands at her waist indignantly a moment later.

"Psst. . . Jessie. . ." James tapped her on her leg from his place still on the ground, "Do you smell that? It smells great! We should ask for-"

"Who's is you's kidding, you idiot? Team Rocket don't ask for nothing! We's sees what we want and takes it!"

"That's right James! Just because the other twerp's food has been known to be heaven on a plate - and I would know since I've had to try some before - doesn't mean that we're going to get down and beg for freebees! I mean-" Her rant was interrupted by a steaming bowl that had been filled with Brock's leftover stew and held under her nose. She sniffed and whiffed some more until finally losing control, grabbing it for herself, and hurriedly devouring half of the contents in a matter of seconds.

"Jessie!" Meowth and James shouted, appalled at her behavior.

Regaining some dignity, she gathered herself to her full height and held the bowl for Ash to take again.

"Okay, twerp. You've got a deal. As long as you can supply us with dinner for the night we promise that we won't make off with Pikachu. But when this is over, the next time we meet, Pikachu will be ours!" She gave a swift cackle.

"Jessie!" Her partners repeated, unsure of this plan.

Just as swiftly she turned and stuffed a spoonful of the leftover stew into James' mouth, then Meowth's. They both chewed for a few moments, expressions still filled with disbelief. However, that didn't last much longer.

". . . Agreed." They both nodded suddenly.

"Fine. But just so you know, in the event of itchy palms, I'm going to warn you ahead of time. No mercy." The dastardly trio laughed warily at this statement, half because they wondered if it was a bluff and half because they were positive it wasn't.

Ash's night with Jessie, James, and Meowth was. . . interesting in the sense that it went well. He had not expected it, not dared to dream of it, but then it had happened, leaving him with a rather peculiar feeling of camaraderie. They ate dinner in awkward silence - (Jessie had "accidentally" grabbed Pikachu instead of her bowl, which Ash had refilled for her) - and then Jessie forced James to do the dishes after. But when the task was finished nobody knew what to say. There was no common bond anymore.

It was Pikachu who broke the ice, diving into Ash's bag and removing a deck of playing cards. He pointed at everyone, talking in his native tongue, and Meowth translated for him. Apparently this was more than weird for him too, and he couldn't take the uncomfortable silence anymore. Especially if there was something that could mask it.

The card games entertained everyone for a couple hours, just long enough for Ash to realize he probably should be asleep already. Dare he admit that it had been fun? No, not out loud anyway. But in his own head, it was fine. It would be one of the few secrets that nobody else knew about him.

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Notes - Hah, so I realized that the book-thing was a little misleading. Some of you guys may have thought that the book was going to be all this fic was about, and even when I began writing it, I might have been going that way, but then I just kept writing and now here we are. Lol. But the summary was accurate. This fic is about Ash growing up and learning the difference between boys and girls and it's going rather well.

Notice that the book made him try, and by the time he and Dawn are saying their farewells, he's basically become the kind of guy that the book is going for. It's fun to write it out, and I'm trying to still keep Ash Ash-like. Lol.

Only one more chapter to go, and it's gonna be time for Misty's return! Yay! Reviews would be much obliged!