So Dense - A PokeShipping One-Shot

Ash Ketchup is Confused

<Author's Note: I am a proud supporter of PokéShipping, but one thing that annoys me in fanfiction that includes the pairing is that Ash gets way out of character. Misty obviously has feelings for him, but our very own Pokémon Master is oblivious to this, whether he returns the feelings or not, he doesn't realize it. So, I present to you this fabulous one-shot.>

Misty had been waiting years for this day. The one day she'd been planning for months. The day she'd finally meet up with Ash, the day she could confess her feelings toward him. It had taken a long time to find a day that she could get out of the gym, and invite him and his friends to come to Pallet Town for a little reunion.

She smiled, adjusting her aqua coat. She had always missed the simpler days, where she'd travel with him, when she didn't have so many responsibilities.

Misty opened the glass doors, her gateway to the natural world. She sniffed the breeze, felt the air on her face, and smiled. She grabbed her bike, her precious bike, and pedaled away from Cerulean City, and towards her childhood crush.

She was sure he gained new friends during the many years she was absent from his life, and maybe... She felt a pang of jealousy. Maybe he had found another girl. Maybe he already had another life, away from his training.

She was always there, in the stadium, watching him fight, shouting to correct his mistakes, but always too far, too hidden, for him to notice. He had grown and matured so much since he had left her, surely he had finally noticed the little thing, seen that some of his "friends" liked him...

But that didn't matter. Today was the day she could shut her worries away and find an answer. She arrived at the Professor's lab, knocked, and went in.

The lab was empty. She felt her heart fall. He had- he had forgotten. She sat down, put her head on the table and sobbed. She didn't try to stop the tears. She let the frustrations of her life as a gym leader, her concerns as a sister, and her hidden fears, dreams, and love fall from her eyes as liquid.

She kept on crying, for a while, until she could cry no more. Then she just sat, for a while, unable to move, unable to think.

Then the door opened, and he stepped in.

Professor Oak, fresh from the airport, leading a parade of visitors. He smiled, then explained that the plane was held back due to a few Legendaries.

But Misty wasn't really listening, wiping the tears from her eyes, she watched the visitors flock in.

First was a little girl, blond and exited. She had a pokémon in a yellow bag which hung around her shoulder. Then a guy, perhaps a relative, came in. He had large round glasses and was wearing a blue shirt not unbecoming of an engineer. She grew anxious as a girl just younger than her stepped in, with short strawberry-blond hair and fashionable attire.

Her heart stopped. Behind the girl was him. Ash. Happy as ever, with Pikachu on his shoulder and his trademark- well, a different hat, but it was similar.

They all sat down. Misty was regrettably squished between the older girl and the youngest one. Professor Oak was heading towards the restroom. Ash smiled.

"Misty, meet Bonnie, Serena, and Clemont. Team, meet Misty. We used to travel together."

The newcomers politely nodded. Misty smiled.

Just then, Tracey walked in with a meal that was probably cooked by Ash's mother. After eating the delicious meal, and a casual recount of Ash's journey, in which Serena couldn't stop blushing, and Misty eyed her with a suspicious glance, they finally split up into two groups to sleep, with Misty, Ash and Serena spending the night with Delia Ketchum, and the rest staying with Oak.

They walked out into the night, cold and relaxed. Misty oh-so-sneakily suggested they hold hands for warmth, and after a few strange looks from Serena, that's exactly what they did.

When they reached the house, Misty realized it was then or never. She had to tell him.

"Uh, Ash? Can I speak to you, alone?"

He nodded, and gestured for Serena to go on without him.

"What, Mist?"

She blushed awkwardly, reminding herself over and over again to keep her cool.

"Ash, I kinda-sorta like you..."

She was so proud! She finally did it! She confessed!

"I like you too, Mist!"

D-did he really like her?

"We'll always be great friends!"

Did he seriously just...?

"Ash, I meant, I meant I love you!"

"Right, we're like family, you and I!"

He just wasn't getting it. She had to be bold. She was going to confess her love to Ash Ketchum whether he liked it or not!

"Ash, I'm trying to ask you out!"

He looked around, confused "But we're already outside!"

Misty resisted the urge to slap him. But that wouldn't help her case. Groaning, she replied, simply, "Ash. I have had a crush on you since we first met."

"But I'm still alive! You would never flatten me!"

He. Was. So. Dense.

"Ash. Ketchum. Will. You. Go. On. A. Date. With. Me."

"I know you've been looking forward to this date for months! Why are you acting so strange?!"

She was furious. This was just- just insulting!

"How can you be so dense?!"

He scratched his head. "Who's dense and why are they like me?"

~~~

Zygarde sighed. He had a lot of chaos to turn to order tonight.