Is it necessary for a disclaimer? Oh fine...

Disclaimer: I'm not owning Pokemon, just this fanfic.

I Thought So

Tick tock. Tick tock.

"Ughh... The professor should be back by now."

She looked at the clock hanging on the wall for the 5th time. If she only knew that the famous Professor Oak would be the speaker for an important convention, she should have rescheduled her consultation appointment for the day or could have at least brought her ol' mallet, because there's nothing better than hitting Psyduck to pass the time instead of waiting. Besides, she's not the most patient person there is, she's Misty for crying out loud! Fact is that gym leaders hate waiting, for example, waiting for fussy trainers with their puny pokemon. Not to mention, waiting for a friend you long for everyday just to come back... But anyway, since this is Misty we're talking about, gym leader or not, she's totally an impatient person.

"Ash, Ash, Ash, you could've been here in Pallet town right now or else I'll...I'll..." she withdrew all violent threats that she imagined to punish him for making her want to see him badly so she sighed, "Oh what's the use, I just miss you." She sat up from the recliner chair beside the coffee table then rested her head on her hand. She let her mind wonder to where her friend could possibly be; perhaps engaging in a gym battle or maybe watching their new friend, Dawn, in a contest. Wherever Ash is, it only makes her mind wonder to where he could be.

"BEEEEEEEEP! BEEEEEEEEP!"

"That must be the videophone," she jolted awake then, scanned the lab, "But it's nowhere, how strange..." The bleeping noise echoed as it remained unanswered. "Where is it?", searching for it became useless until Misty leaned back on a wide panel as if to surrender but that's when the bleeping stopped. How ironic.

And there came his voice, changed but still much like him.

"Hi Professor! It's Ash! I just like to check on my pokemon please."

Misty whirled back to find a monitor with her best friend's face in it. "ASH?"

"Huh – MISTY?", big brown eyes widened in disbelief, "Since when did you become the professor?"

"It's not that! I'm waiting for Professor Oak for consultation purposes. Why not call again when he's back later from the Pokescience convention." She rolled her eyes.

"Ohhhh, so the Professor's not in. I wasn't really expecting you, Misty, long time no see!" His shocked facial expression turned into a big smile that lighted his features. How cute.

"I know, it's been ages, Ash," she sighed, suddenly her eyes looked up at him and glistened, "How's about catching up for the meantime sound?"

"M'kay, sure thing Mist. So how are ya doin'? I haven't heard anything from the Cerulean gym for a while." It's as if he expected to chat with an ol' friend. Typically, he genuinely asked about the gym. Still the same old Ash.

"That's a sign which is telling me that you don't visit anymore," she winked at him.

He became serious, "Like, there's anything new anyway," then he raised an eyebrow, "And look who's talking, I thought you were coming here months ago!"

She rolled her eyes, "I would've, but I thought..." She hesitated for a moment, managing to halt her fast-paced thoughts, "So how's your new friend, what's-her-name? I've had enough scoop about Brock and his unending woman business."

"Oh you mean Dawn? She's a coordinator just like May, they even faced off with eachother in the Grand Festival finals and Dawn even won." He proudly explained. But his face appeared serious – too serious – almost being cautious of his words. He looked away from her. Ash is thinking? Okay, not the same old Ash after all.

Whether she just checked him out in even the tiniest details or he actually got mature, she answered casually nevertheless, "Oh yeah, I remember watching that, they featured it in the PokeDaily news before. Tell Dawn I bid her 'congratulations'."

Ash snapped out of his weird reverie and looked at her in interest all of sudden. Weird. But good enough to make one smile stupidly at him.

"You know, Dawn was a lot nicer than you were, Misty. We only already got along after the day we met but it took us months to get used to arguing. " He laughed and threw her a sly look.

"You can't blame me for having a destroyed bike, Mr. Pokemon master... and if she's so nice, why isn't she your girlfriend now?" She was clearly annoyed since she hates being compared to another. Both there eyes widened in shock anyway. What did you just say, Misty!

He was taken aback, "Me? Girlfriend? Dawn?"

So Ash assumed she was teasing, "I'm sure you wouldn't mind," his smirk seemed atractive to her and at the same time it mocked her.

"You idiot, I'm your best friend, of course I mind!" she slammed the panel, muttering incoherent words and her sour look said it all.

Mischief glinted in his eyes, "Don't tell me you're jealous, Misty –"

"I am not! I just care, that's all..." she looked away, blushing.

"So now you care," he grew serious this time, "I thought you don't, I thought I was annoying."

"Well, guess what? You're thoughts were, EEENNK, wrong. In fact, I always thought about you, I thought about how you always wanna be the hero, I thought about your ways, your voice and gross enough, even your face! I always do." The pause made her sound more serious and she stared straightly into his eyes, "And I even thought that you actually knew that I..." She caught herself there then, looked away.

"You thought I knew what?"

"Oh why do I even bother? Ash, you should call back later whe–"

"Misty, answer me! You thought I knew what?"

"I-I'll talk to you next time," she gulped, "I'm hanging up..."

"Misty," his voice was like a trap that she lost all courage to hang up, "Stay." Such a commanding yet passionate voice.

"..." She froze.

"You thought that I actually thought what you thought I should be thinking?"

She blinked. "Ash... do you even know what you're saying?" It almost surprised her to hear herself laughing amidst her unease and also disregarding the serious boyish face on the screen.

"Exactly. Mist... I know."

But it surprised her the most to hear his reply. She's not used to seeing Ash so serious, so firm in proving his point. He clearly grew out his childish notions where he just stuck out his tongue. It totally made the hairs on her back stand up.

"You know what exactly?" She finally asked.

Was he blushing? "Uhh, I just thought that I knew what –" His eyes wandered, obviously avoiding hers. But she's getting kinda impatient now.

"Skip to the point, Ketchum!" She was red in anger and with all the tension building up.

"I know how you feel... about me, I mean, about us." He looked right back at her with what she thought was hope in his eyes. There's hope.

"Oh yeah? I dare you say it!"

"Say what?" He seemed taken aback all of a sudden.

"Just do it!"

"But –"

"I thought you knew that..." Her face was already turning red. She thought about stopping midway but there's no point in prolonging the hidden yearning for a confession. So she had no choice.

"That I love you..." She exhaled, realizing she hadn't breathed. Misty had spitted it out for him, making his eyes almost pop out. But then, he smiled.

"Ahh, I thought you find me cute." He winked at her to compliment his big grin.

"Don't push it, Ketchum."

At that moment, a new voice reverberated the laboratory.

"Ah yes, I see that you two have refreshed your relationship, Ash and Misty." She whipped her head at the Professor Oak who was standing right behind her. No doubt that he heard the whole thing.

"Relationship? We're not having any...besides we were only catching up on things, Professor!"

"Yeah, what Misty said. I just called to see that Bayleef and the others are good for the Sinnoh League anyway."

"Sorry about the sudden delay, Misty. But it seems that you didn't mind spending the duration with Ash's stories of sojourn, couldn't it?" Professor Oak raised a questioning eyebrow at Misty then back to Ash. He just has to know everything.

"We were just saying goodbye. Umm, bye Ash, I'll call you as soon as– " The professor eyed them. "I mean, when I have the time!"

"Bye, Mist. Same-same, give my best to Tracey!" He hung up.

She closed the panel and turned to look at the professor, "Sorry about that Professor, I guess I wasn't patient enough."

"That's alright, Misty, I was expecting Ash to call anyway. Thank you for taking care of him while I was gone." Professor Oak walked over to his desk and peered at his list of activities, "But I'm afraid I have to reschedule your consultation to tomorrow."

"That's fine for me, Professor!" She beamed at him but she was anxious, "Umm, Professor, about what

I told Ash earlier...you know that?" She blushed intensely.

"Our consultations were just for me to inform you of Ash's wellbeing," Then he looked at Misty with a ready smile, a ready laugh.

"And I thought so, Misty, I thought so."

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