Petals of Romance

"Ash, are you sure we're almost there?"

The raven-haired boy's eye twitched, exasperated with the redhead's irritable tone. "Yes, Misty, we're almost there." He responded through gritted teeth.

Ash and Misty were currently traveling around Hoenn together. Misty, who had been absent from his journeys through the region, had discovered that Ash was going to visit it once more, hoping to continue to train there. Upon asking to join him, he agreed. However, Ash's mother, realizing that it would only be them by themselves with no certain breeder around, insisted on instructing them how to properly prepare a meal. Ash could now make a decent snack, and even Misty's food was edible. Even so, they still couldn't live off of their own creations for too long, so it was a blessing when they found a town with a restaurant. Thankfully, they were nearing Floral Town, a small town fairly close to Petalburg City. Despite its small size, it was famous far and wide for having some of the most beautiful flower fields in all of Hoenn.

Thanks to Ash's previous adventures, he knew his way around far better than before, recognizing several natural signs that he'd seen before. Within a few minutes, they found themselves on the hills located on the outskirts of the town. Looking down upon it, they quietly gasped in surprise.

Before them was Floral Town, and it was much more beautiful than either of them had imagined. Many large flower fields sat off in the distance, giving the town a colorful look. Many houses were between each of the fields, and a few citizens could be seen walking around the flower fields.

Misty's eyes lit up joyously. "Come on, Ash, let's go see!" Grabbing his hand, she ran off towards the town, pulling the trainer behind.

"Wah! Misty, wait up!" His words, however, fell on deaf ears, as the redhead continued onto the town, nearly dragging Ash on the ground. Reaching the borders, they slowed to a stop, panting. Their hands were still connected, both of them too out of breath to notice. The sweet smell in the air, however, quickly rejuvenated them, and they made their way around town; however, in their exploration, they failed to notice that they hadn't let go of each other's hands.

Reaching the town's Pokémon Center, they entered, greeted at the front desk by Nurse Joy. "Hello, may I help you?" She asked politely.

"Yeah, we'd like a room for two people." Misty replied.

At this, Nurse Joy smiled sweetly, causing confused looks on Ash and Misty's faces. "Will you want one bed or two?"

The pair's faces grew red, embarrassed. "Um…two beds, please." Misty mumbled.

"Why would you think we'd want one bed?" Ash asked inquisitively. Nurse Joy simply gestured to their intertwined hands. The two finally noticed this, and jumped apart, incredibly embarrassed. The pink-haired nurse chuckled happily, before handing them a key. "Here you are. Your room is to the left." A humiliated Misty grabbed the key, before taking off to their room. Ash quickly followed behind, his face almost as pink as hers.

A few minutes into settling in, Ash and Misty were already in a small debate.

"Come on, Ash, it won't hurt to go see the flowers!" Misty argued, her hands on her hips.

"But Misty, I wanted to go train!" Ash complained.

"Can't you just train in the next town? I want to see this place while we're here." Misty responded.

"Well…" Ash, despite his efforts, couldn't think of an excuse.

Misty then leaned in closer to him, putting on a pouty face. "Please, Ash? Today's the only day we're gonna be here."

Ash's face reddened somewhat at her closeness. Being so near each other, he was able to look into her eyes without any suspicion. He would never admit it to Misty, but he liked the color of her eyes. It was a color he didn't really see very often, so it was pretty to him. It wasn't often he could look at them without Misty asking him why he was doing such a thing, but when the opportunity arose, he took a chance at it.

Regaining his composure, Ash crossed his arms. True, they were only stopping there for the day, and the next day would have them leaving once more. A town like this wasn't easy to come by. "Yeah, fine."

"Alright!" Misty exclaimed, pumping her fist in the air. She then linked arms with him and pulled him along.

"Misty! Slow down!" For the second time that day, Ash found himself being dragged quicker than his feet could move, resulting in him stumbling often as he tried to keep up with her.

Due to the town's size, it only took a few minutes to get to the largest field. Many types of flowers were growing throughout, resulting in a collage of color. The two gazed upon it, amazed at its beauty. Before they could start picking, a man well in his age approached them. The wrinkles on his face twisted as he smiled at them.

"So, are you two planning on picking some of our flowers?" He asked kindly.

"Oh, yes, sir." Ash answered.

"Well, our town has a tradition of dressing any tourists who want some of our flowers into proper clothing. After all, some of the grass and such may tickle your skin." He gestured to Misty's shorts, and the girl laughed sheepishly. "So, I hope you won't mind accepting a change of attire."

"Sure." Ash said cheerfully. The old man led them to a fairly large hut, where many kinds of old-fashioned clothing were placed around.

"We have changing rooms over near the back, so pick whatever you fancy and try it on."

"Thank you, mister." Ash and Misty said, before looking around. They took a few minutes in deciding, before each of them entered their respective dressing rooms. A minute later, Ash exited his dressing room. He kept his jeans and shoes, but he currently wore a maroon shirt, with a blue button up with small white stripes. On his head sat a brown sun hat, with a blue stripe around it.

Suddenly, a voice came from Misty's room. "Excuse me, but can I get a brush, please?

"Of course." The old man went into the back, before quickly returning with a small brush. He stuck his hand inside, and the girl took it from him, thanking him.

Five minutes passed, and Ash was wondering what was taking her so long. "Misty, are you almost done?"

"Almost, Ash. Be patient. I'm brushing my hair." The girl responded.

A confused expression dawned on Ash's face. "You're not wearing it in a ponytail?"

To answer his question, Misty returned from her dressing room. She wore a white sundress, reaching down to the middle of her legs. A white bow hung on the side, and on her feet were white flats. Her hair was no longer up, instead flowing down her cheeks, framing her face. A silky white sun hat topped it off, as well as a wicker basket in her hands.

Misty's cheeks grew warm as she posed slightly. "Do you like it, Ash?"

"Yeah! You look great, Misty!" Ash grinned. Misty smiled cheerfully, her pink cheeks growing brighter.

"Well, now you two look like real flower pickers." The old man nodded his head approvingly. "Now, take your time, and enjoy our many flowers."

"We will!" The pair responded happily, before running off to the field.

Reaching the edge of the field, Misty couldn't find what she wanted to pick first. "Ash, there's so many kinds of flowers! Which ones should we pick first?"

Clearly, Ash wasn't as eager to pick flowers as Misty, as his hands were in his pockets, staring into the field blankly. "Um, how about we go get our own flowers, and meet up in a little while?"

"Okay!" With that, Misty took off into the field, leaving Ash to watch her begin picking up flowers. He grinned, before heading off in another direction.

As he walked around the field, he took occasional glances at Misty. He didn't want to say anything to her, but he found himself attracted to her in that dress. It was somewhat loose, yet the top half of it hugged her body, shoving the fact that she had definitely grown through the years in Ash's face. He blushed, realizing how he was thinking of Misty, but that didn't mean he would stop. He definitely wasn't used to thinking of Misty in such a fashion, but there was something about it that he liked. In fact, more recently, he had been thinking of Misty more as a girl than usual. She was definitely his best friend, and with the two of them alone by themselves, he had begun to see her in a new light.

Misty looked over at him, catching him looking at her. He smiled at her, and she waved back at him. Ever since the beginning of their travels together, she'd slowly developed feelings for him. Now, with just the two of them together, her crush had developed into young love. She didn't fully comprehend it all, however. She knew that, in a relationship, she would want to be held, kissed, pampered, and the like. With Ash…it was different. Being honest with herself, she couldn't see Ash as being the romantic she'd like him to be. Even so…her expectations had changed. As a child, she'd always thought that EVERY relationship was all romance-based. Looking on it now, she realized that, while love was the backbone of it, it didn't necessarily constitute everything in the relationship. With Ash, she didn't think the way she acted would be the same as him. However, being kind to each other, and having history of friendship that they had would be enough for them. In time, maybe Ash would come around. She was fairly confident in her feelings, and chose not to worry about what might happen if he didn't feel the same way.

Ash waved back, before heading off in another direction. He saw a lake nearby. Maybe there would be some neat flowers near it.

The lake sparkled in the sunlight, small waves forming in the wind as Ash approached it. Several flower petals floated atop, rocking gently in the water. He actually thought it looked really nice, having never seen a lake surrounded by flowers. For a few minutes, he gazed all around, searching for any flowers that might be good. However, he only saw the same flowers as everywhere else in the field. He was about to begin walking again, when something caught his eye.

Near the shore, he saw something sparkle. Making his way towards it, he saw it was a flower. It looked like a rose, except the outer petals were opened wider, and there weren't any thorns. The petals were blue, and they glistened, as if they were wet. Intrigued, he picked it out from the ground, taking a closer look. The stem felt smooth and fuzzy, and, touching the petals, realized that they weren't wet at all. He had no idea what he was holding, but it was probably the only one of that particular flower.

Ash looked behind him into the fields. Misty was off in the distance, and thus hadn't seen the discovery he'd made. He sighed, relieved. If Misty saw him with it now, she'd ask what it was, and he certainly didn't have any clue. He began walking back to the hut, making sure Misty didn't see the flower he held.

Upon reaching it, he knocked on the door, keeping the flower hidden beneath his shirt. The old man answered the door. "Oh, finished already, eh?"

"Actually, I found a weird looking flower, and I was wondering if you knew what it was." Ash said, his body language suggesting he wanted to enter. The old man obliged, closing the door behind him. Removing the flower from his shirt, he showed it to the old man, who, taking it in his hands, inspected it closely.

"Well, what do you know…" He trailed off, his voice soft and full of awe.

"What is it?" Ash asked.

The old man looked at him, an amused smile across his lips. "Son, this here's a Waterflower."

Ash almost felt his jaw hit the floor. "A Waterflower?" As in, Misty's last name, Waterflower?

"Yep. I'm tellin' ya, kid, it's not easy to come across one of these. I've never even found one myself, so to see one in real life…it's quite amazing. And it's as beautiful as I imagined." He turned the flower in his hand, examining it from all sides. "Y'know, there's an old tradition about it, too."

"Really? What's that?" Ash's eyes reflected interest as the old man handed back the flower.

"Well, because the flower is so rare and special, it's said that whoever finds it should only give it to someone they really care about." The old man explained.

"Wow…" Ash said, admiring the flower once more. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

"Ash? Are you in there?" Suddenly, the door opened, and Misty entered, holding some flowers in her hand.

"M-Misty!" Ash nearly jumped out of his skin, his hands hiding behind his back.

"Ash, what are you doing in here?" Misty asked, looking at him in a puzzled manner.

"Um…I was getting thirsty, and I came to get some water! Yeah, that's it." Ash laughed sheepishly.

Misty narrowed her eyes. "Well, what are you holding behind your back?"

"Huh? I'm not holding anything." A trickle of sweat ran down the back of Ash's neck, holding the flower tightly.

"Really. Then let me see your hands." Misty placed her flowers on the counter, before resting her hands on her hips.

"Um…" Ash was trying to think of what he could do. He didn't want to show her yet, but he was looking suspicious by not moving his hands. Her gaze seemed to make the room hotter, as he felt sweat and heat emanate all over his body.

"Is there a problem?"

The old man, who had moved to the back after explaining the Waterflower to Ash, returned, looking perplexed.

"Oh, nothing, really." Ash chuckled, trying to hide his nervousness.

"I should hope so. I'm getting too old for any craziness." He said, moving behind Ash and placing a hand on his shoulder. "And you two seem like such nice kids."

"Oh, well, there's no trouble, sir." Misty assured him.

"That's good to hear." Suddenly, Ash felt the flower being removed from hands. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the old man return to the back, holding the flower in his hands. Immediately, his attention was redirected towards the redhead.

"So, Ash, what are you hiding?"

"Misty, I told you, I'm not hiding anything." Ash exasperated, extending his arms out to reveal that he held nothing. He watched as Misty stared at him suspiciously for a few moments, before she shrugged. "Alright, but hurry up! There are still a lot of flowers out there!" With a smile, Misty exited the hut, leaving being a relieved Ash.

"Did she leave?" Ash turned to see the old man emerge from the back, holding the flower.

"Yeah. Thanks a lot." Ash said gratefully.

"It's pretty risky taking this out with you. Something might happen to it. Would you mind leaving it here until you're finished? I've always wanted to examine a Waterflower, and it'll be easier to keep it a secret from that girl." The old man pointed out.

"Sure!" Ash agreed cheerfully. "Thanks a lot!" With that, Ash tore out of the hut, returning to the fields.

The hours flew by as Ash and Misty continued to pick flowers, seeing some that they'd never even knew existed. Ash was having more fun with flowers than he initially thought. Or maybe it was because he was with Misty…regardless, he let out a sigh as he and Misty sat by the lake, watching the sunset together.

"Today was fun, wasn't it, Ash?" Misty asked with a smile.

"Yeah, it wasn't as boring as I thought it would be." Ash grinned, then laughed at the annoyed look that Misty shot him. "Aw, come on, Misty. How was I supposed to know that picking flowers would be any fun?"

"Hmph. So what, you just assumed that flower picking was boring?" Misty asked, sounding slightly aggravated.

"Well, kinda." Ash admitted, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "I mean, I did want to train my Pokémon today, remember?"

At this, Misty stood up, her face twisted in irritation. "Fine. Maybe next time I'll let you train instead." She headed back to the hut, swinging her fists at her sides.

"Wait, Misty, hold up!" Ash hopped up and dashed after her, confused as to why she was so upset.

"Just forget about it, Ash!" Misty snapped, somewhat harshly. "Next time, if you think something's boring, just tell me, and we won't do it!" She said, speeding up her pace.

"Misty, it's not that. I did have fun! Why are you getting so upset?" Ash, grabbing a hold of one of her shoulders, spun her around, looking into her eyes.

"Ash…you're a jerk…" Misty whispered, though it sounded like some of her anger had vanished.

The comment definitely stung Ash, but it didn't feel like the right time to retort. Instead, he simply sighed. "Can I at least know why?"

Misty seemed taken aback at his unusually calm demeanor. Normally, he'd have replied with a smart comment. Seeing as he was taking the situation so seriously, she figured she'd be honest with him. "I wanted to spend some time with you today. All you wanted to do was train. I had to almost force you to come with me today. I was hoping you'd be a little more enthusiastic to do something together." Misty huffed through gritted teeth.

Ash didn't know what to say. It wasn't out of surprise at what Misty said, though; it was out of surprise that Misty even said that. "Well, I never knew you were into flower picking, Misty."

"Well, believe it or not, I do like flowers, Ash. I figured at least you would pick up on that, seeing as, you know, I'm a girl and all." She gestured to herself, looking at him as though the fact was obvious.

"Well, you're not like most other girls, Misty." Ash said, before he began walking towards the hut.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Misty, the person who always took things the wrong way, asked bitterly.

"Well, most girls are always talking about girly stuff, like make-up, or boys, or things like that." Ash began. "I guess that's how girls are. But you're not like most of them. You don't like certain things just because you're a girl. You like them because you like them, not because you're supposed to. And if you don't like it, you make sure people know it." He said with a laugh. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that, for a girl, you're pretty cool, Misty."

Misty felt her cheeks begin to burn up. Ash thought she was…cool? He looked at her and flashed a friendly smile. She couldn't prevent the smile from forming on her face if she tried, and she couldn't help that her heart seemed to be pounding its way through her chest. Then, her gaze turned suspicious. "Wait, how do I know you're not just saying that so I won't be mad at you? After all, you barely picked any flowers today."

"Well, um…" It was Ash's turn to feel his cheeks get warmer. "I didn't think I had to."

"Why?" Misty could feel some of her agitation come back.

"You'll see." Ash said knowingly, causing Misty to gaze at him confusedly. The rest of the trip was quiet, as Misty could only wonder what thoughts were going on through Ash's head.

The old man greeted them as they returned to the hut. "So, are you two done for the day?"

"Yep, sure are." Ash answered with a grin.

"Well, I've got your clothes right over here." He reached into a cubby and pulled their clothes out. "You know where the dressing rooms are."

"Thanks." The two chimed, and they promptly moved to get back into their regular clothing. Ash, who got dressed quicker than Misty, emerged first, holding up the clothes he'd borrowed.

"Here you go." Ash handed the clothes to the old man, who placed them into the cubby. "Hey, do you still have the flower?" He asked quietly.

"Yep, right here." The old man handed Ash the Waterflower, still as graceful as that afternoon.

"Thanks for taking care of it for me." Ash thanked him gratefully, holding the flower gently.

"It was my pleasure. So are you planning on giving it to that girl?" He said slyly, gesturing to the dressing room that Misty was in.

Ash could only blush, and before he could respond, a different voice cut in.

"Wow, you sure change fast."

Again, Ash jumped in fright, hearing Misty's voice. He looked to see her holding the dress she had worn that day. She was once again in her normal clothes, but she had yet to put her hair up again.

"Well, I only had to change my shirt." Ash noted.

"Yeah, I guess so." Misty shrugged, handing her clothes back to the old man. While she was distracted, Ash gently moved the flower inside his pocket, so as not to ruin it.

"Well, I guess it's time to head to the Pokémon Center, huh?" Misty asked, pulling her back up.

"Yeah." Ash replied, a hint of disappointment in his voice at her putting her hair up. Regardless, he remained silent, and upon her finishing, he turned to face the old man.

"Thanks for everything, mister." He smiled, and the old man smiled back.

"It was no trouble. Are you leaving tomorrow?" He asked.

"Yeah." Ash replied, disappointment in his voice.

"Well, be sure to visit again. It was a joy to meet you." The old man smiled.

"Same here. Take care." Ash waved, as he moved out the door.

"Goodbye." Misty followed Ash outside, where they began heading towards the Pokémon Center.

"So, Ash, how come you didn't pick that many flowers today?" Misty finally asked after a few minutes of silence.

"Well…earlier today, I found a really special flower, so I didn't really feel like getting any others." Ash replied, his hand fondling the flower in his pocket.

"How come you didn't show me?" Misty asked, somewhat loudly.

"I'm going to." Ash said.

"What kind of flower is it?" Misty inquired.

"Um…a Waterflower." Ash replied with a smile.

Immediately, Misty froze, blood rushing to her cheeks quickly. Ash halted as well, not completely surprised at her reaction. The sun was fairly low, but it was still easy to see how red her face had become. "W-what?" She stammered.

"I said, a Waterflower." He answered, holding it out to her.

Misty's eyed opened wide, gasping breathlessly. The colors of the almost set sun reflected off the petals, giving it an ethereal look. She extended a shaky hand to grab it, as if scared it would shatter into a million pieces with the wrong touch. Taking it in her hands, she held it to her chest. She looked down at it for a moment, her face unreadable. Then, slowly, she raised her head to look at Ash. Words couldn't describe the look of happiness in her eyes. "Ash…"

"Um…I hope you like-" He was cut off, however, when Misty quickly pulled him into a hug, planting her lips on his. He was, to put it mildly, shocked. His face reddened heavily, and his hands were frozen. Moments later, Misty pulled back, smiling at Ash joyously. "Um…w-why'd you do t-that?" Ash stuttered, horribly nervous.

"'Cause I'm a girl. And girls kiss guys." She replied wittily.

Ash smirked. "I thought you weren't like most girls."

Misty smiled back. "I am. Just a little."

- - - - -

Ash and Misty were asleep in their room, the window curtains opened to allow the moon's glow in. Ash had his hands raised above his head, snoring softly. Misty, upon realizing earlier that night that Ash liked her with her hair down, took it out of her ponytail, and her red tresses flowed over her face. She held her hands to her chest, laying on her side. In her sleep, she could feel the object in her hands, and she smiled.

The Waterflower shone in the moonlight, as radiant as the emotions between the two young ones.