Chapter Ten: Fortune
While the groups were driving back to the Academy, Ash and Misty were still exploring the fairground, hunting for new rides and booths.
'Ooh, I wanna try this one!' Misty exclaimed, pointing at a multicoloured roller-coaster that seemed to stretch on and on.
Ash chuckled lightly. When Misty was like this, it was as if she was exploring her inner child, and it made her seem adorable.
'C'mon, Ash! Don't be a slowpoke!' Misty grabbed his hand and they began to rush to the ride.
The teen blushed. Yes, he had realised his feelings for the tomboyish girl a long time ago. Turns out he wasn't as dense as his friends thought he was. Even he could put two and two together, and already was starting to play 'matchmaker' with his friends; Paul with Dawn, Gary with Leaf, Drew with May...
Misty was the odd one out in the group. Not only did she not have any love interests, but none of the boys, including Ash, could pair her up with someone suitable that could tolerate her hot-headed temper.
'Ash, hurry up!'
The raven-head snapped back to reality. They were suddenly at the front of the line, instead of the back where he thought he was still safe.
'Oh, yeah Mist, just remembered I ate twelve hotdogs this morning-'
'Oh no you don't!' Misty grabbed his hand and yanked him into the ride.
Somewhere, in his foggy mind, Ash registered the feeling of a seat-belt fastening around his waist with a click.
'Misty, let's get out before-'
'Too late to turn back now!' Misty interrupted, flinging her hands in the air when the ride started.
Let's just say, the ride ended, miraculously, in no missing limbs, but a very green looking Ash.
'That was fun! Let's go again!'
'No, please,' Ash groaned, leaning against a stall and clutching his stomach.
Misty whirled around, pouting, 'Aww, you're no fun.' Then, she caught sight of an arcade. 'Ooh, look, an arcade! Let's play some games! We've only got an hour left anyway!'
Again, she pushed the raven-haired teen into the arcade.
He sighed. His mind started to ponder the decision of whether or not to confess to the girl his feelings for her...
Ash looked and the red-head who was curiously wandering off, and knew his decision. Anyway, it would happen sooner or later, right?
'Misty-'
'So what game should we play first?' The red-head asked, turning her head this way and that.
'Misty-'
'Hmm, the Formula One looks nice, but maybe Just Dance will be-'
'MISTY!'
The girl turned to him with an annoyed scowl, 'What?'
The boy gulped. It was now or never...
'Do you have some loose change? I feel like some Coke.'
In his head, he mentally punched himself. Coke?! Really?! The dramatic crush confession, which would go down in the rest of his life either becoming an absolute hellhole or an absolute paradise, was supposed to spill out of his mouth! Guess it was at the wrong moment, at the wrong place, at the wrong time.
'Stupid mouth...' Ash thought, mentally kicking himself.
Misty frowned. It seemed like Ash wanted to say something else.
'Okay, yeah I do, Ash,' she said, handing him two dollars.
The boy nodded and took off, his face a noticeable red.
Misty sighed and began to wander into the arcade, her mind swirling with confusion. What had Ash wanted to ask her? Or better yet, had his original question that been the one she'd wanted him to say?
Lately, he'd be acting strange, like staring off into space in awkward moments in conversation and it took several calls (and a mallet, of course) to bring him back to earth.
She wondered why he seemed different than other boys; why she felt this sudden attraction to him. He was charming, cute, and surprisingly funny. Tick, tick, tick; three points Misty looked for in a guy.
However, it seemed like their relationship would never go past friends. That was fine with Misty. It wasn't like she was going 'boyfriend-hunting' anytime soon, anyway.
They were better off being friends anyway. She had seen what had happened with May and Brendan; the drama, the sleepless nights, the agony of refusing to pick up your phone to answer a certain number...
There was no way, no how, she was going to get a boyfriend. Anyway, being single and ready to mingle was way more fun. Right?
To get her mind off her thoughts, she played a few games, won a few prizes, then decided it was getting late and the arcade eventually bored her to tears. What's more, Ash hadn't come back yet, and the teen was starting to feel annoyed.
'Where are you...' She muttered, placing her hands on her hips and glaring at the cute, blue teddy bear she had won.
She checked her watch. Five twenty-two. Just a few more minutes left before the fair closed.
Misty reached in her pocket for her phone and dialled Ash's number.
'Beep... beep... beep- this person is not available at the moment. Please call back lat-'
With a growl, the girl shoved the phone back into her pocket.
'You seem agitated, dearie,' said a voice behind her, startling Misty, She whipped around, and turned to see a hunched, old lady, buried in layers of worn shawls. The lady smiled. 'Would you like to have your fortune told? It could help take your mind off the thing you're so worried about.'
Misty chuckled, 'No thanks, miss. I'm fine. I'm not worried at all.'
The lady stared hard at her before replying, 'Your aura seems... frustrated, dear. You seem to be in an anxious mood, a little irritated too. Hmm... tell me, miss, is this mood the cause of that raven-haired boy?'
Misty must've looked surprised, because the old lady laughed, 'Oh, I can tell a lot about you, dear. You are the loud, bold, adventurous type. The one willing to stand up for her friends in the midst of a fight. Quite the tomboy, too.'
Misty blinked, too shocked to answer. If this woman could read this much about her by simply observing her at a first glance, what else could she do?
Almost as if reading her mind, the woman chuckled, 'Don't be alarmed, dearie. It's all good. It's my ability, see: Future Sight. It allows me to 'see' the future, as well as describing a person's personality without knowing any real traits about that person.'
The red-head didn't understand a word the woman was talking about, but nodded.
The woman nodded with her head Misty to follow her, and walked to a small, gypsy tent. Misty followed.
Inside the tent, was a small table with a crystal ball. Of course it was a crystal ball; how else would the old woman 'tell' people's fortunes?
The tent smelt fragrant and exotic, and the strange patterns on the tent suggested a distant country or region.
'Much farther than Kalos, I assume,' Misty thought, as the woman sat cross-legged on the floor.
She gestured the red-head to sit, which she did. She gazed into the ball, her eyes glassy.
'Hmm... that raven-haired boy is appearing quite a lot in your future...' the lady muttered as the shadows in the crystal ball grew. 'Hmm... I see a huge stadium, with crowds of people... oh, and a moonlit lake... hmm, this is all very interesting...'
Misty glanced at her phone.
'Almost five-thirty,' she noted. 'The fair will be closing any minute now...'
As if on cue, the woman looked up sharply from her crystal ball. 'Ai,' she sighed. ' 'Tis a tragic future lies ahead of you...'
'What do you mean?' Misty cocked her head to one side, confused.
The woman shooter her head sadly, 'There is a boy in your life, dear. You will love him with all your heart, only to have your own broken. You have three more friends, no? The same thing will happen to them. You and your friends will become more quiet and depressed each passing day...' She trailed off, but her face brightened. 'However, you will find light amongst the dark. You and your friends, however broken-hearted, are still a strong group. You will be supported by many, many people, and gain something from the heartbreak. A new talent, I suppose. Your distant future is blurry, though, and seems to be a bit vague at the end. As if there is more to your future than I can tell...'
'I see...' Misty murmured, anxiously looking at Ash's number and debating whether or not to call him.
The woman smiled. 'This friend of yours. Is he truly that special?'
Misty looked at her. 'Huh?'
'He seems to be a very close person to your heart. I sense it. Much more than a friend, I presume?'
At this, Misty turned as red as her hair and shook her head violently.
The woman only frowned, 'Now, now. It is a sin to refuse your feelings for the one you truly love.'
Love.
Love.
The word bounced in the girl's head. No, not love. Not yet anyway... at least, she hoped.
'I've gotta go,' she sat up suddenly, shoving her phone back in her pocket.
The lady smiled. 'Go on then,' she said, waving her hand. 'Shoo.'
Thankful for the permission, Misty fled from the tent and dialled Ash again.
'Pick up, pick up,' she pleaded, holding the phone to her ear.
After a few moments of ringing, there was a muffled, 'Hello? Misty?' at the other end of the line.
The red-head nearly dropped her phone. 'Ash?! Is that you?! Oh my God, I've been calling you and you wouldn't pick up! How long does it take to buy a can of bloody Coke?!'
'Sorry, Mist,' Ash's voice was apologetic.
Misty waved her hand in the air, making a mental note to whack his head with her mallet as soon as she found him. 'Never mind. Where the hell are you?'
'Turn around.'
The girl whipped around, and a flash of raven hair greeted her.
'Ash!' Misty called out, running towards him.
Ash smiled discreetly, expecting a worried hug. Instead, he received a painful bonk on his head, and nearly blacked out. He rubbed his sore head. 'What was that for?' He demanded.
'For making me worry,' Misty scowled, crossing her arms over her chest.
Ash sighed. Misty definitely wasn't an ordinary girl. However, that was exactly what made her so enticing.
Taking her hand in his, Ash sombrely walked out of the fairground, wondering how on earth such a huge mallet could possibly be concealed in a small denim pocket.
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AAAAIIIIIEEEEEEEE!!!! WE HIT 1K!!! WHAT ON EARTH DID YOU GUYS DO WHILE I WAS GONE?!?!?!
Did you like the old lady I added in? ^^ IT'S XATU!!! No, jokes :P
Note: I don't really want Ash to be the super-duper-king-of-denseness in my book as I see many Pokemon fanfics portray him. I honestly think Ash is charming when he is dense, but it's kinda cute in my opinion if he's smart enough to realise his feelings for Misty and to know what his friends think about the girls.
Okay, okay. I know what you're thinking: 'Skittles, why does this all seem like this is all in the boys' POV?' Well, I personally think that it's important to know how the boys feel about the girls first, rather than vice versa. Almost every fanfic/story I've read is how the girls feel about the boys, up until the climax. I decided to shake things up a little ^^ Anyway, in the concert, the girl's feelings will be revealed, so don't complain just yet...
STAY TUNED FOR MORE :D
-xxxSkittlesxxx