It was finally calm in Dawn's house. The two of them had finally settle down from cleaning after seeing their visitors arrive although the two of them were still clearly upset that their home was still not yet perfect for their visitors. Dawn had quickly approach May and Zoey, whom she had already met, and began with them conversation, trading some strategies in the process. Brock on the other hand, had quickly talked to Misty in what she have been doing with her life lately.
"Hey Misty it's nice to see you again." Brock said as he approached his former travelling companion.
"Same here Brock." Misty greeted with enthusiasm as she hugged her friend and former travelling companion.
Misty had change physically during her three years in running the Cerulean gym. She has now developed a figure that could rival her sisters. She had also let her hair down; now her orange was now lying on her shoulder. She had also change her attire, instead of her usual tomboyish attire when she was still travelling with Ash, she now wore clothes that fit her new look and age which consist of an orange shirt with an insignia of the cascade badge imprinted on it, loosed jeans that are design for travelling, and a white jacket.
"So, how the gym doing?" Brock asked as he let go of the embrace, fearing the wrath of Croagunk.
Misty merely gave Brock a proud smirked." Well, I'm proud to say that it has been going well at my care. There have been only a handful of trainers that had earned the Cascade Badge in the last three years when I became the gym leader." Misty stated with pride in her voice.
"Congrats then Misty, I know Ash would be thrill to have a battle with you if he heard that." Brock said humorously. At the mention of Ash, Misty quickly developed a light blush on her face but quickly shrugged it off. Also at the mention of Ash's name, Misty then notice something that has been obvious for a while now.
"Speaking of Ash, where is he?" Misty asked with a bit of excitement in her voice.
'It has been two years since the last time I saw Ash, would he be surprise at my new look.' Misty thought with a light blush.
Brock had notice the blush but didn't pay it much attention to it, he had already known that the four girls in the room right now has crush on Ash (whom was secretly taken by the way). Brock merely answered Misty's question, envying Ash's luck when it comes girls. "Ash went outside to train early in the morning, he still hasn't return."
Misty seems to be taken back by that. "Ash training, are you sure? Are you even remotely positive that this is Ash, our Ash?" Misty asked in shocked, her littler tantrum had caught the attention of the three Pokémon Coordinators in the room.
"Believe it Misty; Ash had finally taken his Pokémon training seriously." Brock stated, proud at Ash's maturity.
Misty, still in disbelief, chuckled. "I never thought I'll see the day that Ash will depend on his skills rather on his luck." Misty said, still in disbelief.
"That isn't so bad for Ash, Misty. He is probably the luckiest trainer alive." Brock said with a laughed. The two of them began laughing at how true that statement is.
Unknown to the two gym leaders, the three coordinators approached them after seeing them laughed like that. May was the one whom got the attention of the two.
"Why are you two laughing like that?" May asked.
May didn't change that much since she separated from Ash and Brock. She still was a bit scrawny but you could still tell that she has figure which could rival an ordinary fifteen year old girl. She still wore the same outfit that she wore when she first came to Sinnoh (you people could visualize that right).
"It's nothing May, were just reminiscing our early journey's with Ash." Misty said, finally calming down from her laughter. She didn't notice the curious looked that Dawn and Zoey had on their faces.
"You mean the time when Ash is competing in Kanto, Orange Archipelago, and the Johto league." May asked with curiosity and enthusiasm lacing her voice.
"Yup, when Ash was still young and stupid." Brock said in a joking matter. That was probably the dumbest and the most suicidal thing to say at that moment because after finishing that sentence, he was met with four mallets slamming to his head, producing four large bump marks on his head. Brock was once again lying in the floor, with tears in his eyes.
"DON'T CALL ASH STUPID." The four girls yelled in unison. Brock whimpered at the mercy of the four girls. Misty, after they have calm down, have notice the presence of Dawn and Zoey.
"Hello there?" Misty greeted the two girls that were in front of her. Dawn and Zoey seem to take notice of the greeting and looked at Misty, with smiles on their faces.
"Hello there, it's a great pleasure to meet the Gym Leader of Cerulean City." Zoey said with glee as she extended her hand. Misty took it without hesitation and shook it cheerfully. "My name is Zoey by the way, I'm a Pokémon coordinator." Zoey introduced herself to Misty.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Zoey." Misty said with a cheerful smile. Misty let go of Zoey's hand and glance at Dawn. Dawn, knowing the implication of that glance, introduced herself as well.
"Oh sorry for that, I haven't yet introduced myself. My name is Dawn and I'm also a Pokémon Coordinator as well as Ash's current travelling companion." Dawn said in a cheerful manner while emphasizing the 'current travelling companion' part. Dawn also offered her hand for a hand shake to Misty.
Misty's eyes narrowed for a split second after hearing the she was Ash's current female companion but quickly regain her composure and shook Dawn's hand with enthusiasm and looked at her with a gleeful smile with a slight edge.
'So this is Ash's current female companion. I'll admit that she looks cute but Ash won't be interested into someone who is five or four years younger than him.'Misty thought as she gaze upon the blue haired girl.
'So this is the Misty I've been hearing from Ash and Brock. She seems to be quite tomboyish yet she is very pretty but I won't lose to her nor will I lose to May. They may have travelled with Ash longer than I have by I know than I'll win him over in the future.' Dawn thought with determination as she looked at Misty with a smile and a calculating gaze.
May and Zoey had notice the slowly growing tension between the two and decided to break the tension before it even starts.
"Why are you so shock about Ash training, Misty?" Zoey asked breaking the slow building tension between Misty and Dawn.
Misty then looked at Zoey and let go of Dawn hands. "Well, when Ash was still beginning his journey, he usually depends on his luck and not on his skills. He only seldom trains and his training isn't that great." Misty said remembering the times she travelled with Ash.
Dawn and Zoey seems to be slightly shock about that info while May merely uninterested, already knowing that fact about Ash.
"You mean Ash actually told as the truth." Zoey suddenly stated.
"I think he did. I guess we owe Ash an apology." Dawn said sheepishly. That seems to catch May's attention.
"You guys owe Ash an apology, how so?" May asked with a bit of curiosity.
Dawn and Zoey looked at May for a moment before answering.
"Well you see, when Ash won his seventh badge from my old friend, she asked Ash if he was always that skillful when it come to battling." Zoey exclaimed, catching the attention of Misty in the process.
"Ash said to her that he was not that good at the beginning, that some of his badges were given to him without a battle but merely as a sign of thanks for his help." Dawn finished Zoey's explanation.
"We didn't believe Ash when he said that; because come on, his an amazing trainer and a good strategies. It's hard to believe that some of those badges that he have are not earned." Zoey added which cause Misty to giggle a bit.
"So Ash actually mature all this years, it's a pity that I miss it." Misty stated in a whispered.
The three girls looked at Misty and was about to asked a question when Johanna, Delia, Professor Oak, Gary, and Max entered the living room.