Sinnoh League Dilemma

Ok, disclaimer. I don't own any of these characters. Nintendo, Game Freak, 4kids, or the guy who created them does. Or maybe all of them do.

As for ages...

Ash: 16

Misty: 16

Brock: 22

Roxanne: 21

May: 14

Max: 10 or 11

Drew: 15

Dawn: 10

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Misty got out of the pool and shook out her hair, water droplets showering to the floor around her. She had filled out nicely the past few years, and now no one would question her relation to her sisters. She wondered how they were doing, traveling the world and modeling and whatnot. That was one area where she differed from her sisters. They loved glamour, she loved Pokemon. She wondered if she should shut down the gym for a while and go travel again. But, where would I go, she asked herself, looking out the window at the sea beyond.

Suddenly, a kid with black hair ran past, chasing a Pichu with a hat in its mouth. “He looks a lot like Ash did, when we first met,” Misty mused as the kid fell face-first in the dirt. His Pichu came back and jumped on his head, and they both started laughing.

Misty ran up to her room, grabbing her diary. She took out the bookmark, letting memories flood through her. The bookmark was a laminated fishing hook, the one that she had ‘hooked’ Ash with, and was one of her most precious possessions. She then grabbed a pen and began to write.

Dear Diary,

It has been exactly four years since my sisters ran off and left me in charge of the gym. I’ve spent most of that four years here in Cerulean, with just a couple of trips to go elsewhere. Like when I went to meet up with Ash in Hoenn, and Togepi evolved! Oh, I miss her, and him. Has it already been two years since he left for Sinnoh? I wonder why he doesn’t call anymore? I wonder if he’s still traveling around there, or if he’s somewhere else by now?

She left it at that. Because now, she had some phone calls to make.

*    *    *

May sat at home, looking at her contest ribbons and trophies. She had amassed quite a few in the four years since she had begun Coordinating. Of course, she wouldn’t say it that way, that’s the kind of words that Max would use. He was out training, now, and he had caught that Ralts he had saved back when they had first traveled together. Now it was a Gallade, and it really tore through their dad’s Pokemon when Max had challenged him for the gym badge.

May still liked to look back on those times. The last she had heard of Ash, he had been doing a bit of Coordinating himself, between Sinnoh gym battles, at least. She wondered where he was, now. Had he finished in Sinnoh, and gone to some other region? Or was he still there? She decided it was time to find out, and she called Prof. Birch to see if he knew anything.

*    *    *

Dawn woke up in the middle of the night, startled by a large splash. Fearing it may be Team Rocket, she was relieved to see it was just some Mantykes playing on the beach. She then looked at Ash, who was still asleep next to her. Pikachu was snoring on top of him. Tomorrow, they would arrive at the Sinnoh Pokemon League, where Ash would compete in the championships that started a few days after. He was so strong, so handsome…she knew it was wrong to think like that about a guy four years older than her, especially at her age, but she couldn’t help it! But…she could wait. After all, what competition did she have?

*    *    *

Misty was surprised to hear that Ash was indeed still in Sinnoh, after asking both Professor Oak and Delia. However, she wasn’t surprised to hear that he was about to compete in the championships there. Deciding that it was the perfect excuse to get away from the gym for a while, she contacted Nurse Joy to let her know that she’d be on vacation for two weeks, and to pass the word on to any trainers. Then she hitched a ride with Delia Ketchum and Professor Oak on their way out to Sinnoh.

“So, dear, how have things been?” Delia asked soon after they picked her up.

“They’ve been alright. Kinda boring, though. Not a lot of challengers recently.”

“It seems that interest in training in general has been going down,” Professor Oak commented. “I’m sending out fewer and fewer new trainers each year, and they send me less and less Pokemon before they give up.”

“Well, at least my Ash is still out there!” Delia shouted.

“Yeah, he sure is,” Misty said dreamily. The adults caught her tone, and winked. They knew what she was feeling like, both having been married once before. Delia then leaned over and whispered to Professor Oak.

“Maybe now she’ll actually reel him in.”

“Reel him in again, you mean.” They both knew the story of how the two had met, and they chuckled. Misty, lost in thought, didn’t even notice.

*   *   *

“No, Max, you can’t come!” May shouted at her brother.

“Oh, why not? I’ll pay my own way,” he whined back.

“Because, I…oh, fine, whatever. But don’t get in my way!” May conceded, mostly because she had realized that he didn’t need to go with her to get there, and she figured that it’d be nice to have someone to talk to on the way. Sinnoh was a long boat ride from Hoenn.

“Thanks. It’s been a while since I saw Ash and Pikachu and the others.”

“I know. And we get to see him compete in the League Championship, too!” May said excitedly. “Alright, let’s get going!”

Their parents gave them a ride to Slateport, and the two hurried onto the ship bound for the Sinnoh League HQ. They hurried fast enough that May ran straight into a familiar face, knocking both of them to the floor.

“Hey, careful there. Oh, hey, May. You’re going to Sinnoh too?”

“Yeah, Drew, I am. I’m going to watch the Sinnoh League Championships.”

“Let me guess, Ash?” Drew was crestfallen when he saw her nod, though he tried not to let it show. May didn’t notice, but Max did. She then hurried off to get settled into her room, leaving the two of them alone.

“So, I’ve been right all along. You do like her!” Max said once May was gone.

“What? What makes you say that?” Drew exclaimed defensively.

“The look on your face when you mentioned Ash.”

“You saw, then.”

“Yeah, but I doubt that she did. Don’t worry, though. I’ve read her diary, and Ash isn’t the only guy she mentions in there.”

“Really? What does she say about me, then?” Drew dropped his normal lofty air as he and Max sat down at one of the tables on the deck. The ship was just starting to pull out of the port.

“Well, it varies, depending on her mood. If it was just after you’d beaten her, she’s mad about it, but there’s still respect for your abilities. If she won, though…”

“Is it bad?” Drew asked, worried.

“Not at all. That’s when she says the best things about you. She calls you a gentleman, she writes stuff about your looks, your skills…it’s kinda funny to read.” Max started to laugh, and Drew couldn’t help but laugh, too. “So, Drew, why do you like my sister, anyways?”

“Well, it’s hard to say. I think part of it is that she’s not just another fangirl. I’ve got plenty of them. She isn’t just another Coordinator, either. She’s both of those, and more. She admires my skills, but then tries to surpass them. She’s clever, she’s cute…”

“Alright, loverboy. Do I have to do to you what I’d do to Brock?”

“How is that guy, anyways?” Drew asked.

“Probably the same as he always was, proclaiming love for every pretty girl he sees.”

“Did he ever do that to May?” Drew wondered.

“No, he’s got standards. She’s too young for him. And I just remembered: he’s been writing love letters to Roxanne. And she’s been writing back!”

“Really? Wow. Two Rock trainers hitting it off would be really cool. But how did you know that?”

“I just battled Roxanne last week, and she told me. She remembered me from when Ash beat her, and so we talked about them for a while.”

“Did I hear my name?” They turned to see Roxanne walking over to them.

“Uh, yeah. Hi, Roxanne. This is Drew.”

“The big time Coordinator? It’s an honor to meet you, Drew.” Roxanne extended her hand, which Drew took.

“Likewise, Roxanne. I don’t usually talk with Gym Leaders much. Just not my arena.”

“I can understand that,” Roxanne told him. “I could never compete in those contests.”

“So, which of you two won, when you battled?”

Instead of answering, Max pulled out his badge, along with five other Hoenn badges. “I’ve still got to challenge Winnona, the twins, and the water guy,” he told them. “So, why are you guys headed to Sinnoh?”

“I’m probably going for the same reason as you, only to meet a different person,” Roxanne confided. “I’m meeting up with Brock to watch Ash compete.”

“Yeah, I’m just going to watch Ash. What about you, Drew?”

Drew was silent for a moment. “I’ve got two reasons. First, I want to compete in the Sinnoh contests. And second…once I heard your sister was going, I decided to go now instead of later.”

Roxanne giggled, and the three continued talking. May joined them later, and the four of them spent most of the trip to Sinnoh talking together.

*   *   *

Dawn was amazed by the size of the stadium. The contest halls were nothing compared to this! There was a large carnival/marketplace set up around the outside of it, where merchants from all over the world had gathered to sell their goods. She founds all sorts of stuff, and spent a lot of her money on things that she could use in future contests.

Soon, she noticed that they were down by the docks. “What are we doing down here, Ash?”

“My mom and Professor Oak will be arriving soon, so I’m gonna wait for them here,” Ash said, looking out to see. “Probably on one of those two ships.”

Dawn looked, and saw two passenger liners being tugged into the docks. The tugboats were aided by a pair of Lapras each, belonging to the operators of the tugs and used to help out with bringing in the ships, since they could fit into smaller spaces than the boats, and be retrieved with Pokeballs when they were done.

“Depends, where are they coming from?” a sailor near them asked.

“Kanto,” Ash replied.

“That’d be the back one there. This front one is from Hoenn.”

“Alright, thanks.” Ash walked down the pier, to where the second ship was being tugged to. However, he didn’t get there before he heard a couple of familiar voices.

“Ash! Hey, Ash!”

“Up here!”

Ash looked up. There on the ship from Hoenn were May and Max, as well as Drew and Roxanne.

“Brock, hi! I didn’t expect you to be so easy to find!”

“Hey, Roxie! I’m glad you could make it. Looks like you met my old friends on the way.”

“Yeah! It helped that I just gave Max his badge last week. Otherwise I wouldn’t have heard him talking about me.” Roxanne laughed at that.

“What was he talking about?”

“He was telling me about his gym battle,” Drew called, not wanting the real contents of their discussion to be revealed.

By this time, the ship had docked, and the gangplanks were attached, so the four of them got off of the ship and went over to where Ash, Brock, and Dawn stood.

“So, Ash, you’ve found a new girl to travel with?” Max asked.

“Another girl?” Dawn asked, confused.

“Yeah, you’re the third girl that we’ve traveled with,” Brock told her. “We went with May here when we were in Hoenn, and in Kanto and Johto we traveled with Misty.”

“Did someone say my name?” Ash turned to see Misty running down the pier, his mom and Professor Oak behind her.

“Misty! Good to see you again! How long has it been, anyways?”

“Two years, Ash, and the last one without even a phone call!”

Ash turned beet red. “Ehe, sorry about that, Misty. I guess I don’t really have an excuse.”

“Yeah you do, Ash. You were too embarrassed to even pick up the phone!” Brock laughed. Ash’s face just got brighter. And Dawn realized how wrong she had been. She definitely had competition.

*   *   *

There were ten of them together at dinner that night. And Ash, dense as he was, finally realized the dilemma that he had. Dawn, he still didn’t think much about, but dinner was when he realized that both Misty and May felt similarly about him. He sensed the tension between the two, and knew that he was the focus of it. However, he didn’t want to hurt May by telling her that he wasn’t interested in her. He had to think of another plan. Because, as Brock knew, Misty was the girl that he really, truly cared about.

Flashback: last week

“Tell me again what your plan is, Ash?”

“Don’t call it a plan, Brock, it’s far from that. If it was a plan, I would have called her and invited her to the tournament, instead of hoping that she might show up.”

“Ok, fine. But still, what are you planning to do? Especially if she doesn’t show up?”

“Well, I want to see her anyways, so if she doesn’t show, I’ll just go to Cerulean after. But…I’ve got a feeling that she’ll be there.”

“Well, this is really a lovely meal!” Delia exclaimed, glad that Ash and Brock had agreed to cover the meal. She, too, knew what was going on, probably better than any of the youths involved did. And, she knew how Ash wanted it to turn out, through her mother’s intuition. “Oh, Misty dear, I must apologize for not passing along Ash’s messages over the past few months.”

“Mom?” Ash asked, knowing that he hadn’t asked her to pass along anything. He’d been in almost as little contact with her as with Misty.

“Really? Why didn’t you say so earlier?” Misty asked, brightening a bit.

“I guess that it slipped my mind.” Delia winked at her son, who smiled back.

Meanwhile, Ash’s third problem was being solved before he even knew it existed. Max and Dawn had ended up sitting next to each other, and they began to talk as they ate. Being the same age, they got along easily.

“So, you’re a Coordinator, too? I wonder if you’re as good as my sister?”

“Who, May? Probably not. After all, she’s won the Grand Festival, I haven’t.”

“Eh, not yet,” Drew said from the other side. “But you’ve got talent. I can see the same flare in your eyes that I see in May’s…” Drew’s voice trailed off as he looked into those eyes for a moment. Then he and May broke their stare, blushing.

“Yeah, keep working at it, Dawn. It’s not like I won my first year. It takes time.” May remembered her first year as a Coordinator, traveling with Ash, meeting Drew…

“Thanks, May. That means a lot, coming from you. You too, Drew. I’ve read and heard about both of you.”

“Well, perhaps you can see us, or at least me, in action. I’ll be in the contest in Sunyshore next week,” Drew said.

“Hey, that sounds like fun!” May exclaimed.

“To be able to go against legends like you two? I’m in!” Dawn replied.

“Wow, now I won’t know who to cheer for,” Max said. Dawn, realizing that he meant her, blushed.

“I know what you mean, Max. Although, I may join in, too. Ambipom loves being in contests.”

“You Coordinate now, Ash?” May asked.

“Yeah, I started here in Sinnoh, since my Aipom really wanted to. He’s evolved since, but he still loves the contest hall. Pikachu has fun with it, too.”

“I bet Pikachu does great in the contests,” Misty said.

“Eh, he’s better in battle than on the stage,” Ash admitted.

“Ash, if Pikachu was as good on stage as he was in battle, you’d win the Grand Festival hands down,” Brock said. Everyone else agreed with him. Even though he didn’t change colors, it was obvious that Pikachu was flattered, and a bit embarrassed.

“Well, I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m stuffed!” Oak exclaimed, standing and stretching. “I’ll meet you at the arena in the morning.” Delia stood too, and kissed her son on the cheek before following the Professor out of the restaurant.

“I still think it’s kinda weird that my mom is dating him. He’s old enough to be my grandpa, literally!” Ash wasn’t flustered, anymore, but it was indeed odd.

“Well, they’re both widowed, and they’re good friends. They understand each other,” Brock said. He put his hand on Roxanne’s, and Dawn realized why Brock no longer went overboard whenever they met a pretty woman. He’d even reacted like a normal guy when they met Joy yesterday! “Anyways, I’m going to get a bit of dessert. Anyone else want some?” The others groaned in dissent, except for Roxanne, who, following his lead, had ordered a smaller meal to leave room for the dessert. Misty looked at Ash, surprised that he hadn’t wanted dessert, either, remembering how much he usually ate. Ash, knowing the plan, didn’t want to tread on Brock’s foot. “Alright, then I’ll just grab something for the two of us.” Brock went to go find a waiter to place his order.

About five minutes later, a server approached the table. Misty was shocked that Brock hadn’t gone head over heals about the beautiful women, the way he would have when she was traveling with him. May and Max felt the same way, remembering dragging him by his ear more than once. Sometimes more than once in the same day. Then, she uncovered the desert. Mounted on a tiny pedestal on a slice of chocolate cake, was a diamond ring. Brock got down on one knee as Roxanne stared at the glittering diamonds. “Roxanne, would you marry me?”

“Yes! Oh yes, Brock!” She wrapped her arms around him, dragging him in for a kiss. He then grabbed the ring and slid it onto her finger, and they kissed again.

“So that’s why I caught you two at that jewelry store!” Dawn exclaimed. Ash and Brock merely nodded.

“Wow. I thought that you said that they’d just been writing letters,” Drew said to Max.

“Yeah, but also realize that Roxanne has looked up to Brock for years, for his skills as a Trainer, and a Breeder.” Max remembered Roxanne being ecstatic to meet Brock when their group had gone to Rustboro for Ash’s badge. May remembered, too.

“I think she was expecting this,” Misty said. She’d had no clue, but she guessed from Roxanne’s reaction that she’d been expecting the ring. After another bout of kissing, the two had begun to feed each other the cake, while the younger Trainers just ooh’d and aah’d about it.

After dinner, the group split up, since their reservations were spread between different hotels. Misty had joined Samuel and Delia, taking the fold-out sofa bed so that all three of them could have their own bed. Max and May were in a two-bed room on a different floor of the same hotel. Drew had somehow gotten into a penthouse suite somewhere, though for once he didn’t brag about it. Brock had been expecting Roxanne, and had a room reserved for the two of them. Leaving Ash and Dawn with a room at the Pokemon Center, which Dawn would end up in on her own once the tournament started, since they had rooms for the competitors attached to the stadium. Ash could have slept there that night, but he didn’t want to leave Dawn on her own right off. They all slept well, many of them dreaming about one or two special someones.

*   *   *

“What, so you know, too?” Drew asked, flabbergasted by what Ash had said to him.

“It’s kind of obvious, Drew.”

“It would have to be, for you to see it, Ash,” Brock said, slugging him in the shoulder.

“Ok, fine, so I’m not as good at hiding it as I could be. So what about it?”

“I’m just asking you to let her know. I…I think that she is split between us, but I don’t want her. I think of her as a sister, maybe, and Dawn’s the same way.”

“And you don’t want to let her down hard…I understand.” He had never worried about that, but he did remember some of his fangirls’ reactions after some very hard let-downs. And since he really cared about May, he didn’t want to see that happen to her. “And you think that me opening up to her will get her mind off of you?”

“I’m pretty sure it will,” Brock commented. “She knows that she can’t have both of you, and especially after Ash does his own thing, she’ll be fine with it.”

“If it doesn’t work, well, having you there will make the transition easier, I guess.” Ash really didn’t expect it to come to that, though. He was pretty sure that she liked Drew more than him, anyways, and that was fine by him.

“I think that I’ve got a plan for it, too. Max will probably be willing to help me out, since he knows, too.”

“Max is a bright kid,” Brock observed. “I plan to be able to watch him in the Hoenn Championships in a few months.” Ash nodded, since he looked forward to seeing if Max had taken style from him, or if it was based on Norman’s, or if it was something all his own.

“I’ll have to ask him to show me that Gallade, though. I’m glad that he met up with the Ralts that he and Snorunt saved.”

The three of them then talked about Drew’s plan to express himself to May.

*    *    *

“What, seriously?”

“Yes, Mr. Ketchum. We would like you to light the cauldron in the ceremony tomorrow.” Ash was stunned by what he was being asked to do, moreso by the fact that he was just barely registering to compete when Nurse Joy asked him. “We’ve been expecting you, and frankly, having a region champion light it will be an honor.”

“But shouldn’t you have someone already scheduled for it this close to the event?”

“As I said, we’ve been expecting you. Our fallback plan was to have the Chairman, who will be carrying and presenting the flame before you would take it up to the cauldron, take it up the stairs herself, but she really wanted someone else to do it this year.”

“What about you?” Ash asked.

Nurse Joy snickered. “I am the Chairman! But yeah, I lit it last year. So now I’m asking that you do it.”

“Well, sure. Do I need to do it alone?”

“Oh, by all means no! If you have friends or family here, they are welcome to join you at the top.”

“Alright. And I think that you just helped me with something.” Ash and Joy began to talk about how things would progress the next night, their smiles growing ever-larger.

*   *   *

“Ok, Max, this isn’t funny anymore! Where did you go?” May knew that she shouldn’t be worried about her brother anymore, but she couldn’t help it! Especially with how he had been taunting her today. So, she continued to walk down the street, hoping to catch a glimpse of him or something.

Instead, she caught a bouquet of roses, which quite literally fell into her arms. After looking around and not seeing anyone, she opened the card, and read it.

Roses are red,
I think that you knew.
But what you might not know
Is how I feel for you.

Your luscious brown hair,
Your beautiful eyes,
Which I’ll ask you to close
And wait for a surprise.

Confused, May did as the note asked, closing her eyes. Within seconds, she felt another pair of lips press against hers, and her eyes shot open. “Drew?”

“Yes, May, it’s me. I…finally got the courage to admit this to you, thanks to your brother and your friends.”

“I, I don’t know what to say.” May blushed furiously, standing there on the sidewalk. She heard Max snickering from the alley where he and Drew must have been hiding, but she didn’t care. So instead of saying anything, she kissed him again.

“So, am I better than Ash, then?”

“Ash?” May asked, a little confused. “I guess that I’ve had a crush on him, too, but he’s never looked at me as more than a sister, I think. I remember how he acted when Misty came to Hoenn, and we went to the Mirage Kingdom. I always knew, in my heart, that she was the one he loved.”

“That’s not how you were acting yesterday!” Max called. To May’s surprise, he had Dawn with him, and they were holding hands. “Of course, you hadn’t seen him for a while, so maybe that’s understandable.” May just blushed again, which Drew took as his cue to kiss her again, this time sweeping her off her feet. Out of the corners of their eyes, they saw Max kiss Dawn, too. They stopped, and stared. “Hey, I’ve learned my lesson from Ash: I don’t want her to not know how I feel.”

“But you just met her yesterday!” May exclaimed.

“So?” Dawn said. “I didn’t mind. Especially since, as you said, Ash just thinks of me as a sister.” Dawn blushed, and then kissed Max back, on the lips instead of the cheek. Which made Max turn beet red.

“Hey, there you guys are!” Brock called from down the street. “Hey, come on, Ash wants to talk to everyone before the Opening Ceremonies begin!” Brock led the way back to the Pokemon Center, where Ash, Misty, Roxanne, Delia, and Samuel were waiting.

“Alright, Ash, everyone is here, so what was it that you wanted to say?” Misty asked, voicing the thought on everyone’s minds.

“Well, when I went in to register this morning, Joy asked me to be a torchbearer. But it’s not just that. I’ll be the final torchbearer, lighting the cauldron at the top of the stadium!” The others were stunned into silence.

Misty was the first to speak. “Why, Ash? And with such short notice…”

“That’s what I said. She said that it is because of how well I’ve done in previous League challenges elsewhere. And because she didn’t want to light it again this year.”

“Well congratulations, son!” Delia cried as she hugged him.

“And, there’s something else. I was wondering, if you guys would like to be part of it too. You could meet me up by the cauldron, and we’d light it together. Because without you helping me, there’s no way that I’d be where I am. Makes me wish that Tracey was here, too.”

“He’s back home visiting family, unfortunately,” Samuel said. “And Gary is watching the lab for me.”

“We’d be glad to join you up there!” Max called, and the others nodded in agreement.

“Alright, that’s good to hear,” Joy said, coming up from behind them. “If you’re all in agreement, then let’s go and get ready.”

*   *   *

The crowd watched avidly as the flame entered the stadium, carried by one of the competitors, and was accepted by Nurse Joy, wearing formal attire instead of her nurse’s clothes. She then walked over to her podium, where she mounted the torch. “Welcome all, to this year’s Sinnoh League Championships! All of the trainers who will be presented here have proven that they are the best in Sinnoh, but who will be the best of the best? The next few days will show us that, in the most exciting battles we’ll get to see all year! And now, to take this flame to the cauldron, a trainer that has proved himself in every region so far, placing well in the tournaments, and still being the only trainer to defeat the Orange Crew Champion Drake. Ash Ketchum, please take this and spread its light across this island.” The crowd cheered as Joy stopped speaking and walked over to where Ash stood at the bottom of a long staircase, with Pikachu next to him. He wore a formal blue and white suit, and Pikachu had a white bow-tie around his neck. He took the flame, and started up the stairs. As he climbed, he spoke into a microphone on his collar.

“I have come a long way in the six years since I left Pallet Town to begin my journey. And there have been a lot of people who have helped me along the way.” Small spotlights showed the positions of the nine others who would join him on his climb. “First, Misty Waterflower. Not only has she been a very good friend as I traveled the world, she has also saved my life at least once.” He reached her position on the stairs, and she began to climb with him. She wore a blue and white dress, which was short enough that she didn’t step on it as she climbed. “Next, Brock from Pewter City. The only place that I’ve been that he hasn’t been traveling with me was in the Orange Islands, because he was needed elsewhere at the time. With him is Roxanne, from Rustboro City, and they, along with Misty, represent all of the Gym Leaders that I have battled along the way, who have helped me to grow and learn.” The pair, in matching brown and white suit and dress, dropped into step behind him and Misty. Meanwhile, other spotlights turned on, showing where other gym leaders from the various regions sat. “This next group of friends represents the flip side of training, so to speak. Three of them, May, Drew, and Dawn, are coordinators. Max, the fourth, is May’s brother, and another good friend. I look forward to watching him compete in the Hoenn League in a few months.” The four of them, all in red and white, fell in step with the procession as they neared the top of the stadium. “And finally, two people who I really couldn’t have done this without; my mother, and Professor Samuel Oak. They got me started on my journey, and have kept track of me throughout it.” Delia Ketchum was wearing a pure white dress, while Professor Oak was in a white suit that was reminiscent of his lab coat. “They represent aspects of all trainers’ lives, the people who are behind them and with them. And then, there is Pikachu, of course. He has been with me since the very beginning of my journey, the first Pokemon that Professor Oak gave me, and is my representative of all of the Pokemon friends I have made along the way. And now…” Together, they all lit the large cauldron. “…let the tournament open!”

Fireworks were launched above the rim of the stadium. But Ash wasn’t worried about that. Instead, he took Misty’s hand, and went down on one knee. “Misty Waterflower, would you marry me?” he asked, pulling a ring from his pocket.

Misty was speechless for a moment. “Ash? I…I…yes! Oh, yes, Ash! I was so worried that…that you didn’t care for me anymore…after not hearing from you for so long…but promise me this, Ash Ketchum. If you’re going to keep traveling, I’m the one who gets to be by your side.”

“Anything for you, Misty,” Ash said as he swept her up in a kiss. Suddenly, a cheer erupted from the crowd, and they realized that Joy hadn’t had the microphone turned off like she said she would. They were still the focus of the cameras, and the crowd. Even the fireworks had gone quiet. They re-ignited, however, and a large heart shaped one appeared behind them, framing them and the cauldron on the screen as it zoomed out on what became known as one of the most memorable proposals in history.