Miranda tucked the bottom of the unfamiliar frilly white blouse into her jeans as she followed Misty down the narrow flight of steps to the gym area. Once again the humid scent of water filled her lungs, but this time it wasn't accompanied by the echoing shouts of happy pokemon. The only sounds were the quiet lapping of the water against the sides of the pool and their already echoing footsteps. "You're sure it's still alright to stay here?" the woman inquired, taking the towel from her shoulders and giving drying her hair another chance. Misty smiled as she entered the stadium-sized room and turned to face Miranda as she slid the door closed behind them. "Don't worry," replied Misty, trying to banish Miranda's doubtful look, "Even if Violet's really mad at you, this is still my home. And you're always welcome here." Miranda nodded and glanced out over the quiet pool, spotting a few of Misty's pokemon several meters down. "I think he's sulking," she commented as she crouched down and Misty walked up behind her. "My horsea?" the trainer inquired, leaning on Miranda's shoulders and looking down in time to see the pokemon in question swim rather quickly away, "Yeah, I see what you mean. I guess he's had some time to think about what he did." "Well, I really can't blame him," responded Miranda, glancing up at Misty, "The first time I saw a ghost I was a little unnerved too. Heck, when I first met Wraith I was actually really scared." "Really?" commented Misty, surprise crossing her face as she focused on Miranda, "I thought you had no problem with ghosts." Miranda smiled sagely and shrugged. "That's different," she explained, "Most of the ghosts I grew up with avoided people for the most part. When I met Wraith I was actively hunting him." "Oh yeah!" laughed Misty, "He was making a huge mess of the Sylph Co mainframe, wasn't he?" "The whole building, actually," she correct with a laugh, waving when she noticed the horsea glance up at her guiltily, "Say, any thoughts on what to name him? Or the others?" Misty stood up and walked around to crouch beside Miranda, watching her goldeen go back to pestering her starmie. "Um, I was thinking of 'Marina' for the goldeen," she explained thoughtfully, "Maybe 'Umberlee' for the Starmie. Hm, I guess Poseidon would work for my horsea. It's a rather impressive name for such a small pokemon, but he can use the self-esteem!" Miranda laughed, motioning to the shy water-type to come closer. "Come on, Poseidon," she called as Misty smiled encouragingly, "I forgive you. And I've put away the big scary ghost!" The horsea turned his head to one side curiously, only hearing water muffled words, but knowing that they were intended for him. With a glance over at his happily smiling trainer, he pushed himself upwards, leaving a trail of bubbles as he went. Misty laughed and shielded her eyes as the horsea broke the surface of the water, splashing both trainers with warm water. "Sea?" he inquired leaping at his trainer, and forcing her to throw out her arms in time not to let the poor thing drop on the ground at her feet. "You two okay?" inquired Miranda as Misty fell back wards, still laughing. "No worries!" assured Misty, holding her water pokemon out at arms length and speaking to him in a serious tone. "Now listen up, you," she said, trying to copy Miranda's teaching tone as best she could, "I've decided on a real name for you, but I want to make sure you like it, okay?" The horsea tilted his head questioningly but attentively. "Sea," he said pensively, glancing at Miranda with a bit of a worried expression. "Fear not, little one," assured Miranda, reaching out and petting the pokemon lightly upon the head, "See, new shirt. No problem." The horsea nodded, looking happy before turning back to his trainer with an expectant look. "So, as I was saying," continued Misty, struggling back into a sitting position despite the damp floor, "I'd like to officially name you 'Poseidon'. Is that alright with you?" The pokemon blinked at his trainer, looking confused for a moment before making a few happy sounds. "I guess he doesn't care, so long as you're happy," commented Miranda in an amused tone. "Ah! Unconditional love!" laughed Misty, giving the officially named Poseidon a hug before placing him carefully back in the pool, "Now I just have to get the other two's attention." "What about 'Aussie'?" inquired Miranda as the horsea swam happily away. "Aussie?" "That's what Nezumi calls your psyduck," replied Miranda a little guardedly. "Do I even want to know what he calls me?" the girl chuckled in response, reaching onto her belt for the psyduck's pokeball. "Not really," laughed Miranda as the duck appeared dangerously close to the edge of the pool, "But for the record he's called you 'water chick', 'boss lady's babe', and 'Miri's dream come true'." "'Boss lady's babe'?" inquired Misty, giving Miranda an odd look as the woman shrugged helplessly, "if he wasn't so cute, I'd smack him for that one. But did he really call me 'Miri's dream come true'?" Miranda smiled sheepishly, turning away as she exhaled slowly. "No," she admitted, trying to hide her blushing, "I just made that one up. Although he does call me 'Miri' sometimes." "'Miri'," replied Misty thoughtfully, "You know, you never explained that nickname to me. Is that what people called you when you were little?" Miranda nodded, turning back to Misty, her eyes seeming a little distant behind her glasses. "Well, mostly just my father and my mom's sister," she explained, smiling as Misty's psyduck suddenly lost his footing and began flailing his arms in a desperate attempt not to fall into the pool, "but my father's the one who actually came up with it." "I see-!" responded Misty, lunging forward just in time to grab her pokemon by his stubby arms and pull him back from the brink and the very real danger of drowning. "Look you stupid 'duck!" she scolded her pokemon as he leaned against her, shivering with fright, "You're a water pokemon! Learn to swim already! Yeesh! Anyway, as I was saying, I like it. But does it bother you to have people call you that?" Miranda shrugged thoughtfully. "Sometimes," she admitted as Misty lead her pokemon a short distance away from the edge of the pool, "Because it was sort of my father's own private name for me. My relatives use it sometimes, but I don't mind usually." "Do you mind when I use it from time to time?" inquired Misty in mock meekness, causing a small smile to cross Miranda's lips. "I feel honored that women I love has chosen to use the name my father once called me," she answered melodramatically, bowing her head once in approval. "Thank you," replied Misty, glancing down at the pokemon she still held, "Now as for you!" The psyduck cringed a little, his eyes going wide with fright at the sudden change in Misty's tone. "I've got the perfect name for you, psyduck," his trainer announced in a sly tone, "'Kappa'." "Psy?" inquired the psyduck, clutching both sides of his head as his head ache suddenly got worse at the mere thought of having to remember something new. "Oh that's just too funny!" laughed Miranda, "But don't kappas have no top to their heads, and if the water leaks out they die?" "Something like that," chuckled Misty, scratching her pokemon on the head to make sure it was firmly attached, "But also some people call golducks 'kappas'. Maybe it'll be a lucky name for him." "You just want him to evolve," said Miranda teasingly as she walked over and sat cross-legged beside Misty. "Have I ever denied that?" the trainer replied with a smile before turning her attention to the quiet splashing she heard by the pool, "Oh! Great timing ladies!" Her starmie and goldeen stared back at her as Misty turned to face the sound, an aura of expectation seeming to surround them. "I guess they talked to 'Poseidon'," commented Miranda. "Guess so," Misty agreed pointing at her goldeen first, "Okay girls, firstly, Goldeen. Your new name is Marina. Starmie? I'm calling you Umberlee. Unless either of you object..." The goldeen gave a nonchalant reply, flipping backwards and disappearing under the water, not seeming to mind the change. The starmie, however, gave a more meaningful reply. Misty felt a gentle brush against her mind, and a moment later felt a deep sense of approval emanating form the Umberlee. "Wow..." the girl stammered, leaning back against the strange sense of vertigo that overcame her, "When did you learn to do that?" "About a week ago," came the voice of Lily as she pushed the door to the upstairs open and walked towards them, "I guess her psychic half is starting to assert itself." "Really?" inquired Misty, a wide grin crossing her face, "Has she learned any actual psychic techniques at all?" "Not really," replied her sister with a shrug, tossing her long red hair over one shoulder as she moved to hand Miranda a newspaper clipping, "Well anyway, Violet said you wanted to see this." "Thanks," said Miranda absently as she took the cut out and scanned it over quickly, "Say, um, is your sister okay?" "Violet's fine," assured Lily dismissively, "Her pride's bruised, but she'll recover, "On, and, Misty?" "Yes?" her sibling inquired, her tone somewhat defensive as she glanced suspiciously. "Yeah, like the three of us are going out shopping," Lily explained, not even noticing her sister's reply, "so would you mind watching the gym for a few hours? Thanks, don't wait up!" Misty shook her head and turned to Miranda. "See what I mean?" she asked rhetorically as her sister headed back upstairs, "I'm furniture to them. Not that I mind looking after the place and all. So, what's with the secret note?" "Um, a love letter?" offered Miranda, smiling at the expression that momentarily crossed Misty's face before reading the article more thoroughly, "It's the contest your sister told me about before she tried something stupid." "Oh?" "Poetry contest," she continued as Misty shuffled closer and read over her shoulder, "It's being held at the Festival, and the first prize is rather ironic." "A free dinner for two at 'Ces Batards De L'autre Cote De La Rue'," read Misty, leaning her head on Miranda's shoulder, "Isn't that the place-?" "Where we made a delivery to last night?" finished Miranda with an amused grin, finishing Misty's sentence without thinking, "Yes. A delightful irony really." "Hmm, and it does sound kinda romantic," added Misty, slipping her arm around Miranda's and holding it tight, "Don't you think?" "Kinda..." replied, Miranda reluctantly, struggling to translate the strange, snooty sounding name, "But we'll find out when I win." "Oooh! You're confident," teased Misty, looking up at Miranda with an amused smile. "I afford to be," the woman assured her, "I have the greatest source of inspiration in the know universe by my side." "Kappa?!" inquired Misty, unable to keep a straight face as Miranda's jaw dropped and she struggled to speak. "That's it!" scolded Miranda mock severity as Misty laughed, startling Kappa awake, "Now you're in trouble!" "Why? What'd I do?" asked Misty, chuckling as she looked up at Miranda as innocently as possible. Miranda sighed and shook her head as she crouched down and scooped Misty up into her arms. "Well normally I'd say that you're guilty of making me deliriously happy," she explained as Misty put her arms around Miranda's neck for support, "But I think that joke deserves a harsher punishment that simple reciprocation." "And just what are you going to do about then, my love?" inquired Misty, using the sweetest tone she could muster, brushing her nose against Miranda's as she spoke. "I think," her lover replied, slyly before turning towards the pool, "That I'll just toss you in!" "Ah, no!" exclaimed Misty, laughing even as she clung to Miranda's neck for dear life, "At least not fully clothed, anyway!" "Oh all right," the woman chuckled, a mirthful smile crossing her face as she turned around before releasing Misty's legs, "Then I'll just have to undress you first!" "What?!" laughed Misty, as embarrassed as she was amused by Miranda's sudden playfulness, "My sisters are coming down soon! I can't let them see me naked!" "They've seen me," Miranda teased, one arm still about her lover's shoulders as she lifted the front of Misty's top just enough to get a reaction, "It's only fair. Besides, it'll take them hours to put on their make-up!" "Hey! That's not nice," Misty giggled, grabbing the bottom of her shirt and pulling it back down before pushing against Miranda with her hip, sending the courier a step back, "Although it's very true!" "I suppose," agreed Miranda, looking thoughtful, "And actually, it's better that they don't see you naked." "Oh?" inquired Misty, giving Miranda a knowing glance, mostly sensing what was to come, "And why's that?" "Well," the woman explained with an expression of helplessness, "Then they'd see what true beauty is..." at this point, she adopted Violet's 'Valley girl' tone and said, "Then they'd like totally not be able to compare to it, and they'd just like to totally die!" Miranda smiled as Misty's laughter echoed through the room as the door slid open and her trio of siblings entered the gym area. "To speak the name is to invoke the power," she quoted, smiling politely and nodding as the three sisters stopped and stared at Misty. "Like, what's so funny?" inquired Violet, as always the leader of the terrible trio. "Oh, nothing," assured Misty, waving her hand dismissively as she wiped a tear from her eye, "Just us being despicably cute." "I see," commented Lily suspiciously as Violet cringed and Daisy smirked, "Well, we're off. "So, like take care of the Gym while we're gone, okay Misty?" replied Violet, her falsely friendly tone sounding more like an order to Miranda's ears. "No problem," assured Misty with a shrug, "I checked the register, and we're not expecting any challengers today." "Well, we'll probably be gone until this evening," Violet called over her shoulder as the trio wandered past them and towards the exit. "So don't wait up, you two," chuckled Lily mysteriously. "Shopping is such a total chore!" added Daisy, their heals clicking noisily across the floor as they entered the foyer and their voices became a muffled cacophony before the being silenced by the final sounding boom of the main doors sliding shut and locking behind them. "You know," commented Miranda, shaking her head as the echoes faded, "They kinda scare me." "Just don't give them too much leeway," Misty advised, walking towards the stairs, "Anyway, you want anything? I was going to throw on my bathing suit and take a swim." "Well, my back pack if it's not too much trouble," said Miranda a little sheepishly, "I have this idea for a poem I could enter in the contest, and it's going to burn a hole in my head if I don't get it down soon." Misty smiled, shaking her head in amusement as Miranda checked the back of her head with her hand, a perplexed expression crossing the woman's face. "Okay, I'll be down in a second," she promised before jogging up the stairs. "Thanks," Miranda called before glancing down at Kappa. "You need swimming lessons, don't you?" she inquired rhetorically, causing the psyduck to tilt his head to one side and stare blankly at her in confusion, "Okay, this is probably spoiling her, but I'll see if I can get Umi to help you." Miranda unfastened a pokeball and hit a hidden switch, causing it to expand to functional size before holding it out towards the pool. "Umi, dear," she called out lovingly, "It's time to spoil you rotten again!" With a flash of light and a splash, Miranda's dratini reappeared, floating happily in the immense pool. "Draaaa!" she exclaimed, about to dive under causing Miranda to shake her head sternly. "Not just yet, love," she told the little dragon, causing Umi's eyes to swirl from contented yellow-green to a disappointed mauve, "I need you to help Kappa learn to swim some more. You've done okay teaching him before, but he still needs practice, okay?" Umi nodded, looking a little forlorn before glancing at Kappa and blasting him with a small jet of water. "Psy! Psy! Psy!" the pokemon exclaimed, running in fear from his own element as Miranda suppressed a laugh. "No! Not like that, dear," she scolded half hearted, "try just getting him into the water first, then make sure he doesn't drown. For some reason Kappa hasn't figured out he's amphibious yet..." Miranda shook her head, grumbling at the bizarre ludicrousness of Misty's psyduck, yet strangely reassured that the Universe had a sense of humor. With a wary sigh, she went up into the bleachers and took a seat in the front row before pulling out her note pad and scribbling a basic outline for her latest work. "Started already?" inquired Misty as Miranda scratched out the first few notes and stared down at her note pad in dismay. "Yeah," she replied warily, glancing up at Misty and smiling, "I want to make sure it looks alright before I add it to my book. Misty nodded, lifting Miranda's heavy backpack over the short wall before leaning over and glancing at the small booklet Miranda held. "Can I see?" she asked playfully, feeling more mischievous than curious. "No!" chuckled Miranda, trying to sound worried as she held the precious note pad close to her heart as she set her backpack down, "Not until the tomorrow. Then I shall reveal the depth of my love for you to thousands of people! Unless you'd prefer that I didn't. I'm sure I've got something old I can dig out of my poetry book." "No, that's alright," assured Misty with an amused grin as Miranda opened the weather-beaten pack and yanked out a thick, hardcover book, "I certainly have nothing hide. And I have no fear of showing off my chosen lover to the masses." "Then I'll be sure to make it extra sappy and embarrassing, just for you!" assured Miranda jokingly as she smiled down at the old black covered book, filled with yellowing parchment and a decade's worth of memories. "Hey, I like sappy and romantic," replied Misty, trying to sound hurt as she took her first real good look at the tome Miranda held, "Hey, what's with the scratches?" she asked as the woman turned the book over and opened to the first page. "It's from a persian," Miranda explained grimly, looking up at Misty over her glasses and pausing for a moment as her brain registered the fact that the pale green two piece bathing suit her lover wore was new to her, "It happened The year I left home; the same year that I received Nezumi. If it wasn't for this book, I'd probably be the one with the scars." Misty gulped, cringing at the thought of how big the feline would have to have been to carve out the four long, deep gashes in the precious book. "He doesn't remember the incident himself," Miranda continued with a shrug, idly running her fingertips along the deep gashes, "But he doesn't like felines much. I suppose the memories still in his subconscious somewhere. It's a good thing I was there, or he'd have made a quick snack for that monster." "By the looks of things," added Misty, feeling concerned though she knew the incident had been long before they'd even met, "You were on the menu as well. I don't think I like that idea much." Miranda shrugged, flipping the book closed as she thoughtfully searched Misty's eyes. "I'd do it again," she promised, her tone distant, but loving, "He was worth it. Even with his smart mouth." Misty smiled; laughing a bit under her breath as Miranda looked down at the book and opened it's creaking binding to one of the last poems. "Well, I should go make sure Umi doesn't drown Kappa," she commented, glancing over her shoulder at the sudden frantic splashing and frightened yelling from the pool, "Don't work too hard!" Miranda glanced up and smiled in amusement. "This is work?" Misty inquired laughing and holding her book back protectively as Misty dove gracefully into the pool as though it were the most natural thing in the world. 'For you I doubt it is, my love,' the courier mused, glancing at the first poem she'd ever composed for Misty. The black ink staining the special paper the book was bound with almost symbolically, 'Not that this is for me.' She closed the book a bit hesitantly and tossed the note pad on top of it, partially covering the cover's wounds. 'Okay,' Miranda told herself, 'Time to show the world what I'm capable of.' Once her pen touched the paper, Miranda felt could almost feel the weight of unused words pressing against her mind, their deep desire to spill out upon the page unhindered by the fact that it was merely a rough draft. Without looking up, she wrote frantically, pausing only to haphazardly cross out spelling errors and occasionally put tiny 'X's before whole stanzas to symbolize the fact that they were simply to be abandoned. As she wrote, Miranda even gave up any sense of chronology with the work, writing as the ideas came, and making little number notes to tell her which stanzas went where, occasionally adding bracketed alternate phrases at the ends of lines in case her other ideas either meshed better with a different wordings, were more meaningful, or just plain sounded better. As time ticked by, Miranda absently noted that she couldn't hear the splashing of the water, the joyful calls of the pokemon, or Misty's nearly musical laughter. She took a moment to focus a part of her brain on it, letting it in so that her love for Misty could focus her creative energies. Giving her muse a truer focus, and ultimate goal. 'This is almost like making love with her,' the woman mused, her ears half listening, her senses all but unaware of the world around her save for the sound of Misty's voice, and what she was doing in her name, 'My mind focused on a single goal, my senses focused only upon my beloved.' Miranda glanced up in time to see Misty pull herself from the pool. In that instant, the image burned itself permanently into her mind. Time seeming to slow to a near halt with Misty's hands placed firmly on the edge of the pool, pushing her upper half into the air as her serene smile was reflected in a million tiny droplets of water that seemed all but reluctant to fall to earth rather than hang suspended for all eternity, reflecting a beauty they were but a shadow of. Misty opened her eyes, unfreezing the moment, and blushing as she noticed Miranda admiring her. With a wider smile, she pulled herself the rest of the way out of the water, and glanced over her shoulder absently, making sure that the pokemon could get along without her for the moment. Then, as she turned back to face her lover, Misty reached up and unfastened her hair, letting it fall wetly across her face as her amused smile became one of mischief. Without a word, Miranda set down her note pad and returned the smile, looking on with admiration as Misty stepped closer, dripping as tiny beads of water covered her body as her bathing suit clung so tightly it left little to Miranda's imagination. "I haven't worn this thing in quite a while," the trainer explained in a curious tone, tilting her head ever so slightly to one side as she reached up to unfasten the clasp in the front, "I found it when I went upstairs and I'm surprised it still fits. But it's a touch uncomfortable..." Miranda pursed her lips as the clasp came undone with an almost ominous -click-, and the two halves of Misty's top fell to the sides, allowing her only tantalizing glimpse of her lover's bosom. "You know," continued Misty, leaning forward just a little as she took hold of the bottom half of her bathing suit with both hands, her voice wavering ever so slightly as she spoke, "It's interesting how different pokemon view our need for clothing..." Miranda swallowed, exhaling slowly as Misty slowly pushed the bottom half of her pale green swimsuit a short distance over the swell of her hips, "Staryu and starmies don't seem to notice. The lack of real eyes, I suppose. Where as goldeen think we're silly to worry about such things..." Misty's smile broadened somewhat as she turned around, teasingly protecting her modesty as her swimsuit slid down on her toned, athletic legs, "And psyducks are just to stupid to notice." "I- I see," commented Miranda, crossing her legs uncomfortably and nearly breaking her pen in half as Misty stepped out of the garment, the firm rise of her bottom an unavoidably provocative eye-catcher before standing up straighter and stretching out her muscles. "I hope so," Misty chuckled as her top fell from her shoulders before glancing over her shoulder at Miranda and blushing as she leapt forward, diving into the pool once more, scattering water- pokemon in all directions. "Breathtaking," Miranda mused, standing up and leaning on the retaining wall as she watched Misty swim at an amazing speed towards the bottom of the pool, "A creature worthy of a thousand ballads." Setting her notepad down on the wall, and scribbling a few notes whenever her muse whispered new inspirations into her ear, Miranda stood and watched Misty as she swam. Her graceful movements almost making Umi seem clumsy by comparison as she glided through the water, holding her breath for longer than seemed possible. When Misty finally returned to the surface for breath, she broke the surface as dramatically as possible, ever aware of Miranda's quiet voyeurism. With a joyful smile, she held her arms out and head back, her orangish hair falling flat by the weight of the water. Then, as Misty arched her back and continued her forward momentum, she inhaled another lungful sweet air, and slid into the water, head first into her favored element. Leaving Miranda with images of water glistening of her naked skin, clinging almost hungrily to Misty before her lover disappeared beneath the waves once again. There one moment, gone the next, almost akin to a half forgotten dream or an unconfirmed sighting of a legendary pokemon. "I'm going to be here all day," chuckled Miranda, taking off her glasses and rubbing her eyes before brushing her bangs back to distract herself long enough for coherent thought to return, only to have the moment stolen fully by the chime of her watch. With a wary sigh, she glanced at the timepiece, clicking it into pager mode. As she feared, the Courier Crew dispatch number was scrolling hurriedly across the tiny screen. "I'm only half thankful they gave me one of these," she muttered sitting down and digging through her backpack until she found the cell-phone she hated using before hitting the speed dial. The line made a few odd noises as the satellite automatically rerouted the signal to the closest dispatch center. "Cerulean Dispatch," came the mildly edgy tone of the man on duty, "How can I help you?" "Yeah, this is Lilcamp. Courier number 09143102, I just got a page from you guys?" replied Miranda, leaning back in her seat warily, wishing she was allowed the simple contentment of watching Misty's naked form glide effortlessly through the calm waters of the Olympic sized swimming pool. "Oh! Oh good!" came the dispatcher's all too relieved response, "Sorry to bug you, ma'am, but it seems there's been a small accident and-" "An accident? Where?" demanded Miranda, leaping to her feet, "It isn't Zack is it?!" "No ma'am," assured the dispatcher, "It was our usual mail courier. Some joker thought it'd be funny to toss a crowbar through the front spokes of his bike." "Ouch! Is he okay?" "He's expected to live," the man commented with what must have been a mirthful grin, "but we're still waiting to hear from the hospital as to when he'll be on his feet again. He flew quite a distance over his handlebars apparently. Good thing he had that jigglypuff with him to land on..." "For sure," laughed Miranda, the thought of the hapless courier sailing head first into his over inflated jigglypuff making her chuckle despite the seriousness of the matter, "So, how big a route are we talking here?" "Oh, maybe an hour," assured the dispatcher, "Two if the weather decides not to cooperate. You're lucky, though, it would've been longer but if he hadn't been attacked at the midway point." "Lucky me," commented Miranda giving Misty a mournful look as she surfaced again and gave the courier a quizzical look, "Anyway, I can be at the hospital in ten minutes or so to grab the rest of his delivery in about ten minutes." "Great," replied the dispatcher, cheering up considerably, "Thanks Ms. Lilcamp, we appreciate it!" "Not a prob'," commented Miranda, hitting the 'End' button and tossing the phone back in her backpack as Misty walked over and leaned over the wall. "What's up?" "Oh, duty calls," the woman explained, stuffing her book back in with the phone, "No rest of the wicked, I suppose." "You'll be back in time for supper, I hope?" asked Misty, shuffling her feet as Miranda stood back up and met her hopeful gaze. "I won't be gone a half second longer than I have to be," Miranda promised with a reassuring smile, holding Misty's chin affectionately as she leaned forward to kiss her. "Oh, and I heard you mention a hospital," added Misty as Miranda pulled reluctantly away, before coming out from behind the short wall, "I hope everything's okay." Miranda nodded, a reminiscent smile crossing her lips. "I'm sure I've had worse injuries," she assured, idly wondering just how bad off the courier was and who'd had the audacity to do such a thing, "But if not, I might have deliver the mail for the next few days." "I see," commented Misty worriedly, "Then I guess you'd miss the contest..." "It's the price we non city-bound courier's pay for our freedom, my love," Miranda explained, coming around to give her a half a hug good-bye, "We have to stand in when the city-bound couriers are sick or injured." "That's okay," assured Misty, being careful not to get Miranda wet, but trying to give her a hug good-by all the same, "I'm not going anywhere." Miranda nodded, smiling sadly before turning and walking towards the foyer, refusing to look back. 'I must be getting soft,' she sighed inwardly, 'My dedication to duty seems to be failing... Oh well, it is a small price to pay for love.' "Ooo! Draaa!" came a panicked voice behind her as she opened the double doors that lead to the Gym's front foyer. "Umi?" asked Miranda, spinning around in time to see her dratini slithering out of the water to race frantically towards her. A panicked took had crossed the suddenly stricken dragon's face as she slithered awkwardly across the tiled surface after her trainer. The courier could only smile at the forlorn sounds the dratini made as she stopped at Miranda's feet and reared up, her eyes swirling a combination of orange and yellow. "I'll be back soon, dear," Miranda assured, picking up the slippery serpent and holding her wet body at arm's length, "Just stay and play with Misty for now." "Iiiini!" exclaimed Umi sadly, reaching forward to poke Miranda's nose with her snout in a gesture that always filled the woman's heart with love and made her laugh. "Are you sure you don't want to stay and play with your friends, Umi?" Miranda inquired, glancing past the little dragon at the group of pokemon who looked on in curiosity. Umi turned, following Miranda's gaze. Her eyes changing to a thoughtful lavender as she mulled it over before turning back and brushing her trainer's cheek with her snout affectionately. "Draaa!" she agreed before slithering free of Miranda's grasp and making her way back to the pool. "Bye!" called Miranda in a maternal tone, laughing in her amusement, and glad to see that her pokemon cared about her as much as she cared about them, "See you soon!" She gave Misty a final glance, and the trainer blew her a kiss. "Farewell, my love," the courier whispered, turning away before her resolve could erode any further, and hurried out the door... *** Even from under the water, Misty could hear the front doors of the gym open and close, followed by the sound of unhurried footsteps across the tiled floor. With a 'follow me' motion to Umberlee, she swam to the surface, a strange suspicion over coming her. What Misty saw when she partially left the water caused anger to immediately stir within her. Before the trainer, standing by the pool with a determined look upon his face and an apprehensive looking pikachu on his shoulder, was Ash. "What are you doing here?!" she demanded as Umberlee surfaced directly in front of her, protecting her modesty, "A Pokemon Gym is sacred ground! You can't just wander in any old time you like!" Ash shrugged, nervously glancing around the gym as though Misty weren't even there. "Well, sorry, but I heard you were in town and I thought I'd stop by. Maybe see if you'd gotten bored of following that old woman around." "Old woman?!" demanded Misty, clinging to Umberlee with one arm as she shook an angry fist at Ash, "How dare you! Besides, Miranda's only two and a half years older than me, ya know! Which means she's way more mature than you'll ever be!" "Oh, whatever, Misty!" countered Ash, meeting Misty's hard gaze for the first time as Umi broke the surface of the water, resting upon Misty's shoulder with eyes that swirled an angry red, "Look, we've been together all this time, why leave now? You know I'm going back to the League again, eh? And this time, I intend to win!" "Yeah, so?" laughed Misty cynically as she felt the dratini's tail wrap protectively around her torso, "You'll only loose again anyway. And the League isn't accepting challengers until next year anyway. Furthermore, there's no way I'm wasting one more second of my life with you! If I want a heartless, unfeeling, immature traveling companion, I'll find myself a lobotomized geodude!" Ash glowered at her dangerously, but said nothing, instead opting to turn and storm out the gym in a huff. As he went, Misty glanced at Pikachu. The yellow furred rodent glanced over his shoulder at her and shook his head sadly. His eyes would have had tears in them if pikachus could cry, and it made Misty's heart sink to see a friend get caught in middle of it all. "I'm sorry," she whispered once Ash was back out in the sunlight, and hugged her starmie for support, "I'm sorry you had to get stuck with such a crappy trainer, Pikachu." Umberlee made a concern sound and sent a feeling of deep concern into her trainer's mind as Umi made sympathetic noises and nuzzled Misty's neck. "It's okay, guys," she assured them, turning around to see her other pokemon looking on with equal concern, "I'll be alright. Now, let's see about teaching Umberlee to use her psi powers to their fullest potential, and getting Kappa to learn to swim...!"
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