Fanfiction The Literal-Minded Milotic

When I gave Misty a Milotic in “Writing’s on the Wall,” it was just because she must have one. It’s a Water-type, it kicks ***, it’s a close match to her own color palette, and why shouldn’t the one main girl to ever catch the protagonist’s eye have the most beautiful Pokémon as a partner/avatar?

Said Milotic having trouble with taking things literally was almost an afterthought, but I kind of like that quirk of personality. So here are some drabbles on it, set during BW, XY, and post WotW, respectively. You don’t have to have read WotW to follow along…but it would be nice if you did.

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“…and Victini finally got to see the ocean!”

“That’s great, Ash! And you’re sure you’re okay?”

“Yes, Misty. For the fourth time, I’m okay.”

Misty frowned at his tone. “Don’t talk that way to me, Ash Ketchum. I’m allowed to worry about you.” You’re lucky I don’t make you tell me fifty times.

“I know, I know. But everything worked out, just like it always does.”

Misty sighed. His mother was the one who always filled her on Ash’s day-to-day and badge quests, but whenever he called Misty himself - which wasn’t often - it always seemed to be after some insane adventure, more often than not with a near-death experience to boot. Almost drowned, eaten by orange goo, almost erased from existence, and now almost frozen to death. Honestly, Ash…

“So where do you go from here?” she asked him.

“Well, Cilan says that - ”

“Psy?”

Misty looked over her shoulder toward the doorway. Psyduck had just waddled in, sporting his water wings. He glanced up at the display monitor on the phone and, upon seeing Ash, broke out in the cheeky grin that still made Misty flush. The dopey duck could barely remember his way around the gym or comprehend a battle command, but he’d cued in on his trainer’s deal with Ash years ago and never let her forget it.

“Hi, Psyduck!” Ash called from his end, throwing the water fowl a wave. “Still can’t swim, huh?”

“He can,” Misty grumbled. “He made it across the shallow end the other month, but it freaked him out so much that he went back to the water wings. And he still can’t go under the wa - ”

“Tic!”

“Duck!”

“Now what?” Misty turned around, and immediately buried her head in her hands. Milotic had slithered into the room, and had Psyduck pinned into a corner. The Tender Pokémon was staring intently at the duck, who seemed even more confused than usual and just slightly terrified. Misty stepped over her serpent’s tail as she walked over to take a look at the hall outside. Water was all over the place, a small table and lamp had been knocked over, and a framed picture of her sisters that should have been on the wall was on the floor, the glass cracked.

“Misty?” Ash asked with a tilt of his head as she stomped, scowling, back to the phone. “What’s up with Milotic?”

She sighed again. “We’re training right now. When I got out of the pool to take your call, I told her to ‘keep an eye’ on Psyduck.”

…

“Milotic, use Hydro Pump!”

Misty’s Pokémon was quick to respond. She nailed Staryu right in the jewel, and while the starfish managed to stay on its platform in the pool, it was clearly struggling under the pressure.

“Alright, Milotic!” Misty cheered. “Keep it up!”

“Staryu, Rapid Spin!” Daisy commanded.

“Hyah!” The Star Shape Pokémon spun hard to the left, leaving the platform and hurling itself through the air. Milotic followed it with her head, never stopping her Hydro Pump. She got water on the poolside floor, on the empty bleachers, and all over Daisy.

“Hey!” she moaned. “I just got my hair done!”

If it were Gyarados, Misty would’ve chalked that up to attitude, but Milotic still hadn’t stopped her attack. “Uh…Milotic?”

Staryu was still airborne, and it was now circling the pool, Milotic still following. The starfish flew in front of Misty’s platform, and before she could dodge it, she got a taste of Hydro Pump herself. It was on her at full blast for a moment, but it very quickly trickled away. Through her sopping bangs, Misty could see why. Milotic had flopped her head onto Staryu’s old platform. Her eyes were bugged out and she was taking her breaths in tired wheezes.

She had “kept it up,” alright; kept it up until she’d completely exhausted herself.

Misty let out a small moan as she pushed more of her hair back. Her already extensive list of expressions she couldn’t use around her serpent had just grown by one.

…

There were so many other good things Misty associated with Pallet Town that the fact it had a beach sometimes slipped her mind. It wasn’t as large as some of the other Kanto beaches or as developed as Cerulean Cape, but it was still a lovely place with plenty of room for her Pokémon to play. Marill ran along the water’s edge, chasing Pikachu’s tail. Psyduck was locked in a staring contest with a wild Krabby, as he had been for the past fifteen minutes. Gyarados, Starmie, and Kingdra swam a few yards out from the shore. And Milotic was curled up in the sand to sun herself.

Misty was tempted to join her, but she knew how easily she burned. It was also too hot. The shade from her sun umbrella didn’t help that much, but it was better than nothing. Still, she let her toes slip out from the shadows and taste the unadulterated heat as she stretched out a little on the towel she was sharing with Ash.

“So the gym’s gonna be closed a little longer, huh?” he asked, sitting up slightly.

Misty nodded. “The filter for the pool’s still broken. They thought they had it figured out, but they need special parts to fix it, so it’ll be another two weeks.” She scooted over so that their sides were pressed together, and she rested her head on his shoulder. “But I don’t mind staying here a little longer.”

“Uh…” Misty didn’t need to look up to know there was a blush in Ash’s cheeks. She smiled, but didn’t say anything. Being boyfriend and girlfriend was a strange experience for both of them, especially given the circumstances that finally got them together.

Ash swore up and down to her, their friends, his mother, and the G-Men that he had no idea why Team Rocket wanted him. An ongoing investigation had yet to turn up anything. As a precaution, both Ash and Misty had been pulled out of the Trials for the Hero’s Crown, over their objections, and word was put out that they were being sent to Alola. The original plan was for them to actually go, but Misty had put her foot down on going anywhere until she knew her sisters had the gym up and running again. The G-Men had reluctantly let them go to Pallet Town, with three agents as protection.

Even under watch, the past month in Pallet had been as wonderful a start to a romance as Misty could’ve asked for. Things didn’t go the way she’d once pictured when they were still kids and her feelings no more than a crush; they still teased and bickered constantly, their few dates were simple and often tied to Pokémon, and there were no hearts and sparkling lights flying through the air. But everything so far had been very…them. It was as if she’d never left and as if they were just meeting at the same time. It was fascinating to Misty just how much Ash had, and hadn’t, changed.

For instance: he actually understood the basic concepts of attraction and affection now, but he still struggled with the cuddling, hand-holding, and other overtly romantic gestures that he dubbed “love junk.” It drove Misty crazy sometimes, and inspired a few of their squabbles, but it could be incredibly cute at times too.

She rolled over to face him, propping herself up a bit higher by resting her arms on his chest. Just as she’d thought, he was blushing, and a nervous little smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. “Comfy?” she asked teasingly as she walked two fingers up toward his collar bone.

“J-j-just a little hot.” Misty laughed lightly. From another guy, that might have been a double entendre, but Ash didn’t have it in him to pull those off.

“It is pretty warm,” she agreed. “I almost wouldn’t mind a blizzard right now.”

“Mil!” Milotic had sat up and was staring at them, her head cocked slightly to the right. She reared back in preparation, and Misty realized her mistake.

“Wait, Milotic! I didn’t mean -”

A wave of flurries and freezing wind blew across them, sending the sun umbrella and their picnic basket flying. It didn’t last long, but when the Blizzard stopped, both Ash and Misty were caked in frost. They clung to each other for warmth, though the shivers from one made things worse for the other.

“W-w-w-well, at l-least w-w-we’re the c-c-coolest c-couple on t-the b-b-beach,” Ash stammered. Misty didn’t even smack him for the pun; she was too cold, too stiff, and too frustrated with Milotic.

“Y-Y-YOU DOPE!” she spat.

“Mil?”

“Psy?”

Psyduck had wandered over to the serpent. They titled their heads toward one another, and they both had looks of complete confusion in their eyes that Misty found baffling, infuriating, and somehow endearing.

No wonder she was with Ash.