Chapter 54: Back at the Gym

The next morning, Ark woke up with a weight on his arm and his waist restrained. Looking to where his body felt weight, he noticed a head of familiar red hair. A small smile crept upon his lips as he recalled the events of yesterday. Although they never went far with their actions, it was clear that it was only a matter of time. That is as long as Misty is accepting of the whole harem idea. Honestly, Ark himself is shocked by the number of beautiful women that are for some reason accepting of his dream. Well, Ark was not going to complain, the less drama, the more peaceful life is.

As Ark was watching the sleeping Misty, he thought about his next steps. He was supposed to be meeting Jenny tomorrow, thus it might be worth catching up with Ash and maybe watching his match if he hasn't had it yet. After all, despite the fun he was having with Misty and Jenny, the thought of his situation kept gnawing at him from the back of his mind. He wanted to see how much he had affected the timeline, therefore the best time to find out would be in Ashs first big challenge. If he ends up watching Ashs match, Ark intends to withhold any form of advice that could prove useful. This does not apply just to Ash, for this time only, he won't interfere with anything Misty says or does.

Though it may seem distant, it was just this once to experiment on the effects without Arks intentional interference.

After a while, he felt moving coming from Misty. He gently stroked her hair as he waited for her to fully awaken. Eventually, she turned her head to face Ark. Her eyes were still slightly hazy from her deep slumber.

"Good Morning"

Ark spoke softly with a gentle smile on his face, his fingers ran through Mistys slightly messy hair as she rubbed her eyes.

"Good Morning Ark"

Her voice was quiet as her cheeks reddened slightly. Memories of last night flooded into her mind as she slowly became awake.

"Did you sleep well?"

He adjusted his position so that he was sat up with Mistys head still resting on his chest. A bright smile grew on her face as she listened to Ark, all of this was a new experience for her. Even though they did not do anything too intimate, Misty felt comfort in this new feeling.

"Mhmm it was comfortable"

"In that case, we will have to do it again soon, but maybe next time a little differently"

Mistys cheeks were painted red as she stared at Arks teasing smile. Her desire to bite back or deny was non-existent at the moment.

"Shall we get up? As much as I love laying here with you, I feel that if we carry on, neither of us will want to get up soon"

A reluctant expression adorned her face as she heard Arks words, but she could not deny the truth behind it.

"Okay fine, Ash said his rematch was today. As annoying as he is, I promised to watch it. Are you going to watch it too?"

Ark thought about it for a while before answering.

"I will watch it but, I won't speak to Ash before or during the match. Also I have somewhere else to go afterwards so i may leave immediately, but I will definitely say goodbye to you, so don't worry i won't disappear."

Misty nodded before standing up and stretching her exposed body. Intensely staring at Misty, Ark followed and started to stretch, his eyes never leaving Misty. Although she noticed Arks intense gaze, Misty let him linger and started to put on her clothes. The tips of her ears were burning hot as she quickly put on her clothes, covering her previously exposed body.

"Such a shame..."

Ark muttered under his breath, though his words still managed to reach Misty causing the girls ear to flare up even more. He tore his eyes away from Misty and started to get out a fresh set of clothes, ready for after he showered.

"I'm heading to my room, do you want to meet up and head to the gym together?"

Misty questioned Ark as she looked at his body. Due to the darkness of the night, Misty did not get a very good look at Arks physique. However, now that it was morning, it was as clear as day for all to see. His body that looked quite lean was in fact very well developed with his muscles being very defined but not excessive in any way. His tall figure seemed to glow slightly in the morning rays.

Mistys heart throbbed as she thought about the fact that she was just snuggled up next to him. A tinge of anticipation and expectation glowed in her eyes as she looked at him.

"Sounds good, I will be about an hour. When is Ashs rematch?"

"It's in 2 hours so we can grab breakfast before we leave if you want"

With that, the two separated, going off to prepare for the day ahead.

Ark and Misty met up for breakfast and enjoyed a pleasant meal together, almost as though it was a continuation of yesterdays date. Once they were both fed, they left for the gym. Apparently, Ash had left early in the morning to do some warming up according to Nurse Joy.

After a short stroll hand in hand, they arrived at the gym.

"Do you think he's already here?"

Misty questioned as she looked at the gym. The strange design so different from the Cerulean Gym, yet it seemed so fitting.

"Let's have a look. Worse case scenario, we are early and get time to talk more."

Stepping into the gym, Ark was met with the familiar darkness.

"Hmm? Ark? I remember you earning the badge, is there a reason you are back?"

A voice spoke out from the darkness, followed by the silhouette of Brock. His signature hairstyle giving away his identity instantly.

"I'm a spectator Brock, just ignore me for today"

With a confused expression, Brock nodded his head. Just as he was about to continue, another voice sounded out from behind Ark and Misty.

"I am back!"

The voice would have sounded intense, had it not been for the slight squeakiness it carried.

Brock looked towards the entrance and saw Ash. His eyes narrowed, a complete opposite expression he displayed when he spoke out to Ark. It carried a hint of disappointment.

"Back already? It has only been a day since I beat you. Even if you evolved that Pikachu, there is no way you could have come up with a good strategy"

Ark and Misty remained silent and quietly moved up to the balcony, intent on watching from the sidelines.

"I challenge you Brock! I am a lot stronger now!"

Brock rolled his eyes as he slumped his shoulders. It was clear that he had no motivation for this.

"Fine. I accept your challenge. I have to accept any and all challenges as long as they are in line with the leagues rules"

Saying that, Brock returned to his spot as Ash approached the challengers position.

Although it was only Ashs battle he was watching, Ark couldn't help himself from being slightly excited, after all it was his first live gym battle he was watching. It provided a whole different experience when compared to battling yourself.

"Who do you think will win?"

Misty lent on the barrier as she spoke to Ark. Her voice was hushed.

"Let's wait and see"

Arks response remained neutral, as did his feelings. Like an unconcerned viewer, Ark watched as the battle started.