The Spring Festival Open was held in March during my spring break, so after it was done, I headed home to North Carolina and was back in school the next Monday. Strangely, I remembered the evening conversation that had included Ash and Misty at Giacomo's more than anything else from those days, and there were times where I would just stop and think for a few minutes about what I had found out that day and what could have been between the two of them. Over time, though, I was able to get my mind off of it through my work at the gym and my work with my Reynolds High classmates and teammates on the school team, where I had been named captain.
In May, I helped lead our team to an emphatic victory in the Southeast Shootout in Atlanta in May, as we won the tournament without losing a single match barely two weeks before the end of school and I took MVT honors as a bonus. The tournament director had recommended that I compete in Japan again over the summer, only this time both in singles and in school competition.
There was a particular event that he recommended for us. When I heard about it, I liked how it was shaping up as one of the biggest events of the year on the international circuit, even though it was new, meaning there was the possibility of facing some of the world's absolute best trainers there, but there was a problem I had with it: it was the Cerulean Youth International, to be held in Cerulean City as the name suggested.

The mere mention of the place sent thoughts of Ash and Misty flooding back into my mind, almost taking all the wind out of my sails. I was still up for it, though, partly because I didn't want to let my friends down by backing out and partly because I knew that they would laugh at me if I told them about what I had learned that day in Viridian.
That night, I talked to Brock and Tracey on the phone. We had kept in touch ever since the Spring Festival Open-something I didn't normally do with trainers I ran into at tournaments unless I already knew them from school-and told them the good news first.
"Wow, nice job!" Brock said. "It really sounds like you crushed them out there!"
"Yeah, I know! It's just a great feeling to win it like that…but there's one more thing." My voice was serious by the time I finished.
"What is it?" Tracey asked.
"The tournament director recommended that I compete again in Kanto over the summer-and take my teammates with me. By that, I mean he wants me to try out an event with both singles and high school team competition." I replied.
"What's so bad about that?" Brock asked. "If there's one thing I learned about you at the Spring Festival Open, it's that you've got what it takes to succeed over here. What are you so worried about?"
"He recommended a specific event for us. I know it's a terrific event and all, but I have a problem with the location." I said.
"What is it?" Tracey inquired.
It's the Cerulean Youth International." I said gravely.
"Oh…" Brock said, his voice also becoming more grave. "Oh, yeah…I see…"
"Still no luck with you-know-who, huh?" I said, knowing the answer from Brock's tone.
"‘Fraid not." Tracey said somberly.

Needless to say, that threw a bit of a damper on the celebrations, if only for just me. I was careful not to let it show, though, lest it negatively impact my teammates.
I was glad I didn't back out, because once again, I was in for a day in Kanto unlike anything I had ever experienced. As a matter of fact, it was so memorable that I remember the date like I do September 11th and Pearl Harbor: June 8th, 2003.
I landed in Saffron City at 4:45 PM that day, asked for my baggage to be forwarded to the hotel where I was staying in Cerulean, hopped onto my Charizard (I have one of my own) and flew to Pallet, arriving at 5:00 PM and heading straight to the new Pokémon Center in town to meet Brock and Tracey. I was wearing the same clothes I had worn on the plane-a royal blue collared and short-sleeved Brooks Brothers shirt, a white undershirt, white Nike socks, gray Nike sneakers, and brown knee-length Gap shorts, plus a Chicago Cubs cap (I wear it because the C stood for Carlo, but I didn't think the Cubs were a bad team.)

"Hey, guys." I said. Looking around and seeing somber faces, I could sense that the situation had not improved. "Still nothing, huh?"
"No." Brock said, shaking his head.
"Oh, man…" I groaned, pacing around uncomfortably a bit.
"It's really starting to get to him." Tracey said. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say he's dying of heartbreak."
"You don't say!" I exclaimed, stunned.
"I wish it wasn't the truth, but it is." Tracey replied. "He hasn't left his room much at all over the past few days, and he hasn't come out at all today."
"Oh, God…" I had to pause for a minute before saying, "I think I might need a minute outside."
"That's all right." Tracey said. "Both of us might need some time alone too-this is just an absolute mess."

I nodded and stepped out. Looking around for a place to be alone with my thoughts, I headed down to the beach to the south, hoping that the sand and sea would help me out.
A little boy was quickly making and selling frozen lemonade at a stand with help from a Seel-and making a lot of money due to the increased beachgoers. When I want to clear my mind and relax, I like to chill out over a cold drink (no pun intended), so I ordered one and then tried to calm myself while waiting for it.
At least I won't have to worry about him in Cerulean…I thought, trying to find a positive and focus. I couldn't. It's what happens when you either are or are slated to be competing against someone you like who also happens to be going through adversity, whether it be an injury or something involving a friend or family member-you're glad you won't have to worry about facing him or her (even more so in my case, because Ash was and is only the best trainer in Japan), but you hate to see him or her going through something like that.
Especially when lost love's involved, I finished thinking, feeling both terribly depressed and helpless-not a pretty combination at all. Looking up at the sky, I could see nothing but dismal dark gray clouds.

"Uh, I think your frozen lemonade's ready." I heard a female voice saying behind me.
"Oh, sorry." I said. I turned around and suddenly found myself saying, "Oh, Chee-rist! Misty Waterflower?" There was no mistaking that orange-red hairdo with that unique ponytail sticking up and to the right.
I had come to know Ash, Misty, Brock, and Tracey long before coming to Viridian in March because the story of Ash's run to #1 in Japan was the sort of stuff that would end up on Oprah or something like that, which meant their names had become known worldwide. And that meant just as my female friends would kill to hang out with Ash alone, my male friends would go bananas if they got to go out with Misty.
As a matter of fact, standing in front of her, I knew there were a few friends of mine who would kill to see what I was seeing: Misty wearing nothing but a white bikini with a strapless top.
"Yeah." She said, as if she wasn't completely proud of it at the moment, which was certainly unusual. She then brightened up a bit, though, which was also surprising, when she said, "Oh, you're Carlo, right? The one who beat Gary and Brock at the Spring Festival Open?"
"Yeah." I said, grinning sheepishly a bit. "Nice to meet you!" I held out my hand.
"Oh, nice to meet you too!" She said, shaking it. "I really like your Starmie-it knows moves I didn't think it could learn! I guess I should have guessed it could learn Psychic, but Thunderbolt?"
Around 2002, I had caught a Staryu during a family beach trip and had evolved it into Starmie using a Water Stone I had bought at a local store. I had then armed it with three powerful but accurate offensive moves, all of different types-Surf, Psychic, and Thunderbolt (thank God I quickly learned from a few trainers I had read about) and kept Recover. As a result, I had a fast and strong Pokémon with the ability to hit a whole slew of types for big damage and heal itself-as a matter of fact, Starmie had played a large part in my run to the quarters in Viridian.
"It was just a matter of being aware of who can learn what. I certainly wasn't the first to teach a Staryu or Starmie Psychic or Thunderbolt. I'm just one of the first-or so I think-to train one like this." I said earnestly.
"I see. You're here for the Youth International, aren't you? I read about it in the Cerulean Tide And Times-they say you're someone who could make a run."
"You don't say…" I said, grinning.

Meanwhile, the little boy behind the stand-not older than 7 years old-had recovered from his shock behind the stand and had managed to gasp, "Misty?"
She turned around, saw him, and smiled. "Yeah. Oh, is that your Seel? Is that how you've been making all that frozen lemonade?"
"Yep." The boy said brightly. "Would you like some?"
"I'd love to have some, but I'm not too thirsty at the moment. Although…" She popped some money in a jar on the stand and said, "I know you've been doing a good job, and that deserves a little tip."

"Thanks!" He said, turning red.
"Se see!" The Seel purred, lifting a flipper to acknowledge Misty.
Both she and I grinned before I turned back to her and asked, "What about you? You'll be there, too, right? It's your own backyard!"
Misty suddenly looked as if a cloud had passed over her face. "Can you keep a secret?" She asked me.
"Absolutely." I said earnestly.
"I really want to, since it's a home tournament and so many talented trainers are coming from around the world, but I don't know if I'm emotionally prepared for it."
"I really hope you are in time-I'd really like to see you there, and I'm sure a lot of people would like to see you in action." I said earnestly, while wondering, is it because of what I think it is?
"Thanks. I really hope I can get myself ready by then. That's actually the main reason I'm here-I'm seeing someone who I really think can help. The funny thing is, I got a letter today from him, in which he told me his life depended on me being there."
Realizing with a jolt that the answer to my earlier question was a huge yes, I said wholeheartedly, "I really hope it works out." I then said, "I'm sorry, but I've got to head back to town-there's a couple of friends waiting for me in there."
"It's okay." Misty said. "I was about to go and dry myself, since I just finished swimming."
"Okay. Good luck!" I said, waving, grinning, and starting to turn.
"Thanks, you too!" She said, returning the wave and grin before she started to turn as well.

Before we went in opposite directions, one thought had shot to the forefront of my brain: I gotta get out of here now. I've got to let Brock and Tracey know she's here So once she was out of sight, I quickly downed my frozen lemonade, turned, and walked quickly away so as not to attract attention before breaking into a run towards Ash's house.
I arrived just as Brock was leaving the place.
"Brock!" I said in a sort of quieted yell, panting slightly. "Brock! She's here!"
Brock only had to look me in the eyes, size me up, and read my tone to figure out who I was talking about.
"No." He said it fervently, but the smile on his face let me know he was absolutely happy about it-he just couldn't believe it. "Oh, man, Carlo, this is unbelievable!"
"I know! But Brock, she's coming this way!" I said.
"You don't mean…here?" He asked, suddenly starting to sound apprehensive as he realized just what could happen.
"Yep!" I said. "She told me herself! Not directly, of course, but she did everything but…or so I think."
"Come on, quick-let's get out of sight." Brock said urgently. "I think I see her coming."

We ducked behind a neighboring house and peered around it. Sure enough, we saw Misty come into view, now also wearing a white T-shirt top that didn't cover her upper body much more than her swimsuit top did, plus some white and red sneakers.
We tailed her, being doubly careful to stay inconspicuous, and both of our breaths suddenly caught in our throats as we saw her stop outside Ash's house and knock on the door. Not two seconds later, it had opened and she had stepped inside.
"You were right-she is here to see Ash!" Brock said.
We grinned at each other, and then I got a step on him as we quickly rushed to the house and spread out to either side of a lower floor window. We couldn't hear them anything, but we could see Ash's mother Delia give Misty a hug and motion towards the staircase, as if indicating that she was wanted-or was it needed?-upstairs.

"Oh, boy… she's climbing the stairs…" Brock observed.
"Hey, look!" I said, spotting an apple tree beside the house.
Brock hurried to its base and saw what I was seeing-that the tree stretched a few feet above Ash's bedroom window and that it branched in a number of places, meaning it was very climbable.
"What are we waiting for?" He asked, and within 20 seconds, we had climbed up the tree and found perches level with the wide window.
"Do you have something that would allow us to get an up-close look?" He asked. "Binoculars or anything?"
"I've got a digital camera." I said, thinking fast. "We can zoom in and take a look through the viewscreen."
"Good idea." Brock said. "Could you bring it a little closer so I can see a little better?"
"Oh, yeah." I said, and I brought it over until I was stretching out with my right hand to hold the left side of the camera while Brock held it with his right hand by the grip that was available on the right and poised his right index finger on the shutter button.
The tension was so quick by that point that you could cut it with a knife. And yet, I could not help but sense that Brock and I were in a position that many would envy because of what we stood to see. Maybe, just maybe, something would happen inside that room to heal two broken hearts and set things right…
I used my free left hand to make the sign of the cross on myself. My mouth could only say silently, "Oh, my God, oh, my God, oh, my God…", so I tried to open my heart to God and pray hard from my inside, God, I know you have a reason for everything, but I believe these two have been apart long enough. If you have indeed meant them to be together…
The door, which was on the right side of the room, opened. I quieted down and finished my prayer.
…then please bless them.
Misty stepped into the room.
Amen.
"Here we go…" Brock said.

Misty turned towards the bed in the far right corner of the room and saw a sight that neither she, Brock, or I liked to see: Ash in just his shoes, pants, and T-shirt laid out on his back, asleep but only because he had evidently cried himself to sleep. Through the viewscreen, we could still see some moisture on his face where his tears had rolled down, and we could read some anguish in his facial expression.
From what we could see, the breath caught in Misty's throat before she came over and sat down beside Ash on the bed, sadness now evident in her face.
"Oh, Ash…" She said, her voice soft but very emotionally laden. "I'm sorry…"
She paused, began making those ad-libs sounding like "Hmm", "Ooh", and things like that that you sometimes hear pop and R&B artists saying at the start of songs. Both Brock and I were slightly startled to say the least as we realized what she was up to.
"Oh, man!" Brock exclaimed as loud as our situation allowed. "Is she going to sing?"
"Looks like it!" I said, also as loud as the situation allowed. "She's got a good voice, doesn't she?"
"Yeah, she does." Brock said as she began. "Come on, Misty…"
Yeah, come on, Misty…I echoed Brock's words mentally as Misty began to sing,

I was down on my luck-starved for so much, too
I used to want this and that ‘til I saw you
To never let you know my feelings was once my vow
But I know the time to hide is over now

You say you don't treat me right, but I know I've done worse
To you-it makes me wanna drop in a hearse
But if you let me have just one more chance
I swear I won't waste it-to heaven we'll dance

‘Cause you're everything I want and everything I need
Please stay with me tonight, boy, I plead
‘Cause one look at you and I'm not at all blue
And I hope you feel the same way too

To be with you is all I wanna do
When you're with me, life's as fresh as morning dew
I know that all this is so overdue
But, baby, I'm yours forever-I love you

It was as if a major weight had been lifted from Brock's and my hearts. Both of us knew Misty's song was nothing short of huge.
"Yes!" We both cheered as loud as we dared without giving ourselves away, and I took my right hand off the camera and pumped my fist.
"Wow…" Brock said in amazement.
"Oh, my God." I said. The song had been so huge in my estimation that I had to take my left hand off the camera again and use it to take off my Cubs cap momentarily and wipe my forehead.
Misty had lain down beside Ash by now on the far side of the bed, half on top of him, and was stroking his hair. Through the screen, I could see both a small smile on her face and a pair of tears rolling down her cheeks.
"She's done it." Brock said, joy in his voice for the first time all day. "It's over. There's no way they're gonna leave that room without being a couple."
"You think so?" I asked him, my fear that he might be celebrating too early evident in my voice. I wanted him to be right, but I didn't consider it realistic at the moment to label Ash and Misty together after just her confession.
"Oh, yes." Brock said. "He heard her. Look at him-you can tell by his face. Whatever tension kept them from saying ‘I love you' to each other, Misty just blew that away."
Looking at Ash on the viewscreen, I could see he had a point. Ash was still crying, but with a smile on his face, albeit a small one. "I can see that…" I said, nodding but still not daring to celebrate fully for fear of jinxing it.

"Wow…I tell you what, that was deep." Brock said, still amazed as I was by the song.
"Amen to that!" I said fervently. "Oh! What the…" I exclaimed, having to fight hard to keep my voice down.
"Whoa! What the…" Brock's voice was a similar quiet yell, his "What the…" coinciding with mine.
Both of us had been extremely startled because without warning, they had rolled over and Ash's eyes had snapped open. His arms were on either side of Misty's chest, preventing her from getting off the bed.
"Just as I thought…I really don't think he's sure if she's really there." Brock said.
"Then again, if he's been dreaming of her as long as I think he has, why wouldn't he be like that?" I reasoned, shuddering as I imagined Ash dreaming of Misty countless times only to wake up alone.
"Yeah, I know…" Brock said. I saw him nodding as we got quiet again.
Ash first shifted his right wrist into Misty's side and then brought his right hand up to her face. When he touched her cheek, I saw fresh tears spring to his eyes and we heard a noise that was equal parts gasp, laugh, and sob escape his throat.
Misty smiled, gave Ash what could only be described as a loving look, and said, "It's me, Ash. It's me. I'm here, don't worry."
Ash managed to smile and eke out a strangled "Oh, God…" before he collapsed both into and onto her, sobbing and hugging her fiercely while she squeezed him back and fondled his hair consolingly with her right hand.

About half a minute later, a glint of gold came into view out from under Ash's shirt.
"Oh, boy. Look!" Brock said, indicating the necklace.
"I know! The secret's out, isn't it?" I asked.
Before I finished, I saw Misty notice it and take hold of the chain.
"You bet." Brock replied. "Here goes nothing…
A second later, Misty had pulled Ash's necklace fully from under his shirt to find her gym's badge dangling from it.
"Oh, my gosh…" She said, tremulously, tears from both happiness and sadness coming to her eyes. "I never knew…"
"She just found out she's the reason he's been wasting away, hasn't she?" I asked Brock, feeling a slight chill.
"No doubt about it, if you ask me." He replied.
"So you're the one who sent it to me…" Misty said back over in the room, looking from the necklace to Ash.
"What's she talking about?" I asked Brock outside.
"No idea." Brock replied, evidently as puzzled by Misty's words as I was.
Ash took a moment to reply and then nodded and said, "Yeah, Mist, it was me."
Misty gave a small smile, reached under her own T-shirt, and said, "I have a confession to make…"

She pulled something out from under that T-shirt-and absolutely jolted Ash, Brock, and me all at once.
"…You're not the only one who's been wearing it and trying to keep it a secret." She finished.
It was an exact duplicate of the necklace-a Cascade Badge dangling from a small gold chain.
"Oh, my God, Misty…" Ash said tremulously, another tear rolling down his right cheek.
"No way." Brock said, stunned.
"I'll be darned." I said, nodding.
Ash said, "It's a long story. Are you okay with that?"
"Don't worry about it." Misty said.

Ash began, "Last year, I began to be haunted, if you know what I mean, by memories of you. I thought you didn't feel the same about me as I did about you, but I had to try and get it off my chest, so I told a friend or two-not Brock and Tracey-that I care about you very much, but it wouldn't make the pain of your absence go away. I then realized it wouldn't subside unless I said something to you, so I decided to send you that necklace anonymously for your birthday and just sign my note as ‘someone who cares very much'."
Misty nodded understandingly. "I really wanted to think it was you who sent it, but I convinced myself it wasn't possible. I began wearing it under my tops in order to try to get over you."
"It got it off my mind, but only for a while. Four months ago, the memory of you began surging back up, even stronger than before." Ash continued, more tears welling up in his eyes and his voice becoming more laden with emotion. "I started wanting to see you again, but I still didn't have enough courage to call or write. One night, though, I had a dream that I came back to Cerulean for some reason. I looked everywhere for you-through store windows, at the gym, everywhere, but I couldn't find you. I remember breaking down when I couldn't see you, but then I heard your voice whisper in my ear, ‘I'll always be with you.' I then woke up both smiling and crying."
Misty smiled at him, wiped Ash's eyes, and said, "It's true, Ash. I'll always be with you, no matter what. Don't ever forget that."
"Thanks, Misty." Ash managed to smile back as he said that before he continued, "I knew right then that for me, it wasn't enough to send you a memento-I had to have something so that I could remember those words. So I had the Cascade Badge that I won sent to the same jeweler and asked him to use it to make a copy of the necklace. At first, it was just a good thing, as the memory of those words helped me focus and try to get on with my life. But lately, I can't look at it without being reminded of the times we had together and the crazy mistake I made in letting you get away. So I sent that last letter out asking you to come tonight."

"You handled things better than I did-you made the first move. Otherwise, it might have been a few more days until I asked to see you-not because I don't care about you, but because I was so scared you wouldn't feel the same way…" Misty said with a small smile.
Ash laughed briefly before he shook his head and said, "I don't consider it a better job, because I felt like my life depended on you coming back tonight." He looked towards his radio/CD boombox at the other end of the room and continued, "I guess the CD player stopped before you came in, but if you'd have come in earlier, you'd have heard that I was on the brink and you were the only one who could save me."
"Could I please hear it?" Misty asked.
"Sure." Ash said with a small smile. "I was actually about to turn it back on. Now, please forgive me-I can't write my own music yet, but I think this says exactly what I'm feeling."
Misty nodded as Ash pointed a nearby remote towards the boombox, and a thought-provoking song that I didn't know began to play.
"Oh, yeah!" Brock cheered. Apparently, he knew what the song was.
"What?" I asked. "Good song?"
"It's perfect." Brock said meaningfully. "Just watch and listen."
It was, as I would later learn, Daniel Bedingfield's If You're Not The One. Ash had forwarded it to a certain segment, and he faced Misty, closed his eyes, and began to sing,

If I don't need you, then why am I crying on my bed?
If I don't need you, then why does your name resound in my head?
If you're not for me, then why does this distance maim my life?
If you're not for me, then why do I dream of you as my wife?

I don't know why you're so far away
But I know that this much is true
We'll make it through
And I hope you are the one I share my life with
And I wish that you could be the one I die with
And I'm praying you're the one I build my home with
I hope I love you all my life

I don't want to run away, but I can't take it, I don't understand
If I'm not made for you, then why does my heart tell me that I am?
Is there any way that I can stay in your arms?

He sung it very well-he has a good voice of his own-but what touched all of us-Misty beside him and me and Brock outside-was the fact that it was the perfect song, both because of his performance and because of the lyrics.
"Oh, Ash…" Misty said, clasping her hands close to her chest as tears started to come to her eyes as well. Ash had opened his eyes before the chorus and had been looking at her very intently. Behind the new tears in those brown eyes was a mix of an amount of love I could only dream of and begin to imagine and a silent heartfelt plea of Please stay, Misty…
"Oh, man!" I exclaimed, amazed. Just as it had been when Misty had finished singing, I had to take off my cap and wipe my forehead.
"Wow..." Brock said, smiling and nodding fervently. "Man…I knew he felt that way about her and that still gave me goosebumps!"
"Same here…" I said fervently.

Ash took Misty's hands in his own and said,
"I've asked myself a million times since that day whether I could go on with my life without you. After what I've gone through these past few months and after today, I know now that the answer to that is ‘No.'"
He paused for a minute. Both Brock's (he told me later) and my hearts were pounding even though we knew by then that Ash loved Misty. I tried to say another prayer mentally, but the suspense was such that I couldn't even do that, much less say anything out loud. Ash then said,
"I love you, Misty Waterflower. I love you so much that it would kill me if I can't have you…please stay with me, I can't go on without you…"
The fresh tears now came to Misty's aqua green eyes, but she smiled, squeezed Ash's hands, and told him, with as much love evident in her eyes as there was in his,
"I will-because there's no way I can go on without you. Ash Ketchum, I love you more than anything else in the world, and I always will."

Several things happened at once. Ash and Misty let go of each other's hands, threw their arms around each other, and shared a passionate hug, sobbing but also smiling and crying tears of unbridled joy. Brock and I cheered together with a drawn-out "Yeah!" followed by added toned-down shouts of "Yes!", a barrage of fist pumps, and a high five. If we weren't so concerned with staying hidden, we would have been screaming ourselves hoarse. And last but not least, the clouds broke to reveal the sun, which seemed to be brighter than I could remember although it was beginning to set. Just as the weather had reflected Ash's and Misty's sadness on that March evening in Viridian, so it reflected their joy at finding both each other and love in each other, if you know what I'm saying. I couldn't help but feel so very happy as if the world had been set right, and neither could Brock, so we could only imagine what Ash and Misty were feeling at that moment.
Finally, they came apart, still crying but now beaming at each other.
"Uh, Misty?" Ash asked. It was the first time I had heard him speak all day without anguish in his voice.
"Yes?" Misty replied.
Ash smiled and asked, "Have I ever told you that you look like an angel? I'm not saying that you've never been pretty, because you always have-"
"Why, thank you!" Misty said, beaming at him.
"You're welcome." Ash replied, before finishing, "It's just you're all in white tonight and it just got me thinking about it."
Misty took a look at herself, laughed briefly, looked back at Ash, and then replied sweetly, "If you consider me your angel, Ash, I'm very flattered. But I think if there's an angel in this room, it's you. And all I can do is try my best to make you as happy here on earth as you are and will be in heaven."

What made that even cooler was that she hadn't simply been talking-she had been leaning closer to Ash as she had finished. On top of that, Ash appeared to know what was going on and was leaning closer to her. I saw Brock's right index finger quiver with anticipation over the shutter button on the camera and heard him say, "Oh, boy…is this what I think it is?"
It was. Before he had finished saying that, Ash and Misty had closed their eyes and their lips had met. It was definitely a slow kiss, but Brock and I could also feel their love in that kiss all the way outside.
"Ha haaa! Yeah, that's more like it!" Brock cheered and laughed as he began snapping away as fast as the camera would allow him to.
"I'll say!" I said fervently, also nodding as Ash and Misty slipped their arms around each other again.
Without warning, Misty then leaned back until she was lying on the bed again with Ash on top of her. It now looked like something straight out of a movie script-Ash on top of a girl with looks and a swimsuit-and-T-shirt outfit straight out of Vanity Fair, who just happened to be Misty, who just happened to be the love of his life, and who just happened to love him back and who just happened to be locked in one crazy kiss with him, with their lips still not coming apart for breath or any other reason.
"What-ohh, yeah! You go, guys!" Brock cheered, starting to snap away even more zealously than before. He would later reveal that it took all of his trademark self-control to keep from being too loud and blowing our cover.
"God darn it! Whoa!" I yelled in a similar tone.
After a full minute of kissing, Ash and Misty finally came apart. They shared an unmistakable look of love and then sat up on the bed.
"Holy…" I managed to say with a hint of a joyous laugh, still elated but shellshocked.
"Shh!" Brock said, looking at me and putting a finger to his lips to quiet me. "They're talking again."

"Wow…" Ash said. "I never thought one of those could feel that good…"
"Me neither." Misty said. "I know because I've kissed my share of boys and you're the first one I couldn't break away if it weren't for me running out of breath."
"I'm honored." Ash said with a smile.
"Lily told me once that you can tell whether you're made for a boy by the first kiss you have with him. I didn't believe her at first, but now I know she wasn't lying." Misty revealed.
"I tell you what, Misty-you're the first girl I've ever kissed, and I can tell you I'm a firm believer in that already." Ash said, smiling.
Misty also laughed briefly and then asked, "Um, Ash?"
"Yes?" Ash asked.
"I know this may be a bit sudden, but do you mind if we head out to Cerulean together tonight and talk some more?" She asked.
Misty had seemed a little apprehensive, but she needn't have been. "Don't worry about being sudden, because I'd love to do that." Ash replied with a smile. "Do you have something in mind?"
"Actually, yeah. How does one of the ice cream parlors on Mermaid Avenue sound? I know that's vague, but there are a bunch of good ones that I know I can't decide from."
"That'd be great." Ash replied, still smiling.. "What time would suit you?"
"Probably 7:30." Misty said. "You should see Cerulean at sunset now-it's absolutely breathtaking."
"I'd really like to see that with you." Ash said, nodding and smiling.
"I think I better go ahead and head back to get changed."
"I understand. I gotta get some more clothes on, too. Be safe, okay?"
"I will. See you later, Ash." Misty said.
"See you later, Misty." Ash replied. At that moment, I realized just how cool and significant it was that they were saying "See you later" instead of "Goodbye."
With that, she gave him a hug, a peck on the cheek, and a smile before she stepped out, leaving the door open.
Oh, yeah…I thought with a broad smile as I spotted the still-open door, knowing it'd have been closed if things had turned out differently.

Closing Author's Notes: I am not done with this yet! As a matter of fact, we're just getting started, people (grins). Again, please review, but also please do not flame me because you're not into AAML or Pokéshipping. I respect Orangeshippers, Gymshippers, Advanceshippers, and the other crews, so don't go below the belt. Also, in the next couple of chapters, club Pokémon competition is discussed ("club" meaning a sports club like the Miami Heat or the Pittsburgh Steelers), and Cerulean City United is discussed for the first time. Nine starters will be named by tournament's end.

Author's Soundtrack Suggestions

Original Version

Yours Forever (Reprise)-Misty Waterflower (I tried to write the lyrics from her point of view-hope you liked it)
If You're Not The One-Daniel Bedingfield

Modern Version

So Sick/Stay (Video Medley)-Ne-Yo featuring Peedi Crack
Prototype-Outkast
Good Luck Charm-Jagged Edge