Disclaimer: I do not own Poke'mon or anything that has to do with it
(other than a few cards that I got when I was 7).

I was thinking of a picture that I recently drew of a cat, and just
to annoy him, I was hiding it from my brother. And doing so made me
think of this:

Ages:
Ash Ketchum-12
Misty Waterflower-13
Pikachu-Who knows?
Brock Stone-15
Togepi- 6 months

Note: Italics mean the thought(s) that someone is having, and *Š*
means an under breath statement.

   It was a sunny afternoon when Ash, Misty, Brock, and Pikachu
were wandering through the woods, looking for a place to set up camp.
They soon found a clearing, where Brock started to pull things out of
his backpack that couldn't possibly fit in it (a table, three chairs,
you get the drift).
   "What a wonderful day, wouldn't you agree, Togepi?" Misty
said to her egg-like poke'mon.
   "Toge, Togeprri!" it said, satisfied that its mother was happy.
   "Hay, uh, listen. I'm going to go for a walk, okay? I'll pick
up firewood on the way back." Ash said, setting down his backpack and
looking for something in it.
   "Sure, Ash." Brock said, neatly, placing a tablecloth onto the table.
   "Pika, pi chu" Pikachu said while it hopped onto Ash's shoulder.
   "No, Pikachu. Not this time." Ash said.
   "Piikaaa." Pikachu said, feeling rejected.
   "Pikachu, I just want to be alone for an hour or so, that's
all." Ash said, comforting Pikachu. He then picked up his backpack
again, and walked into the quiet of the forest.
   "Is there something wrong with Ash?" Misty asked, walking
onto the premises with a bucket of water.
   "Hmm, I really don't know," Brock said, then "AHHHHH, the
rice is getting burnt!"
                       **********
   Ash wandered through the woods until he reached an ocean shore.
   "An ocean? Cool! I never thought there would be an ocean
around here." Ash said, about to jump of what looked like a small
cliff into the water. He skidded to a stop just before he jumped off,
and looked down.
   "WhewŠ I almost fell off that cliff! I've got to be more
careful. But an ocean! Wait 'till I tell Misty about this!" Ash said
in excitement. Then he remembered why he was sad, and frowned.
   "SighŠ Misty. Why do I keep on thinking about Misty?! Why do
I always find myself staring at her? WHAT'S WRONG WITH ME!" Ash
yelled.
   He pulled two objects out of his backpack: a piece of paper,
and a pencil. He set them to the side, and watched as the sun slowly
set.
   Hours past, and Ash still just sat and watched the
crimson-orange sky slowly turn to a lush blue, the sun's brilliant
rays turning to the white shine of the moon.

                           Absentmindedly, Ash
picked up his paper and pencil and started to draw a picture. The
pencil flowed across the paper, doing everything itself, not stopping
until the picture that Ash held in his mind was complete. Ash
finished and looked down at the paper. He was shocked to see the
moment he had always wanted to happen on the piece of paper. Ash
admired the picture, wishing he were in it right then.
   "Ash? Aaassh? Ash! There you are!" Misty said, finding Ash
and stepping out of the woods.
   "Huh?" Ash grunted and stuffed the paper into his backpack.
   "What was that?" Misty said, then, "WhoaŠ it's the ocean!
Ash, how come you didn't tell us there was an ocean here? And what
was that picture of that you put in your backpack?" She asked, her
eyes piercing into his for answers.
   "It's nothing. Just a piece of paper that blew out of my
backpack." Ash said, getting up and walking past Misty. But before he
passed her, he stopped.
   "Uhh, Misty?"
   "What?" Misty said quietly, fitting Ash's tone.
   Ash stood there for a moment, as if debating with himself,
then shook his head, and said "Oh, erm, nothing. Never mind." and
walked past her, picking up the firewood that he had gotten earlier.
   "Oh, Ash. What's bothering you," Misty thought worriedly,
then followed him into the woods.
                       **********
   The next morning, Ash woke up very early, about 3:00 A.M. He
lay there feeling lonely, but he knew there was no way to cure this
'disease'. He got up, being careful not to wake up the snoring rodent
at his side, but did not take notice that Misty was not in her own
sleeping bag. He took his backpack and walked through the forest to
that same cliff from the day before. He stood about eight feet from
its edge and looked out to the horizon.
   His eyes then met the second most beautiful sight he had ever
seen in his life.










   Ash looked in awe at the moon's white glory, its glow
brightening his face, its shine taking away Ash's worry as well as
his breath. But what surprised Ash the most, was the person sitting
at the cliff's edge, her red-orange hair blowing in the light breeze;
her blue eyes sparkling like the shimmering ocean below that splashed
onto the cliff, casting drops of water onto her already wet face. She
had been crying.
   Ash just stared at her beauty, not caring if she noticed him
or not. Then he noticed her tears.
   "MistyŠ" he whispered, as not to startle her. At first, she
did nothing. Then, gradually, she turned around and saw Ash, his
hatless hair waving in the wind like hers, his brown eyes shining
like stars. But she did not smile, she just stared. Ash knew
something was wrong.
   He walked to her side slowly, than sat down next to her.
   "Misty," he whispered ever so gently, "what's wrong?"
   All Misty managed was an "AshŠ" before more tears started to
seep from her eyes.
   She then shook her head and continued, "AshŠ IŠ I haveŠ have
to goŠ I-I just can't stay here anymoreŠ"
   "What-what are you talking about?" Ash said, his voice
expressing worry,

                   "Misty, you can tell me
anything. We're best friends, right? I'm," He said, his voice
lowering to an almost inaudible tone, "I'll always be here for you."
   "It's just-just that IŠ I'm just a burden to you and Brock,
you know? I've followed you for so long, so many times that I've
gotten in your way, and yet you still accept me. You shouldn't. I
should go back home to my sisters and assume the position of the brat
with the other three sensational sisters. That's what I deserve.
That's all I am: a brat!" she cried, breaking down to sobs and
covering her face with her hands.
   "No, you can't leave, you need to stay! Why are you suddenly
saying these things? What persuaded you to want to leave? Besides, it
wouldn't be right for you to go."
   "Convince me, Ash! Give me one good reason to stay!" Misty
screamed looking Ash in the eye, then continued, "Ash, you're just
making everything worse on me! I DON'T NEED THIS FROM YOU!"
   Ash was hurt, and he said, "You don't need my consolationŠ?
If you don't need that, than you don't need me!" he screamed,
slapping Misty in the face. Misty was shocked. She collapsed to her
knees, yet more tears spilling from her eyes. Ash turned around to
walk away when a paper fluttered from his backpack and came to rest
in front of Misty. She looked up and saw the picture. Her eyes
widened.
   "Ash, wait, don't go!" Misty cried to him right before he
entered the woods.
   "Ash, what were you going to say t convince me?" she said very quietly.
   Ash turned around, tears in his eyes as well, and asked in a
whisper, "DoŠ do you really want to know?"
   Misty nodded, the moon's light casting reflections from the
tears onto her face.

       Ash slowly walked up to her until they were standing
side by side, facing each other.
   "This is why."

Off to part 2!