(Anything italicized is Ash narrating. Or song lyrics)

Two people stand by the side of a lake. A male and a female. The male was 19 year old Ash Ketchum, and the female was 21 year old Misty Waterflower. “Mist no, please no.” Ash begged her, with tears in his eyes. Misty held a sparkling blue heart shaped locket in her hands. She was preparing to throw it out into the lake.

“I’m sorry Ash, but this can’t continue any longer.” she wiped a tear from her right eye.

“Don’t Mist, I can’t stand the thought of you being gone. I want to see your face…even if I’m the only one who can.” Ash continued to beg her.

“It’s not right though!” she yelled at him.

Ash looked from her to the ground beneath him…a tear drop fell from his eye and to the dirt below. “…I know…” he responded, finally. “But…” he looked back up into Misty’s eyes, her locket held tightly in her grasp. “You’ll never convince me, even though it’s true…you’ll never convince me to feel positive on this decision.” he continued to fight her.

“She was about to leave my life again. I couldn’t let her do that. I don’t care if things are too different and too unusual to stay together. I wanted to be with her no matter what. She’s my life, my friend, my soul mate…”

“Oh Ash…I understand…but no matter what you say. No matter what I say. We both know what we have to do.” she said, walking closer to the lake. Ash just stood there, watching her walk towards the body of water, she took the locket in her hand, pulled her arm back, and prepared to toss it into the lake, when Ash yelled out “Misty!”

“Misty!” Ash jumped up from his lying down position on the ground in the woods. His face was all dripping with sweat, and he had a terrified look. Brock, Max and May all screamed as they awoke to their friend’s panicked scream.

(4 years earlier)

“Ash calm down. You were having a bad dream.” Brock told him.

“Really?” Ash asked, his hand on his heart. Brock and the others, excluding Max nodded, whilst he went back to sleep. “Sorry for waking you guys.” Ash apologized, placing his right hand behind his head.

“That’s ok, it’s time to get up anyways.” Brock said, climbing out of his sleeping bag to go start a campfire and make breakfast.

“I had continued to dream the same dream over and over again. Misty dying right in front of me. I wasn’t sure what the dream meant. All I assumed is that if she were to be in contact with me again, she would lose her life. The love of my life would be lost if I were to see her again. That was a horrible thought…”

Soon everyone was gathered around a fire, eating the breakfast Brock had just made them. “So what lame excuse did you have for waking us up so early Ash?” Max asked bitterly, as he stuck his spoon with jello on it into his mouth.

“Well, I dreamed that Misty…Misty drowned in a lake. And it was all my fault.” he said.

“How so?” May asked, a face full of fire cooked waffles.

“For some reason I dreamed that I caused her so much pain. You know, it seems like I cause her a lot of pain. And I guess I caused her so much pain that she committed suicide.” Ash summarized his nightmare.

“Well it’s not hard to believe that.” Max responded, taking a bite of his waffle.

But he was soon hit on the back of the head by his sister’s fist. “Quiet Max!” she angrily told him.

“Ash, this nightmare is all due to you missing Misty. Even I have had dreams with her in them because I haven’t seen her in so long.” Brock told Ash, placing a hand on his shoulder.

“Really?” Ash grinned at his older friend.

“Yeah. And they must mean something cause I usually dream of doing other girls.” Brock told him, a chukle escaping his throat.”

Ash raised his eyebrow “What?” Brock was silent for a few moments before responding. “…Who wants seconds?” he asked with a big grin, May and Max getting up to go get seconds from Brock. Ash still felt bad about his dream, as you would tell by the depressed look on his face.

It wasn’t long before the group was off and headed to their next destination. Brock was reading over his map as they walked. “We should be there soon. Another few miles.” Brock said, stashing the map back into his pocket.

It was warm, and the sun was causing mirages of water off in the distance ahead of him. “How can there only be a few more miles if we can’t see a city from here?” Max asked, weary of traveling.

“It’s just the sun boiling your brain, that’s why.” May responded.

“Not to mention the hit you gave me earlier.” Max said, angry, and rubbing his head.

Suddenly they heard the sound of a flock of pidgeys behind them. They all turned around to see the flock. Then the flock flew over them, into the direction they were heading. They watched the pokemon fly off, and then they noticed a shack up ahead. “Hey, where did that shack come from?” Ash asked.

“I don’t know. I didn’t see it there earlier.” Brock responded.

They all walked up to the shack, where an old short man walked out, pushing a cart with items placed on top. He wore a black and red cloak. “Good evening passers. Can I assist you to some merchandise?” the old man asked them.

“We could use some water.” Brock told him.

Then an image of Misty popped into Ash’s head. She screamed out “Nooo!!!” Ash was knocked out of his trance as a water bottle hit him in the head.

“Come on Ash, I didn’t know you were that slow.” May said, after tossing him the bottle. Ash looked at the merchandise on the table in front of the old man.

“Hey guys, Misty’s birthday is coming up. I’m gonna get her something.” he said, scanning the table.

“Whatever, do what you wish.” Brock said, taking a drink of the water he just bought. Ash spotted mostly junk, spiritual crap…then he saw the perfect gift for Misty. It was a blue, heart shaped locket, and it was sparkling like crazy in the sun.

“How much is the locket?” Ash asked. The old man was completely silent for several seconds, before responding.

“This item is worth more than money it’s self. I would be willing to trade for it however. Oh and also you would have to give me a thousand bucks.” he told Ash.

Ash sighed. "All right." he took out his poke'dex, which also acts as a credit card. "And what else do you want in the exchange?"

“Your hat.” the man responded. Ash frowned. but he took his hat off and handed it to the old man. And the old man handed Ash the blue locket.

“Wow Ash, giving up your hat for Misty?” Brock asked, grinning.

“Yeah, what’s it to you!” Ash glared at his friend.

“Pleasure doing business with you.” the old man said, grinning a huge smile. “That’s a special locket. And the special person you give that locket to will let you see them forever.” the old man told him.

“Don’t you mean the person he gives it to will see him forever because she's the one putting the photograph in?” Max asked the man.

“So it would seem.” the old man said, in a very creepy tone.

“I got the strangest feeling from that old man. Like he was mystical and very wise. I wasn’t sure why he wanted my hat, but I gladly gave it up for Misty. That locket was to change my life in the future, but I would not know how until a surprising discovery…”

When the group got to the city, the first thing Ash did was mail the locket to Misty with a letter. Days later, Misty received the mail, on the very day of her birthday. She opened it up, excited, seeing that it was from Ash.

She unfolded the letter and read it. “Misty, happy birthday OLD friend. I’m just kidding. I got you this cause you were in my heart. Your friend Ash.” She then pulled out the locket and held it in her hands in front of her. “Oh wow, this must have cost him a fortune.” her eyes said it all with her joyful excited expression.

Misty went to her journey scrap book, and found a picture of Ash. He was sitting on a rock in front of a lake, with a sunset in the background. “Now you, Ash will be in my heart.” she said, slipping the tiny photo into her new locket.

A couple weeks later while Ash was on the computer in his hotel room, he received a phone call. He answered it. “Hello.” “Ash?” Misty asked. “Misty? What’s up?” Ash was surprised to get a call from her.

“I just wanted to say hi.” she said.

“Oh…well hi.” Ash responded.

“I also wanted to tell you that I’m coming back.” she said.

“Huh?” Ash asked, practically choking on his own saliva.

“I’m coming back. My sisters have returned to do the duties of the gym.” Misty said with the scent of happiness in her tone.

“Really?” Ash smiled, and gave a little fist pump.

“Yeah, I’m packing up right now. I’ll come find you….well where should I go?” she asked.

Ash thought hard “Remember the river where we met? How about by the lake where that river connects to?” Ash suggested.

“Ok, that’s a beautiful spot, I’m on my way. Oh…and thanks for the locket Ash. That was really sweet.” Misty thanked him.

“No problem…your welcome.” he said.

“Well I’ll be there soon.” she said. “And I’ll see you soon…” Ash said.

“She never showed up by that lake. After not showing up for hours my friends and I searched the entire area, and including the river where we met. But we never found her. I phoned her several times over the next few days, until she finally responded…she told me that her sisters needed her back at the gym, as there was an emergency to by fixed. When I asked if she wanted me to come visit her at the gym…she responded with a simple and quick “No.” That was the last time we talked, until 4 years later…”

Ash woke up in his home sweet bed in Pallet Town. He yawned, stretched, and looked out the window to see a perfect crystal clear sky. “It’s a beautiful day, Pikachu.” he told his companion, who had also just woken up, and was sitting on his bed next to him. “And it’s about to get even more beautiful when we go see our long awaited friend.” he continued.

Ash got dressed and went into the kitchen where his mother was, sitting at the table, reading the news paper. “Good morning Ash…uh, going some where?” she greeted him, and then asked him.

“Yeah, I’m going somewhere.” he said, pulling his backpack's straps over his arms.

“Are you going out to finally get your own place?” she asked, taking a sip of coffee.

“Heh-heh, not today I’m afraid. I’m going to visit Misty.” he said, and took an apple off the table, and bit into it.

“You sure she’ll be there?” she asked, concerned.

“Yes Mom. I talked to her yesterday. She told me she’d be there” he responded.

“Well ok. That girl is making you crazy you know.” she said, getting up, and kissed him on the cheek.

“Crazy? What do you mean?” Ash asked, a little annoyed and frustrated, part of the whole hormone's thing.

“Oh nothing.” she said, and sat back down to the table.

“No, what do you mean?” he continued.

“Nothing, now get a move on.” she said, getting back up, and pushed him out the door. “Have fun.” she said, shutting the door, the sound of the door being locked could be heard.

Ash sighed and looked down at Pikachu, who also had gotten shoved out of the house. “Come on Peek, let’s get a move on.” he said, and they headed off for Cerulean City.

The two had arrived in the city, at the location of the gym. “Here we are.” Ash walked up to the entrance, where he found a note sticking out of the door.

“Ash- meet me at the house. It’s behind the gym-Misty” the note read. Ash walked behind the gym where there was a large field. Off in the distance was a tree, and behind the tree was a very large house. “Well…here we go.” Ash said to Pikachu, and himself.

He had walked across the field, and up a few stairs to the patio and to the door. He knocked three times…but there was no answer. “Hello? Misty? Are you there?” he shouted, and knocked a few more times.

But again, there was no answer. He turned around to view the gym. He saw the tree there, an apple tree. He watched as one of the apples fell to the ground. Then he turned back to the door. “She can’t do this to me again. I’ve waited so long to see her. This can’t happen again!” he shouted angrily, a little tear escaped his eye.

Ash heard the thump of another apple hitting the ground, he turned back to the tree…there he saw her. It was Misty, sitting on one of the branches. He just starred out to her…not knowing what to say. “Misty?” he asked.

“Ash…?” she asked back.

“Misty!” he shouted her name. She jumped out of the tree and ran towards him. He ran down the stairs and towards her. Until they both collided into a big tight hug. “Misty, it’s been awhile.” he said, as he hugged her tightly.

“It has.” she said at a low tone, as tears of joy ran down her face.

“You ok, Mist?” he asked of concern.

“Yeah, I’m just happy.” she said, wiping a tear from her eyes as the two separated from their hug.

“Hey, you’re wearing the locket I got you.” Ash noticed it around her neck. “Oh yeah. I wear it all the time. And today it means more than any of those other times.” she said.

“Oh?” Ash questioned.

“Uh…I…uh…” she wasn't quite sure how to respond.

“Did you put a photo in there?” he asked.

Misty blushed. “Yes…yes I did.” she gripped the locket in her right hand.

“Can I see it?” he asked.

“Uh…I guess, here.” she handed him the locket, but still around her neck. Ash opened it, and was stunned to see his own picture in her locket.

“You put my picture in there?” he asked, surprised, and joyed.

“Yeah…you gave me this locket, so why not?” she responded, with a cheerful smile.

“Well it’s meant for someone you really care about.” Ash told her.

“I know…and I really care about you.” she said, Ash released the locket from his grip.

The two both smiled at each other for a long period of time there in the field. Pikachu watched on from the patio. Then it began to sprinkle upon the field. But suddenly, Misty began glowing bright blue. “Misty? Misty! What’s going on!” he panicked. the blue glow encased her, the locket glowing it's brightest.