In Remembrance

This is just a sweet story I wrote in half an hour.

Summary: Misty just lost all her memory, due to an unfortunate Amnesia incident. Ash, stricken, rushes to Cerulean, though he is stalled by his recent Indigo League challenge. After completing the challenge (barely) he finds that Misty is already settling into her new old life already. Here he tries to see if she remembers him.

            "Hi, Misty."

            She looks up, surprised that I'd addressed her so informally. "Hi. Are you a fan?" That beautiful laugh of hers. "I'm still getting used to being a celebrity. You know, because of the memory thing."

            I feel defeated. So she didn't remember after all. "Yeah, I'm a... a big fan of yours."

            "You want an autograph?"

            "No, just wanted to say hi to my favorite Sensational Sister."

            "Okay," she says, puzzled. She goes back to trailing her hand in the clear, still pool, aqua-blue eyes distant. I turn away. There was nothing. No recognition. I could tell her, but I didn't even have the courage to speak up before that happened.

            Daisy meets me on the way out. She watches me, worried. She already knew before. The look she's giving me is saying, "Tell her." I shake my head. It'll never be the same again.

            I stay at the Pokemon Center tonight. I can't bear this feeling of loss. She's there, physically, but all her memories - our memories together - are gone.

            I can't sleep. I get up, dress, step outside and leave again.

            There's doubt in my mind that anyone would be awake now. Why would they? But when I knock on the door to the gym, Misty is there.

            "Oh. It's you." She doesn't look like she was sleeping.

            "Why are you still awake?" I don't try to hide the surprise.

            She looks embarrassed, then confused. "I... well, why are you awake?"

            "I can't tell." I sigh. "Can I come in?"

            "Sure."

            She leads me to the edge of the pool, where she sits down and stares out the skylight. The moon shines on her, making her seem almost ethereal. I sit next to her, but not close.

            "Why are you awake?" I ask again.

            "I don't know. I feel like I'm missing something. There's something important that I forgot, but I can't remember." Her face is clouded. "There's something I have to know. I hurts-" she puts a hand over her heart, "-here."

            I feel like crying. It must show, because she stares at me in alarm. "A-are you okay? I didn't mean to say anything that might-"

            "No." I shake my head. "It's nothing."

            "It can't be." Her azure eyes seem to be the only thing I can focus on. "It can't be nothing. Tell me."

            I can't reject her request. "I've lost someone. She's still alive, but I'm dead to her now. She doesn't even know me anymore. She means everything to me, but I just can't tell her those three words that I've never been able to say." My voice comes out choked. She still watches me intently, urging me to go on. "I don't know if she'll ever acknowledge me, but she couldn't have the same feelings for me. Not even before that happened."

            Misty looks at me, eyes moist. "I hope she will. I think she does."

            "Thanks." She couldn't possibly know, couldn't guess that it was her. I get up to leave, but she takes my hand. I turn and find her close, so close to me.

            "I remember, Ash," she whispers, and leans forward to kiss me.