After this day, Ash knew he would always hate Viridian City. After the day his friends delivered the news that they were being recalled back home to Pewter and Cerluean City. He felt like crying as he waved his goodbyes to his best friends. In fact, He was tearing up, but he never wanted to admit it.

"Ash, Will I ever get to see you again?"

"You will. I promise."

Ash had a very mixed set of feelings when he uttered those words to Misty. Fear, Angst, Depression. But there was one feeling he couldn't understand until Misty biked away.

Heartbreak.

When she biked away, Ash realized that she was the one. She was the one Ash was looking for at the Christmas Celebration. But when he was sitting under the mistletoe with Misty he was too afraid, naive, and stupid to realize it was her. But today, he did. He loved Misty. He had a crush on her. He couldn't deny it anymore. From all the times people suspected or hinted at the possibility of Misty and Ash, from that Nurse Joy that said "You know, when two people hurt each other, It means they secretly care very much about each other!" to when Team Rocket teased them countlessly. He and Misty denied and denied it. He felt like he denied it, But on the inside he felt like the pinocchio nose in his head was growing everytime he said that. He begged to whatever higher from that could exist that Misty felt the same.

Sure, he felt bad that Brock was leaving soon. But he knew he would be back. But Misty. He knew she would be gone for a long, long while. But he decided, at that moment, Right by that rock, on that crossroads, He couldn't live without her. He knew every single time they fought he never meant to, but something about that blaze-haired tomboy gym leader got him so riled up.

"Well, Pikachu, Here are the crossroads. One road to Pallet town, one to.. Cerulean City, one road to Pewter City, and one back to..Viridian. Where shall we go."

"Pikapi. Pikachu Chu Pika." the electric mouse muttered.

"Follow my heart you say?" for Pikachu always knew what his trainer and best friend was thinking about.

"Pika!"

"Alright Pikachu. You told me to follow my heart and I will. And my heart has decided to go this way" Ash said as he pointed straight to the road destined to Cerluean City.

"Pika Pikachupi!"

"Haha! To Misty we go!"

Ash said as they began their one and a half day trek