"Why should I have to carry your stuff?" Misty complained, trying to hold two bags at the same time.
"I already told you, "Ash replied. "Punishment."
"I hate to admit it," Brock interfered. "But he's right. You stole his Totodile to enter the competition. You could have just asked him."
"But it's not fair," Misty yelled. The bags fell on the ground. His bag opened and the contents spilled out on the ground.
"I'm sorry," Misty apologized, quickly starting to collect his belongings.
"What's this?" Ash asked, picking up a square wooden box. "Oh of course, this is where I keep my badges."
"Come on," Misty grabbed the box, a bit too quickly.
"Hey, I wanna look," Ash complained.
"You know what's in there, no need to look."
"Well...yeah, I guess you're right."
Misty breathed out, relieved. She quickly stuffed the box back in his bag.
Then, she hesitated.
She took it back out and opened it.
Hundreds of badges were staring at her. Stars, ribbons, pokémon-shaped, any kind she could come up with. There were so many he even had to pin some to the lid of the box.
Her eyes quickly found the small cascade badge.
"Misty?"
She took a deep breath. "You should see this."
"Why? Those are just my…" The rest of his sentence remained stuck in his throat.
All the badges he had ever won, and would win, in the future.
"What's this?" Ash asked taking out a weird shaped badge. It looked like a Ditto taking the form of a plump man, waving.
Misty searched her memory. "Oh, of course. The River Challenge. It was a water pokémon competition, a race."
"That's when I used Totodile."
"Huh? How do you…" that hadn't even happened yet.
Ash put back the badge and closed the box. On the bottom, he had carved a letter to himself, but he didn't have to read it now.
"I guess a part of me always knew," Ash said, coming closer to her. "Whoever sees Ho-Oh is promised eternal happiness. So I'll start over my journey for all eternity, losing all memories from the previous one, otherwise it wouldn't be a challenge.
But the two of you remember. There's no need for you two to forget."
How did he suddenly know all of this?
He looked her straight in the eye.
"Do you envy me, Misty?"
"No," she shook her head. "I'm happy for you. You deserve this. And we'll be right here, whenever you need this." She didn't mention his eternal happiness prevented her from aging or dying, or anything else that could happen to her. After all, she was his travelling partner, so nothing could happen to her or Ash would be unhappy.
"I see," Ash said. He handed her the box. "Oh and don't worry," he added, his lips moving closer to her ear.
The next word were spoken very softly.
"When the time is there, I'll fall in love with you all over again."
Her ears burned thinking about all the things he would do to her in the future.
"When we start over, and come here again, can I use your Totodile for the competition?" she asked.
"Of course," Ash said. "You need only ask for it."
"Hey, what's that?" Brock interrupted them.
"What?"
"Nothing. I thought I saw something."
"Brock?" Ash asked.
"Yeah?"
"What would eternal happiness look like to you?"
"I think this comes pretty close. But don't worry about me, just follow your dream, again."
"I will." He made his resolve. This time, he would make sure Brock and Misty found their eternal happiness too, not knowing, they already had.