A/N: Another one-shot inspired by a wonderful song. When he first says her name, imagine the second verse of Madonna's "Like a Prayer". I listened to the Glee version, so there were male and female voices. Hope you enjoy. =]

Misty approached the entrance to the Cerulean City gym, where she had been active in her duties as a gym leader for the past three years. She was well-known throughout the region for her skills as a water pokemon trainer and her prowess on the battlefield, and had grown used to the life she lived.

Though she wasn't living her life. Too many sleepless nights the past few weeks had brought her to this realization. A big and very important part of who she was was missing from her life. All of the time she had spent thinking had brought her to realize that while she was making it through her day-to-days just fine, she was craving something. It was something so very simple, and yet if she could have it, things might just be alright.

However, little as this thing might be, she knew it was far out of reach. She climbed the steps to the gym just as she did every other day, and froze.

Ash Ketchum; the name was gaining fame throughout the land. At such a young age he had traveled farther and seen more than most do in a lifetime. Everywhere he went he had one goal in mind: to defeat any trainers he encountered and eventually become the greatest pokemon master ever known. He loved nothing more than to battle.

Well, almost nothing. Ash had made many friends in the many adventures he had been through. A seemingly simple boy, he had challenged almost every pokemon league there was, met with numerous thought-to-be-mythical pokemon, and even looked death in the eye and walked away.

None of it compared to what he felt now. Well, he had felt it for a long time, just not as bad as he had for the past few nights. The battling and traveling was a welcome distraction for a long while, but suddenly he felt empty. None of what he did was worth anything anymore. He had made up his mind. Brock and Dawn might be a little confused, but he was sure they'd understand.

In the middle of the night he crept out of the room they were staying in at the pokemon center. He released his staraptor and hopped on its back, instructing it to fly to Goldenrod as fast as possible. It was going to be a long trip, and the sooner he got there, the better.

Misty approached the locked doors to the Cerulean City gym, almost dreading another day without hearing it. What she wanted wasn't so much to ask, was it? A very simple thing that happens to other every day. She only needed it once, just once, and then-

"Misty!"

Well, it was time to wake up. It was odd, too. Everything up until now had seemed so very real. And, in an odd way, so did this…But it couldn't be. He was off traveling with Brock. He wasn't in Cerulean. To be sure, she turned around slowly, afraid that the moment might vanish if she made any sudden movements.

And there he was, just like she had remembered him. She stood still for what seemed like hours, taking the scene in, waiting.

"…Misty?" There it was again. Suddenly she was alive, much more so than she had ever been. It was everything she could do not to fall to the ground, having felt such a sudden relief. Tears flooded to her eyes, overwhelming them in an instant and pouring over onto her cheeks and down to her chin. She took a wary step toward him.

"Ash…"

And with a single syllable from her, his passion for life returned. He had traveled thousands of miles in a single night for this one moment, and he would do it a thousand times again, as long as she was waiting for him at the end of the road. To hear her call his name, there was nothing he wouldn't give. His face beamed brighter than it ever had before; he had found his happiness.

The two of them raced toward each other. She leapt into his arms, wrapping herself as tight around him as she could. There in one another's arms, they had everything they had ever needed. The world around them ceased to exist as they found themselves savoring every second together.

He lowered her to the ground and stood. They shared the moment lost in each other's gaze; Misty's green eyes mesmerizing him just as they always had, Ash's beautiful smile melting its way further into her heart than it ever had.

Within an instant their lips had met. Her wet cheeks and his messy hair made everything as perfect as it could possibly be. More than anything in the world, they both wanted this moment to last forever. With the two missing pieces finally put together, they were complete.

They reluctantly ended the kiss and stood, smiling at one another.

"Oh, Ash…" His heart skipped a beat and he felt as wonderful as ever all over again.

"Misty…" She felt butterflies flitter around her stomach, lifting her higher than the clouds.

And all at the mention of name.