.-* Disclaimer - I do not own and am not responsible for the characters of Ash, Misty, Brock, Pikachu, etc. I wish I was, then I would "be rich and rule the world!!" Mwahahaha! No, seriously, the people at Nintendo, 4Kids Productions, etc. etc., deserve a pat on the back for these fantastic characters. Sadly, in all truth, I'm just a mere fan of Pokémon, and now a fanfic author. Therefore, the PLOT of this story is mine...don't steal it! I hope you enjoy my stories. Let me know what you think...constructive criticism welcomed in moderation...good comments are nice also ^_^ *-.

.-* ©2003 Mighty Misty Fanfics :o) *-.

.-* By the one and only Mighty Misty *-.

.-* Email me at MSUAngel12@hotmail.com *-.

.-* Rated: PG Type: Romance/Drama Ages: Ash-16 Misty-17 *-.

.-* UPDATE - 2-2-03: It's been a couple YEARS now since I posted this, but I did a little teeny revision, little errors I looked up just now...and so hopefully a new breed of Fanfiction.Net-ers can enjoy my fics! Thanks! *-.

*·*~*·*~*·*~*·*~*·*~*·*~*·*~*·*~*·*~*·*~*

.·* A Time To Remember*·.

*·*~*·*~*·*~*·*~*·*~*·*~*·*~*·*~*·*~*·*~*

.·CHAPTER 1 - A Chance Meeting ·.



Misty trotted down the stairs, lazily rubbing her eyes. She yawned and smacked her lips, and proceeded to open the door to get the morning paper. The scent of fresh cut grass filled her nose. Like any other morning, she went to the kitchen to get some cereal. After sitting down to eat, she nearly spit out a mouthful of cornflakes when she read one of the front-page headings of the paper...



Pokémon Master Ash Ketchum to appear in Cerulean City today
Meet the Pokémon champion at the Cerulean fairgrounds this afternoon



She nearly screamed. It had been so long. About five years. Ash had fulfilled his dream to become a Pokémon Master and traveled around the world, and was nothing less than a celebrity. She recalled the last time she'd seen him...

He shuffled his feet in the barren earth. "I can't believe this is happening," Ash mused. "This is it." He avoided Misty's watery eyes to prevent himself from breaking out into tears. He never realized how hard winning the Pokémon league would be. And he never realized that saying goodbye would be even harder. Brock coughed to break the silence, and bit his lip slightly. He approached Ash and placed his hands on his drooping shoulders. "Take care of yourself, kid," Brock muttered. "It's been great," he finished. Ash wrapped his arms around Brock, and Brock smiled and embraced him. Ash let go and him and Brock slapped their hands together, vowing to be friends forever.

"I gotta go," said Brock. "I sure will miss you kid." Brock turned to Misty and gave her a quick hug. "You too, Misty. I will never forget you guys," Brock said, his voice quivering. He waved quickly as he walked away, sniffling lightly.


"I guess this is goodbye," Misty whispered. She did everything to keep from crying. She could tell Ash was doing the same.

"Guess so," was his reply. He smiled weakly at her and said, "Goodbye Misty." He turned away and walked toward the field where he'd just won his last league battle. Misty turned and ran as fast as she could, crying, all the way home to Cerulean City.

A salty tear ran down Misty's cheek as she reminisced. She had done so many times since she'd returned. She tried hard to forget how much it hurt to say goodbye. At seventeen, she'd had her fair share of loves and heartbreaks, but no matter what she always managed to think of Ash. She wasn't sure why...before they parted she didn't realize how much she really cared for him. She seemed to actually loathe the boy. I have to meet him, she thought. I can't let him get away. She carefully cut out the article and jogged quickly out the door.

She wasn't sure how she made it there, but she ran all the way to the Cerulean fairgrounds. She experienced a wide variety of thoughts and emotions.

What if he doesn't recognize me?

What if he has a girlfriend?

What if...he's not the same...?

She entered the fairgrounds to find a large crowd, centered around a little stage. From what she could tell, he hadn't arrived yet. She stood on her tiptoes to see if she could somehow catch a glimpse of what was going on. Little children pushed and prodded their way through the crowd to the front line. Misty did the same, determined to see Ash once again. Finally, a small vehicle, followed by two other ones just like it, appeared off to the side. A security officer exited one of the cars and went around to open the door for who she assumed was Ash. She held her breath as he opened the car door...

From the vehicle stepped Ash. He had filled out a bit...he was taller, muscular, and much more handsome. Although he no longer donned the blue and yellow vest of his traveling days, he still wore that red Pokémon League hat, a poignant reminder of their times together. He waved and smiled to the crowd, and Misty heard a few giggling girls behind her sigh and swoon. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She recalled his days as a scrawny, over-confident little wanna-be master that she used to know, but looking at him now changed everything.

An announcer came on the stage and patted the microphone, which gave a breathy beat in the background.

"Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Ash Ketchum!" The crowd clapped, but Misty just couldn't take her eyes off him. She calculated that he must be sixteen by now...and had transformed into a very good-looking young man indeed. Ash stepped up to the microphone, and greeted the audience. His voice was the same as it had been five years ago...slightly deeper, but not enough to where she wouldn't recognize it. I hope I get a chance to talk with him, she thought.

This is great, Ash thought. I love touring. He waved to the crowd once more and began to talk about his experiences as a Pokémon trainer.

"I embarked on my first adventures as a little boy," he began. "Only 10, I thought I could rule the world and nothing could stop me...boy, was I wrong," he continued. The crowd giggled. "It took a long time, but I eventually earned enough badges to participate in the Pokémon League. I won a few battles, which really got me confident. But, I ended up losing to one of my new found league friends in the end," he said. "I lost a lot of faith in myself at that point, but with the help of my friends that I traveled with, I made it through..." he ended. He saw a girl in the front row raise her hand. "Yes?" he said.

"Who WAS it that you traveled with?" beckoned a familiar voice. I know that girl, he thought. I know I do...

"I traveled with Brock, the famous Pokémon breeder of Pewter City," he said. The crowd nodded. "And a young girl...one who originated from this town in fact. Her name was..." He knew now. The girl in the front row. It was her.

"M-Misty?" he stuttered. The girl grinned widely. She nodded her head. Oh my gosh...I don't believe it.

"Well, uh, anyway...um...uh...where was I? Oh yes..." Ash, get control of yourself, he demanded. "So, I returned the next year in hopes of fulfilling my dream to become a Pokémon Master. And I succeeded. I won the Pokémon league championships and was then whisked around the world to appear in commercials, at charity auctions, and in small towns like these to share my story and hopefully teach others about the wonderful world of Pokémon." The crowd gave an approving round of applause. "Winning the Pokémon League was a lot tougher than I ever could have imagined. After I lost, I vowed to train harder, be stronger, and fight better. It took a lot of hard work and determination, but without it, I wouldn't be standing here today to help the trainers that I meet, who often remind me of myself, as a little boy with a dream. That dream has become a reality, and I cannot thank my fans and family enough. But I really would have never made it if it had not been for my traveling buddies, Brock and Misty." He looked down at the red-haired girl who stared at him from the front row. I can't believe this...I have to talk to her, he thought. I have to. "I will be available for questions and autographs after the teaching session. Thank you!" He bowed to the crowd, who clapped and whistled. He looked out into the crowd...Misty had vanished. Where... he wondered, until he saw a girl running outside the multitude, red hair waving in the wind.

She huffed and gasped for breath. He's too big of a celebrity now, she told herself. He probably hasn't given me a second thought. She slowed down and nearly collapsed on the ground. She sat down thankfully under the shade of a nearby tree. She didn't know exactly why, but she began to cry. She sobbed lightly into her pale hands, unsure of why and how she could be doing this. I haven't even see the guy for five years...why am I acting like this? She decided she needed to do something to get her mind off Ash, so she walked solemnly to the Cerulean Gym for a swim.

After swimming a few relaxing laps in the pool, she climbed the ladder to the high dive. She raised her skinny arms high above her head, and poised her foot perfectly on the end of the board. Suddenly, she leaped high into the air, spinning twice before diving gracefully into the clear blue water. She arose at the surface to an ovation. She looked near the entrance and saw a young man leaning against a pillar, grinning at her.

He continued clapping until she realized who he was. He walked slowly towards her. She had grown a lot since he'd seen her last. Her tousled ponytail had given way to long, luscious tendrils of beautiful red hair, which glistened with water as they lay on her back. She was still fairly skinny, he noted, but her skin-tight suit left him nearly drooling. She's even more beautiful then I remember, he mused. I can't believe I ever left her. She casually climbed out of the water, batting away a lock of wet hair from her eyes. She approached him cautiously, as if he were an illusion. He smiled and said, "It's okay, Misty. I won't bite." She grinned shyly and came closer. He outstretched his arms in suggestion, to which she laughed and received his friendly hug. "I'm staying for a few days," he stated suggestively. "Maybe we could spend some time together...you know, to catch up?"

"That sounds great," she replied. He smiled at her and turned to exit. "I'll see you soon," he said, waving at her from the doorway.

She watched him disappear into the darkness. She couldn't stop smiling. "He remembers me!" she rejoiced. "He cares." She leaped in the air. She then heard laughing across the pool. She looked over to see her sister Daisy, shaking her head.

"You little love-sick schoolgirl. You and Ash? I always knew you two would end up together." She laughed as she left the pool area. Misty grumbled a little. Sisters, she thought. But for once I hope she's right.

Ash walked nonchalantly down the walkway from the Cerulean Gym. I'll finally get to tell her...after all these years. He then scratched his head in thought. Where would we go? he wondered. He wanted it to be perfect...the perfect setting, the perfect timing. He already had the perfect girl. Just then he passed by a sign, to which was attached a bright yellow sheet of paper. He came in closer to read it.

.:Cerulean Dance:.
.:This Thursday at the Town Hall:.
.:Food and fun for all! Bring your special someone...:.


Ash snapped his fingers, as if enlightened. That's it, he thought.

So, what do you think? Comments, questions etc. accepted. Reviews are good too! Thanks for reading. Part two coming soon!

Mighty Misty