A/N: My Tribute to Pokeshipping Day/The Pokemon Anime's Anniversary. It was posted the proper day on my blog, but I neglected to repost it here since. My apologies, and I hope you all enjoy this despite the tardiness.

Disclaimer: I do not own pokemon nor any affiliated properties or references in this work of fiction.

Counting the Miles

"We're almost there, buddy!"

"Pika!"

With every step that Ash's feet struck the dusty road beneath him, he was brought that much closer to home. His journey in Kalos had been a great one, and he cherished every moment and memory it brought him. But he couldn't deny his love of coming home to Pallet Town every once in a while.

6 miles to go….

Ash's experiences with Kalos were still fresh in his mind, and for good reason. It had been a wonderful journey with his three newest human friends, along with his cherished Kalosian Pokémon partners. Every battle still rang clear, every great deed he did for the people of Kalos, every sight he saw, but most of all: every day he spent with his travelling companions.

Bonnie's infectiously cute enthusiasm for all things Pokémon was the first to surface amongst his jumble of good memories. Her constant attempts to marry her brother off to every cute and capable woman they met was always good for a chuckle or two. And despite being only six years old, she had the mind of an aspiring and soon to be skilled trainer if her skills in commanding Dedenne in battle were any indication.

That, of course, brought his mind to Clemont, fondly remembering how Bonnie had in fact fought her brother's Chespin after it had gorged itself. It had been a tough time for Clemont that day, but he had proven his compassion for his Pokemon, alongside his tenacity to improve as any trainer – especially a gym leader – should. But battling wasn't the only field in which he tried to better himself. Every invention he constructed, all of which Ash always seemed to recall loving for its sheer awesome brilliance, eventually found itself to be a pile of scrap following a massive explosion. But that never kept Clemont from trying and trying again. Ash couldn't deny loving that he had someone possessing that kind of determination at his side.

With that, Serena entered his mind. She had been so indecisive when they began their journey together. Yet, she had grown so much. Serena's passions took her beyond her Rhyhorn Riding origins and to a place that made her happy. She had seemed oddly concerned with his choices in words at times, especially when it came to do with the subject of romance, which he really didn't fully understand anyway. But it faded with time as she came into her own, her confidence building her into the powerful young lady he saw only a few days ago before his departure.

He was going to miss the Kalos gang… that was for sure.

5 miles to go…

As Ash came over another slope on the hill-laden countryside that brought him closer to his hometown, he couldn't help but fall into older memories. The journey home always brought him a sense of nostalgia for days gone by. A plane flying overhead caused his mind to turn to Unova and he soon found himself engulfed in a flood of memories of that cherished trip.

And of course there was Trip: His first rival in the Unova League and his first battle in Unova altogether. It didn't go as well as he'd liked, but he resolved to do better. The culmination of his efforts came in the first battle of the Unova League Tournament in Vertress City, where he and Pikachu relived the battle anew against his Serperior.

His friends had cheered hard for him that day of course. Cilan was had cooked him a hearty meal that morning to prepare him for it. He loved Cilan's food, and it only drove him to remember all the quirks and good times with the A-Class Connoisseur. From their bittersweet departure at the train, all the way back to their first battle in the Striaton Gym, the eccentric sommelier had been a staple of his days in Unova. Even if he couldn't understand all of his fancy words, he took all of them to heart.

'Such a little kid', however, was not a phrase he had a hard time understanding, but it didn't necessarily have the same beneficial impact as Cilan's evaluations. Regardless, his fond memories of Iris and her iron will to become a Dragon Master was something he would cherish. He was glad that she had lofty goal to help her strive for while she did the same for him in his bid to become a Pokémon Master. Even through her teasing and their arguments, he couldn't help but feel incredibly happy about having met and travelled with her. Besides training with her, there were all the times they had spent together. Their exploits in Nimbasa City whilst Cilan did his scavenger hunt, the movies they made together, climbing trees and swinging from vines. It was all something he couldn't forget. Even this little kid wouldn't want to let those memories go.

4 miles to go…

In the distance, Mount Silver loomed over Pallet Town. It was a remarkable sight, and actually reminded him of another mountain: Mt. Coronet.

"No need to worry," Ash spoke to himself comfortingly, his mind flipping to his Sinnoh travels. Dawn came back in a flash, instantly filling him to the brim with excitement as he remembered all their experiences together. She had gone through a lot in her journey to the Sinnoh Grand Festival, and he was glad to be a part of it. She had initially been confident that she could make her mother proud and step out from behind her shadow as repeat Top Coordinator and legend in that community. She began struggling early on though, and Ash saw how it pained her. It reminded him of his own struggles in failing the Pokemon League Challenge, and empathized with her. Together, he, Brock and Zoey, along with a surprising appearance of another companion of his during the Wallace Cup, had helped her out of her slump. Dawn's great journey though the contest circuit culminated in a spectacular second place finish in the Grand Festival, only being narrowly defeated by her rival, Zoey.

Even as Ash's mind turned to rivals, he couldn't help but think of his own rival in Sinnoh: Paul. Paul had been a great influence on him, despite their difference in training methods. Paul might've irked Ash at times, but like all great rivals did for him, he drove Ash to become better, more inventive, and more determined to be a great Pokémon trainer; a sentiment that he was sure Paul found coming from him as well. It just took what was likely the greatest battle the two of them had ever fought in their lives to recognize it.

3 miles to go…

As he crested yet another hill, he could see the coastline in the distance. The cries of wingull fluttered lazily in the breeze and as his mind was brought back to his third journey: Hoenn. The island region was a great experience for him, and he loved every day of it. He had learned a lot from it too.

Surprisingly, despite his relative youth, he learned a lot from Max. But in turn Ash had taught Max quite a few a few things about Pokemon as well. While the young gym leader's son was quite knowledgeable about Pokemon in general, he had quite a bit to learn about the intricacies in training and caring for them. With that growth, Max had come to admire Ash as a trainer, and hoped to battle him one day. Ash was eagerly looking forward to that battle, silently wondering if Max and that Ralts would ever meet again, and if they would travel together as partners. He had a feeling they would.

Of course, there was her big sister, different as night was from day as far as siblings go. May. He couldn't believe there was someone who didn't like Pokémon in the world, but she was one of them; at least at first. As he began mentoring her on her journey, he watched her grow from a girl terrified of various Pokémon, to one who loved them unconditionally. Better yet, she grew from a modest trainer to a coordinator that even seasoned ones like Drew had to step up their game to stay competitive with. May's sweet nature, tied with her newly discovered passion for the art of coordinating, made her quite unforgettable. And he never would forget her or his journey in Hoenn and on the Kanto Battle Frontier alongside her and her brother.

2 miles to go…

Pallet town was in sight now, and he breathed in a great helping of the fresh country air that came with it. So close to home. There he could reunite with so many of the people from his childhood. He wondered if Gary would be there too, or if he was off studying somewhere else yet again.

Gary stuck in his mind as he resumed his brisk pace to his hometown. Even through all the annoying and even harsh teasing and arguments that broke out between them as kids – which only intensified as they began their respective journeys as Pokémon trainers – he couldn't help but fondly cherish their friendship and rivalry. Every encounter, though always somewhat tense in nature, helped him to learn something new. Of course, he would learn something from him: He was a Pokémon Researcher now, and even before that he possessed a nearly unequaled pool of Pokémon knowledge. And that knowledge of pokemon and tactics came to bear in their greatest battle in the Johto League. It was a close one, but Ash had narrowly managed to defeat him. But in this defeat, Gary had realized his true path in life, a fact for which he owed much to Ash. Of course, Ash owed him much as well in driving him to become a seasoned trainer with skills and knowledge that would serve him well in the years to come.

1 mile to go…

The borders of the small town crept closer to him and he couldn't help but marvel at the picturesque vision of the idyllic town. He wondered if Tracey would ever sketch it without the need for Pokémon in it. The artist had a mind for rendering sights of all kinds on paper, though he usually stuck to Pokémon. He fondly remembered their happy, though ultimately short time together. Meeting him in the Orange Islands, learning about the natures of Pokémon in their own habitat, and learning to appreciate their beauty on their own outside of battle was something he was glad he came to realize. And it was all thanks to this Pokémon Watcher, who was now living the dream as an aide to Professor Oak, a personal hero of his. He was happy that he met him, though he did remember who he did have to part from, if only for a short while, that kept their group at a steady count of three.

Brock had been a rock-steady presence for most of his journeys. And Ash was truly thankful for that. His sagely advice and experience went a long way to helping Ash become a better trainer, especially considering how ignorant he was at the start. He couldn't imagine how the young man had taken care of so many siblings, but was grateful that experience was turned towards his little group, especially when it came to his sensational cooking. Of course, Ash couldn't forget how funny it was to see Brock act all weird around women, professing his vaunted love to every pretty face he came across. It was even funnier when one of his travelling companions – or Arceus forbid, Croagunk – had to step in to intervene. Yet, Brock had been a great pillar of his earlier travels, and was grateful for his aid. He was just as happy to hear that Brock was now finding his own way as a Pokémon Doctor.

"It's been a long trip, Pikachu…" Ash remarked distantly to his best friend and partner.

Pikachu uttered a low and contemplative utterance of his name and nodded in agreement to Ash's statement. With all they had been through, Ash couldn't help but rub the back of Pikachu's head, the rodent letting out a contented 'chaaa' at the kind gesture, nuzzling into his trainer's cheek. Ash looked the sky as he walked, remembering all the places and faces he'd met and seen. His potent memories almost seemed to remind him of their physical presence; as though they were there walking beside him. He could see them: Iris' laughing with Axew as he poked his head from her mountain of hair while Trip snapped a well-time photograph to capture the moment, Dawn high-fiving May, Paul giving Ash a glance before returning his intense gaze to the horizon, Cilan and Brock discussing cooking ideas, Max and Bonnie fawning over all the cool and cute Pokémon they had seen, Tracey sketching Clemont and Serena as they happily conversed over his latest idea for an invention, Gary letting out a teasing remark as Ash nearly tripped on a rock in his path.

The jolt of the very real rock and equally real near-fall brought Ash back to reality as he continued to walk down the road. He was about to lose himself in the memories involving one more of his cherished companions before he realized his feet had carried him all the way back to his doorstep.

"Looks like we're finally back," Ash observed happily, quickly turning the door knob and rushing into the house.

"Oh! You're home! Welcome back!" Delia crooned, quickly approaching Ash to give him a hug.

"Yep! I had a great time in Kalos!" Ash declared proudly, only to deflate as Delia's affection seemed to had been directed at Pikachu, whom she plucked from Ash's shoulder and hugged.

"Oh great to see you too, dear!" Delia added nonchalantly, nearly making Ash tumble from this apparently second-rate status of affection from his mother. She smiled and let out a giggle at his reaction and told him, "Oh, honey, don't worry. I'm really happy to see you too. I'm glad to you're home. At least now, I can make sure you change your you-know-whats every day!"

"Moooooom!" Ash whined.

"Oh! I almost forgot! There's someone here to see you!" Delia chimed cheerfully, calling into the next room to garner the mystery guest's attention.

Ash was dumbstruck as to whom this guest might be. But as soon as he saw her walk into the room, his face lit up in happiness.

"Misty!"

The redhead stood before Ash, a smirk on her face at his overwhelmingly positive reaction as her first words to him were as any he expected from his first travelling companion, sly and laced with teasing wit, "Glad to see you still have good taste in friends, Ash."

"I think it's you that has the good taste, I'm just being generous," Ash returned with equal sass, crossing his arms as Pikachu leapt from Delia and ran to Misty to nuzzle her leg.

"Even Pikachu agrees with me Ash. Your point is null and void," Misty spoke with complete self-assurance, winking at him for good measure.

Ash found himself at a loss of words to combat her at this point, her smirk growing at the apparent lack of response and she added, "Geez, Ketchum! I could've caught a Magikarp in that river that would've had more to say than you do right now!"

His mind initially wanted to say something to dispute that as well, but he was enveloped in his memories again at the mention of the whole river incident on his first day into his journey. He remembered being flung full force out of the river and onto the shore, only to see this fiery young redhead gazing down at him with concern, though it quickly morphed to annoyance as she saw the ragged Pikachu in his care. Regardless, it was a good memory. In fact, for reasons he couldn't quite understand, it might've been his favourite.

"You could've caught a Magikarp, Misty, but you wouldn't have fished up as good a friend like me in any other river," Ash countered strongly, his poignant words making their way across the air between them and slipping into her ears and making her expression change from one of satisfaction to one of shock.

The surprise on her face faded and a genuine smile graced her features instead as a light blush came across her cheeks. She turned her head to hide it, but her voice betrayed her feelings, though Ash might not have been able to pick on its true meaning, "No… and I'm glad every day that I caught you instead of a Pokémon."

She finally managed to return her gaze to Ash, as they locked onto each other's eyes. Sea-green met with an earthly brown as they collectively found themselves walking all the miles they had together in the blink of an eye. Those were memories they both shared. Those were memories they made together. And nothing was as important as that to either of them.

A/N: This was written in a hasty rush (quite literally the hour and a half before I had to go to work on the day in question), so it may not live up to the quality that I've come to expect of myself. Besides being proofread since (something I both failed to do and had no time to do prior to the original posting of this), I've not altered it just for the fact that I wanted it to remain true to the quick, if impassioned flurry of ideas that I managed to create here.

I hope you all enjoyed this, and I wish you all a belated Happy Pokeshipping Day and belated Happy Pokemon Anime day!

Happy Reading,

~ UndercityRezident