Hello everyone! LifelongObsessor here!

I recently saw a photo floating around the internet of Misty sadly holding Ash's hat. It was captioned "LIAR: You spent eons telling us how important that hat was, and then you just threw it away. Like a lot of things." (I don't know who to cite this photo too, as I have seen it multiple places, so I apologize for that.)

Seeing this picture basically broke my childhood. It was so true. I hadn't realized how much about Pokemon had changed since Misty left the show, right down to Ash's wardrobe and the silly hat he had loved so much. It really got me thinking ... and then it got me planning ... and then it got me writing.

And thus, a story on the importance of Ash's hat in terms of Ash and Misty's relationship was born. I know. Weird.

This was originally intended to be a one shot, but it really got away from me so I'm trying to divide it up as smoothly as I can into chapters. Because of this, some chapters are longer and focus on specific moments, whereas others are shorter and more general. They all play a part, though, I promise.

This is my first attempt at writing for Pokemon and I am VERY new to this whole Pokeshipping thing, so I hope it goes well!

Thanks for reading, and enjoy!

Right from the beginning, the hat had been part of him.

It had been a beautiful sunny day, the kind of day Misty had always loved. Nice weather meant a day where Misty could spend some time on her own in the great outdoors, a day without the meaningless babble of her sisters as they chastised her for not being as good a trainer as they were or not being as pretty as they were or for any other reason relating to how Misty was not living up to the standards they had set. A gorgeous day, to Misty, provided a glorious escape, a freedom from the shackles her sisters tried to fit her with.

Sitting by the water, free from prying eyes and all responsibility, Misty sighed happily. This was her day; calm and clear weather, water Pokémon to be caught, no cares and no worries ... It was perfect. Absolutely perfect.

... Until, of course, that stupid hat, and the boy attached to it, had flown through the air and splashed down into the water in front of her.

"Wha - ?" Misty blinked. What on Earth just happened?

She hesitated only for a moment to collect her thoughts before rushing to hoist the boy out of the wet and pulling him to safety on the dry land. She hadn't gotten a good glimpse of his face; it had been tucked into his chest as she came to his rescue. All she had really seen was his hat, red and white with some sort of symbol dead-centre and a brim to shield his eyes from the sun. How had it stayed on his head after a dip in the water like that? How had the current not whisked it away? Weird.

The boy had a Pokémon with him too, she realized. Something small and yellow ... a Pikachu, perhaps? Whatever it was, it didn't seem to be in very good shape.

It was then Misty's temper took over. Who did this guy think he was, letting his Pokémon get in that kind of condition? Not to mention the fact his unexpected plunge into the water had scared away all of the Pokémon she had a chance of catching that day. Misty steamed.

She really started to let this guy have it, hands on her hips and expression cold as ice as she yelled, angrily trying to get her point across. She finally got a good look at his face as she raved; big, confused eyes stared at her as she yelled, blinking rapidly. Dirt smudged his skin. Dark, shaggy hair stuck up from beneath that hat of his, framing his features in an unruly, boyish way.

He's kind of cute, thought Misty in surprise. The hat had caused her to expect someone uglier and meaner. After all, why would an attractive person wear something that obscured their face like that? It was very misleading. Hat Boy, as she was mentally calling him, was a bit of a mystery

As time went on, Misty began to relent somewhat. She was still angry, to be certain, but something in the boy's face caused her to hold back, not because it was a cute face (although it was), but because of the emotions she could see in it. He was concerned, deeply concerned, about his Pikachu. It had been injured and the fear Hat Boy had for its well-being was clear in his eyes, practically shooting out of them like laser beams. He looked upset ... and afraid.

Maybe he's not such a bad guy, Misty realized. He seems to really care for his Pokémon. He's worried. He made a mistake and someone got hurt; I can understand that. It could have happened to anyone, even me! Maybe I should ease up on him a little ...

And she did ... until her stole her bike.

"Hey!" she cried, running after him as he fled, using her set of wheels. "That's my bike!"

He yelled back that he'd return it someday, but that wasn't what had Misty concerned. She had biked to this spot all the way from her home in Cerulean City. With a bike the trip had been simple; without it, however, the walk would take her ages.

She watched him pedal furiously until he was nearly out of sight. That stupid hat stayed on his head once again like magic, sticking to his head despite the breeze and the speed at which he traveled. Misty frowned.

"That's right, Hat Boy. Run away," she muttered angrily as she started to walk. Stupid Hat Boy with a stupid hat ...