A/N: So for Day 6 of Pokeshipping Week (Memories), I decided to take another drabble and expand it. This one I turned into a bit of a frame story, so I hope you like it.

Sarah

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon.

"Grandma, can you tell me a story?"

Misty paused, halting the mixing cookie dough to look down at her seven-year-old granddaughter. Her parents were gone for the week, and she had the pleasure of having her stay the entire week. Although it was nice to have a quiet house these days, she did miss the chaos of her own children running around at times. The girl was quiet, but she enjoyed playing with her Pichu, reminding Misty of the boy she pulled out of the water decades ago.

"About what, sweetheart?"

"Grandpa."

"You miss him, don't you?"

"Yeah," the little girl said, casting her eyes down to the floor.

"Me too."

"So…can I have a story?"

"Of course, dear."

"Yay!" The little girl exclaimed as she dragged a dining room chair away from the table. She did this with a second one and plopped herself down. Misty washed her hands, knowing that she wanted her to sit as well. She took a minute thinking of the perfect story to tell her granddaughter, and it couldn't be one she told before. Looking at those chocolate brown eyes filled with wonder, which reminded her of Ash so much, she came up with the perfect one. Her granddaughter clutched her Pichu closely as Misty began to recount one of the best moments of her life.

It was early spring. The flowers and trees were budding. The birds were beginning to nest. Insects, such as butterflies and bees were beginning to emerge. Sitting by a river, immense with sparkling beauty, were a young man and woman. They were in love with each other. It wasn't one of those frivolous loves that many young people had, ones that lasted weeks or maybe months. No, they had what one would consider the truest of true loves—one that would last throughout all eternity. They had been together since they were kids. Over time rivals turned into friends, friends turned into best friends, and eventually, though this took the longest of them all, best friends turned into lovers. The two of them sat by the banks, one more aware than the other about the true nature of this meeting.

Ash Ketchum was nervous. He had been planning this date for several weeks, and it had to be perfect. The picnic basket lay between them, splayed open, previously packed that morning with all of her favorite foods. He was especially careful to omit peppers and carrots, recalling her disdain for the vegetables.

Misty Waterflower popped a strawberry into her mouth with a smile. Ash had shown up at her door with a picnic basket and a blanket early that morning. She had been surprised when he had brought them here, a place that was closer to his home than hers, though not as perplexed as she had been by the gesture in the first place. It was not in her boyfriend's character to do something this sweet. His specialty was in Pokemon, not romance. Speaking of which, (in that moment she had only just realized it) the lack of the presence of a certain yellow mouse puzzled her.

"Where's Pikachu?" she asked him.

He put down the sandwich he was about to bite. "Oh. He's with my mom. I wanted it to be the two of us today."

Misty went back to eating her lunch, her mind starting to wonder what he was up to. He had acted strange in the past at times, but this was beyond unusual. They sat eating, almost silently, the sole words uttered being small talk. The birds chirped in the trees around them. As they were eating their dessert of chocolate cupcakes, Ash turned to Misty, his heart hammering in his chest.

"Mist," he said, taking her free hand into his own. "Do you know where we are?"

She peered around, feeling confused. The river before them looked familiar, as if it were part of a long-lost dream. There was something about it that she could not place. She shook her head. Her memory was foggy, but Ash did not forget.

"This is the place where we first met."

"You mean when I pulled you out of the water?"

"Yes, exactly where we are sitting."

Misty looked at him incredulously. "How can you know that this is the exact spot?"

"Trust me for once," he said as she ate her last bite of cupcake.

Once both of her hands were free, he took them in his hands. Their eyes locked in an unbreakable gaze. He looked at her with such intensity that it made her heart flutter.

"It's also the anniversary of the day we met," he said with a grin, pausing to pull something out of his pocket.

"Ash, what are you doing?"

"You ask too many questions." He inhaled sharply before continuing. "Fifteen years ago, you fished me out of the water. You saved my life–and Pikachu's. I will be forever grateful for that. When I met you, I had no idea that you would wind up being my best friend, let alone the love of my life. It took a while for me to realize what you meant to me, but I did get there eventually. I'm sorry I can be so dense."

He dropped what he had been holding into her hand. He relinquished his own as the cool metal object rest in hers. She brought it up to her face to closer inspect it. It was a diamond ring with blue sapphires along the band, which was made of white gold. Misty's head snapped back up, her mouth hanging open. Words failed her.

"Looking back on it, I realized that I've been in love with you since the first time I saw you. This is where we first met all those years ago…and this is the place that I want us to start our new future together. Mist, I want to spend the rest of my life trying to be the man you deserve, if you'll have me."

"…what are you saying?"

"Marry me?"

The tears spilled out of her eyes at his words, causing her mascara to run slightly. She plucked the ring out of her hand and slipped it on her left hand. Face tear stricken with the widest grin, she leapt across the blanket from her seat into Ash's arms. She knocked him on his back as she crashed her lips against his.

Once they broke apart, Ash said, "So I'll take that as a 'yes?'"

"So that's how Grandpa proposed to you?"

"That's right."

"Do you think we'll ever see him again?"

"Of course, I have to believe that."

There was a sound of the front door opening. The two stopped their conversation to listen to the footsteps that now approached. There was a man who appeared in the doorway. He saw the two and smiled at the pair, seemingly glad to see them. He wore an old, beat-up hat on top of his graying hair. Perched on his shoulder was an older-looking Pikachu.

"Grandpa!"

The young girl jumped off her chair and dashed over to the man. He chuckled at her greeting and picked her up when she approached. He held her close, for he hadn't seen her in months. The two wore the biggest grins.

"Grandpa, can I play with you and Pikachu?"

"In a little bit," Ash said as he set her back down. "Let me have a few minutes with your Grandma first."

"Okay, c'mon Pikachu!"

"Pika!"

The girl slid the door open to the backyard. She and the two Pokemon rushed out it, and she pulled on the handle behind her, slamming the door shut. The two adults reveled in the silence once more. Misty rose to her feet, not moving a swiftly as she had in her youth. She went up to Ash and embraced him, for it had been the first time she had seen him in weeks. He hugged her back graciously, for he had missed her as well.

"I missed you."

"Yeah, well you know how it gets," Ash said. "Being Champion takes a lot of work."

"I know, but I still missed you."

"I missed you too, Mist."

"I think Miki missed you more though," Misty commented. "She was acting as though you died or something."

"She's always been a bit melodramatic, that one."

"Hey, Ash."

"Hmm?"

"Welcome home."