Bike
'How ironic,' Misty thought to herself with an amused face.
If anyone had asked how she met Ash Ketchum, all she had to do was tell them how she literally fished him and his most loyal companion out of the water. Most people would stare in disbelief but no one would question it any further. That was completely fine by her.
Now that she thought about it further, it was funny how she met him there of all places. At the time, she was considered to be the runaway of the Cerulean Gym. Being ten years old brought a blessing and a curse: becoming a Pokémon trainer. She had made her daring escape from her sisters, vowing not to return until she gained status as an expert water trainer.
The reason she had gone to Nameless Lake was because of wanting to catch a mysterious aquatic creature; there had been rumors it lurked those waters but no one had dared to find out. With years of previously winning fishing tournaments, she felt she was up for the challenge. Fishing was not just a typical sport, it was a lifestyle for Misty. Fishing made her feel so free.
Unfortunately, her search was cut short for it was him who convinced her to return to Cerulean. Seconds after fishing him out of the lake, he was dead set on delivering Pikachu to a Pokemon Center even after she slapped his cheek and scolded him. He hadn't exactly mentioned what happened to the amiable rodent, so it was safe to assume the novice trainer was abusing his Pokémon. Furthermore, she was infuriated he had seized her only means of transportation: her bike.
Once she had rediscovered her bike, it was far too late; it was burned to a crisp, collapsing into pieces after the young redhead carried it across town.
She eventually forgave him after he met ears with her wrath and bitterness. Still, she couldn't help but to feel sorry for his ignorance. But as time went on, the harshness slowly faded away. Ash had become her closest friend along with Brock and Tracey. However, her interaction with Ash was different from the rest of her friends. Misty was proud to refer herself as his coach. She was hard on him, but definitely had a soft spot hidden away. Secretly, she admired his outlook on life. His optimism was contagious, and it slowly latched onto her as well. They both shared a love for determination and neither tolerated anyone who was a bully. It was undeniable both would sacrifice their lives as long as others are safe.
Eventually, all good things had to come to an end. After all of her travels, she was genuinely shocked to see it again. Its image haunted her, sprouting memories of being separated from her friends, especially him. The very same bike that had become rubble was back and in better shape than ever. Not only that, it marked the end of her travels.
Never had she been so tempted to destroy it herself. Even after she had settled on becoming the official leader of Cerulean Gym, the urge was still there. One night, she nearly succeeded until stopping herself. That evening was when Misty realized destroying the bike wouldn't help matters, and for good reason. She had discovered why she couldn't bear to destroy it: it served as a symbol of meeting and parting.
Misty looked ahead as her bike slowly come to a full stop. The brightest of all smiles came to her when she found herself jumping off her bike, and ran down a steep slope where the Nameless Lake was. She didn't care it was causing her to run down the slope awkwardly; the rush of adrenaline was more than enough. She waved her hand up high, laughing with excitement. Nothing else mattered anymore because of the person standing there waiting for her.
When Misty called out Ash's name, he stared in awe for a brief moment before an enormous grin flashed onto his face and waved both arms at her. He felt nothing but pure joy to reunite with his best friend. It didn't take long for Pikachu to spark with excitement and jump into her arms; Ash knew how much his Pokémon adored her and wasn't afraid to show it.
As Pikachu cuddled Misty as a greeting, her hand gently rubbed the soft yellow fur on its head. That was when Misty's eyes met Ash's; staring at each other in pure joy and admiration said more than words ever could. Unbeknownst to each other, their hearts were pounding but neither could explain why that was. For them, it was a natural feeling like no other. Reuniting once again felt like home. After all, this was the spot they had met long ago.
They were meant to meet, and it was all because of that bike.