Disclaimer: EVERYTHING BELONGS TO GAME FREAK AND NINTENDO. THIS FIC IS NOT FOR PROFIT.


Misty was following the news of Ash and Brock. Every time she came out in an interview, in a tournament, every time someone mentioned something about them. She had called Ash's mother and Professor Oak in Paleta Town asking about Ash, she had found out that she had been to visit them several times, some of them had organized parties, but they had never invited her. Neither Ash nor Brock had called her since she left them to be a water pokemon trainer. It's as if they've forgotten her, as if their time together haven't counted for them in the same way that it counted for her.

Ash had met many girls during his travels, but Brock had always stayed by his side. Sometimes Misty felt like Ash's old pokemon, whom he released and then he forgot about, the only difference was that he saw the pokemon from time to time, when the situation required it. Misty had been completely forgotten.

Although Misty had grown up, she could never forget the good times by their side, where she traveled with them and faced Team Rocket. Looking back, she was able to realize that her first crush had been with James, not Ash. She found it funny how they always tried to screw up their plans and ended up defeated. James had attracted her ever since he had found out about her past, because she was able to sympathize with him. She never saw him as a villain again, from that moment, for her, he had been a man who had made bad decisions in his life. She still had a hunch every time he went out in some tournament to mess up Ash's plans. His attractiveness had increased over the years. But she knew that there could be nothing between them, James had always considered her a child, he had never taken her seriously. Misty suspected that she had a crush on Jessie or that Team Rocket had thought she and Ash were in love during their trip.

Now her heart belonged to Gary. With her visits to Paleta Town, she and Gary had talked about old times and this had led to dates at lunches and later at dinners and dancing. Their pokemons got along, which was essential for them to get along and form a serious relationship. Although hers Gyarados is only touched by her, Gary had never flinched under his gaze, as many of her opponents and potential mates had. No matter how much time passed, Gary never forgot anything that was related to her, birthdays, encounters, appointments... and he always appeared with flowers in the right situation. He treated her well and soon they would move in together. It was hard to leave Sky City after so long, but her sisters understood that Misty had already spent enough time at home. She had always wanted to go out and explore the world and now with Gary she had the perfect opportunity again.

She could never forget James. He had been her first love and she had thoroughly enjoyed fighting him, gaining experience, helping him when needed. All those fights had made her mature. There were days when she wanted to go find him and ask him if he remembered her, but then she remembered that he would have remade his life too and he probably wouldn't even know who she was.

Misty could never imagine that far away, in the middle of a forest, James from Team Rocket thought of her. He had not forgotten her and every day he thought of that brave redhead with Togepi, who had helped him so many times and confronted him. There were days he wanted to punch Ash for not taking her with him on his trips, other days he wanted to ask him about her whereabouts. James had checked her out, still did to see if she was okay. Ever since he met her he had been hoping to ask her out on a date when she grew up a bit and forgot about Ash. James could never understand all the girls' insane obsession with this mediocre trainer who only used his Pikachu to win battles and abandoned the rest of the potential pokemon to him.

There were more important things in life than winning battles and collecting pokemon.

For James, Team Rocket was paramount in his life, because it was like his family. For that reason he didn't want to go looking for Misty. He was not good for her. But sometimes, when he slept, he could still remember her eyes and her voice. He had up-to-date photos of her, which had been published in various fitness and beauty magazines. He was one of her admirers. Jessie and Meowth knew it and sometimes they made fun of him, other times they encouraged him to go look for her, even if for that he had to leave the life of crime that he led of it and become someone honest.

"If you don't ask her out of it already, someone else is going to." Meowth said.

"Misty isn't going to be waiting for you forever, James." Jessy said.

Well, they were right, but it had been his cowardice, his fear, that had made him lose her, because he hadn't even tried. A week ago, the magazine of the ten bravest trainers in the world had published an article in which they mentioned that Misty and Gary Oak were going to live together. James hadn't been able to take the news well and his friends had been trying to cheer him up ever since. He felt an irrational hatred towards Gary, he wanted to find him, see what kind of man he was, if he was honest, a good person, to make him swear that he was going to treat her right.

Then he remembered that he could have fought for her and he didn't. To her, he had forgotten her just as her friends had. James was to blame for Misty not knowing what she had meant to him in her life, he couldn't blame Oak for anything, because he had had many opportunities to reconcile with her over the years and hadn't done. He had no right to meddle in her life.

Maybe one day they would see each other again, maybe one day James would go to Celeste City and challenge her to a duel to remember old times and tell her that he had never forgotten her. Until then, he would continue to watch the news and collect magazine covers where Misty appeared. Only now that he had lost her had James realized that he had always been running from his life and his problems, to avoid confrontations. Maybe one day, when he found his courage, if it wasn't too late for him, he could ask her out on a date.

He hoped this Gary guy knew her worth.