Author's note: I hope you enjoy this short pokeshipping story - I've really loved writing this. Please leave me a review to let me know your thoughts, but as always, keep your comments kind. Merry Christmas, everyone. 2020 has been truly awful but I hope my stories can continue to bring some entertainment or escapism.

This short story was inspired by Taylor Swift's song long story short from her latest album evermore - check it out! I had Biffy Clyro's song Space in mind when I was writing for Ash and Misty's relationship as it felt so fitting for them. I often felt that distance would make them realise the depth of their love more profoundly. Give Space a listen - it's a brilliant song.

long story short

Shifting in her seat to get more comfortable, she gripped her pen and continued with the dull paperwork that came with the job as gym leader. She released a heavy sigh from her lips and reached over for the next pile of papers awaiting her that she'd been avoiding for the past week. She cast her eyes down the accounts and groaned. Over the years, she was seeing more and more of the downsides to being a gym leader as further rules and regulations were put in place by the Indigo Plateau. These days, it was less about the challenger and the battles and more about the stuff that demanded her time around that. The resulting big ball of persistent anxiety in her stomach made her nauseous because the truth was that she hated it, but it was a distraction from so many things.

She ran her fingers through her long, red hair and sat back in her chair to gaze out over the grounds of the Cerulean City Gym. Her eyes stared out at the green lawns that sat either side of the long characterless pathway that led up to the gym's entrance, trees strategically planted tall down the grass verges. Occasionally a pidgey or butterfree would fly into view, and she spotted a weedle in the grass not too far from the lake that was situated in the middle of the left grass verge where a poliwag was jumping into the water. She sighed again, her eyes dropping to the contents of her desk. As she went to reach for her pen, she found her hand going for the drawer of her desk. She inhaled sharply as memories associated with the contents of this drawer flooded her mind. It wasn't the first time in the past six months that she found herself reaching out with shaking hands to grasp the thread that tied her to him.

Dear Misty, the letter began, I can only imagine that, like myself, life at the gym has been tremendously busy. I hope you've found time to get back out in the water to enjoy the feel of it brushing against your skin. I know how much you miss it. It feels crazy to miss something that you love when you're one step away from it, but the pull of our responsibilities has a stronger hold which I know all too well that you wish to escape from. I sincerely hope you find it. It has been three weeks since I left you to think about my proposition. As I have heard nothing from you, I can only presume that it was too much, and I scared you. My love for you is just as it ever was. If I am not what your heart is crying out for, then I hope you are reunited with who can fulfil it. I enclose that which was and always will be yours, no matter the answer. With my deepest love and affections, Rudy.

Misty pulled out the platinum engagement ring with a large oval sapphire flanked by a round brilliant cut diamond either side and stared at it. In all of these months, it never failed to take her breath away. Your eyes, they're like diamonds, but lovelier. From the moment he saw her, he adored her and made sure she knew it. She knew that he'd chosen this ring with such care to remind her every time she set her eyes on it of what he saw when he looked at her. The first time Rudy presented it to her, it felt like all of the air was knocked out of her, the ringing in her ears was loud and unyielding and she lost all sense of herself. It was too much, and she fled in a panic. Hours later, he found her in their bedroom, perched on the edge of their bed, her feet hanging above the carpet, unable to meet his eye. He deserved an answer, she knew, anything over her initial reaction but he also knew that she couldn't give it yet and needed space. So that is exactly what he gave her, and she returned to Cerulean City, demanding to take over as gym leader, a request whole-heartedly granted by her sisters. And six months on, Cerulean City was once again her home and she hadn't stepped foot on the Orange Islands since.

Her time on Trovita Island felt short but two years had gone by. Her sisters owed her big time after leaving her to take over the gym when she was forced to abandon her own travels years ago. Rudy had sought her out three years into her new position as sole gym leader and she accepted his advances. Within six weeks, they were dating and after a year she moved to Trovita Island. His company filled the void that had been present for so long. But it was this ring that made her realise that he couldn't fill the void and her heart continued to cry out.

She got to her feet and left the office to make her way to her bedroom. She glanced around the room and went to her sock drawer which she opened and brought out the pile of envelopes stored there. She picked up the first one, stepping back and plonked herself down onto her bed, pulling out the postcard within. She'd carefully stored each postcard into the envelopes to preserve them over the months. In a way, she hoped that with each envelope, she was storing a little of her guilt in the contents of each one. She smiled at the sights of Kalos on the front of the postcard and turned it over to reread the contents.

Hey Misty! It's so good to hear from you. I'm back in Kalos again visiting Diantha for a battle. I'm totally psyched! Are you going back to the Orange Islands soon? I must join you. It's been too long since I was there. It was a great time when we were there together. Ash and Pikachu x

It was one week after she returned to Cerulean City that she reached out to Delia Ketchum to ask after Ash and that was how she was able to get her mail to him. Within a matter of days, she received his reply, and nothing gave her more joy than receiving his words. However, her guilt at leaving Rudy and seeking out Ash within a week of her return made her feel overwhelming guilt, so she threw herself into everything she could. Thankfully, the gym provided all the distraction she needed from the emotions going through her. The end of the day was a different story. Some nights, she sat cross legged on her bed, staring out of the window, numb with emotion, unable to think or feel or even to react to the emotions she knew she was trying to suppress each day. Other nights, she cried. She cried so hard it felt like she was going to split in two and all that would be left would be a pool of her unshed tears. Ash's first postcard was the key that opened the floodgates. She hadn't cried since she left Rudy, an emotional mess, unable to form an answer for him that he so deserved. It took her some time to be able to find the words to tell Ash that no, she wasn't going back to the Orange Islands.

Mist, I don't know how to reply. I only wish I could give you the squashiest of hugs. I know that Pikachu wouldn't want you to be so sad either. If you ever want to talk, drop me a reply and tell me. I may not be present in your life, but I'll always be a part of it. You can bet on a battle to take your mind off it. I'm overdue a challenge against my favourite 'flower. Ash and Pikachu x

She fell asleep that night with this particular postcard in her hand. But she never called him. The guilt was still so strong. She knew why she couldn't give Rudy an answer. If she said yes, she would have to let Ash go and after all these years, she couldn't do that. And if she couldn't let him go, then did she really love Rudy in the way that he loved and cherished her? She couldn't do that to Rudy. He treated her not in the shadow of her sisters, but in her own light and that meant the world to her. Yet she knew that if she accepted Rudy's proposal, the part of her heart that belonged to Ash would slowly die and over time, so would she. She couldn't give Rudy that responsibility, but she also knew she needed to do right by him.

Greetings from Hoenn. Thinking of you, Misty. It's been two months now – have you spoken to Rudy? If you haven't, please do. The Mist I know was fearless. She was and is extraordinary. You'll feel better if you give him some closure, too. May and Drew send their love. I'm going to be cheering on May tomorrow at the Grand Festival – hope she wins! Love Ash and Pikachu x

If there was anything Misty had learned over the years, it was that people didn't easily give out affection and compliments. She knew that Ash never said anything he didn't mean. So with that in mind, she wrote to Rudy.

Rudy, she'd written, there are no words sufficient enough to apologise. It is long overdue. You deserve so much more than what I gave you and you certainly deserved a reply before now. I'm two months late. I know I've already hurt you and I'm not even deserving of a reply. But you should have had one from me the night you asked me to marry you, even if it was a 'no'. I fear you already know why I would have said no if I'd have given you that answer but I won't insult you by not acknowledging it. When we met, you knew I had affections for someone else, and I couldn't entertain it at the time. Your engagement ring made me question everything and I couldn't do that to you. You gave me more than you could imagine – you made me feel loved. You can never understand how much that meant to me. I was always more than just a Waterflower to you. I don't know if I ever made you feel that way, but I loved you. It just wasn't enough in the way you deserve, and you do deserve it. You deserve everything that makes you happy. I just hope that one day, you can forgive me. I was reminded that Misty Waterflower would never run from anything. I lost myself and for that I'm sorry. Misty x

And of course, Rudy forgave her. No matter how much it hurt, he understood her more than she knew. He refused to hate her for making his heart stop for a beat when no reply came. His heart continued to still over the weeks when no reply came but he continued to love her. His little sister told him over this time that if you genuinely love someone, don't ever decorate their eyes with tears, their ears with lies and their heart with a wound. He knew that hating her or holding a grudge, no matter how justified he was in feeling any ill toward her, she didn't need another wound, and neither did he. If you love someone, let them go, for if they return, they were always yours. If they don't, they never were. And Rudy knew that Misty was never his. She was his to have for a short time until it was time for the right person to love her.

Misty heard the shrill ring of the gym that came from the entrance of the gym. She rolled her eyes, putting the two piles of opened and unopened envelopes down onto her bed and got to her feet. She hated that bell that rang out to alert her that someone was at the door awaiting her presence. It was never anybody she wished to see deep down but they were at least a distraction and for that, she was grateful. She made her way through the gym and down into the foyer, rounding the corner into the entrance, scraping her fingers through her loose hair with a sigh.

'Here we go again,' she thought, geeing herself up for another challenger.

"Hello," she greeted her visitor on automation pilot, "welcome to the Cerulean City Gym."

Her eyes raised to meet her guest and she came to a standstill. She found herself suddenly lost for words. After months of words being the doorway that linked them, the irony wasn't lost on her that she found that she no longer had any. But there was nothing separating them now. He flashed a crooked smile at her, his chocolate brown eyes lighting up at the sight of her.

"Hey, Mist," he grinned.

"Ash," she faltered. "Wh-what are you doing here?"

"I told you that you can bet on a battle when I visit, so here I am," he reminded her.

She shook her head slowly and felt the smile spreading across her face. Just being in his company was like water on a parched throat. He crossed the floor, closing the space between them and crushed her to him, his arms against her back, pushing her as close to him as he could manage without cutting off her lungs.

"I promised you the squashiest of hugs," he murmured in her hair.

She breathed in the scent of him. The earthy, musky smell that she'd missed so much. He often smelled like the wind that blew through the woods and forests that they'd walked through on so many occasions. The memories of their many adventures together flooded her senses and she smiled into his shirt. It was like coming home.

"And you always deliver on your promises, right?" she checked, grasping his shirt in her hands.

"For you, absolutely," she felt him nodding above her head.

She looked up at him, surprised to find how tall he was. In the years after she stopped travelling with Ash and Brock, she saw Ash occasionally in his initial Hoenn years and again when he was travelling through Kanto to conquer the Battle Frontier. But their communications eventually became dependent on video calls and letters. When he travelled further from Kanto, their communications became less frequent, but their connection never wavered. Being in his arms now was testament to that. When she left Rudy, she reached out to the only person who she knew wouldn't judge her. He helped her to work through her guilt over the months and she found that she was able to swallow it easier and the pain was less intense.

"What is it?" he asked.

"You're actually here," she stated.

"You needed me," he said as a matter of fact.

"And you knew that?"

"I knew that six months ago, but I had to be in other places and travelling takes time," he told her. "I would have been here after your first letter reached me but Kalos isn't next door."

He smiled sadly at her.

"You're here now," she murmured into his shirt.

She felt his fingers running through her long tresses.

"I like it like this," he commented. "Just like a mermaid."

She heard the teasing tone in his voice, and she pinched his sides, making him jump in shock as it tickled him just in the right spot.

"Where's Pikachu?" she asked.

"With Nurse Joy," he answered. "I wanted to see you first without any distractions. I promised him that you'll see him later."

"That's a promise you'll have to keep," she said firmly. "It's been too long since I've seen him."

Silence fell over them as Ash held her, both savouring the feeling of being in each other's arms.

"I've missed you, Misty," he admitted with such tenderness in his voice that she raised her cerulean blue eyes to his face.

She marvelled at his sharp jawline, strong shoulders and the never changing mass of black hair that refused to be tamed, only with age, it added a certain appeal to him that made her heart yearn for him more.

"You have no idea how much I missed you," she returned.

Ash considered her for a moment while he recalled a conversation he had with a certain gym leader some years ago.

"I hope you know you're a very lucky guy, Ash," Rudy addressed him, acceptance in his voice as he bid Ash, Misty and Tracey goodbye following Ash's win at the Trovita Gym.

"Lucky?" Ash echoed in confusion, frowning. "What do you mean?"

Rudy looked back at Misty wistfully.

"You'll see someday," he told him.

And Ash did. He didn't expect to ever see anything beyond pokémon, battles and championships but in the years he travelled without Misty, he recognised more and more the great hole she left in his life. When word got back to him that the Cerulean City Gym leader was dating a gym leader in the Orange Islands, he knew exactly who this gym leader was, and he felt his heart stop. In that moment, he didn't feel lucky, but if she was happy, he wasn't going to let his feelings stand in her way. So, he continued to travel with other new companions, one of whom showed him that he could recognise his great capacity to love. And yes, he had loved Serena for a time, but she wasn't Misty. His thoughts were still primarily all things pokémon and it was this fact that pushed him to realise that she was the wrong girl. However, when he heard that Misty wasn't happy, he knew he wanted to help her find happiness again, and selfishly, he hoped that he could be a part of that.

"I think I have an idea," he smiled.

"What do you mean?" she wondered.

"A great guy once told me that I'm a very lucky guy," he replied. "I didn't know what he meant back then. But I wanted to see you today to see if I could put a smile on your face. Mist, you're my best friend." He let out a lungful of air nervously. "But you're more than that to me. Time has passed since your relationship with Rudy ended and you needed that time. You needed a friend, but I wanted you. It saddened me so much that you weren't happy." He ran his fingers down her cheek as she listened intently. "What can I do?"

"Ash," she whispered, resting her head back on his chest again. "When Rudy proposed, I fell from the pedestal and right down a rabbit hole. I couldn't send you pages of detail but long story short, it was a bad time. I felt pushed from the precipice after I had to stop travelling with you guys. I felt like I'd lost everything that made me… me. When Rudy came calling, it felt like an opportunity to shine so I clung to him because in his eyes, I shone. I wasn't in anyone's shadow. But long story short, he was the wrong guy."

"And I'm the right guy?"

She looked up at him with a small smile.

"I was never in anyone's shadow when I was with you," she acknowledged. "You never saw me as anyone other than Misty and I never appreciated that enough. I loved Rudy but when he met me, he was blinded by gratitude for how we met. You were home to me, Ash."

"So, I'm not too late?" he asked, a question which had haunted him for years.

"Better late than never," came the response.

He ran his fingers through her hair at the side of her head and tucked the red locks behind her ear, cupping his hand around the back of her head. He leaned down and his lips claimed hers in a tender kiss. He felt her respond and her arms slid from around his body to loop round his neck, pulling him down closer to her level. Against his lips, she felt him step into the space in her heart where he should have been all along. They both knew that no matter the distance between them, their joy lives in the moments they share. And here he was there to stay because there is only one happiness in life, to love and be loved.