A/n I don't own pokemon.

He wasn't here long enough. Time had gone by and like a flash of light, he was gone. She missed him more than she would ever dare say, and she hurt every day in remembrance.

He had been young. Too young. They had plans to be old together, but now it was just her. Why did it have to be him? Why couldn't it have been her, or better yet, no one at all? No one could explain it to her, but she knew she couldn't change things.

Every day, she would go through a list of things to remember, so that she would never forget him.

Step one, remember his eyes.

"Crystal! Hey, super-serious gal!"

The aforementioned girl rolled her eyes. "What is it, Gold? I'm trying to write out this report."

He laughed. "Reports can wait." She was hunched over a desk, and he got down to her level, gazing into her eyes with his golden ones.

Step two, remember his voice.

"Hey Crys, you busy tonight?"

Crystal held back a giggle and forced herself to be stern. "Yes, I'm busy tonight."

"Yeah? Well too bad, cause' you're going to dinner with me. Right now." With a fond smile, she would move on.

Step three, remember his laugh.

"Are you kidding, Gold? What about the report?"

"Let it do itself!" he insisted.

"I don't think so," she mumbled.

"Well I do! Come on!" He grabbed her arm gently and led her out of the lab, and eventually, to a little restaurant.

"Gold, what is this about?"

Smiling gently, he said, "You'll see."

As he smiled, he laughed a bit, causing her to laugh too. "Why are we laughing?" she giggled.

"Because, today, the world is just right."

"Table for two is right this way," the waiter said, leading them away from the main area.

Step four, remember his touch.

"Crys," he said gently.

"Hm?" The girl looked up from her plate. She was supposed to be writing out a report for the professor, and was figuring out how long it might take to still write it.

"I need to tell you something." There was a certain edge to his voice that made her thoughts halt, and she turned her full attention to him.

"What is it, Gold?"

He took her hands gently.

Her eyes began to tear up as she moved to the next step.

Step five, remember him.

"I love you."

As it echoed in her mind, she realized that she'd never loved him as much as she wanted to now. It was too late, though. Too late.

"Crys? What do you think?" he'd asked.

'I think that I feel the same way. I think I'd like to be with you forever. I think that you complement me perfectly, cover my weaknesses, and make me feel fantastic,' she thought.

But she said, "I love you too."

And so she did.

And so she did.

'Accidents change everything,' she now thought, sobbing. He wasn't here long enough.