Misty ran down the path to where she could smell one of her best friend’s cooking. She couldn’t wait. She was going to be able to surprise her very best friend with her visit and what she was going to tell him. The excitement was growing until she jumped into the clearing.

“ASH!” she screamed, halting upon seeing him.

“M-misty?” he stuttered, turning to see his best friend standing in the same clearing, “Is it really you?”

“Y-yeah, it’s me,” She stuttered, blushing.

Boy, did she have bad timing. Ash didn’t have a shirt on and was dripping wet. Great. Just wonderfully great.

“Hahaha!” Brock laughed, “I thought I heard someone running this way. You have good timing. Ash just got back from a swim and it’s nearly lunch time.”

“A swim?” Misty laughed.

“If I had known that I would run into you here, I would have waited,” Ash joined in laughing.

“PIKACHUPI!!!!” Pikachu shouted, jumping into Misty’s arms.

“Pikachu! Come back here! Don’t you want a bath?” A girl Misty had never seen called out.

Pikachu stuck its tongue out at the girl.

“Good luck with that, Dawn,” Ash laughed, “This is Dawn, Mist. Dawn, this is Misty K. Waterflower.”

“So you’re the one that first traveled with Ash, right?” Dawn asked.

“Yep, that’s me. The first to put up with his stubborn attitude, bad temper, and constant nightmares,” Misty teased.

“Hey!” Ash whined.

“Ok, now you two. Let’s just try to get along,” Brock said, stepping in between the two, “So Misty, why are you in Sinnoh?”

“Well, my dad finally came back and started to run the gym. So I asked him if I could go back on my journey and he agreed. Since I didn’t want to travel by myself, I raced over to Sinnoh and started to look for you guys,” Misty explained, setting Pikachu on the ground and the hugging Ash tightly, “I really missed you guys.”

“Can’t…breathe,” Ash gasped.

Misty instantly let go, “Sorry.”

“Don’t be. I really missed you too, Mist.” Ash grinned.

Misty giggled. It was true that she missed both of her friends, but she missed Ash so much more.

Ash tackled Misty to the ground with a serious expression sending Misty’s thoughts racing with her heart. What was he doing? Did he feel the same? What should she do?

A thunderbolt flashed over head, finally telling Misty that Ash had tackled her to protect her. Not that that didn’t have a nice ring to it, Misty couldn’t help but be a little disappointed.
“Dang it all,” Ash muttered, starting to get up and helping Misty up, “Sorry about that, Mist.”

“That’s alright, but where did that thunderbolt come from?” Misty asked.

“One guess,” Dawn snarled, looking to the right.

There stood a man with purple hair and an Electibuzz. Misty looked back at Ash and saw him snarling at the man.

“Ash, who is this guy?” Misty asked.

“His name is Paul and he and Ash are bitter rivals,” Brock said, stepping up behind Misty.

“Like with Gary when they started out?” Misty asked.

“Something like that but Paul-” Brock started.

“Get Lost, Togepi!” Paul shouted.

Misty and Ash gasped. In a flash of blue light, a Togepi appeared with tears in its eyes.

“How can you be so cruel!?” Ash snapped.

“What? This weak thing can’t use any kind of move,” Paul scoffed.

The poor little pokemon started to cry. It broke Misty’s heart.

“But when a Togepi hatches, the first thing it sees is what it believes to be it’s mother!” Ash snapped.

“So?” Paul sighed.

Ash ran up to the poor pokemon and picked it up. He tried to hide it but Misty knew that not only was he angry but hurt from a memory.

“Hey there little guy,” Ash tried to calm the little pokemon, “It’s ok. Everything’s gonna be fine.”

Misty stared at the little pokemon in Ash’s arms and remembered what it was like for them when they first got Togepi. Misty glared at Paul and grabbed a pokeball.

“I challenge you to a 1-1 battle!” Misty snapped.

Paul looked her up and down and then smiled, “Fine.”

“Stary-” she started to call when.
“Psyduck!” the yellow duck pokemon called out.

“I SAID STARYU, NOT YOU!!!” Misty snapped at the duck.

“Psy? Duck?” it answered.

“Somethings never change,” Ash sighed, “I’ll be ref.”

“What? You’ve never been ref before!” Brock gasped.

“So? Is something wrong about me being ref?” Ash questioned, still holding onto the Togepi.

“Electibuzz, let’s make this quick,” Paul stated, “Thunderpunch!”

“Huh?! Psyduck! Confusion!”

“Psy?”

Misty grabbed a megaphone and started to scream at the duck. Until…

“DUCK!!!” Psyduck cried when Electibuzz’s thunder punch landed a direct hit.

“Psyduck!” Misty cried out.

Ash waited a second before, “Psyduck is unable to battle. The victor is Paul.”