"You shouldn't get engaged now, Mimi. You're still young. You'll get other opportunities."

"Awww dad. Come here."

Ash chuckled a little as his twenty-five years old daughter Miriam hugged him. "I promise I'll call everyday to check on you and on Nana. Getting engaged and moving in with Danny is just a small detail!"

"Promise?" The two pulled away from each other.

"A Ketchum's promise!"

Ash stroked her hair and kissed her forehead. Miriam giggled and turned back to checking her old photos.

The two were looking for her birth certificate when they found some old pictures in the boxes inside Ash's closet. There were a lot of those. Ash took a picture of his daughter every time he got the chance to. She was his beautiful little princess, and she grew to be this young successful lawyer he was so proud of.

"... I'll shoot that Danny guy someday, just saying."

"Dad!" Miriam giggled again and picked up another box. She opened it. "He's nice, we love each other, and Nana likes him. It's a good sign."

"Your grandmother only likes him because he helps her around the house."

"And that's very nice of Danny."

"I give up." Ash left his hands up and chuckled.

"Oh—this woman...?" Miriam turned around and walked over to the bed, showing her father the picture she's found.

Ash's mouth opened when he saw the picture.

"That's...-where did you find it?"

"In the box—oh! I remember now!" Miriam beamed and clapped her hands together. She then pointed at the picture. "It's the woman Nana told me about! Michelle!"

Ash gave a weak smile.

"It's Misty."

"Right, right. Misty! That's her, right?"

"Yes..."

The picture showed a sixteen old Misty wearing a school uniform and smiling to the camera.

Ash was slightly shaking. He was shaking with emotion as he held the picture in his hands. It was years old, from the time he and Misty were best friends. When was that, thirty years ago?

It has been exactly twenty-five years since Ash hasn't seen Misty. That picture was the last picture Ash took of his best friend, and last time he saw her was when they were both twenty.

"Nana told me a lot of things about this woman... are they true?"

"Depends on what she's told you."

"Well, she said you love her."

Ash placed the picture back inside the box. He closed it. "It's a very long story."

"I have time!" Miriam grinned.

"No, that idiot will get home soon and take you."

"Danny is not an idiot! And he's still out with Nana—come on, dad! Please?" Miriam grabbed her father's hand, kissed it and placed it on her chest, hugging it tight. "Please?"

Ash chuckled and pulled his hand away. He looked down as he spoke up. "I met Misty when I was ten. She was the only true friend I ever had—beside Gary, of course. Thing is, she was my very first female friend."

"Our friendship was very special. We were inseparable, literally. Misty meant a lot of me. I could do anything and everything so she'd be happy."

"When I was fourteen, I asked her out, and she accepted without hesitation. We dated. It was the best days of our lives. Love was in the air for sure."

"Aww, cute." Miriam commented.

"After graduating, we still dated. Even if we didn't attend the same colleges, our relationship was as strong as ever. I was enjoying every second of dating Misty, even if I only got to see her in the weekends."

"I did what any guy in love would do; I proposed to her. I waited until Christmas to do so. It was right after we graduated. I was twenty. I was helping your grandfather with his business already. Maybe we were young but I was convinced it wouldn't be a problem. I did what your fiancé did."

"And?" Miriam looked her father in the eyes.

Ash shrugged. "And she said no. She said her parents had already someone planned for her. She said she was sorry because she couldn't tell me and she couldn't break up because she loved me."

"Oh..."

"And I just... it got me mad, really mad. I felt like she was playing a game on me the whole time. I was frustrated. Loving me wasn't enough, you know?"

Miriam frowned.

"And I... I met your mother." Ash looked up and stroked his daughter's face. "And you came. Everything changed. It was bound to happen; a beautiful baby girl had to be born so I can be happy again."

"Even if her mother was a bad person?"

Ash narrowed his eyes. "Your mother wasn't a bad person. She never was. Just because it was a one night stand, doesn't mean she was a bad person."

Miriam shrugged.

"She had health problems... her only wish was your name, Miriam." Ash stroked his daughter's hair.

Miriam smiled slightly.

"She's a hero. I'd be proud of a mother like her."

"And when she died, you simply decided to never touch a woman ever again? Why didn't you get married?"

"Oh, that's complicated."

"No really. Why didn't you just go look for Misty?"

"Oh, come on. She's probably married." Ash chuckled at his daughter's naivety.

"You never know!" Miriam rolled her eyes. "You love that woman, and she loves you, right? I think she'd be glad to get together with you again."

"Mimi, she's married." Ash shook his head. "And how old do you think I am? Twenty?"

"Love is bliiiiind, dad. We could do a double wedding!"

Ash laughed at that. "No, I'm an old man. I had my time and my fair share. It's your turn now."

"You didn't get your fair share!"

"I don't want it—I'm fine this way, okay? If you're happy, then I am happy. Marry Daniel, be happy. That's all I want now." Ash smiled at her and got up from the bed.

"I thought Danny was an 'idiot'..."

"I didn't say he wasn't."

"Dad!" Miriam pouted and got up. "He really respects you!"

"He's still an idiot." Ash chuckled and kissed his daughter on her cheek. "I'll go check some stuff at the office. Do you need anything?"

"No, just don't eat outside. We will make lunch."

"I don't eat outside."

Miriam rolled her eyes. "I believe you."

"I'll be back in an hour or so."

-

Ash exhaled the smoke through his mouth and pulled the cigar away. He stood up against the glassy door of his office's balcony and stared through the glass at the streets, and glanced now and then at the picture he held in his free hand.

Whatever happened to Misty?

The conversation he's had with his daughter had him thinking: what if she didn't marry that man? After all, she's tried to contact him three or four years after they parted ways, but Ash refused to talk to her or see her. He didn't know if she was trying to get in touch because she wanted to get back or she was just trying to invite him to her wedding...

Above all, Ash knew he still had feelings for the red-haired woman, and even after all these years, he still does. Mentioning her name and thinking about her still gave him tingles and butterflies in the stomach. It was crazy.

Kimberly was just a bump in the road. Ash has met Miriam's mother in a club the night Misty broke up with him, and she... comforted him. They were both sad, drunk; young... it was bound to happen.

After finding out about the pregnancy, Ash thought he should just date her and move on. He found out about her cancer then. It was either Kimberly, either their child. Kim refused to abort to get treated (chances were very low she would be able to give birth again after chemo) and her cancer just destroyed her slowly. Ash never got over the guilt.

It was him who got her pregnant; it was him who killed her. It was him.

He did love Miriam with all his heart. Taking good care of her was the only thing he could do to cure the wound. It was mainly why Ash never got involved with women. He wanted his attention to be focused on Miriam and only her. He was scared women would hurt or upset his daughter, or just make her feel uncomfortable. How would he know?

It was the reason why Ash never tried to look for Misty. He didn't have time for his childish, romantic and silly feelings; he had a child and a mother to support. His father died shortly after Miriam celebrated her fifth birthday, and the business burden was on Ash's shoulders. He had to run around airports to get to his daughter's birthdays in time, be there for Mother's Day and for Christmas and he better not be late.

And Ash hated Christmas.

"Hey Ashy bo-"

"Knock on the door before you butt in, stupid." Ash interrupted him and turned around. Gary was right behind him. "What do you need again?"

"Do you have some cash?"

"You should stop the gambling, just saying-" Gary grabbed the cigar from Ash's hand and smoked as he leaned against the glassy door. Ash narrowed his eyes at him and sighed.

"Why are you alone, in a dark office filled with cigar smoke?"

Ash closed his eyes. He wasn't really in the mood for Gary's games.

"You know what? Let's go have a drink, just you and me—or maybe you can bring that spoiled son-in-law of yours. Can he even drink?"

Ash looked at him and chuckled. "I hate the sound of that. The idiot..."

"At least you won't have to worry about every p*nis in the neighborhood anymore."

"That joke again?"

"I love it." Gary smoked the cigar pretty quickly and threw the remains into the trash bin. Ash raised his eyebrows. He grabbed a glass of water and poured it in the trash as the cigar was still lit up.

"Still not sure why I keep letting you in my life."

"You need me, Ketchum." Gary put his hands inside his pants' pockets and grinned. "So, still up for a drink?"

"I can't. I made a promise to be home for lunch."

Gary made a face and groaned. Ash shrugged.

"Just a sip."

"I said no."

"Let's go take a walk then."

"I don't feel like it."

"Ugh, you don't want to leave this office? Fine then!" Gary walked toward the door and opened it.

"He won't leave. Just get in."

Ash felt as if his heart skipped a beat. He looked the person up and down, trying to believe what his eyes were seeing. He brushed his hand over her eyes and face, trying to kick off any possibility of him hallucinating. 

Misty.

"I'm out of here. See ya, Ketchum."

Ash blinked. He blinked once again.

"Hi."

"How—what are you..." Ash was at a complete loss of words. His eyes were all over the woman he's learned to love so much.

She did change. She really did. She looked tired. She looked older. Her hair was still shoulder length, but the red fire was gone. It was dull. Her eyes were dull. The usual spark and brightness in her eyes were gone. Her cute freckles were gone—

"Are you going to greet me back or just keep staring at me?"

"Oh—I—Hi..."

Misty smiled weakly and walked over. She stood by his side. "Shocked I'm still alive?"

"How did you get here?" Ash was still shocked to see her.

"Does it matter?"

"Yes, it does." It sounded more like Ash was complaining. He frowned when Misty looked him in the eyes and he noticed she was crying. "Misty..."

"I'm truly sorry." Misty wiped off her tears. "I am sorry."

"Mis-"

"Let's stop making this meeting so sad!" Misty snapped and laughed a little. "How are you?"

"How are you? That's all you have to say to me?" Ash wasn't taking this well. "Are you kidding me?"

Misty remained quiet.

"You haven't seen me in thirty years-"

"Twenty-five."

"It's the same-"

"No, it's not! That's a five years difference. That's too many years. Stop making me sound so old! I don't care if you want to be five years older already. I don't, okay? If it's not a big deal for you, it is for me!"

Ash was trying to sound so serious and Misty was just butting in every time... it made him smile a little bit.

"And you think this is funny!"

"Misty, that's enough."

"Twenty five."

"Yes, yes, twenty five." Ash nodded his head. "You haven't seen me in twenty five years and all you have to say to me is 'how are you'?"

"What am I supposed to say?"

"Misty-"

"Ash! I am sorry!" Misty failed her hands. "I said, I am sorry!"

"..."

"I missed you! I just... I'm sorry, please..."

"Come here." Ash walked forward and brought her close to his chest gently. He stroked her hair.

It was crazy how much he languished to her touch.

"It's alright. It's alright. I'm sorry too. I pushed you away—it was uncalled for." Ash kissed her forehead. He hoped she wouldn't mind. He really missed her touch.

The two pulled away from each other slowly. Misty cracked a small smile, and turned to stare through the glassy door.

"How have you been?"

"Messy."

Ash stared. He stared in front of him too. "I missed you."

"I missed you too... it was hard, you know?" Misty's voice was wobbly. "I almost cried when I heard your mother's voice over the phone—and then your daughter talked-"

"You talked to Miriam?"

Misty nodded shyly. "Yeah."

"So it was her..." how did she find Misty's phone number he'll never know.

"I came here and found Gary outside—it was your daughter who told me to get here and fast. I never knew—I mean..."

Ash closed his eyes and sighed. He knew what was coming next.

"Who's her mother, Ash?"

"She's dead."

"You never-"

"It was a mistake. She wasn't planned. What would a twenty years old guy know about raising a daughter anyway?"

Misty remained silent.

"It was mainly mom who took care of her in the first years. I knew nothing." Ash spoke up quickly.

"But you love her, right?"

Ash nodded slowly and smiled. "Yes."

Misty smiled back. "Kids are a blessing."

Ash looked at her but she looked away. "That feeling of never being able to having your own child... it's the most frustrating feeling, especially when you can do nothing about it."

"Misty-"

"It wasn't me; it was my ex-husband. The doctor said so." Misty closed her eyes. "But he was convinced it was my 'fault'...  I don't know. His family wanted an heir, I didn't give them the heir, and they just threw me back to my parents."

"Why didn't you-..."

"Marry someone else?" Misty shook her head slowly. " After the trauma? Hell no. I didn't even date. I just stopped everything. Wasn't it your case?"

"Let's just say that after my father passed, my daughter and my mother needed me more than I needed women."

Misty turned toward him. "How old is she now?"

"Twenty-five. She got engaged just recently."

The redhead's eyes shot wide. "What? I thought she was around sixteen. She sounded so young over the phone."

Ash chuckled. "And you used to say I sucked at math."

"You probably still suck at math. You only remember her age thanks to birthdays."

The two chuckled.

"Yeah... and you're probably going to be a grandfather in a couple of years. How does the thought make you feel?"

"Not sure about that... maybe a little bit excited?" Ash shrugged and smiled. "But a bit old too."

"Oh, don't remind me. I look like a weathered sack."

"I look like a weathered potato sack."

"You eat too much."

"No?"

"You do."

"I don't."

"You dooo."

"I don't."

"You do. I know."

"You don't know. I don't."

"Do."

"Don't."

"Do."

"Don't."

"Do..."

"Don't!"

"Do—hey! This is not going anywhere! Why do we keep the nonsense arguments on?" Misty narrowed her eyes.

Ash shrugged and chuckled slowly. He hugged her. "It's our little thing and it never gets old."

"And we missed it." Misty rested her head on his chest and smiled.

"By the way, I still don't."

"You do!"

THE END. 

I KNOW I AM LATE. 

A day late. 

Buuut, it took me a while to write this. It's long. I've been working on this stuff for more than two months, and... I was never satisfied. I'm not even satisfied now. I just want to publish it now because... POKESHIPPING DAY! 

Plus, I'm extremely busy with freshmen I have to work with, my own work, a project, and getting papers for a stupid intership.

It turned out to be a little cliché, but nothing is wrong with cliché sweet stuff for Pokeshipping Day.

ALL HAIL THE POKESHIP!