~It Must Be the Sunshine~

Dawn listened the pitter-patter her shoes made on the pavement. She, Ash, and Brock were back in Sunnyshore City to get Ash's last gym badge. The sun shone down with such intensity that Dawn had to hold her hand that wasn't holding Piplup up to shield her eyes.

The threesome walked into the Pokémon Center to heal up their Pokémon. Predictably, Brock ran to Nurse Joy and began to flirt.

"Oh Nurse joy, your beauty is beyond comparison! Won't you let stay here and be with you forev-" Croagunk, faithful to a T, Poison Jabbed Brock and dragged him away as Dawn and Ash looked on.

"Old habits die hard!" Dawn shrugged. Ash sighed heavily.

"You have no idea how old that habit is!"

After registering for a room in the Pokémon Center, Ash went off to train, while Brock and Dawn decided to get some shopping done.

Brock picked up a yellow box off the shelf.

"I'd better check the ingredients on this. I don't want anything in my cooking that won't be good for our Pokémon." Dawn yawned. They had been in the breeder's supply store for at least thirty minutes! What was worse was that Brock hadn't bought a thing. He just browsed the shelves, and anytime something that looked good appeared, he'd scan the box until he found fault with it and put it back on the shelf. Dawn wanted to go get a new Poketch application, or maybe a new dress. But then again, what would be the point of buying a dress? The Grand Festival was already over, and her dream of being Top Coordinator was put on hold until at least the next year.

As Dawn pushed the cart into yet another aisle, she ran it into Brock. He had stopped, staring down the aisle as if he had just seen a ghost.

Dawn peered to the side to see what Brock was looking so intensely at. A red-headed girl in a pink jacket, short jeans shorts, and a yellow crop top with suspenders was looking over a can of what was probably Pokémon food. Dawn wondered if Brock had fallen in love again, but he didn't run to the girl and begin flirting like he usually would have. He just stared.

"Misty?"

"Brock?" The girl put the can back on the shelf and ran over to where he and Dawn were standing. "Wow, Brock! I haven't seen you in ages!"

"Same here! How's the gym?"

"Really great! My sisters still don't do much, but they were kind enough to cover the gym for awhile."

"That's great! So what are you doing in Sinnoh?" Brock asked.

"I'm here in Sunnyshore to catch a special ocean Pokémon! I want to mix up the lineup at my gym a bit, so I thought I'd come out here to find a Pokémon I'd never seen before! But I sure didn't think I would run into you!"

The two talked about battling, training, and gym badges for a few more minutes before Dawn was noticed, as she hadn't said a thing.

"Brock, who's this?" The girl motioned to Dawn.

"Oh! This is Dawn!" Brock stepped to the side to reveal Dawn, who was still standing behind him with the cart. "Dawn, Misty. Misty, Dawn."

"Nice to meet you!" chirped Misty. She stuck out her hand.

"Nice to meet you too!" Dawn returned with a handshake and a smile. "So you're the girl Ash talks about!" For that comment, Dawn got an elbow to the side from Brock and giggles from Misty.

"Oh, so Ash does talk about me after all!"

Misty, Dawn, and Brock headed back to the Pokémon Center.

"Wow, Dawn! You're a Coordinator?"

"Yeah! But I recently lost to my rival Zoey at the Grand Festival finals…" It hurt a little bit to talk of her most recent loss.

"Well, uh, you'll get 'em next time, right?" Misty pumped a fist, doing her best to encourage.

"You're right! There's always next time!" Dawn agreed, now feeling a little better.

"So Brock?"

"Hm?"

"Where's Ash?" Misty asked, a big grin on her face.

"What Misty? Are you eager to see him?" said Dawn. Misty's face flushed red.

"It's been a long time! Of course I want to see him!" she barked defensively.

"She's just teasing, Misty." Brock shot Dawn the kind of look you get from your parents when you've just embarrassed them in public. Dawn simply shrugged it off.

She continued stay quiet, letting the stirring breeze play with her hair. Misty and Brock talked some more, mainly about their ambitions and Pokémon training.

Before long, they spotted Ash training with Torterra and Buizel. The wind blew leaves off the trees and they whipped around him; this was the calmer, more natural area of the ultra-modern city.

"Hey, Ash! We have a surprise for you!" Dawn waved perkily.

"Dawn, what s it? I'm kinda busy and-" He stopped. Dawn smiled. "M-Misty?" Misty stepped forward.

"Hey, Ash." she said with a sheepish smile.

"Misty!" He took off full speed and wrapped his friend in a warm embrace. Misty was blushing heavily, but she put her hands around the excited Pokémon Trainer. The grounds around them grew quiet, as if they were being silent all for this one moment.

Dawn could hardly contain how happy she was with Ash's reaction-for weeks now she had been concerned that Ash was so into training that he would never have anyone special. But it looked like he already did.

Ash, now realizing what he had done, let go and said,

"It's good to see you Misty." with a bright blush and a smile on his face.

"So, Ash, what have you been up to lately?" The foursome now sat around a table at Pokémon Center and were doing one of Ash's favorite things-eating.

"I'm going for my eighth Sinnoh League Gym Badge!" he replied. "I lost last time I was here, so I'm back for a rematch."

"Hmm… Then the Gym Leader must be pretty tough." Misty put her elbows on the table and rested her chin in her hands. She was sitting next to Dawn and across from Ash. Her eyes darted around the table before she let out a happy sigh. It was just like old times again. Honestly, Misty didn't mind Dawn. She seemed like a sweet friendly person, and any friend of Ash and Brock way a friend of hers. Dawn hadn't done anything to make Misty despise her in any way, so the air at the table was tension-free.

"Hey, Misty, guess what?" The red-head snapped out of her trance. "Look at this!" Ash dug into one of his pockets and pulled out something small. Misty didn't recognize it until she got a closer look, but when she did, her face lit up.

It was the lure she had Professor Oak give to Ash when he was suffering from a loss at the Battle Frontier. He had kept it all this time.

"Oh, Ash, I can't believe you kept that!"

"Hey, that's the lure you wouldn't let me use when we were fishing way back when!" Dawn exclaimed.

"Huh?" Misty asked.

"When Ash and Dawn were fishing by a river, Dawn asked to use the lure. Ash refused though," Brock informed.

"Ash? Why did you do that?" Misty half-whined.

"Uh, well, it's just special to me. I didn't want her using it. Just me."

"Doesn't make much sense, if you ask me!" said Dawn, crossing her arms and making a face.

"You know what, Dawn you can just keep your comments to yourself!" Ash stood up and yelled angrily. He sat back down and began stuffing more food into his mouth. Misty sweatdropped.

"I think I'll just step outside." She stood up and began to leave.

"Misty, no!" Ash protested.

"Don't worry, Ash. I just need some fresh air is all." She walked out of the Pokémon Center into the crisp night air. Ash banged a fist on the table.

Misty walked down the streets next to the automated walkways thinking. About Ash. He was acting-different. Had he missed her? That seemed more of a dream than a reality.

Back in Johto, after the Silver Conference, Brock, Ash and herself had split ways. Ash had said the he and Misty were destined to become friends, but he didn't seem really sad that she had to go back to the Cerulean Gym. So now did he miss her?

"Ash, what's up with you?" asked Brock. The other three were still eating at the table, but the atmosphere had grown uncomfortably quiet.

"I don't know. I really don't." Ash stood up from the table. "I'm gonna go apologize to her."

"Sounds like a plan," Brock smiled in approval. Ash ran out the door and started looking around for Misty. He asked people on the street if they had seen a red-head in a pink jacket. He mostly got no's, but sometimes they would point him in the direction she had gone.

Though it was dark, Ash was able to make out a figure standing on a boardwalk overlooking the beach. He walked closer. It was most certainly Misty.

In Ash's mind, there had never been a time when he thought that Misty looked more beautiful. The wind whipped her hair and her face looked so perfect. Like an angel, he thought.

Ash walked up onto the boardwalk quietly, making his steps so that they wouldn't be audible. Misty just stared out over the ocean. There was a peace about it that made everything feel so simple.

"It's beautiful isn't it?" she whispered. Ash immediately tensed up; she had heard him.

"Uh, yeah. I guess so." Ash moved next to Misty and put his hands on the railing.

"There's just something about the ocean that can make a person feel so peaceful." Ash nodded.

"Misty, I want to say that I'm sorry for what happened earlier. I didn't want you to leave it's just-"

"If there's anyone you should be apologizing to, I think it's Dawn." Ash felt disappointment surge through him. "But, I accept your apology. It was really thoughtful of you." Ash smiled brightly.

"Glad to hear it Misty. You're a real great friend."

"What do you say we go back to the Pokémon Center and meet up with Dawn and Brock?"

"Yeah. We should get back."

Ash and Misty walked down the streets, making conversation about recent battle and training styles. It was nice to just talk.

When Ash and Misty walked back into the Pokémon Center, Dawn rushed to them.

"You guys! Look at this!" She held out a brightly colored flyer.

"The Sunnyshore Festival?" Ash asked.

"Yep! It's a big event held every year here! They're battle tournaments and games and shops! And plenty of food!" Dawn nudged Ash with her shoulder. "Kinda like the Twinleaf Festival, but here. Luckily, we're in town. It's only held once a year." Ash turned to his red-headed friend.

"Do you want to go, Misty?"

"Sounds fine to me! I was going to look for a new water Pokémon but this sounds fun!"

"Good. Then tomorrow, we go to the Sunnyshore Festival!" Brock said.