"I can't believe you're not coming with us!" Dawn sighed.

"What do you mean you're not going back to Twinleaf?" Brock asked his good friend. "This was so unlike Ash," Brock began to think, "Ash usually never goes anywhere without us."

"I'll be there, but I have to make a stop before I do," Ash tried his best to explain without giving away his intentions, "Don't worry about me, I'll be fine."

Dawn and Brock looked at each other, but it didn't help. Neither knew what was going through Ash's mind. "Alright… Be careful!" Both Dawn and Brock sighed again, whenever Ash had his mind made up, it was almost impossible to change his mind.

"Bye!" And just like that, Ash was off. Dawn and Brock stared at him, wondering what he was up to, but then continued on their way to Twinleaf.

"I wonder if she'll be surprised," Ash began to think. He hadn't seen Angie since they stopped that so-called "Scarf Monster", and to think he was only about an hour from seeing her again. Just because he hadn't seen Angie didn't mean he had stopped thinking about her. Throughout his entire travels, he had never met anyone with such a fiery passion and competitive spirit as her. He couldn't wait to see her again. All these thoughts brought a smile to his face, and he began to walk a little faster. Pikachu noticed this and caught up to his trainer.

"PikaPiPikachu?" Pikachu asked.

"I just really want to get there as soon as possible," Ash replied, his cheeks turning a light shade of red.

"PikaPi."

"I made a promise I'd see her again," Ash started to blush a little more.

"Pika," Pikachu jumped on Ash's shoulder and pointed to his cheeks.

"Pikachu!" Ash said, wishing his best friend would stop. "I have an idea!" He reached onto his belt and pulled out a Poké Ball. "Go Staraptor!" The Predator pokémon emerged from the poké ball. "C'mon Pikachu, let's hop on!" and they headed off, going much faster than before.

"I wish I could've been there…" Angie was consumed by this one thought, wishing she could've cheered Ash on at the Lily of the Valley Conference. "Now, I don't even know if I'll ever see him again." She lied on her bed and stared at the ceiling. "If I do ever see that boy again, I can't let him go so easy again." She kept thinking about Ash, as she had been ever since she last saw him. "He saved my life twice and he's just so…"

"For Arceus' sake, Angie!"

Angie snapped out of it and ran downstairs, "Uh-oh."

"Yeah, Mom and Dad?" Angie saw her parents and she knew instantly that she had done something wrong.

"Angie, weren't you supposed to go take our little visitor for a walk at 3?" Angie's father said pointing at a clock. Angie remembered almost immediately, "I'm so sorry Dad, and you too Mom… I'll take him out right now."

"Were you thinking about Ash again?" Angie's mother asked teasingly.

"Whaaa?" Angie's face turned a deep red. "Okay, okay, I was. I just can't stop."

"I know, every hour it seems you're either thinking of him or wishing he was here. But we don't blame you, he seems like a really nice boy."

"Mom!" Angie turned her face away to hide her red cheeks, "I just… there's just no one like him… and remember we watched his matches on TV… and he just… I mean… I miss him…"

"Don't worry Angie," Angie's mom put her arm around her daughter, "I promise you will see him again, and if he means this much to you, maybe you should go after him." Angie's father jumped at this thought.

"You're not actually telling her she should go after him, are you?" Her father wondered.

"Why not? People always do crazy things for love," her mother said.

"LOVE!" Angie had had enough; she had already admitted she had feelings for Ash, but still wanted to somehow escape from this conversation, "I'm going to go take Espeon for walk, come on Shinx." Shinx and Espeon ran outside and waited on the path for Angie. "Bye!" Angie said as she closed the door.

Angie and her pokémon walked out to the main path. She turned down the path. She stopped and stared down it as she had done countless times since Ash left. "Ash..." she whispered. "Alright Shinx and Espeon, are you ready?" Angie said trying to change the subject.

"Espiii." "Shii," the two pokemon said as they agreed. The trio began to walk down the path in the opposite direction. A tear began to roll down Angie's face. Shinx noticed this and ran ahead to stop Angie. "Shinxx?"

Angie was beginning to question whether Ash would come back again. The very thought had brought tears to her eyes. "Oh… It's nothing, I just… I hope he comes back." She had just finished talking to Shinx when she heard a familiar voice, but couldn't understand it. "Hello? Is someone there?" She looked around, but couldn't see anybody around her. "Maybe it's just my mind playing tricks…"

"Angie!" There it was again, but this time she was sure she heard something. Both Shinx and Espeon looked up and smiled. Angie saw them, looked up and she saw something she thought she'd never see again.