Prologue

Ash sat down on his bunk and glared out the window. It was the day before the Pokemon League competition. He looked to his left and saw Pikachu, curled up on the mattress, lightly snoring away.

He looked down to Misty, who was sleeping at the moment. She looked so peaceful on the bunk across from him. She tossed and turned, holding onto Togepi.

"Misty…" the word clung onto his brain.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small blue book. It was a tiny journal he wrote in, just to pour out his feelings. Most of them were of Misty. He grabbed a pencil from his backpack, opened the journal to the most recent blank page and started to write in it.

"June 21, 2053

Tomorrow I’ll be entering the League. I’m pretty nervous. But not as ‘pretty’ as Misty, I guess. She’s beautiful… Misty… if I could just hold your hand I’d probably cherish that moment more than anyone could ever cherish a kiss. But I can’t tell you, and writing all this stuff will get me nowhere- so why am I writing about Misty? Why can’t I tell her that I love her…???"

Ash reached into his backpack once more and pulled out a photograph. It was of he and Misty at the party by Maidens Peak. Both were wearing formal clothes, and smiling happily. The picture made him smile and he taped the picture into the page next to his journal entry.

"Misty…" he said again as he put the pencil away and stuck the journal in his pocket. "I will win your heart."

Ash got under the covers and fell asleep, dreaming away.