Misty walked miserably down the countless shops. Her head was down and she was hugging herself as she was cold. Many people looked at her in pity or in a weird way. What was a gorgeous lady wearing such a stunning dress walking in despond at the shopping plaza?

Misty had left the wedding. She didn't deserve staying there. Even yet standing beside Suzie. She was such an idiot.

And Ash... how he had looked at her. His expression would forever haunt her.

Wait, why was she thinking of Ash? She should be thinking of Brock and ask him for forgiveness. She sighed sadly before she acknowledged the letter she still had in her hands.

Ash's letter...

She hadn't opened it yet. Not after that disappointing look, Ash had given her. Just holding the letter in her hand felt like she was holding fire. It was painfully burning her. Misty then sat down at the nearby plaza fountain and stayed like that for a few minutes. Her hands slowly began untying the ribbons that tied the envelope closed. Finally, a letter came out. It was folded neatly.

Misty took in a breath before she opened it and began reading.

Taking her time.

Misty, I... You're probably wondering why I'm writing you this letter and...God, I suck at this. I do. You have to understand that writing this letter is so hard for me. I bet you're thinking why I can't say all of this face to face. It's because I'm just so scared of your reaction... It's funny how the world thinks of me as such an inspiring individual and all but in reality, I am such a damn coward. Look Misty... I've been doing a lot of thinking these past few months..and I have started to see things... and my life in a more mature way. During the past few years, I've been trying to understand my actions and my feelings for you. I think I've finally got it. Every time I look at you, I am captivated by your beauty. I drown in your deep blue eyes and your hair. God your red hair. It burns with such passion and fire that I can't help but want to run my fingers in them. Caress your face... and kiss you. I am utterly and completely madly in love with you Misty Waterflower but every time I wanted to confess to you about my feelings I just couldn't... I was afraid of seeing your face swell up in disgust. I don't think I can take it. When I realized you would never return my feelings ( a few years ago, when you told me you weren't interested in love) I swore... to myself that I would be by your side no matter what. That I would be happy when you found the man you truly loved. The one you wanted to be with and share your life with. I foolishly believed that I'd rather be your best friend than not being anything at all. I just couldn't stand the thought of not being with you, so I said to myself that I had to be strong and bear with anything you chose... And then this happened. I started thinking about you and me again, not as friends, but as something more. We had become closer since Brock was never available to hang out with us as he needed to finish his doctoral studies, and I stupidly thought that maybe, just maybe if I told you how I felt about you, you would have said that you loved me too. It pierced my heart having this feeling locked inside me. But then Brock announced his engagement and then you told me that you loved him. I... won't deny it... but when you said that it broke me. All my hopes vanished and suddenly I was all alone again. But... I had to keep my promise, and that's why I helped you with your lie (also I can never say no to you to anything). I was too afraid that I could lose everything I had with you... if I confessed so I began seeing a therapist. Her name is Serena and basically, I told her my problem. All my feelings towards you distract me from my everyday activities, like pokemon battles. I try to ignore the jealousy I get when I see you give Brock those sweet smiles and love eyes. I wanted to be that man but I wanted you to be happy. But today, I realized that I just couldn't. Just imagining you kissing Brock, everything changed. I realized now that, after all, I can't keep my promise. I couldn't be happy seeing you with another guy. I cannot believe how selfish and naïve I am, because, you know what? I still had hope. I went to your apartment yesterday to give you your birthday present and confess to you because my feelings were eating me alive but you looked at me with such rage. I... got scared knowing you would've looked at me with even much more rage and disgust after I told you my feelings... so I left. Look I will be gone for a few months and know just how much I am scared of calling you because of if... if... God has mercy... and you do tell me you love me after you finish reading this letter, I swear on my soul I will drop whatever the f^ck I'm doing at Unova and be on the first plane back to Cerulean City. But if... if you don't feel the same forget about this after reading this letter... please don't make it more difficult for me. All I ask of you once I return... is to act normal. Like nothing ever happened. This letter never happened. I'll know and understand your answer... of just wanting to remain as best friends. That's probably all I'll ever be...

Misty choked back a sob. No, no this could not be true. Ash couldn't be in love with her. They were just best friends.

No way, no...

No, it couldn't be...

"Damn Ash. Hurry up with that wedding. It sure looks like Misty wants to tie the knot fast." Brock whistled.

"The whole world practically knew Ash was madly in love with you Ms. Waterflower!" Victoria said smiling

"Don't you see they want to spend some time alone?" Suzie said smiling.

"You're hurting the wrong one by doing this fake engagement," May said softly

"Alright. Jeez, woman, you're still crazy for him huh?" Daisy said.

"It's not a question really but I just wanted you to know that you and Misty make such a lovely pair together!" Lance said.

"As much as I like seeing Ketchum suffer... I see you are already causing him enough pain," she remembered Gary saying.

"Yes. She said she noticed right away that you adored me. Just by seeing our teenage years pictures and our old interviews. Isn't it funny?" she recalled telling Ash on how a fan told her that.

"Haha, very funny, indeed," Ash had said, not truly finding it funny.

"Confessing to her is scarier than any Pokèmon battle I have ever faced."

"If you knew me that well, then you wouldn't be asking me this,"

".. just maybe you might be in love with Ash..." Delia said.

"Know that when oceans part us you are here in my heart, I am bound to you for eternity," she recalled reading that in his letters.

"I love you too Mist,"

Misty kept staring at the letter. Her breathing completely stopped as she let the realization hit her.

Ash, her Ash, Ash Ketchum was in love with her. Her.

Ash, who was always there for her.

Ash, who was her best friend.

Ash, who would eat her godly horrible food and not criticize it.

Ash, who would do anything for her. Even if it killed him.

Misty gasped as she let all of this sink in. The truth was always right there, in front of her eyes. Yet she had been too blind and foolish to see it.

Everyone else had seen it. Even Daisy, who's brain wasn't that brilliant. They had all seen that Ash was in love with her. Except her...

And all this time, she had been loving the wrong friend. She had stupidly mistaken Brock's friendship for love and Ash's love for friendship. What kind of friend was she?

Misty started to weep hysterically as she brought in her knees closer and placed the letter near her heart.

No wonder she always got this jealousy feeling when Ash was with Serena. When he had left for Unova she had missed him so much it nearly broke her heart not seeing him. When she read all his letters she felt a wave of sadness wash over her. When she blushed as he stared at her, admiring her as if she was a goddess. When he listened to her and never made her feel unloved. 

She was also madly in love with him but she was too stupid to realize it as she wanted to be in love with Brock. No wonder Ash was sad when he had arrived at Unova, he probably thought she had read the letter and preferred being friends... as if nothing ever happened. As if his letter never happened.

Misty wept harder. Ash probably never wanted to see her again. She had lied to him and asked him to lie for her. She did not deserve him. Not in any way. Yet it would break her heart for never seeing him again without apologizing to him.

"I am so sorry..."  Misty sobbed as she clutched the letter tighter.

"Jesus! What's up with girls crying in fancy dresses today?" a young teenage girl asked as she walked past Misty.

Misty paused as she let the young girl's words sink in.

Girls crying in fancy dresses today? Misty repeated before she gasped.

Suzie! Misty thought before thinking where in the world Suzie would be.

"Yes, Margaret! I'm not joking! A bride is really in the women's restroom crying in one of the locked stalls."

"Oh, the poor dear!"

Bingo, Suzie was in the public restroom.