“ You're gonna freeze out here, you know that?*

Ash looked up to see Misty holding an umbrella.

“ Come on, Ash. You shouldn't be in the rain.”

Ash shook his head. “ No thanks.”

“ What happened, Ash? Why’re you so down?”

“ It’s nothing.”

“ Ash. Tell me.”

Ash sighed. “ I told you, Misty. It’s nothing.”

“ Then why are you sitting outside in the rain then, huh?”

Ash opened his mouth, but, seeing there was no reason to lie, sighed. “ I lost a really big battle. Okay?”

“ So you decide to quit?!” Misty yelled, and Ash winced.

“ I’m not quitting….”

“ no, Ash. You’re sulking. Sulking over something which isn’t a big deal.”

“ To you, maybe, but to me it’s everything!”

Misty growled. “ So what if you lost a battle?! You can redo it, can’t you?”

Ash stood up. “ It’s not about redoing it, Misty! It’s about the fact that my Pokemon need better trainers!”

“So what are you gonna do, huh?”

Ash sighed. “ I’m gonna….. Give ‘em to Professor Oak….. and….. Give Pikachu…. And…… go figure out why I lost.”

“ YOU MEAN YOU’RE JUST GONNA GIVE UP ON THEM?!”

Ash threw his hands up. “ I’M NOT GIVING UP ON THEM!”

“ YES YOU ARE!”

“ WELL IF YOU CARE SO MUCH WHY DON’T YOU TAKE PIKACHU, HUH?”

Misty blinked, taken aback. “ That’s not what I-”

Ash turned his back. “ Well I don’t care what you meant. Take Pikachu, tell my other Pokemen to go to Professor Oak, and just leave me alone.”

Misty grabbed his hood before he could go. “ Oh no you don’t! When we heard about your loss, we all came!”

Ash turned with a raised brow. “ Who’s ‘all’?”

“ Professor Oak, me, Tracey, and even Bayleef! Ash, we care about you! We don’t want you to quit!”

Ash pulled away. “ Well it’s what I want.” He said, his voice cold.

“ Then you’re not the Ash I know!”

Ash turned. “ Maybe the Ash you know is just gone. Forever.”

Misty shook her head. “ No. I know you’re in there somewhere, Ash! You’re the one I fished out of the lake! YOU’RE the one who showed me what true friends can be like, and how to feel loved!”

Ash walked away. “ And YOU’RE the one who kept hitting me Misty. You’re the one who threatened to kill me.”

And with that, he walked into the forest.

Misty just stood there, mouth open.

Then she yelled, “ JUST YOU WAIT, ASH KETCHUM! I’LL GET YOU BACK SOMEHOW, I SWEAR!”

Then she sighed, letting her umbrella drop to the ground as she looked up at the black clouds and let the rain soak her.

When she got back to the Pokemon Center, her orange hair was dripping, and her clothes were wet.

Delia saw her daughter- in- law and gasped. “ Misty! What happened?”

Misty accepted the towel May handed her and sighed, rubbing her hair dry. “ I’m fine, mum. And Ash wasn’t really in the…. BEST mood……”

“ Why? What happened? Max asked as Delia sat Misty down on the couch and wrapped a blanket around her, then sat next to her to untangle her hair.

“ I found Ash in the rain, just zoning out. He wants to leave his Pokemon with professor Oak, but he wants Pikachu to be with me.”

“ Pi?”

Misty smiled faintly at the electric rodent. “ Yes, Pikachu. You.”

“ But why?” Brock asked.

“ He thinks they need better trainers.”

Delia gasped, her hands freezing mid-motion as she untangled Misty’s hair. “Ash said what?!”

Pikachu's ears drooped, and it let out a sad "Pika..." as it hopped onto Misty’s lap, nuzzling into her damp clothes for warmth. The entire room fell silent for a moment as everyone processed what Misty had just said.

“He thinks he’s not good enough,” Misty sighed, tightening the blanket around her. “That losing this one battle means he’s failed his Pokémon… like he doesn’t deserve them anymore.”

Tracey furrowed his brows. “That doesn’t sound like Ash at all.”

Brock crossed his arms. “Yeah, the Ash I know wouldn’t ever abandon his Pokémon.”

Misty’s eyes flashed. “Exactly! But he did. Or—he thinks he has to.”

May hugged herself, looking uneasy. “So, what do we do?”

Max adjusted his glasses. “We find him and make him realize how stupid he’s being.”

Brock shook his head. “We can’t just rush in. If he’s this upset, he won’t listen to reason right away.”

Misty huffed. “Oh, he’ll listen, alright. Even if I have to drag him back kicking and screaming.”

Delia stood up, determination burning in her eyes. “Then we’re going after him. No son of mine is going to wander around, heartbroken and alone!”

Pikachu stood up on Misty’s lap, cheeks sparking. “Pika-Pi!”

Misty smirked and stood, gripping the towel. “You’re right, Mrs. Ketchum. Ash doesn’t get to run from us. Not from me. Not from his Pokémon. And definitely not from himself.”

Brock nodded. “Then let’s go find our knucklehead.”

With that, the group grabbed their coats, Pokéballs, and determination, ready to hunt down their missing friend—whether he liked it or not.

Misty spotted Ash sitting on a rock by the riverbank, his back turned to her. The soft sound of running water mixed with the rustling of leaves in the breeze. His hat was pulled low over his eyes, his arms resting on his knees as he stared at his reflection in the water.

Misty took a deep breath and turned to the others. “Go back. I’ll handle this.”

Brock hesitated. “Are you sure?”

Misty crossed her arms. “This is Ash we’re talking about. If anyone’s gonna get through that thick skull of his, it’s me.”

Delia frowned but nodded. “Alright, dear. But if you need us—”

“I won’t.” Misty didn’t wait for another protest. She marched forward, ignoring Pikachu’s worried glance before the others reluctantly retreated.

Now it was just her and Ash.

She stomped through the grass toward him. “You moron.”

Ash didn’t even flinch. “Hey, Misty.”

“Oh, so you do remember me?” she huffed, planting her hands on her hips. “Because the Ash Ketchum I know wouldn’t just quit on his Pokémon.”

Ash let out a humorless chuckle. “I’m not quitting.”

“Oh, really? Because it sure sounds like quitting when you tell me to take Pikachu and leave your other Pokémon with Oak.”

Ash finally turned his head slightly, eyes dull and tired. “I’m just doing what’s best for them.”

Misty groaned, running a hand down her face. “For them? Or for you?”

Ash said nothing.

“That’s what I thought!” Misty threw her hands up. “Do you even hear yourself?! You think they need a ‘better trainer’? Ash, you’re literally one of the best trainers in the world!”

Ash shook his head, looking back at the water. “Not good enough.”

Misty clenched her fists. “You lost one battle.”

“It wasn’t just a battle, Misty.” His voice was quiet but firm. “It was the biggest one yet. And I failed.”

Misty crouched next to him, softer this time. “So what? Since when does losing mean you just give up?”

Ash’s jaw tightened. “It’s not just losing. It’s knowing that I wasn’t strong enough. That my Pokémon deserved better.”

Misty groaned. “Ash, your Pokémon don’t care about wins or losses! They care about you! Do you think Pikachu would ever want another trainer?”

Ash looked away.

Misty grabbed his sleeve. “Do you think I would?”

That made him blink. “What?”

Misty swallowed. “I’ve known you since you were a stubborn little twerp who stole my bike and never paid me back.”

Ash managed the smallest smirk. “You still bring that up?”

Misty ignored him. “And I know that Ash Ketchum never backs down. He never lets a loss define him. And he never abandons the ones he loves.”

Ash stared at her, something flickering in his eyes.

Misty squeezed his arm. “Your Pokémon believe in you. I believe in you. So get your stupid, stubborn, ridiculous self up and go prove why you—Ash Ketchum—are the best damn trainer out there.”

Ash let out a breath. A long, slow one.

Then he finally stood up.

Misty crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow. “There he is.”

Ash glanced at her and, to her surprise, pulled her into a tight hug.

“…Thanks, Mist.”

Misty felt her face burn but grumbled, “Yeah, yeah. Just don’t be dumb again.”

Ash chuckled. “No promises.”

She smacked his arm, and for the first time in days, Ash laughed.

Misty sighed in relief. Her Ash was back.