" Toge?"

Misty groaned and rubbed her eye, squinting one open to see her egg Pokemon. " Togepi?"

" Priiiiiiii!"

" What time is it.....?" she groaned, turning over in her bag.

" Priiiiiiiii!"

" Pika!"

Misty sat up and groaned as Pikachu walked into her lap, holding something.

" What have you got there, Pikachu?" Misty asked, her voice full of fatigue.

" Pika!" Pikachu held it out, and Misty took it.

A blue rose.

Misty blinked. " Thank you, but-"

Before she could finish, Ash walked in, holding a stack of pancakes. " Happy birthday Misty."

Misty blinked and blushed faintly. " You didn't have to do all this...."

Ash set the pancake plate down and kissed Misty on the forehead. " Yeah I had to."

Misty smiled. " Thanks Ash."

" The pancakes might not be that good...." Ash said sheepishly as Misty cut a piece.

" Oh, I don't care."

Ash blinked, surprised. " You don't?"

Misty chuckled softly, taking a bite of the pancake. "No, because you actually tried. That means more than anything else."

Ash scratched the back of his head, his face turning slightly red. "Well... I just wanted to make sure your day started off right."

Togepi bounced happily in Misty’s lap, clapping its tiny hands. "Togepriiii!"

Pikachu grinned, jumping onto Ash’s shoulder. "Pika pi!"

Misty smiled warmly, her fatigue melting away. "You guys are too sweet. This is the best wake-up call I've ever had."

Ash’s grin widened. "Well, don't get used to it. This was a one-time thing!"

Misty smirked, crossing her arms. "Oh, really? What about next year?"

Ash froze for a moment, scratching his head. "Uh... guess I’ll have to top this, huh?"

"Definitely," Misty teased, taking another bite of pancake. "But you’re off to a good start."

" Wooooow, look at the lake!" Misty exclaimed as she and Ash, elbows linked together, walked to a grassy area close to the dazzling, glistening water.

Ash grinned and set the picnic basket down. " Happy birthday, Gyrados."

Misty have Ash a mock angry look. " What did you just call me?*

" A Gyrados." Ash replied nonchalantly. * Because first you used to not like Gyrados and now you love it. Kind of like me!"

Misty blushed and sat down next to Ash. " You're making me blush."

Ash grinned and planted a kiss on her cheek. " Isn't that what we want?*

Misty smiled and watched Pikachu and Togepi play in front of them. " I suppose it is."

Ash opened the picnic basket and started to set all the food out. Small sandwiches, juice, cups, cupcakes ( chocolate, Obviously) plates, napkins, Pokemon food, gummy bears - it was all there.

" You didn't have to do all this for me." Misty said as she looked at all the food.

Ash leaned back on his arms. " Well yeah I did. You're perfect, so today also had to be perfect. And it's not over yet. After this we have some fun in the lake!"

Misty's eyes lit up, and she laughed. "Fun in the lake, huh? What, are we going to have a swimming competition?"

Ash smirked. "If you think you can beat me, sure! But don’t forget who has a Water Pokémon team."

Misty gave him a playful shove. "Don’t forget who taught you half of what you know about swimming, Mr. Pokémon Master."

"Touché," Ash replied with a grin, handing her a plate with a neatly stacked sandwich and some gummy bears. "But you’re still going down."

As they ate, the sound of water gently lapping at the shore mixed with the laughter of Pikachu and Togepi chasing each other. Misty leaned her head against Ash’s shoulder, watching the idyllic scene unfold.

"You know," she said softly, "this is probably the best birthday I’ve ever had."

Ash looked at her, his face softening. "I’m glad. You deserve it."

Misty glanced up at him, her eyes sparkling. "You’re really sappy sometimes, you know that?"

"Only for you," Ash replied, stealing a gummy bear off her plate.

Misty chuckled, taking it back with a mock glare. "Hey, no stealing from the birthday girl!"

After their meal, Ash stood up, pulling Misty to her feet. "Alright, time for the fun part. Let’s see if you can keep up with me in the water!"

Misty grinned, already rolling up her imaginary sleeves. "You’re on, Ketchum!"

" You never told me we were going to a street fair!" Misty said as the two walked through the bustling streets, arms linked together.  " You didn't have to do all this, Ash."

They stopped in front of an ice cream vendor. " Yes I did. Go on. Choose what you want."

Misty glanced at the menu, her eyes widening at the array of colorful options. "Wow, there’s so many flavors! I don’t even know where to start."

Ash grinned, pulling some coins from his pocket. "Take your time. It’s your day, Misty. You can even get two if you want."

She smiled, touched by his thoughtfulness. "Okay, but don’t say I didn’t warn you when I can’t finish both!" After a moment of deliberation, she pointed at the menu. "I’ll have the strawberry swirl and mint chocolate chip."

The vendor handed her two scoops in a cone, and Misty took a bite, her face lighting up. "This is amazing! What about you, Ash?"

Ash ordered a simple vanilla cone, but before he could take a bite, Pikachu tugged at his leg, eyeing the ice cream. "Pika pika!"

Ash laughed and knelt down, offering a small taste. "Fine, you can have some, but don’t eat it all!"

As they continued through the fair, Misty admired the colorful booths and performers. "This is so much fun. You really went all out."

Ash shrugged, pretending to be casual. "Well, I wanted to do something special. I mean, you’re always doing so much for everyone else. It’s about time someone spoiled you for a change."

Misty blushed, her heart swelling with gratitude. "Thank you, Ash. Really."

They stopped in front of a booth with handmade jewelry. Ash picked up a delicate bracelet with tiny water stone charms and held it out to her. "How about this? It matches you perfectly."

Misty’s eyes widened. "Ash... it’s beautiful. You didn’t have to—"

"I wanted to," Ash said firmly, slipping it onto her wrist. "Now, let’s see if you can win me a prize at one of these games!"

Misty laughed, her competitive spirit igniting. "You’re on, Ketchum! But don’t cry when I beat you."

As the day went on, they played games, ate snacks, and even danced to the music of a street band. By the end of the evening, Misty leaned against Ash, her new bracelet catching the glow of the streetlights.

"This has been the best day ever," she said softly.

Ash smiled, squeezing her hand. "I’m glad. You deserve it."