Pokeshipping Week 2023

Ash's Hat

For Someone Special

ASH KETCHUM sighed as he opened the door. "Spring cleaning..." he grumbled. He'd been busy helping Professor Oak with research when Tracey reminded the Professor that it was time for spring cleaning. It was most unfortunate that his Mom heard and instantly demanded that he clean out his closet.

Ash found several things he no longer had any use for or had replacements for, it seemed his Mom was right on the whole spring cleaning thing in his room. "Huh, the old Voltorb alarm clock..." He held the device in his hands and chuckled. The old seams were still there from when his Mom had repaired the broken device for when he and his friends returned after their journey. Now at his bedside was a more sophisticated version of it. The animatronic Pidgey now more refined.

He had a spare of the same device too, he figured it'd be best to junk it.

He found some old tin lunch boxes from the League. Didn't need them...but he figured they could be sold...maybe keep one or two.

He paused when he pulled out a hat, the hat from the Pokémon Indigo League that he'd worn during his first few years journeying. Now it was old, dirty, and while it still fit, Ash couldn't help but feel it had seen its day. "Hmm, I wonder..."

He checked a site that Brock had told him all about and gaped at the prices for the hat. "Damn, that's a lot. This could earn me a lot of yen."

"I wouldn't really recommend selling," said Tracey.

"You're sure?" quizzed Ash.

"Yeah. The problem is the simplicity of the design. The Pokémon League's symbols have gotten a lot more complicated since this and even though a collector will pay plenty for these, all those used ones online have been there for months and months."

"Man..." grumbled Ash. The door opened and Professor Sammuel Oak wandered in.

"Oh, hello, what's all this about?" The two boys greeted him. "Oh, your old hat, Ash? Looking to sell it?"

"I thought about it, but Tracey just told me it's impossible with the market right now."

"Hmm...there is one buyer I know who'd be interested."

"Really? Who, Professor?"

"Your old friend Misty." Ash blinked in response but before he could say anything...

— BRINGRING-RING – Tracey's phone went off.

"Oh, speak of the Giratina..." He hit the answer button. "Hello? Still haven't found the right price for that edition... Not too surprising given the state of the market... Yes, well people have to make their yen somehow. By the way, Misty, you just happen to be in luck, Ash wants to sell his. He's here right now, you can bargain with him directly. Here." He turned the speaker on and handed it over to Ash.

"...Hey, wait! Tracey, DON'T—"

"Hello?" He heard a gasp and what sounded like words getting caught in her throat.

"Ash...heya."

"Tracey tells me you're looking to buy the '98 edition of the Indigo League caps."

"...yeah..."

"Well, as Tracey said I want to sell mine. So...how much do you want to buy for?"

"What's your price for it?"

"I dunno, really. I'll give it to you for less than the current price they're going for."

"Er... I'll give you 11,500 yen for it."

"Wha? I just told ya, Mist, I'm letting you have it for less than what the lowest price is on the secondhand market."

Ash was left to stare at the wall for a bit as Misty seemed to go silent but soon she spoke again. "Are you sure you want to sell it...?" she asked quietly.

"Well, yeah, that's...that's what I've been saying."

"Yes, but you sent in 100 postcards for it, right?"

"I did and I know I got really worked up about it that one time but I've moved on from that. I got plenty of hats to sell, actually. Look, I thought you wanted to buy it."

"Well, yeah, but... Can I call you on your phone?"

"Er – sure. But why?" Ash did a doubletake as Misty disconnected. He sighed and gave it back to Tracey. Then his phone rang, this time for a video call. He grumbled as he answered.

"Hey, you can see me, right?"

"Well, yeah," replied Ash.

"Good, here's..." Misty trailed off as she saw Professor Oak and Tracey talking to each other in the background. She fidgeted onscreen a bit. "...can I show you this privately...?"

"Ugh..." Ash stood up and began walking toward the corral. "Right, we're alone now."

"Good. Take a look." Misty rolled on her chair in what seemed to be her bedroom and revealed a bookshelf with dozens of hats displayed on it.

"Whoa Mist, those're..." Ash slowly stopped himself and took a closer look. The cogs in his brain began to go off. "Hey Mist, a lot of those look like the hats I've been wearing."

Misty froze up for a second before sighing. "Y-yeah...I'spose they are...well...heh heh...what can I say? They normally look good on ya. Perhaps seeing them on you inspired me..."

Ash Ketchum thought that to be one of the weirdest explanations for something he'd ever heard of! He was about to retort when her words finally processed in his brain. His hats...she's collecting them and a few others that he'd never gotten...looking for the hat he originally wore when they first met...immediately was willing to offer him the amount it goes for at current market price...also seems nervous and uneasy.

It's also true that Misty never really wears hats beyond sometimes a sun hat. Ash wasn't exactly bright but he wasn't stupid either. Cilan and Clemont had both made it their mission to cram his brain with as much information about life as possible – if there was one thing about girls they had both been very upfront about...

...he decided to play it safe. "Misty..." he ventured, "this hat was my first ever League cap. If I let you buy it, will you keep it safe?"

"Yes, of course."

"It's something that I really treasured, like...my heart." He noticed a slight redness growing on her cheeks. "Can I trust you with it?"

"Yes," she replied quickly.

"Good. I trust you with it as a good and the bested of friends." He chuckled. "Who knows, maybe it'll be a sort of good luck charm for the both of us."

"Ha ha! Yeah! True," laughed Misty. "Kind of like my fishing lure for ya."

"Mm. Hey Mist. I really do trust it with ya." And before he hung up, Ash gave her a small wink.

"Ash dear, did you find a buyer?" asked Mrs. Ketchum when she noticed Ash boxing the cap in the living room.

"Yeah, I did, Mom."

"Oh good. I hope the lucky stranger will enjoy it."

"It's someone we know," replied Ash vaguely. "Someone special..."

As he taped the box up, a thought came to him. "Hey Mom? What can you tell me about a first date...?"

***

Author's Note: Hm...not gonna lie, thought I had a better idea for what to do here but it wasn't as solid as I thought. I don't know. I struggled with this one.