This Is Where You Belong

Chapter 1: Old Friends Meet

As I stood there looking at the worn out wooden sign, my emotions began to swell within me. It had been five years since I had ever set foot into the city, let alone see the person I was about to surprise. I cracked a wry smile and scratched my cheek as the memories began flooding back into my mind, letting out a sigh I put my hands into my coat pocket and watched as my breath turned to steam when it hit the cool crisp air. The weather around Cerulean was always beautiful and seeing how winter was the next season starting to creep up, it only multiplied the image ten-fold. The trees were barren and the ground was covered in a light coat of snow, slowly building up as it dropped from the skies at a slow rate.

The little yellow rodent perched upon my shoulder gave a slight shiver and shook it's body, letting loose the snow that was trapped in it's fur which in turn, hit me in the face.

"Pikachu!" I said, giving a small chuckle while rubbing him under his chin and behind his ear.

"Let's head into town before you catch a cold buddy"

"Chaaa!"

I took one last look around the area before I shoved my freezing hands into my pockets again and trudged towards to city of Cerulean.

-Flashback-

"You were great Misty" I said, smiling at Misty as she proudly expelled Team Rocket with her Politoad

"Thanks, I feel better now"

"It was awesome watching you battle like that" Getting a small shrug as she nuzzled her Togepi

"Thank you Ash, that's sweet"

"Uhhh..." My mind went a little blank at this moment, Misty just complimented me and I felt as though a wire had gone loose within the recesses of my brain

"And thanks for always being a good friend to me" She said with a small smile as she turned and looked at me

"Yeah! Sure.." I said slowly. . . Both of us just gazed into eachothers eyes for a few seconds

"Misty. ."

"Yeah?" She replied immediately with an excited look on her face

"You're bikes there" Averting my eyes from hers and looking towards the bike perched upon the wired gate

"You're in a hurry. . . Right?" I said, unsure of what I had said was really the appropriate thing to say at that moment in time, only to see Mistys face turn from sheer joy, to despair and sadness.

"Oh. Yeah." Her face blank with expression and her body rigid, she stared at the ground for a few seconds.

We began to walk towards our destination when Misty's mood did a complete turn around

"So Ash, don't forget your morning rituals! Take a bath and brush your teeth" She said while looking upon the long road ahead of us

"I'll remember!" I replied happily, glad that Misty was at least talking again.

"And make sure Pikachu doesn't eat to much."

"Pikaaachu!" Replied the little yellow rodent upon my shoulders.

"And Brock! Try not to get too distracted by all the girls."

Brock had been fairly quiet the whole time but bellowed a deep laugh and just grunted at the end, knowing full well he would.

"One more thing. ."

"That's enough!" I said jokingly, hoping I didn't just hurt my best friends feelings