Time Heals All Wounds, Right?

Learning How To Let Go Again

Ash POV
   As I walked home it started to rain. I didn't bother walking faster or running home. The sound helped soothe my nerves. Why did it take me so long to find out? I wonder what Professor Oak would tell me to do now. He'd probably just recite a Pokemon poem or tell me to not cry because it's over, but to be happy because it happened. A few minutes later I reached my home. I opened the door and saw both Serena and my mother sitting down waiting for me. Instead of walking towards them I walked to my room. Part of me was mad that I had just found out, yet both of them knew for a long time. I know it wasn't their fault, but it still felt wrong. I opened the door and jumped on my bed and layed down just staring at the ceiling. Time flew by and I kept staring and staring, and staring for no one knows how long.

"Are you ok?" I heard Serena's voice come from the door and I didnt answer. I heard footsteps until she came into view..

"Yes?" I replied trying not to sound too depressed.

"You've been up here for hours, let's go down stairs and eat."

"I'm not hungry."

"Don't lie."

"I'm not lying."

"If it's not food you want, what is it then?" I could hear the frustration building in her voice with every sentence she spoke.

"I want to be left alone."

"Fine if you won't eat, then neither will I." I sat up and saw that she had taken a seat in the corner of my room.

"I'm not hungry, but I know you are. Don't starve yourself for me."

"I know you Ash. More than you think."

"Fine… but I'm just doing this so you don't go hungry " I walked over to her and offered her my hand which she took. We both walked downstairs and I noticed that my mom wasn't anywhere.

"She went to the mart to buy some extra food."

"Oh ok, so what are you eating?"

"WE, are having a simple meal. Maybe this could count as our date huh?"

"Sure." We ate in silence for about half an hour. She seemed to enjoy her plate while I just poked at my food.

"Why aren't you eating. That was the deal wasn't it?"

"Let me ask you something, what was our relationship, before well… you know all of this."

"Don't change the subject Ash, you-"

"Please, there's something that's bugging me a bit." She sighed before she made up her mind.

"We were together. Simple as that." A small from made its way to her face so I could tell that she was hiding something

"Your face tells me otherwise."

"It's just, we waited for each other for such a long time, then it was gone as soon as it started."

"Why did we wait?" She flinched at the question. Something had happened between us.

"I… it…." She started and dropped her fork. Before she could continue talking I got up from my chair and walked over to her wrapping her in my arms.

"Hey, calm down. You don't have to say anything."

"Thank you." Where the only words she could speak through her sobbing.

"I can tell that something bad happened, one that one of us regrets, I don't know who, or why, but if we ended up together, I guess it means it needed to happen." I offered her my words of encouragement to ease her pain. She continued to cry so offered to take her somewhere I felt was right.

"Where are we going?"

"I don't know, but I feel like I'll know it when I see it." We hiked for a few hours and the sun was starting to set before we finally reached a small cliff that was over a large forest with mountains visible in the distance.

"What is this place?"

"I'm not sure." I knelt down on one knee and grabbed a pile of dirt letting it slide through my fingers as I picked it up. That's when it came back to me. All of Kanto came back to me. Getting Pikachu, to the Pokemon League.

"Ash are you ok?"

"It came back…"

"What came back?"

"Kanto. I remember Kanto, I remember why this place is important to me."

"Why?"

"Just look." As the sun set, the sunlight hit the forest at the perfect angle causing it to light up with life. Waterfalls, Pokemon playing, nature, all covered up by the shadow that covered the valley below. I looked up and saw a group of Pokemon flying above and I couldn't help but let a few tears roll down my face as I remembered the first time I had to let go.

"Woah, it's beautiful… are you ok?"

"I am… this is where I said goodbye to one of my Pokemon… he fell in love. So I let him go."

"Why?"

"It's not up to me. Pokemon are my friends, not my property. They are free just like you and me."

"I'm sorry…" I turned around and she was stunned to see a smile on my face.

"Don't be, Butterfree taught me how to be selfless, to put others feelings and emotions above my own. That's how I learned things like compassion. For that I'm forever grateful."

"I guess you two had a pretty strong bond."

"Just like you and me." I wrapped her in a hug and gave her a peck on the cheek. "Let's go home and rest shall we?"

"Yeah… let's do that."

"But before I go." I turned and looked towards the valley and screamed at the top of my lungs, "BYE BYE BUTTERFREE."

I let those words eco thought until they faded away. "And goodbye Samuel Oak."