A Ketchum's Journey Vol. 4

So Long, Sophocles!

Outside in the dark at Sophocles' laboratory, Sophocles was typing away at his computer.

Narrator: Ash and Hayley's classmate Sophocles, is working in Sophocles Lab, which was built for him by his dad and, as usual, he's up to something.

Hayley, popping up and rubbing her eyes: You know, little girls like me need to get their good night's sleep and not hear certain people talk so loudly.

Narrator: Oops....sorry, Hayley.

Hayley: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

"All right, that's it. Run program, now!" Sophocles said to his computer.

"Demaru." said Togedemaru.

"See? I designed a computer program that basically allows me to use anyone's face to change different expressions." Sophocles explained to Togedemaru

"Ma?" asked Togedemaru.

"Allow me to demonstrate." said Sophocles, moving his mouse to show what a computerized Togedemaru was feeling. "Angry face. Smiley face."

"Togedemaru!" squealed Togedemaru.

"Huh?" said Sophocles as his stomach started rumbling. "I think it's time for a malasada break." Once out of his lab, Sophocles heads inside his house and overhears his parents. "Dear me, you haven't packed?" asked his mom.

"Huh?"

"Not yet." said his dad. "I keep thinking we still have a week."

"We do, but you should start packing now." his mom tells his dad. "It will fly by in no time."

"Hey, wait a minute!" said Sophocles, opening the sliding door. "We're moving?"

"That's right, dear." said his mom as Sophocles screams. "I told you. You weren't listening."

"Uh! Where to?" Sophocles asked.

"Farther than I'd like, quite a bit farther." said his dad and Sophocles groans, thinking that he and his family were moving away from Alola. "Hm?"

"What do I do? What do I do?" Sophocles asked himself as he walked backed inside his lab. "That means I'll have to say good bye to my friends at the Pokémon school. I don't want to move! I don't want to!"

Sophocles begins to cry as Togedemaru walks around the corner. "Demaru." said Togedemaru, comforting her trainer.

"That's it! I'll simulate the conditions for living here all by myself." he said, then walks over to his computer. "(Chuckles) Cleaning, laundry, meals. Oh! It's no use! I can't take care of all that without some help! And there's also a 99.9% chance my cooking will stink. A 99.9% chance I can't get up on time. I can't do any of that. What am I going to do?"

Once in bed, Sophocles started worrying about what he was going to tell his friends the next day at the Pokémon school. "Sophocles?" his mom asked through his door.

"Huh?"

"Are you awake? Can we come in?" his dad asked.

"Oh!" he groaned, placing the covers over his head.

"About the move...." said his dad.

"You have a week to pack up your things. Okay?" said his mom. "Now, good night."

Sophocles whimpers as his parents left his room. "It's way too dark in this room and I'm really scared." he cried and Togedemaru shines a little brighter. "Oh. That's great, Togedemaru. Thanks. I don't want to move away. I don't want to say good bye to everybody."

"Togede." said Togedemaru, seeing the tears on her trainer's face.

"It also means you have to say goodbye to your dear friends, Pikachu and Meeko." said Sophocles. "Don't you see? It means goodbye."