Not a very good fic, I just try to learn to upload... And sorry for the bad English, I'm from Finland and that explains a lot. And Pokémon doesn't belong to me.

Note: This isn't exactly my first story, but it's the first one I translated into English and posted here. This isn't in the original format, I decided to go back and edit my ancient stories. So, this one got paragraphs and I corrected all the typos and grammatical errors I could find. And boy, were there many of them! ;)

ALONE

I sat alone on the balcony and stared at the night of Pallet. It was full moon and stars were shining brightly from the deep blue sky. The wind shook leafs and my hair. It was not a warm summer wind, it already told something about autumn. I looked around myself. My home village had changed.

I remembered that day like yesterday. I stood on a high platform and waved to the cheering crowd. And all the time you were with me like a good friend should. We did it together and we shared the prize. I was young then. My childish dreams just amuse me now. I thought then that my destiny was to become the best Pokémon master ever. Nothing else was important.

I was wrong.

Of course it's nice to have fans and such, but every victory loses its meaning some day. Fans return their to homes and friends. Nobody remembers the winner of the current year, they are already waiting for the next one. I sighed. I wished I had done something else in my life. Maybe I then would have someone to hug.

I looked down and saw a pokémon in my arms. His fur didn't shine anymore, it was rough and had some grey spots. I hadn't let Pikachu battle in years. I tried to win some time this way. I stroked the fur of my only friend and smiled sadly. I slowly stood up so that I wouldn't wake him up and I walked to my house.

My mom had died a year ago. I hadn't accepted it yet though I knew that everybody had to die someday. Everybody...

I walked to my room and placed the little pokémon on the bed. I covered him carefully and took few steps back. I sighed again and left the room closing the door after me.

I just wondered around in my house. Everything was so familiar and yet so strange. My feet automatically took me to my living room and stopped in front of the bookshelf. There were some photos on the shelf. I stared them for a moment. The newest one was taken last month. I was in the picture, standing alone in a rain. I looked lonely and sad, I didn't even smile. I hadn't smiled in years. Another picture caught my attention. I took it carefully in my hands and stroked the glass as if trying to catch the moment when the picture had been taken.

The picture was happy and colourful. There was me sitting in front of it, Pikachu in my arms. I wrinkled my forehead. The picture had been taken just after I had beaten Blaine in Cinnabar. Back then I had still been the excited child who wanted to be a pokémon master.

Next to me in the picture was Brock. He smiled and kept his hand on my shoulder. No matter what will happen I'll always remember him like that, as a happy guy who fell in love with every girl we met. I haven't heard of him in years, not after what happened on the Victory road.

I lifted my look on a girl on the other side of me.

"Misty..." I said aloud. My voice shattered in the middle of the word and I had to put the picture back on the shelf. So many were gone...

I had to get out. I almost run out of my house into the night of Pallet. Not many knew that the lonely young man who lived alone in a big house was really Ash Ketchum, one of the best trainers in the world. And I was thankful for that. I hadn't battled in years, not after when Pikachu got sick. I felt it would be wrong to gather victories without my best friend. So I didn't fight anymore and soon I noticed that all my pokémon had left me, just like Misty, Brock and mom did. Only Pikachu, the most loyal of my friends stayed with me.

Gravel spun around when I walked. My hands were in my pockets and I left the town heading towards the forest. First time in a while I left Pallet. The idea stayed in my mind. I can still remember how I started my journey. I and Pikachu, side by side, ready to sacrifice our lives for each other. Well... not at first but still.

The forest around me was sighing. I sat on a lonely stone and leaned my head in my hands. When had I laughed last time? I didn't remember. The emptiness inside me grew and used my depression as energy. I bit my lip. I thought that only physical pain could be my anchor to reality. The wind blew over me again.

I shivered and thought about my live. Where did I ruin everything and did I have a opportunity to build everything again?

"Don't be stupid Ash! It's too strong for you!" I heard Brock's voice in my head, but I didn't pay very much attention. Instead I stared the huge Steelix in front if me and breathed heavily. Real Steelix! Wow! With it I could easily win more badges and victories!

"You can escape if you want to. I'll catch you later," I heard myself saying. I grabbed a pokéball from my belt and pressed the tiny white button. Pikachu looked at my worried look on his face, but he stayed with me. I saw how Brock ran away. What a coward!

"I choose you Cyndaquil!" I shouted and watched how my small but loyal fire-pokémon took his form ready to battle.

"Cynda!" Steelix looked at us a scornful look on his eyes.

"Cyndaquil, use flamethrower!" I commanded and pointed at the huge snake with my finger. Cyndaquil's fire flashed and he prepared to use his attack.

But Steelix was too fast. He hit the wall of the cave we were in and a few big boulders fell to the ground. Then he took them quickly in his mouth and fired them towards us. I grabbed Pikachu in my arms and jumped away terrified. I head a loud scream and saw how one boulder barely missed Cyndaquil. Wait a minute... Cyndaquils don't scream like that...

I turned around and saw a heap of boulders. I watched in shock how a little stream of blood flowed under them. Misty... In my excitement I hadn't noticed that she too had stayed with me. I ran to them and tried desperately to move them, but they were too heavy for me. I sank on my knees and buried my face in my hands. I sobbed quietly and barely noticed how Cyndaquil won the battle. It didn't matter anymore...

Yeah, it was my fault. I understood it when I sat on that stone which was just as lonely as I was and as cold as my heart. I swallowed with difficulty and rise up. I knew I should return home.

As I stepped inside I immediately noticed that something was wrong. Nothing had changed physically, all my stuff was where I had left them, it was jut the feeling. I expected something bad and ran to my room. Pikachu was still lying on my bed. Nothing had changed or was it... I listened. No matter how I tried I couldn't hear the little pokémon breathe.

In panic I ran to the bed and grabbed Pikachu in my arms. The body was already cold, all life was gone. I buried my face in the fur of my last friend and sobbed quietly, again. I finally understood that now I was really alone.


I buried Pikachu in my backyard. When I looked at out of the window I could see a little white cross.

I blinked my eyes and listened how little drops of water drummed the roof. Drop drop drop... The sound was similar with my mood. My eyes were red from all the crying. I didn't know what to do, I was all alone. 'Till the end.

The next days I lived like in a dream. I didn't eat much and couldn't sleep. Finally I was just a pale shell of a human being.

That day was not very special. Or that was what I thought first. I went to my living room and sat down to watch the grave of my friend. The white cross was like a lighthouse in the sea of my live. Then something made me to turn my eyes away. I noticed I was watching at the photos again. I wrinkled my forehead. Something was wrong... Like there were some new pictures. I stood up and walked to the shelf.

I went through all the pictures until I found what I was looking for. I took the photo in my hand and looked at it. The picture where I was standing alone. Expect that I wasn't alone anymore. On my shoulder was a yellow electric rat and next to me stood a smiling young girl with red hair. Girl was holding my hand and her green eyes sparkled like stars. I blinked in shock. Was this some old picture I hadn't noticed before, or had something weird really happened? I continued to stare the picture until the rain stopped and the first rays of the sun warmed me. I put the picture back and smiled. I understood that I would never be alone.

THE END