different paths

The setting sun distinctively tinted the buildings by the sea a bright hue of orange. A pair, seemingly children, walked along the edge of the concrete forest, their shadows growing ever longer on the walls. He spoke softly, but Latias was a good listener.


Half an ocean away, another girl silently wished Azelf were still around. The affair of emotions could be so… draining, at times - certainly a little motivation would help her get going again. They had once been partners at length - there are no two things more closely intertwined than emotion and willpower - but he had chosen to walk a different path.

It was tiring, tiring to heighten the joy of the new parents at the hospital, tiring to deepen the sorrow of the mourners at the funeral. Tiring, but all too necessary. And so she carried on.


"...and after that, I headed off to Sinnoh," Ash was saying. The strange trio passed by a darkened alley. "Sinnoh is t-"

Whatever he was about to say about Sinnoh was never revealed, as the rest of his words was cut off by a loud Snarl - Pikachu cringed and shot off angry sparks - and a houndoom bounded in front of them. Latias shivered slightly and grasped Ash's arm at the sight of the dark type. They turned around, hearing footsteps in the gloom of the alley. A ragged looking man, wearing a fisherman's overalls, stepped out. "Nice work, Houndoom. Just a pair of kids, eh? Don't look like they'll have much, but it's always worth a shot, isn't it?" He gave a short, barking laugh and took a menacing step forward. They were cornered.

Before Latias could react and fly them to safety, Ash, hot-blooded as always, took a step forward. "You're not gonna get away with this," he declared.

"No? Of course I am, kid," the man retorted, stressing the last syllable. "Then I'll teach you a thing or two about how the world really works!" He sounded surprisingly bitter for a crook.

Ash's voice softened uncharacteristically. "I already know. Your motivation… " He seemed to concentrate for a moment. "They took your boat, didn't they? That's why you're here, isn't it?"

In his confusion, the threatening aura about the man all but evaporated. "Huh?"

"And you can't support your family anymore, without that fishing boat? All because you missed a payment?"

Shocked, the man took a step back. "I- my- but- how do you know that?!" His tone turned bitter again. "Confound those Arceus-damned businessmen! They're all croo-"

Ash cut him off with a wave of his hand. "You know, maybe you should try the bank. I'm sure - no, I'm certain - that they'll help you." He turned away. "C'mon, Latias, Pikachu. Let's go."

Surprisingly, the man simply stood there, staring at the ground with a mixture of anger and confusion, as his would-be victims slipped away. A few moments later they heard him cry, "But- wait! Ho…" His voice trailed off in the distance.

As they left the scene, Latias again caught herself staring at her companion. He was right about the bank, of course. But very few outsiders knew of the policies of the Bank of Alto Mare, and it was hardly something a young teen - not even one almost as old as she was - would be interested in. Just - who, exactly - had Ash become?


He was a teacher now. In a sense, this was the perfect position for him; people came to him seeking to learn. But sometimes on dark nights he would look to the moon and reminisce of the time when he traveled across many lands to dispense knowledge to those who sought it. And on the very darkest of nights, when even the moon was obscured by clouds, he would wonder about his two past companions.

Companions who had chosen to walk a different path.


It took quite some time before Ash, absorbed in telling his story, noticed the odd, scrutinizing way his female companion gazed at him. He stopped abruptly. Pikachu had chosen the wrong time to climb on his hat and promptly fell off.

"Sorry," he said, not addressing the aggrieved rodent. "It just feels a bit weird, walking together with someone again after all these years."

Latias nodded in understanding and looked at him, willing him to go on.

"The last time was maybe twenty years ago," Ash continued, "I've been alone since then."
He paused again. Why?, Latias wanted to ask. Why did you set off alone? You'll always, always have friends somewhere.

As though he had heard her, Ash turned a peculiarly piercing gaze onto Latias.

"You know, I didn't ask for this life," he said in a low, sad voice. Then his voice grew stronger. "But I did choose to walk this path-" he hesitated, searching for the right description.

"-a different path."


Changelog

4/12/17: ch.3 posted, minor syntactic edits to ch.1 and ch.2; added ch. titles


AN: some feedback would be nice, fairly uncertain as to where I'm going with this. chapters do feel a bit short.