Color also started to return to the older boy's face in a few minutes. Was it just him, or even the normal sounds of nature started to return in time?
-Ashy boy... what in the whole crap-covered stupid world were you thinking, swimming here! Do you even know how to swim?
-Gary... you saved me... you knew I was here?
-No, but I found you doing stupid stuff. Were you looking for your alarm clock? Because that's...
-I know where it is... it's just... I don't know if you saw it too but... when I was here, all sounds stopped and I saw my dad in the middle of the pond, and he said it'd be fun if we had a swim togheter... he said he'd teach me how to float...
-FLOAT? -Gary knew at once what had happened
-Did you hear him, too?
-No... it was all quiet here... it smelled like... scary roads, though.
-But then, when I was about to reach him, his hand turned like a root with claws. And his face tore off his head! -Ash was crying and Gary was now as pale as new paper
-A-ash... -he stuttered and scolded himself for it- why would your dad be in a pond unanounced instead of at home?
-My dad... dissappeared when I was 3. I thought he was back.
-What?
-He sometimes left on his Pokémon journeys for some weeks, and one time, he never returned... maybe he is really gone. I feel bad I don't even remember his face well... there are no pictures at home either.
Gary put his hands over the other boy's, trying to comfort him although he was overwhelmed himself and had also felt like crying, as the suddenness of Ash's dad's disappearance reminded him of his own parent's, but tried to fight it back... when do you know someone is vanished, if they can't announce their death? Maybe he'd regret it later, but maybe he couldn't keep it to himself forever... did he want to?
-Ash... tell you something? Both my parents are dead. That's why I moved here and live with gramps.
Ash looked up. Really? Perfect, strong and super-smart Gary Oak was an orphan? Maybe that's why he was so mean. But he'd saved him today.
-Don't tell anyone.
-No.
-Let's not come here alone ever again; I saw my parents too the other day and something horrible tried to drown me. There is something really wrong with this town.
-Why do you say that?
-... Forget it, let's just stay out of this pond.
They got up and left hoping it would be for good.
