Night, Viridian Forest

"Dammit!"

Ash stood, angry and depressed, as he thought back at what transpired yesterday. After six long years, he returned, only to find out... He throw a punch, letting out all of his frustration, all of his sadness. It connected with a tree, creating a thud. It hurt like hell, but it didn't match the pain he felt in his heart. He exhaled, sobbing, as Greninja and Pikachu watched on, sad as well.

"I—" Ash started to speak, but he couldn't get it out. A throbbing pain shot through his head, stopping him. He massaged his head, lightly, attempting to ease the pain. There it was again. It started when he found out—

"Ash."

Ash heard the familiar voice but didn't turn around. He didn't need her company at the moment, and he wasn't planning on accepting it.

"Go away," Ash said, his back still turned. He wanted to be alone—besides, she couldn't possibly comprehend the feeling of guilt he had.

Earlier that day

"Still nothing, Charizard?" Ash asked, looking up at the sky. The salamander nodded with disappointed.

Ash, Serena, and Pikachu were on their way to Viridian City for Serena's first Baccer Tournament. They decided to start from Pallet Town, Ash's hometown, and work their way up. Since they were in the area, Ash wanted to find an old friend—his Pidgeot. They had been searching for hours—Charizard scanned the skies. The other Pokemon—with the exception of Snorlax—broke up into groups and searched area, and he and Serena were calling out its name. He wasn't giving up.

He had a special attachment to the bird. It was the first Flying-type he caught, after all, and it served him well throughout his Kanto adventure. Something lingered in the back of his mind. Would it accept his invitation? He promised to come back for the bird, around six years ago, but it escaped his mind.

"Hey, Ash!" Serena called out. She broke him from his thoughts, but he didn't mine. All the negativity circulating in his mind wasn't helping. On another note, he was still getting used to Serena's new attire. She also cut her hair again—she stated that it was growing longer and that a trim was needed. She went back to wearing sneakers, now, choosing to shed her boats. A white shirt hugged her petite frame, and she wore a pair of slim pink ankle pants. Her blue-ribbon—the one gifted to her—was tied on her left arm.

Serena ran over and took a breath. "S—still nothing. Are you sure Pidgeot's flock is still in the forest?" she asked.

Ash nodded confidently. But inwardly, he had no clue. Pidgeot and the flock could have gone off a long time ago. But it didn't hurt to try, especially since they had the man—or Pokepower—to search.

Ash smiled. "We'll find it. I know it. I have to... apologize," he spoke the last word in a hushed tone.

Serena caught what he said—her hearing was great, much to Ash's displeasure. "Wait, what?" she asked. "Why would you need to apologize?"

Ash stood silently, trying to come up with a response. He didn't want to tell her—it was horrible that he had forgotten—she would probably yell at him, call him out for breaking a promise to a friend. Six years. He wondered if it would be able to recognize him.

Ash frowned, then turned away. "I'll tell you later, alright?" he said, looking toward the sky. "Let's search some more." He ended the conversation by walking over to Charizard, climbing atop the salamander, and giving it a signal to fly west. "I'll be back soon."

"Wait!" Serena called, jogging over to Ash and Charizard, climbing atop the salamander. "I'll come with."

They flow for awhile, but they still couldn't spot Pidgeot—or the flock. It was strange—he hadn't even seen a Pidgey the entire day, and they were common in the forest. Something was up.

After some time, Ash finally spotted something—a group of Pidgey and Pidgeotto were around something—and they appeared to be... grieving. He turned to Serena and spoke. "Down there," he said, pointing toward the flock Bird Pokemon.

Serena looked down. "They look so... sad," she whispered. "What do you think happened?"

Ash shrugged. "I don't know," he admitted. "We should get a better look. Charizard, over there."

Charizard acknowledged his command with a grunt and descended. Ash expected the Bird Pokemon to fly away upon arrivial—it was in their nature to escape if they felt threatened—but they remained, frozen in time. He moved closer—Serena as well. He had to shift through the crowd—there were so many, and he didn't want to step on one. Once he made it through and saw what was saddening them, he gasped. His stomach sank.

He rushed forward, ignoring the Pidgey and Pidgeotto. He stepped on a few, causing them to chirp in protest, but he wasn't concerned.

"Ash!" Serena said, following behind quickly.

He made it over—finally. He crouched down, cradling the bird's head. It was missing most of its feathers, suggesting that it was in a brutal fight, along with the many bruises. What made Ash sick, though, was the multiple large verticle wounds on its neck. He reached for his Pokedex—he was shaking rapidly. Serena arrived on the scene and covered her mouth. She averted her eyes. When Ash felt the familiar plastic, he took it out and scanned it over Pidgeot. "Pidgeot: Owner: Ash Ketchum, Trainer I.D. 1997—" It slipped from his hand and he started to shake rapidly.

A tear escaped, and he buried his face into Pidgeot's feathery body and screamed. Ash remained like that for several minutes before he decided to come up for air.

"Who—" Ash sniffled. "—could have done this? I'm sorry, Pidgeot... I broke my promise, I should have—"

Realization settled in. His bloodshot eyes widened. He turned, still cradling Pidgeot in his arms, then spoke with a ragged tone. "Who did this? was it—was it that damned Fearow?" he asked, scanning the crowd.

"Fearow? Ash what are you—"

"Answer me!" Ash exclaimed, darkly, pounding his fist on the ground. At that moment, his eyes changed. They weren't brown and vibrant—they were blue and filled with anger and regret.

Many of the Bird Pokemon took a step back, obviously frightened. Serena had to take a step back as well. It surpassed the one other time he yelled out in anger. This time—this time it was different.

"Well?" Ash questioned, darkly, now locking eyes with one—a small Pidgey—in the front row. It looked down, clearly not wanting to answer, but fear took over. It nodded quickly.

Ash got up and positioned Pidgeot gently on the ground, respectfully, then plucked a feather from its body. He placed it into his pocket and spoke with an eerie calmness. "Show me where it is..."

A/N: See you next time...