Thanks for the review! So here's the next chapter! I don't own Pokemon except my characters and ideas! Enjoy!

Chapter 27: Crimson's Goodbye

The sunlight was so beautiful—they were finally out of Mt. Chimney! It felt so nice to see the cloud-specked blue sky again. Fresh air whipped all around, feeling much better than the humid tunnel. With green trees and fluttering Pokemon overhead, the outside was being much more appreciated now. Beside Mt. Chimney was a lush green forest built around d a small lake that could be visible from above by a circular clearing. This allowed sunlight to spew in and make it the brightest part of the forest. Angelina, Christina, and Jeremy were the only humans who chose the banks of the lake as a rest stop.

The last time we left our heroes, they had helped out Rony of the famous Chimney shack. With some new shoes on her feet, I doubt Angelina will forget that experience. Now, what new surprises will there be?

The three kids set their backpacks against the nearby tree as they took a small break. Lavaridge Town was decided as their next stop and they weren't that far. Because of this, Jeremy suggested another rest stop.

Christina sat against a tree, reading a book titled Coordinators one-o-one. She was seriously drawn into the book, flipping page after page without saying a single word. Jeremy decided to do something more constructive with his time; he hung up the clothes he just washed on a line he strung between two trees.

Chocolate was placed in a small silver bowl filled with sudsy water. Soap bubbles were dripping from her head and back. Angelina hummed the theme song to "Pokemon" while she gave her Pokemon a ginger scrub down. To Chocolate, it was like getting a massage; her body was totally relaxed.

"Huu," Jeremy let out a short sigh and wiped his forehead with the back of his fist. He looked out into the sky above, watching the tops of Mt. Chimney puff tons of gray smoke out. The ashes that fell from the smoke looked like darkened snowflakes.

"Check it out, Angel; the ashes look like snowflakes." Jeremy stated, pointing to Mt. Chimney.

"It's a good thing they're not real snowflakes." Angelina stated, messaging Chocolate's back. The mouse Pokemon became so relaxed that she fell face-first into the water. "Hey! Don't go to sleep!" Angelina wiped the suds from her face. She rinsed Chocolate off with a small cup, then wrapped her in a towel.

"It's a bit quiet around here." Jeremy said.

"Yeah, just like a library. Let's stay here for a few minutes."

"Are you sure? Lavaridge Town isn't' that far away." Jeremy told Christina, who finally looked up from her book.

"Well…—"

"YAAIIIEEEEEAAAHH!" A sudden combination between a scream and a shriek shattered the silence severely. The trees shook with the rapid scurrying of various Pokemon. Angelina, Christina, Jeremy, and Chocolate swiftly averted their attention to the distance. They could see tons of forest-dwelling Pokemon scampering maniacally. Their movements sent ripples through the sparkling water.

And then, they saw her; she looked about middle-aged and ran very fast for being kind of plump. She had long brown hair and green eyes to match. She was wearing a blue apron over her red shirt and blue short-sleeved shirt. She panted lightly as she bound down the grassy trail.

"Don't tell me that's where the sound came from." Jeremy blinked skeptically.

"Well, we've seen stranger." Christina stated.

"Hey, you kids, ruuuuun! The Beedrill are coming!" And like that, the lady zoomed by them in a flash of panic.

Christina, Angelina, and Jeremy blinked in her direction first, then at each other. "….the Beedrill?"

"What's is she talking about?" Angelina and Christina blinked.

Jeremy turned to try and call at the lady, but a strange sound caught his ears. Chocolate's ears twitched and caused her to perk up; she crawled out of the towel and onto Angelina's shoulder to glance in the direction the lady had run from.

"Can you guys hear that?" Jeremy turned in the same direction Angelina and Christina perked their ears so that they could better collect the sounds around them. It was faint at first, but they could hear a faint buzzing sound—the beating of bug wings. The longer they listened, the closer and louder the sound became.

"Pika!" Chocolate quivered, sweating in fear.

Pokemon!

Every trainer has a choice,
to listen to that voice inside.
I know the battle may be long,
winners may have come and gone.
I will carry on, Yeah!

This dream will last forever,
this dream will never die,
we will rise to meet the challenge every time.
Yeah, this dream keeps us together,
just know that you and I,
will be the best that the world's ever seen,
because we always will follow this dream.

Pokemon!

Rushing up from the distance were a group of giant bee-like Pokemon. Their bodies were light yellow with dark purple stripes on their abdomens. Their eyes were a leering crimson and as lethal-looking as the two white stingers on their forelegs and behind.

"Yaaieeeee!!!" The kids screamed, but with much less power than the lady who passed by.

"Hey, miss, wait for us!" Angelina exclaimed as they sprinted in the opposite direction.

They didn't even bother to grab their stuff.

"BZZZZZZ-ZZZZ!" The Beedrill buzzed loudly in their following suit.

"Did I neglect to mention the Beedrill that inhabit this area?!" Christina panted.

"You mean you knew, even when we were all standing there looking stupid?!" Jeremy exclaimed.

"I didn't want to freak you out!"

"It didn't work!" Angelina stated to Christina. Chocolate gripped onto Angelina's shoulder.

It wasn't long before the caught up with the lady. The Beedrill were buzzing closer and closer angrily. Angelina reached into her pocket and pulled out her Pokedex. Yes, even in the midst of danger, she was still trying to lean.

'Beedrill, the noodle Pokemon. These bug Pokemon are very aggressive and attack anything that enters their territory. When attacking their prey, Beedrill use their needle-like legs to weaken it and their abdominal stinger to inject a powerful poison.'

"Poison?!" Angelina sweated anime style.

"Beeeedrill!" PING! "Yieeee!" One of the Beedrill's stingers barely grazed Angelina's bottom, but that was enough to get her to run faster.

They turned the corner sharply with their pursuers creating the same feat.

"E…. Excuse me, but…. aren't you kids….Pokemon trainers?" The lady panted to them.

"Yeah," The three replied.

"Well, do ya' mind if you call…. any of them?"

"Oh, right," Angelina and Christina reached to their belts and withdrew a Pokeball.

"Crimson," "Charmander," (together) "I choose you!" They tossed them forward, revealing their Pokemon in a burst.

"Vulll!" "Char!" They dashed alongside their trainers.

"Huh?" The lady glanced at Vulpix. The expression on her face was somewhat shocked with an air of question. Vulpix didn't speak, but rather looked at her back with a blank expression.

"Use Flamethrower!" Angelina and Jeremy exclaimed in unison.

Vulpix jumped up onto Angelina's head, facing Beedrill; Charmander did the same with Christina. Both Pokemon opened their mouths to spurt a duo blast of flames.

"Beeezzzzezz!" The Beedrill scattered wildly in desperate attempt to avoid being scorched. However, once the danger passed, they regrouped back in their formation of pursuit.

"Don't they ever give up?" Jeremy growled.

"Beedrill around these parts are really aggressive; once they find their target, they won't quit chasing it." The lady said, sweating, "If you follow me, I can show you a short cut to ditch 'em."

"Okay," The kids nodded.

The lady picked up the pace to gain the lead again; she took a sharp turn to the left with the kids in hot pursuit. The leaves swayed from the wind of the chase scene. When the lady zigged, so did Angelina and her friends. For once, Christina wasn't the one lagging behind.

"Vuulll!" "Charrrr!" SPWWAAA! Two bursts of flames sprayed form the fire Pokemon's mouths at the Beedrill; once more the Beedrill scattered like roaches from the light.

"This way!" There was a loud rustling sound from the lady as she submerged her body into an underbrush.

Angelina used her arms to cover her face and went in after her. More rustling sounds told her that her friends weren't too far behind her. She winced at some of the branches that caught her face. And if it was bad for her down there, it was surely rough for Chocolate and Crimson above.

Angelina could barely see, let alone keep up with the mysterious woman. Through the branches smacking her cheeks, she could still hear the Beedrill buzzing furiously behind them.

"Are you children okay back there?" The lady called back.

"I've—" (SMACK!) "—been in worse situations." Angelina answered, "How about everyone else?"

"Vul-vul!" "Pika-Pika!" Crimson and Chocolate clawed away any branch that got in their way, most of the time, successfully snapping them.

"We're fine back here." Jeremy told his friend.

"Just hang in there, kids—we're almost out of here." The woman exclaimed.

The Beedrill all let out poisonous hisses. Unlike their quarry, they had no problem cutting their way through the whipping shrubs with their pearly twin needles. Couldn't say much for their vision, though.

"Get ready; we're about to make a quick turn." The lady said without looking back to them. "And…..now!" With a sudden jerk, she jolted to the right. Just as she, Angelina performed the same, followed by Christina and Jeremy. The four emerged from the shrubs and hid behind two trees.

"Ssssh! Beedrill react to sound and moveme—" The lady forced her voice to come to an abrupt stop. She and Angelina stayed behind one tree while Christina and Jeremy hid behind its other. They all sweated as the Beedrill bussed noisily by. They didn't seem to notice their escaped quarry, for they continued to buzz through the bushes.

When the last buzz echoed into the distance, Angelina started to breathe once more. Crimson and Chocolate came to a calm rest on her shoulders.

"Whew!" The lady let out a sigh, "That was close." She glanced over to Angelina. Immediately, her eyes fell on Crimson, who was staring right at her. She delved into the Pokemon's beautiful grayish-jade eyes as if trying to find some sort of truth. They were both dead silent and motionless like statues.

"Uh…. ma'am?"

"Huh?" With a single blink, the lady snapped back to reality.

"Thanks a lot for saving us. My name is Angelina Murakami." Angelina held out her hand to her.

"Don't think too much of it; if I hadn't gotten 'em angry, they wouldn't have attacked like that. My name is Anna." The lady shook her hand, "And who are these two?"

"My name is Jeremy Cretonne." "And I'm Angel's sister, Christina." Jeremy and Christina stated.

"Nice to meet you, Miss, but what were you doing in this forest if you knew there were a bunchy of wild Beedrill hanging around?" Jeremy asked her.

"Well…." Anna patted a brown purse that Angelina hadn't noticed before. "This forest is full of berries as well as Beedrill. Take a look." She pointed forward. Up in the lush green leaves of the trees, three different kinds of berries prospered. One was sphere-shaped; yellow and spotted with green specks. In the trees next to that one, lied berries that almost looked exactly alike. The only difference was that these particular berries were bell-shaped and much more tender-looking. Angelina marveled at the trees in between. Their berries were the largest of all. It was dark red and looked almost chocolate-covered.

"Wow!" The kids and their Pokemon marveled together.

"….Oh-no!" Angelina let out a sudden gasp that made everyone else jump.

"What's wrong?" Christina asked.

"I forgot about all of our stuff—they're back at the camp!" Angelina exclaimed.

"Oh, right; we were so busy running from the Beedrill, we forgot all about getting our stuff." Christina stated.

Jeremy folded his arms, mumbling, "If they destroyed my laundry…."

"That's not a problem; I know these woods like the back of my own hand. I could have you back here in no time." Anna told them and took the lead as they walked on the light tan path leading away form the forest.

Now, they could see the lake in full and the vast area surrounding it. Also, they could see the structure of Mt. Chimney easier. Angelina, Christina, and Jeremy had gather their things and followed the lady. Chocolate rested her body on Angelina's shoulder.

Crimson, on the other hand, was full of energy and had quickly taken to the stranger. This was very strange because Angelina knew well that Crimson became distance to strangers.

The lady still gave the fox a strange look of familiarity.

Crimson jumped in front of her and started chasing after his own tails. Faster and faster he circled, making Anna find him even more irresistibly adorable. Crimson made snapping noises as he continually tried to grip his tails with his teeth. Angelina was amazed at how he could do that and continue to travel down the trail. DA-BUMP!

"Oh!" There was an abrupt thud when Crimson fell to the ground. "Ah!" For some strange reason, Anna's eyes trembled emotionally.

"Are you okay, Crimson?" Angelina picked Crimson up gingerly and massaged his back.

"That fall…. I know you!" Anna suddenly exclaimed at Crimson, "You're Yoko—the Vulpix I lost!"

"Huh?!" Angelina's breath caught in her throat, causing her to cough.

Christina and Jeremy gave the lady a skeptical and shocked looks. Even Chocolate stood with her mouth agape.

But Crimson gave a happy smile with his tails wagging. "Vulpix!" he yelped.

"I don't think I understand." Angelina blinked.

"But it seems that Vulpix understands perfectly." Christina stated.

"I'm so sorry, Angelina. Please allow me to explain everything." Anna said.

(Flashback starts)

Anna was walking through a familiar-looking forest, humming lightly. At her feet was a Vulpix skipping and spinning just like Angelina's had done earlier.

"I was walking through Petalburg woods with my Vulpix, when a Poochyenna spooked her."

The bushes beside them started to rustle. Loose leaves drifted onto the grass lightly form the movement. "Howwwl!" Suddenly, a Poochyenna darted from the bushes and darted across the path.

"Vull-vul-vul!" Vulpix jumped and scurried across the grass in the opposite direction.

"Yoko—wait!" Anna cried, picking up chase after her.

"I tried to follow her…."

Suddenly, a group of Shroomish jumped from under a pile of dead leaves near the tree bases. Anna slid to a startled stop.

"Shroo—" The mushroom Pokemon glared at her dangerously. Without warning, they dispelled a sparking blue powder from their pistils into the air.

One whiff caused Anna's eyelids to become heavy. She could feel her body start to rock, becoming more relaxed with each movement. She gave a yawn and plopped to the grass in a loud snore.

"Some Shroomish knocked me out and I didn't wake up till it was night."

(Flashback ends)

"I tried calling for her, but she never came to her name. I haven't stopped looking for her ever since. Even when I go to pick the berries I use, I still try to call out my Yoko—which is why the Beedrill were chasing me." Anna explained.

Angelina, Christina, and Jeremy all looked to Crimson.

"Come to think of it, it was weird how I met Crimson." Angelina stated, "I was in the Petalburg Woods as well when I found this Vulpix. I reeled him in form the water with my fishing rod."

Anna looked to Angelina and smiled. She walked back to start stroking Crimson on the head.

"Vull…." Crimson completely relaxed his body.

"You must have a really good heart, Angelina."

"You think so, Ms. Anna?" Angelina looked up at the lady.

"Yeah; Yoko doesn't take to strangers at all. But just by the look he gives you, I can tell he loves you a lot."

Jeremy and Christina chuckled as Angelina blushed.

Crimson jumped out of her arms and onto his trainer's shoulder to claim ownership.

"Vul!"

Off to the side of the trail was a small house that was red in color. The front door and roof were painted yellow along with the picket fence that extended from the house's sides. The back yard was full of various flowers and berry bushes that made it look colorful. Crimson perked up at the familiar sight around him.

Anna walked up to the front door and worked the lock open. "C'mon in, kids." She said to them.

Jeremy was the first to go in, followed by Christina, then Angelina. The inside of the house looked a lot bigger than the outside. The living room was decorated with dark yellow furniture, but the kitchen was white in color. On the counters were a bunch of different sized bottles. Each one was filled with a different colored liquid. Right next to them were a bunch of different berries, some diced and some in full.

"Wow; those are so pretty!" Christina marveled at the jars.

"Thank you; I make my own herbal medicines and perfumes. Since you've been through Petalburg Woods, I assume you've been to Zakuden Town?"

"Yeah," Jeremy said to Anna.

"Well, they get their products from me." Anna told them.

"Wow; you don't mind if I could smell some of your perfume, do you?" Christina asked lowly, but Anna smile.

"Not at all, Christina. And you two could sit at the table so I can give you a piece of pie."

"Pie!" Angelina and Jeremy jumped at the sound of food. They didn't want to be rude, but couldn't help but rush to the table. Their stomachs gave a teasing growl. While Christina sniffed the various bottles, Anna started for her refrigerator. She came back out with a blueberry pie and set it on the table, followed by some plates. Crimson dropped onto the ground from his trainer's head.

Angelina and Jeremy drooled as Anna cut a piece of pie onto the plate.

With a fork in hand, Jeremy was the first to dig in. "Oh-yum! This is the best, Ms. Anna!" He exclaimed.

Christina soon rejoined her friends to have a piece of pies.

"Hope you kids enjoy it. I'm just gonna' work on the counter until you're done." Anna said to them. She walked over to the counter and unloaded the bag of berries she had at her side.

"Vulpix…. vulpix…."

"Oh!" Anna jumped unnoticeably; Crimson gingerly rubbed his body against the lady's legs affectionately. Anna smiled her sweet smile at his. She scooped up the Pokemon and started to massage the fox's belly.

"Vulpix-vul-he-he-he-he!" Crimson giggled gleefully.

"Uh—" Angelina stopped her fork abruptly from entering her piece of pie. The expression on her face was in deep thought. She was stricken by a sudden pang of hot-cold. She couldn't really explain it, but her insides squeezed up a bit every time she saw Crimson laugh. She had never seen Crimson that happy before. It could've been possible that he was really excited and pleased to see his original trainer again.

'His original trainer…. his real trainer.' Her mind spoke. Her eyes glimmered with Crimson transfixed in them. Why did she feel as if a bit of her spirit was dissolving? She watched Anna play a slight tug-of-war with Crimson using a piece of string. She didn't even realize that Chocolate had helped herself to sharing her pie.

"Vulpix really does look happy." Christina stated.

"Well he should; he's finally with the trainer he lost." Jeremy said through a mouthful of pie.

The Crystal Bell let out a single thump that only the Pokemon were able to hear. Crimson averted his eyes to his trainer. Angelina couldn't understand it, but her heart started to feel like lead. And just like that, her hunger disappeared.

Angelina stood up to her feet, letting her fork clatter lightly to her plate. Everyone looked to her; Chocolate revealed her blueberry-covered face. "Please forgive me, Ms. Anna, but may I be excused?" she pushed in her chair and turned away form the kitchen without a second glance. The front door creaked open for a second, then thudded shut.

Christina, Jeremy, and Chocolate blinked in confusion. But Anna and Crimson were both sporting concerned expressions.

"Where is she going?" Jeremy asked.

"We're really sorry, Ms. Anna; she isn't normally like this." Christina apologized, bowing respectfully in her seat.

"Oh, no problem. Everyone feels a little uncomfortable every now and then." Anna smiled, but Crimson was still worried.

"Vul…." Crimson looked up at the lady.

Anna nodded to him, "Go on ahead—I understand."

"Vulpix!" Crimson licked her cheek quickly and jumped out of her arms onto the floor. He noticed that Chocolate was already on her way to the door. "Vulpix-vul!" he called at her. Chocolate stopped and glanced back.

"Vul-vul-pix!" Crimson said.

"Pika?" Chocolate blinked.

Crimson nodded, darting past her. He jumped up the living room couch and out of the window.

"Well, Christina and Jeremy, I have something fun for you two to do if you're all done eating." Anna perked up, drawing the two kids' attention to her.

"Cool!" Christina and Jeremy stated.

Crimson jumped onto the grass beside the bushes of the house. He saw Angelina walking down the trail towards the forest with her arms folded. "Vulpix…" His eyes wobbled emotionally before jolting seriously. She had left without her backpack and might run into trouble. Crimson nodded and darted right after her trainer.

Angelina walked in silence through the quiet forest trail, her eyes never leaving the ground. She was so deep in thought, she wasn't paying attention to where she was going. With her hands in her pocket, she let out a sigh. Her heart felt heavy—like a brick that would fall any minute. Her stomach seized her body with a hot-cold tension. 'Maybe…. Crimson wasn't ever really…. he looked so happy with Anna—they were like siblings. That's a happiness I could never give him.' she thought to herself, 'He already has a trainer….' Every time she thought of Anna, her heart squeezed up on her. If Crimson already had a real trainer, what was she? Her heart nagged at her, but she refused to listen to it. Normally, she would be happy about something like that. But she couldn't even break a smile now. It was as if she was losing a friend to this skeptical voice that had been lying dormant. 'It was strange how we met….' Angelina let her mind flash back to when she first reeled Crimson in. 'It could be possible that I wasn't meant to be his trainer, but to bring him…. no—I've established a link with him, though, through the Crystal Bell…. or perhaps I can't help, but be a little selfish….' She hadn't realized she had wandered so far into the forest.

"Bzzzzzzz!" "Whoa!" Angelina slid to a sudden halt, clenching her teeth a bit fearfully.

Fluttering before her was a swarm of dark-yellow Beedrill. They stared at her with those aggressive crimson eyes; their wings beat the air dangerously. One glance at a couple of their sides showed a couple of burn marks on them.

'Those Beedrill—they're the same ones from before!' Angelina thought to herself,

'They must've been attracted by the screams I made.' The Beedrill poised their stingers to attack and she started to sweat anime style. All she did was stay frozen in place.

"BZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!" The Beedrill cried sharply and sped towards he with their poisonous stingers poised. Like a computer, Angelina's body locked up—she wanted to move, but couldn't! She was about to become a Beedrill's pin-cushion!

"Yaaaaah—" "Vulll!" SPWAAAAA!! Angelina couldn't believe her eyes; from out of nowhere, a burst of flames shot between herself and the Beedrill.

"Vulpix!" Crimson landed in front of Angelina. He hissed angrily at the bee Pokemon in defense for his trainer.

"…. Crimson…." Angelina squeaked. Her eyes started to tremble with a few tears clinging form the bottom. "He…. he came to save me…." she smiled and wiped the water from her eyes. A feeling in her heart hinted that this may very well be the last battle they face together. "Well…. I had better make the most of this."

Crimson glanced back at her with a concerned look. He understood what was going on inside her head with a nodded.

Angelina nodded back and allowed her expression to turn serious. "Let's do this, Crimson! Crystal EX Activate!" The Crystal Bell burst with a bright ice-blue light; Angelina's hair turned light blue and started to sway as if a breeze was blowing. Both her and Crimson's eyes turned blue as well.

"Bzzzzzzz!" The Beedrill buzzed dangerously, darting forward with their needles poised for attack. Angelina and Crimson closed their eyes. They could hear their hearts—their breathing—act as one. The air around them became heated with their energy. With a ghastly whistle, a bluish-purple flame faded into appearance beside Crimson. Another whistle sounded beside Angelina as a flame neared her as well. In no time, purple flames appeared all around the area.

"Bzzzzz!" The Beedrill beat against the air madly, closing in for the sting. Suddenly,

Crimson and Angelina snapped back to reality; immediately, the flames shot through the air in a dangerous array.

"Beeedrillll!" Singe sounds smoked up as the Beedrill were lightly scorched. The swarm

of bee Pokemon all turned-tail and fluttered through the branches from the fear of getting burned.

"We did it, Crimson!" Angelina exclaimed.

"Vulpix!" Crimson smiled in triumph.

"Now, let's get to Ms. Anna and the others."

Crimson nodded and jumped onto his trainer's shoulder. Angelina took off running. She still had that heavy falling in her heart, but with Crimson on her shoulder, she didn't feel as bad.

Hours later and back at Anna's house….

Angelina knelt down in front of Crimson, the fox Pokemon looked up in question.

"What's up, Lina?" Christina asked curiously.

Angelina swallowed as she prepared to make the largest decision she had ever made in her life. "Crimson…. I'm going to leave you here with Ms. Anna."

"Dah!" The others gasped.

Angelina felt an arrow of emoting pierce her heart with lightning speed.

Crimson felt as if someone had weighed his heart down with a load of bricks. The combination of shock and sadness struck him so suddenly, he didn't know how to react.

"You can't be serious!" Jeremy exclaimed. "Angel, please reconsider your choice."

"Yes, Angelina; are you sure that's what you want?" Christina and Anna stated to her.

"Listen; Crimson obviously misses Ms. Anna because she was originally her Pokemon. If I continue on with Crimson, I'd be destroying their bond. Crimson would be happier with Anna and if I want to truly call myself his trainer, I'd do what makes him happiest." Angelina said in a much clearer voice than before.

"You're crazy! What about all the good times you and Vulpix shared? Do those mean anything to you?" Jeremy asked with a stern frown.

Angelina made a facial gesture to show she was a bit taken aback by her best friend's words. "All of the times are very special to me, which is why we have to separate."

Angelina couldn't bare to say anything else. If she did, she would surely start to cry. Even in her silence, she couldn't choke back the tears well enough.

Crimson stared at her, his eyes trembling with emotion. "Vul…." he whispered.

Angelina, whose eyes were still hidden, stood up and slung her single-strap pack on her back. "Please, excuse me." she said and started to walk away. She didn't want Crimson—or anyone else for that matter—see her sob. If they did, they might feel sorry for her and coax her to change her mind. There was no time for second thoughts; she had done what needed to be done. Chocolate was the first to start crying, letting her tears soak into the grass. Christina and Anna gave their friend sad, concerned looks. Jeremy just folded his arms; it was obviously his way of showing concern.

With his eyes so close to the waterworks, Crimson trotted forward after Angelina.

"Vulpix!" he slid to a stop in front of Angelina to show her his eyes. He could care less if he held back his tears or not; he wanted her to look directly at him.

Angelina stopped in silence for a minute, feeling a bit uneasy. "….Crimson," She knelt down to the fox Pokemon and revealed her eyes. Her cheeks were a little tear-stained and water still dripped a little. "If you want to stay with Anna, stay. Remember that we're friends—and friends never really leave each other's hearts." The smile Angelina gave forced another tear from her eye.

"Pix," One of Crimson's curly orange tails stretched out and wiped the drip form her face.

"….Crimson…." Angelina's mind flash-backed to the many battles they've had; the gym badge he would have never received without her. He meant a lot to her and letting him go had to be the hardest thing she had ever done.

"Didn't it ever occur to her how Vulpix would feel if she wasn't around him anymore?" Jeremy questioned.

"He must be happier with Anna…. because he was his first friend. Angelina is more in tune with the feelings of Pokemon than most people—she would know." Christina told him.

"Angelina…." Christina put her hand on her sister's shoulder.

"Angelina, I promise you that you will see Yoko again." Anna told her in a serious voice, indicating that she planned to keep that promise.

"Thanks, Ms. Anna." Angelina forced a smile. Even though it hurt her to leave Crimson, she knew their friendship would burn forever.

Anna and Crimson waved goodbye to the three humans. Crimson was happy to be with his original trainer, but devastated that he had to leave his new one.

Angelina walked in front of Christina and Jeremy silently. Once again, her eyes were hidden underneath her hat. Even tough she was happy for Crimson, letting him go left a hole in her heart. Chocolate was looking at her trainer with a sympathetic look. She wished so hard that she would stop feeling sad. "Pika-chu," She gingerly caressed her cheek with her tongue. Angelina took her in her arms without looking and held her close.

"Angelina, is there anything I can do?" Jeremy said, ready to jump at his best friend's request.

"No thank you, Jeremy. I can cope—just give me a minute." Angelina replied.

Making choices isn't always easy. The path down life is always full of bumps. But this is how we learn—this is how we grow. And I'd say that Angelina has done some considerable growing on this day. However, by distancing themselves, Angel and Crimson will always keep each other close to their hearts.

§To Be Continued§

This chapter was kinda sad since Angelina had to give Vulpix to her original trainer, and now that I think about it, it reminds me of the episodes when Brock was given Suzie's Vulpix for a while and had to give it back. Thanks for reading, I'll have the next chapter up soon!