Chapter 20

Hoenn

"Captain Ketchum, you're being stationed in Goldenrod City for the next year." the Major Colonel tells a raven haired tan man.

The young man puts his hands up in a salute. "Yes, sir!"

When Ash is dismissed, he walks back to the barracks to pack the few things he owns. On his way, he gets stopped by a woman with short brown hair tied up in a camo bandanna. "Hey, Ash!" she smiles at him while they walk together.

"It's Captain Ketchum, Lieutenant Maple." the man chuckles.

She rolls her eyes. "I'm talking to you like a friend now, Ash." She then grabs the paper from his hands and scans over it. "So you're being stationed in Johto?"

He nods. "Yup. Sorry I'm leaving you."

She shrugs while handing the paper back to him. "It's fine. I'll be leaving soon anyway."

Ash smirks. "With Drew?"

May blushes as she looks away. "Well, his company is hiring, and he said he's getting me in."

"Good. Get out of here, May. Settle down."

"I'm just getting a job, Ash! Not getting married."

"Same thing. You're marrying a job."

"How about you? Got someone special waiting for you at home?"

Ash stops in his tracks as he looks down at his feet. May, seeing his mood drop, quickly apologizes, but he says, "No." He then gives her a grin. "Just my mom, but I'm married to the army." He walks inside the men's barracks that May can't enter.

After Ash had left Pallet Town, he was stationed for training in Vermillion City with Lt. Surge for a few months. He's been in various cities and regions these past 5 years as he's climbed up in the ranks. While Ash is happy to be traveling, he feels bad for leaving his mother home alone. Both he and his father have left her to wait for them, but Ash can't bring himself to go back to the town.

Occasionally, his mother will visit him and update him on Gary because she talks to Professor Oak. Apparently, Gary is some successful busiman at Poke' Enterprises. There is still nothing about Leaf since her parents refuse to speak about her. As for Misty. Misty. The name pains him while he thinks about her.

After they broke up, he never saw her again. She has respected his wishes and let him go. Eventually, he left for the army without seeing her again. He doesn't know what she's doing, but he hopes she's happy. He hopes all of his past friends are happy, even Gary. Ash sighs while he looks at his photo of them after the championship win. He hasn't read the messages on the back since the day he left for the army. They just hurt too much.

When Ash was stationed in Hoenn 2 years ago, he met May Maple and Drew Hayden. Apparently, the two Hoenn natives had become friends while in the army, and Drew is from a very wealthy family. He was only in the army due to some questionable life choices, so he agreed to serve as a way to stay in his parents' will.

Ash only got to hang out with Drew for a few months before the green haired man was done with his service; however, Drew stays in constant contact with May. While the two would bicker often, Ash could tell they truly care for each other. He's glad she will be joining him once she leaves the army in a few weeks.

Ash sighs as he finishes packing his small bag. He leaves for Goldenrod City in a couple of days. Apparently there's an army base south of the city where he will be serving out the rest of his current term, but Ash will just reenlist once his term is over. He enjoys the army life. It matches his carefree and wandering spirit.

Cerulean City

"I can't believe you got a job all the way in Johto!" Violet cries as she hugs her youngest sister.

"So far!" Lily agrees with tears.

The redhead rolls her eyes. "You guys weren't crying when you sent me to Pallet Town."

"But it's not a whole new region where you know no one!" Daisy weeps as she joins in on the hug.

"I will be fine, guys!" Misty manages to say as they hug her tightly. She looks at her brother-in-law with pleading eyes as he apologetically shrugs back.

"Misty's right! It's Goldenrod City! They have a great nightlife and store! Bigger than Celadon City!" Violet sniffles. Misty inwardly groans as she thinks about her sisters visiting her.

"You're right, Vi!" Lily agrees happily.

"Guys, I'm there for work, okay? Please don't come and distract me." the redhead explains to her ditzy sisters.

Daisy smiles as she puts an arm around Misty's shoulders. "We know, little sis. We just want you to know that we'll miss you."

Misty returns the smile. "Thank you, guys. I'll miss you all too, especially little Jacob." She coos to the toddler in his stroller. Daisy and Tracey had finally had a baby 2 years ago, but with Misty avoiding Pallet Town, she rarely ever sees her nephew.

After Ash and her had broken up, Misty rarely left the Sketchit's house. She would've gone back to Cerulean City, but Cinnabar Island is closer to Pallet Town, so she just hid throughout the summer. Daisy had figured out it was due to a breakup, which Tracey was confused about. As his wife got mad at him for allowing a boy to hurt Misty again, Tracey tried to figure out why Ash would do something like that.

However, he got answers when he ran into Mrs. Ketchum a few months later and found out Ash decided to join the army. Since Tracey saw what Ash had to go through after his father left, Tracey has a good understanding of why Ash broke up with Misty as well as why Ash quit basketball.

Once Misty left for college, she never came back to Pallet Town. Although she originally wanted to be a physical therapist, it pained her too much to study this; thus, she changed her major to being an athletics trainer for swimming. She spent a year at Cerulean City North High School as their Physical Education teacher before getting a position at Goldenrod City Community College to be an athletics trainer. While Misty does hope to work in a university or profession swimming some day, she knows taking this position is a step towards her goal.

The difference between Misty and her old Pallet Town friends is that she didn't know them that long. Yes, the Quad Squad did a lot together and they were great friends, but for someone who is used to people leaving her, she wasn't too hurt when they finally did it to her.

Although, Misty isn't sure why she still carries around the picture of them that Mrs. Ketchum gave them. The redhead usually just has the frame hidden in a drawer somewhere and never looks at it, but a part of her wants to carry on that little piece of Pallet Town...of the realest friends she's ever had.

Fortunately, if Tracey knows anything about Ash, he never says it. Misty appreciates her brother-in-law for this. The redhead has just accepted that she'll always be alone. She's been fine her whole life, so she will continue to be fine, especially now that she's going to Goldenrod City.

Goldenrod City

Ava has been in school for a few months now, and with it being peak flower season (winter and spring), Leaf has started working a lot longer. Fortunately, Jimmy and Marina don't mind watching Ava until Silver or Leaf come home. On her first day of extended hours, she walks into the crowded flower shop where she is quickly grabbed by one of her coworkers, Elena and rushed behind the counter.

"Wow. It's busy." Leaf mentions, but Elena isn't looking at her. She's looking towards the crowd of women further down.

"There's a hot guy here!" Elena exclaims and Leaf instantly knows who is here. There is an army base south of the city, so the military men sometimes come to the shop to buy flowers for their significant others, mothers, or the memorials for fallen soldiers. The women at the flower shop, customers and workers, always gush over the muscular men, but Leaf never does.

The brunette goes into the back office to put on her apron before walking back out where Elena admirably says, "He's tall, dark, and handsome, Leaf. He also said he's single. Maybe you should try and find Ava a dad now." Although Elena gushes over these men, she is happily married with 2 kids. The older woman means well, but sometimes she tries to match Leaf up with single men who come into the shop. "I'll go get him!" Elena exclaims as she runs off before Leaf can object.

The brunette sighs while she gets ready to awkwardly decline the man Elena forces to ask her out. However, once the man is brought over to her, her eyes go wide as well as his. His face looks the same, but he's slightly taller and more tan. He's a little more muscular with very short hair, but she knows who he is. As Leaf attempts to turn and head into the back office, he grabs her and crushes her in a hug.

"Leaf." When his warm tears hit her head, she finds herself hugging him back as her own tears soak his black shirt. The shop watches on in confusion, and jealousy, as the handsome man hugs her. Elena is shocked but smirks because she thinks she found Leaf someone. Little does she know that this man is just a friend.

Despite just arriving for work, Elena convinces their boss, Ms. Flora, to let Leaf take a little break, so Ash and Leaf are in the back garden where no customers are allowed. Once both had stopped crying, they awkwardly separated as they now walk about the garden.

"She says you're single." Leaf finally says. Last time she had checked, Ash was with Misty.

He sighs as he looks straight ahead rather than her by his side. "I broke up with her."

"Why?" The woman is confused since Ash was head over heels for Misty all those years ago.

"I couldn't let her wait for me while I joined the army."

"When did you join?"

"A few weeks after you left."

This makes her stop in her tracks as she turns to face him. "You didn't go to college?" He shakes his head while keeping his gaze away. "Why, Ash? You had a full ride! You were a great player!"

He doesn't say anything while he tries to block out the reasons he did everything. The reasons he quit basketball and his relationship with Misty. The reasons he decided to join the army and stay in it. The reasons he can never go back to Pallet Town. There's a reason he's suppressed these painful memories, so he will continue keeping them at bay. "Why did you leave?"

Leaf is taken aback by his question. Also, since he ignored hers, but now it's her turn to avert her gaze. She sighs as she says, "Pallet Town became too painful. I had to leave and get as far as I could from it. I'm sorry I didn't say bye, but I knew you and Misty would try to convince me to stay, and I really didn't want to...I still don't want to go back."

"But your parents-"

"Disowned me." she sadly replies.

Ash wants to know more, but he won't tell her anything, so he won't force her to tell him anything. He just sighs as he says, "I'm stationed here until mid-summer. If you don't mind, I'd like to spend time with you before I leave."

Leaf gives him a warm smile. Gosh, she's missed him. Ash is always so caring and thoughtful, but she doesn't want a serious friendship with him. She's already closed that painful chapter in her life. Sadly, the woman shakes her head and feels tears threaten to fall as his smile disappears. "Sorry, Ash. It's too painful."

He nods in understanding. Yeah, he misses her, but hanging out with her will just remind him of Pallet Town. "You're right." He chuckles. "I won't come back here anymore."

The man turns around to go back to the store when she says, "I don't work weekends...so you can come on the weekends."

"Thanks, Leaf." Ash softly replies.

Soon, he is gone, but Elena runs to the garden to hear what she hopes is good news from Leaf. However, seeing the tears flowing down the young woman's face makes her hug Leaf instead. "I'm so sorry, Leaf! I didn't know he'd be an asshole!"

Leaf just shakes her head as she manages to hiccup out a response. "No. He's not an asshole at all...it's me." The older woman obviously has no idea what is going on, but she just hugs Leaf regardless.

Army Base

All Ash had wanted to do was buy flowers to honor the memorial at Goldenrod City's army base. The soldiers had told him about the local flower shop, but he never expected to see his old friend there. With Goldenrod City being a very big city, he doubts he will run into her again, especially since he mostly just stays on the army base.

When Ash returns with no flowers, the soldiers question him, but he doesn't say anything. He can't say anything with all the pain he is feeling. Just seeing Leaf reminds him so much of the hurt and guilt he has. He'll just go train to clear his mind. It's what he does best.