"Good-bye"
The sun laced its golden fingers up over the horizon, casting a pale red-and-yellow glow over all creatures and objects that were awakened to gaze upon its magnificent beauty. A lone Pidgey began its song of cooing and was soon joined by another, and then another, and then another, until their chorus was strong and clear. The green blades of grass that covered the open field before the Pokémon Center, now a golden color in the rising red sun, displayed its variety of tiny wildflowers of rainbow shades of the colors tinted in the sunlight. Through it all sat an unbreakable team. The team of a boy and his dog, who he loved so dearly. Now James knew for certain what he must do, but he could feel how it would tear him up, even before anything happened.
"Growly, I…" James began, his voice scratching as he felt his tears threatening to surface. He began to hear a song, slowly coming on in his head. Almost obediently, he followed the words. I close my eyes, Hold back tears, and hope that you will understand… James wiped his nose quickly and clamped his eyes down just as tight as the night before, hoping to conceal the pain that doing such a thing as he was about to would.
"James?" Jesse cried, racing up to him from the Pokémon Center. "James? Are you all-"
"Jesse, could you leave me alone for a second?" He opened his now starry from tears eyes and looked up at the girl. "I've gotta talk to Growly. By myself."
"Oh," she said softly, feeling as though something had pierced through her heart. She looked at the two, getting starry-eyed herself, for whatever was about to happen would affect them all. James, don't be dumb… Jesse warned him with concern. Slowly she walked back into the center and gathered up her things.
"Growly?" He let out a sob, a short one, trying to hold away the tears. "I know how much that- that you love me…" He glanced down at his limp hands, "…and I hope that you know how much I love you…"
James lifted his head and met his eyes with Growly, who already seemed aware of what was going on.
"…And I love Mom and Dad…" James petted the growlithe on the mohawk part of his head. "I need to make sure that they're looked after, and it's too dangerous here to…"
The boy had thought up a lie but decided against using it. This was his best friend. How could he ever think to do such a thing? "Look, Growly," James tried to hold back his tears, but they just kept coming and coming, streaming down his pale face. "I love you too much to keep you here. Understand?" The dog looked a bit shocked, but then just sad. "Just a few hours ago I almost got you killed…" James brought the dog closer and hugged him, thinking about the instant when the dog jumped in front of the people with guns. He remembered the fear that washed over him, and could not help but think of how this only showed how stupid his decisions could be. "And I don't want that to happen again. I don't want you dead." James's crying was higher then ever before and he hugged the dog harder. "What's worse is that I might have to steal…and I don't want you to be part of that! You're too good for that! Don't you believe me?"
Growly was trying to hide his feelings, but the glossy coating over his eyes and the sad, whiny yelp that he had given for a response gave James enough to know that the puppy understood…and felt the same way that James did.
James made a vague attempt at pulling himself together and continued on, breaking his heart in the process. "So now I gotta transfer you home…so you can be safe, and protect my parents, because they need you more than I do…"
Growly nodded and gave another short, depressing bark.
"Here," James pulled out a note from his jean pocket. "It's a letter for Mom and Dad. Would you give it to them?" The boy placed the crinkled-up piece of paper into the dog's open mouth. "And boy?" James paused. "This isn't over, you know. When I get a flyer, then I'll mail you every chance I get. Maybe when it gets big enough, I can even visit!"
The two of them gave each other a quick smile.
"Okay, boy. Growly, return!" James proudly held out his poké ball and brought the puppy back into it. After the object clicked closed again, he slumped down, letting the ball dangle at his fingertips. Is this right? Is this really the best thing?
Slowly the blue-haired boy walked back into the Pokémon center and placed the poké ball into the transfer slot. Quickly and quietly, the boy punched in his address and watched, filled with regret, the electricity-like system beginning to work, engulfing his best friend that he'd ever known in a matter of seconds. Remembering the song again, James slowly began to softly sing the depressing words of exactly how he felt now.
I close my eyes, Hold back my tears,
And I hope, that you will understand
That you mean more than words can say,
And I wish, that we'd always be together
Side by side, but now you're gone!
I close my eyes, and I can see
The day we met…just one moment and knew
You're my best friend, 'do anything for you
START FLASHBACK
A little baby was sitting alone crying in a crib. His hair, however little he had, shown in a light blue. He cried and cried, alone. Suddenly, he heard a scratching on the window.
"Growlowl?" Said the high-pitched voice from the tiny creature.
The boy stopped crying, at first to try to figure out what the creature was, and then changed his frown to a smile as he began laughing. The puppy slipped in through one of the cracks in the open window and jumped into the crib. The two were friends immmediatly, and they began to play.
James didn't know that he could remember this, but you never know everything, do you?
END FLASHBACK
We've gone so far, and done so much…
And I feel like we've always been together
Right by my side through thick and thin
You're the part of my life, I'll always remember
The time has come…it's for the best, I know it…
Who Could've guessed that you and I…
Somehow, someday, we'd have to say good-bye…
START FLASTBACK
It was James's seventh birthaday, and as usual, the only guest so far was none other than the incredibly annoying Jessebell. The only exception was that this time, both of the boys had a plan for revenge…it was rather simple and ordinary, yet for Jessebell it would have unthinkable consequences. Yes, she did over-react.
Soon all the parents had arrived, and some buisness associates and all the servants and what not were there too.
"And this is our son," said James's father to a man dressed in a grey suit. "And there's his fiancé-to-be," he said, gesturing his right hand to an elegant young girl giving a curtsey to the people around her, slightly lifting her dress and giving a sweet little bow.
James sat in his chair with a look of absolute boredom across his face. Soon, though, he saw everyone deciding to take their seat. "This is it! Not too long now!" James whispered to the dog strategically hidden under the table that everyone was to be at. The boy blew up a balloon-like trick item. A smile spread across both faces as the kid handed the dog the whoopie cushion, which by the dog was then strategically positioned on the annoying girl's chair. Now all that they had to do was wait…
END FLASHBACK
You've helped me find, the strength inside
And the courage, to make all my dreams come true
How will I find another friend like you?
Two of a kind, that's what we are…
And it seemed like we were always winning
But as our team is torn apart
I wish we could go back to the beginning!
The time has come…it's for the best, I know it…
Who could have guessed that you and I…
Somehow, someway, we'd have to say good-bye
Somehow today…we'd have to say "Good-bye…"
"Good-bye, old friend…" James said with one final tear.
{[NEXT SECTION]}
An elegant woman with deep red hair stretched and yawned her arms. "Hmmm?" She noticed the poké ball sitting on the transfer rack. "I wonder…"
She opened the ball and saw emerge a sad-looking growlithe, holding a note in its mouth.
"Oh, my God!" She said through her accent, shot with concern for her son. "Did something happen to James?"
The dog gave a bow and left the note at her feet and sat with a few feet between the concerned woman and him. Slowly she bent down and picked up the note. Her eyes quickly scanned over it. A look of fear shot over her face.
"James!"
Author's Notes: Not bad for an ending to part one, neh? I am probably gonna write another part, but the next portion will be a year into the future. So I don't get sued, I'll say that that wonderful song was "The Time Has Come" and all but the first verse which I just made up for this fic belongs to Seigler/Leoffler/Grossfeild and it came from the animé, as most of you probably know. I don't really know what to say…so post your reviews fast! Then others can actually read something! Well, 'til next time, which I'm gonna have (thanx Chrissy for e-mailing me with your concern, PikaPal for always reviewing quickly…it's really cuz of you that I'm gonna continue) undoubtedly, but it may take a while… I'm blasting off again!
PokeMaster
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