Misty found Ash and Pikachu sitting under a tree at the edge of the forest on the north side of the preserve.

"Ash?"

"Hey, Misty," he replied dully as he flung the branch he was playing with into the nearby pond.

"Are you okay? Brock and I have been looking all over for you. We were all worried about you."

"Including Gary?" he retorted sarcastically.

"Don't worry, I took care of him," Misty said as she looked down at her bruised knuckles. "I shut that smart mouth of his."

Ash's eyebrows shot up in surprise when he saw her injured hand. "You hit him?"

"He asked for it, the stupid jerk," Misty replied as she sat down next to Ash. "How are you doing?"

Ash shrugged his shoulders. "Okay, considering that Gary was right. I did kill Scyther."

Misty's mouth fell open. "Ash, that's not true."

"Oh come on, Misty, it is! It's true! If I hadn't challenged Tracey and Scyther to a battle, then Scyther might still be alive right now."

"You don't know that, Ash. I mean, Scyther was pretty old."

"All the more reason why I shouldn't have asked them to battle." Ash leaned over and picked up the little yellow Pokémon sitting by his side. "I know it wasn't your fault, Pikachu. You were just doing what I told you to do. I…I'm the one to blame for what happened to Scyther."

"No, you're not, Ash." The two friends turned and saw Professor Oak standing behind them. "You're not responsible for Scyther's death."

"Thanks for trying to cheer me up, Professor, but it won't do any good. Misty's already tried," Ash said flatly as he stroked Pikachu's fur.

"Misty, could you excuse us for a moment?" Professor Oak asked the red-haired girl. "I need to speak with Ash alone. How's your hand, by the way?"

Misty smiled slightly as she rubbed her bruised knuckles. "A little sore, but not too bad."

"Why don't you head back to the lab and ask Tracey for some ice to put on that?" Professor Oak told her as he went over to where Ash sat. "Oh, and Misty…you were right. Gary did ask for it."

Misty grinned and headed down the path to the Oak house.

"So are you gonna try to tell me that Scyther's death wasn't my fault either, Professor Oak?" Ash asked the older man as he sat down next to him.

"Yes," Professor Oak said as he scratched Pikachu's head. "Ash, did your mother tell you that she stopped by to see me this morning?"

"No," replied Ash as he kicked at a pebble at his feet. "By the time I woke up this morning, Mom had already left to run some errands. She left me a note saying to meet her here at ten. I didn't know it was for Scyther's….Scyther's funeral."

"Ash, if you had known that it was for Scyther's funeral, would you have come?"

Ash shook his head. "No. I'm surprised Tracey didn't haul off and hit me during the funeral after what I did to Scyther."

"Ash, you didn't do anything to Scyther. Scyther was already dying."

Ash whirled around in surprise. "Dying?"

Professor Oak nodded. "Yes. Scyther was suffering from heart failure. He didn't have much longer to live. I knew it, and Tracey knew it too."

"But…but if Scyther was so sick, then why did Tracey let him battle? Why didn't he just keep Scyther inside his Poké ball all the time so he could rest?"

"Because Tracey knew that Scyther wouldn't be happy that way. As Scyther's trainer, Tracey knew what was best for his Pokémon. Even though it may have shortened the time Scyther had left, I think Scyther's last days were happier because Tracey did let him battle."

"But he still died because I asked him to battle," Ash said sadly. "It's still my fault."

"No, Ash. After talking to Tracey, I believe that Scyther was the one who started the battle." Professor Oak addressed the Pokémon sitting in Ash's lap. "Pikachu, did Scyther provoke you into battling with him?"

Pikachu nodded. "Pika."

"Ash, Scyther knew he was dying and he wanted to go out fighting. That's why he challenged Pikachu to a battle." Professor Oak patted Pikachu's head comfortingly. "This wasn't your fault, Pikachu. And it wasn't yours either, Ash. I was hoping that your mother would've told you that before the funeral."

Ash looked somewhat irritated at this remark. "Mom was talking to you about me?"

"Ash, your mother was worried about you. She said you didn't eat a thing last night."

"I wish she'd butt out sometimes," Ash said crossly. "I'm not a baby anymore."

"I know you're not," Professor Oak smiled. "But she still thinks of you as her little boy."

"Yeah, well, I'm not a little kid anymore," Ash said as he turned away from Professor Oak. "I've been out on my own for over a year and she still tells me to change my…you know…every day."

Professor Oak stifled a grin. "Ash, it's hard for your mother to let you go. Just like it was hard for Tracey to let Scyther go."

"Professor, if you had tried to help Scyther, do you think it would've done any good? Would you have been able to revive him?"

Professor Oak shook his head. "No. I honestly don't think anything I could've done would've helped Scyther. It was Scyther's time. And Tracey knew that. That's what I was trying to tell you yesterday, Ash. It was up to Tracey to decide what was best for his Pokémon, not you. And I apologize for being so curt with you yesterday, Ash. I think we were all upset yesterday."

"How's Tracey doing?"

"He's holding up pretty well, although I think he could use a friend right now. Why don't you go back to the lab and see him?"

"He doesn't blame me for what happened to Scyther, does he?" Ash said anxiously.

"No, Ash. He doesn't," Professor Oak reassured him. "No one does."

"Except Gary," Ash said bitterly.

"Don't worry about Gary," Professor Oak said. "I had a little talk with my grandson before I came down here. I told him that if he ever said anything like that again, I'd sic Misty on him."

Even Ash couldn't keep a straight face at that remark. "Yeah, Misty can hit pretty hard for a girl. Believe me, Professor, I know."

"It's nice to see you're feeling better, Ash," Professor Oak said Ash got to his feet. Professor Oak attempted to get off the ground and stopped as a sharp twinge of pain shot through his lower back. "Ash, could you give me a hand? My back's acting up again."

"Sure, Professor." Ash helped the older man to his feet.

"Thanks, my boy," Professor Oak replied as he massaged his back. "I overdid it yesterday and my back's killing me. It's been getting worse all day."

"Why don't you ask Mom for something to make you feel better?" Ash suggested. "She likes having someone to fuss over."

"I think I'll do that, Ash," Professor Oak smiled. Ash had been reading his mind.

"And that way, she'll be too busy with you to ask me how I'm doing every five minutes."

Professor Oak laughed heartily at Ash's comment as the two headed down the path to the lab.