A Pokemon Fiction based on the Sapphire game.
Chapter One"Sometimes It's Tough being Tough"
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"Mom, do we have to move???" A young girl, named Amaya Valentine, who was around the age of fourteen asked her mother.
"Yes dear, we do. You want to be closer to our father don't you?" Her mother, Naomi, a middle aged woman asked, taping up the last box.
"Yes, I do… But I don't want to leave another place again! I don't want to leave behind my friends." Amaya replied, leaning against the doorframe of the kitchen.
"I know it's hard honey, but you'll make new friends in Hoenn, just wait and see. Besides, you can always visit Ash, Brock and Misty in the summer." Naomi replied, getting up and kissing her daughter's forehead. "Now go get some rest, we leave early tomorrow morning."
"Can I go visit Ash first? Please?" Amaya asked, pleadingly.
"Oh…alright, just don't stay to long." Naomi replied after a few minutes.
"I won't" Amaya replied, slipping on her shoes and walked out of the door.
Amaya sighed heavily in the cool night breeze; it was the first day of spring and the air smelled of fresh cut grass and sweet flowers. Amaya began walking the short path from her house to Ash's in Pallet Town in the Johto region. Amaya walked up to the small house that was very much like her own and knocked on the door.
"Just a minute!" Amaya heard the familiar voice of Mrs. Ketchum call, a few seconds later the woman came to the door and opened it with a smile. "OH! Amaya! What brings you hear at this hour? Please come in! Come in!"
"Thank you Mrs. Ketchum," Amaya replied quietly, smiling. "And I was just coming by to see Ash before we leave tomorrow since we probably won't have much time to see each other in the morning."
"I know, we're all going to miss you dear" Mrs. Ketchum replied sadly, patting Amaya on the shoulder.
"Like wise, you've all been like my second family… I don't know how I'm going to be able to leave this place." Amaya said, feeling a few tears well up in her eyes.
"I know, sweetheart," Mrs. Ketchum replied, hugging Amaya closely. "But you just wait, you'll have the best time in Hoenn, even though you don't think so right now."
"Yeah… anyway is Ash home?" Amaya asked, remembering why she'd come over in the first place.
"Oh yes, he's upstairs in his room" Mrs. Ketchum replied, smiling.
Amaya nodded, smiling back in reply and began to walk up the stairs that lead to the room where she'd spent many a nights, staying up until all hours in the morning with Ash when she and he were younger. As she approached the room, she could hear the soft sounds of Ash's voice, fallowed by the chattering of Pikachu. She walked over to the room and turned the handle, walking in a bit.
"Ketchum," She called, sounding very much like Gary, Professor Oaks' grandson and Ash's long time rival, she sniggered when Ash turned around sharply. "Got ya…again"
"Why do you always do that?" Ash asked, laughing.
"Because," Amaya replied, picking up the Pikachu that bounced at her feet. "It's fun, and you always fall for it."
"Okay, okay enough Ash bashing here." Ash laughed, walking over to Amaya, giving her a hug. "Why are you here? It's almost eleven o'clock."
"I know," Amaya replied, walking over to Ash's bed sitting down, Pikachu climbing in her lap. "But I just wanted to come over and see you before we leave tomorrow because you know, it'll be like heck tomorrow morning and we'll be rushing and everything and I won't get to see you much…"
"So…you are really leaving?" Ash asked sadly, walking over to his bed and sat down as well.
"Yeah…Dang it, Ash. It's not fair!" Amaya spat, looking over at him. "Why should I have to move? Why couldn't my mom just go to Hoenn and me stay here, I mean I could stay with you! Or I could go live with Brock or Misty…it's just not fair."
"I know it's not fair… I wish there was some way you could stay here" Ash replied.
"Me too…but there isn't, and even if there was it'd be to late to do anything about it now" Amaya said, sighing as she stroked Pikachu's back.
"Well, look on the bright side, you can come visit us, and we have my bird Pokemon we can write letters to each other!" Ash said, trying hard to cheer his best friend up.
"Yeah…but it just won't be the same…" Amaya replied, a tear rolling down her face, Pikachu looked up at her and climbed up her shirt a bit and brushed the tear away. "Aw…thank you Pikachu"
"Amaya! Honey you mom just called, she says you need to come home now" Mrs. Ketchum's voice rang up the stairs.
"Well…I guess I'd better get home then…" Amaya sighed, getting up and sitting Pikachu down on the floor. "Will you all come see me off tomorrow?"
"You know we will, it'll be hard, letting go of a friend, but we'll be there," Ash said.
"Oh Ash…" Amaya cried, wrapping her arms around him, sobbing uncontrollably into his shoulder.
"Shh…you're going to be okay, you'll make it through this, you're a tough girl." Ash whispered, hugging Amaya tightly.
"Sometimes it tough being tough…" Amaya replied, still crying.
Amaya and Ash stood there, hugging each other for ten minutes, but to them it only seemed like one. Amaya finally made her self let go of Ash, and she composed herself, after giving Pikachu and Mrs. Ketchum farewell hugs, she walked out the door and back to her house, which now looked empty and lifeless. Amaya took one last look at Pallet Town at night, knowing that it would be the last night she would spend there.