Friendship and Love
What do you think is better: friendship or love? I think both are necessary to live through life. No one has died without being in love or without a friend, and if you think about it, friendship is a type of love. So let me rephrase that. What do you think is better: friendship or passion?
I think it's impossible to not have a crush at least ONCE in your life or go friendless. I know I've had a crush without knowing it, and it took someone that didn't understand the concept of "liking" someone to point that out to me. Of course it's Jade, the former five – no, six year old! You guys know me so well! But seriously, I remember that day very well. . .
"Hiya, Wally! How come you're staring at my cousin? Do you think she's pretty, Wally?"
"What? No, no, Jade. I don't like your cousin."
"Are you saying she's not pretty, Wally? I wanna look just like her when I grow up, and I want to be friendly and a Pokemon Trainer just like you! So, if you're saying that my cousin's not pretty, are you saying that I'm not pretty too?"
"Of course you're pretty, Jade! Don't you ever think that! I bet that when you grow up, you're going to just as beautiful as your cousin!"
"Ha! Wally likes my cousin! Wally likes my cousin! He told me so, he told me so!"
"But I didn't say that I-"
"Ew, you're going to get cooties, Wally, if you kiss her! Gross!"
"Uh, Jade-"
"Wally and my cousin sitting in a tree, A-B-C-D-E-F-G!"
"Its K-I-S-S-I-N-G, kissing. You just recited the alphabet."
"Ew! You want to kiss my cousin! I've got to give both of you the cootie shot! Circle, circle, dot, dot, now you've got the cootie shot! Circle, circle, square, square, now you got it everywhere!"
Don't. Ask. But anyway, the point is yes, I did have like a crush on Jade's cousin for a day, and I didn't know it sadly.
I also think – surprising as it is for me to think in the first place – that everyone has a friend out there. Maybe a lot of friends or maybe a little, but we all got someone to tell our deepest, darkest secrets too. Some of us even have friends that we didn't even know we had.
"Wally!"
"Hmm?"
"I wanted to call you to say thanks."
"Huh? For what? I've only talked to you once. If PokeNav's didn't have built in cameras in them-"
"I know. You met me in Lavaridge and we got to talking and we exchanged numbers."
"I don't remember-"
"The point is ... thanks."
"Did I do something?"
"In fact, yes. You told me that story of how you ran away from home to start your Pokemon journey even though no one had any faith in you. I told you that my parents were afraid if I traveled because of how small I am. I too ran away from home to start a Pokemon journey."
"Oh shit. I'm going to get sued for telling you my story and giving you ideas huh?"
"Haha no, Wood. I want to thank you for giving me the courage and hope to run away and start my travels. I already have three badges!"
"That's great! But that means I have another opponent in the league."
"Well sorry for bring your hopes down."
"I was only joking."
"I know. But anyway, thanks for being a good friend."
You've got a friend in me. Kay, enough of that lame song, but the point that I'm trying to make is which is more important: Passion or friendship? I know I keep asking you this but as for me, I think that friendship is the most important. Because any fool can fall in love but it takes more than a pretty face to make a friend. Though they do say that love makes the world go round. How about a friend falling in love with a friend? Reminds me of two people I know. Huh? You want to know who those two people are?
Well, I think you already know.
Do you know what roses and carnations symbolize? One means love, the other means friendship. We can all pull together with out friendship! Latios, I sound like that one annoying chick from Yu-Gi-Oh with her friendship speeches every five minutes. Love pulls people closer together and such. It makes the world go round like I said.
Doesn't it seem that everyone lusts for love? Admit it, you know you want someone to like you and you want to like someone! I'm searching for someone to crush on though I doubt anyone crushes on me! Yet, a guy can hope, can't he? Yes, I think he can.
Sometimes I dream at night that the entire world was filled with love and friendship instead of hate and war! But then I realize minutes later after the bunnies dance that the world is filled with magical leprechauns sliding down multi-colored rainbows that ...
I'M IN A FUCKING NIGHTMARE! GET ME OUT!
- - -
It was one of those days where you couldn't help but lie on your back and look straight up into the endless sky. How the sun could make such an array of colors to paint over its continuous canvas was a wonder to Wally as he placed his hands behind his head, the girl trainer next to him following suit.
Wally sighed happily as he spotted a cloud dyed with the colors of the sunset that was shaped like a Ralts. "Life is perfect," he muttered, breathing in the sweet scent of grass in Veranturf Town. He turned his head to look at the trainer. "Hey, May? How come you aren't training with Brendan right now?" He leaned on his elbows to see the white-haired trainer training his Pokemon against his Gardevoir and Magneton.
"It's just one of those days," May replied, closing her eyes. "Besides I think this is the only chance I can talk to you without Brendan being right next to me anyway."
"Oh?" Wally's head flopped back down onto the silky, soft grass. "Must be something about him if you don't want Bread Head over there to hear it. What's up?"
"Oh, you know." May played with a dandelion nearby. "Since the Pokemon League is coming up in less than two weeks, it makes me think how long I've known Brendan."
"And?"
"Well, I was just wondering," May paused, "if he thinks that were friends or more than that? What do you think is better, Wall Leak? Friendship or love?"
"Well, friendship is a form of love somehow."
"Okay, friendship or passion?"
"Both are important."
"But which one is more?"
Wally sat up and looked around. "Be right back," he stated as he ran down the grassy hill and into his cousin's garden. He cut off a rose with his pocket knife, avoiding the sharp thorns by holding it by its end.
"Hey! That's one of my roses!" Wanda burst out of the house, angry.
"That's nice," Wally retaliated as he hopped over the white picket fence instead of going through the gate.
Wanda shook her head as she went back in the house, muttering, "That cousin of mine sometimes."
Wally ran up the hill and gave the rose to May. "Hold this," he said as he went back down the hill and picked a carnation from someone else's garden. "Okay," he said, panting a bit from his run around the town. "I want you to watch these for a week. Keep them with you at all times until I call you back or tell you to. Don't do anything to them except put them in water and such. Don't pluck out the petals and try not to break the leaves."
"But why?" May asked, confused as she trailed a finger up and down the stem of the flowers. "I don't understand."
"You'll see." Wally smirked. "You'll see."
A week later, Brendan and May were long gone to visit their parents and to get some more training in. Wally was at Pacifilog Town by then, trying to take a break before attempting the last leg of the journey to Evergrande City. He couldn't just climb a waterfall and try to find an exit through a dark and gloomy cave on an empty stomach. Besides, he had to check up on somebody.
Taking out his green and black PokeNav from his backpack, he dialed a number. A picture of a dancing Pikachu appeared until the person picked up.
"Wally?" May asked as she turned on her camera on the device. "What's up? Are you to Evergrande yet?"
The green-haired trainer shook his head. "Nope," he replied. "I'm at Pacifilog, catching my breath. Just wanted to check up on you two and ask how are those flowers?"
"Oh, that." May looked nervous. "Well." She dug through her backpack and pulled out two flowers. "I tried to keep them alive but," she paused, "only the carnation made it." She showed the flowers on the screen. The rose limped over, its petals a nasty brown color and its leaves were breaking off. But the carnation was still its pretty pink color and its leaves were still intact. "Sorry."
Wally smirked. "Don't be. You got the lesson just right."
"What lesson?"
"You see, the rose symbolizes love and the carnation, friendship. The rose died after the week but the carnation didn't. I think that means that even though love comes and goes, friendship is forever. You get it now?"
"Yeah, I think so, but what happens if Brendan does like me and we do date but we break up? What then?"
"If you and Brendan do ever date, you'll still be friends. If you guys aren't friends if you break up then you guys weren't the closest of friends in the first place."
"I see. So this flower thing ... Does it mean that friendship is more important?"
"No."
"But the rose died!"
"Yeah."
"So doesn't that mean-"
"No."
"Well ... why not?"
"In my opinion, friendship is more important, but in another person's view, love could be. There's no explaining it, and neither passion or friendship can overcome one another. It's a matter of opinion, not a fact."
"Thanks, Wally, that really helped."
"Really?"
"Yeah! Of course!"
"Well, its good to know that I helped one person in this bleak world."
"You help more people than you can count, Wally Wood, even if you don't know it."