The next morning, a groggy Ash slowly made his way downstairs. Before he had fallen asleep the evening before, he had been thinking about what Professor Oak had said to him
Not eating isn't going to bring Pikachu back, Ash. He loved you enough to give his life for you. Would Pikachu have wanted you to hurt yourself?
And Ash realized that he was right. That, and the growling from his stomach was driving him crazy. Ash sat up, attempted to get out of bed, and nearly fainted. He was so lightheaded from not having eaten in over twenty-four hours that he had to keep a firm grip on the stair railing to keep from passing out as he carefully made his way downstairs.
"Hi, honey," Delia smiled as her son shuffled into the kitchen. "How do you feel?"
"Can I have something to eat, Mom?" Ash asked as he sank into one of the chairs at the kitchen table.
Delia's heart leapt. "Of course, sweetie. What would you like to eat?"
"Oatmeal would be okay, I guess."
"Mimie, go get some orange juice out of the refrigerator while I get the oatmeal started." Delia tied her apron around her waist and began bustling about the kitchen. After preparing his breakfast, she sat a large bowl of oatmeal in front of him and watched eagerly as he proceeded to eat every bite.
"Would you like some more, honey?" She poised the pot of oatmeal over Ash's bowl, ready to refill it.
"That's okay, Mom," Ash replied, standing up. The food had done wonders as far as re-energizing him. "I'm gonna go upstairs and get cleaned up now. I'm gonna go over to Cerulean City and see Misty."
Delia's heart sank a little. She had been hoping that Ash would spend the day with her so she could fuss over him like she usually did. Delia wasn't sure if she was ever going to get used to the idea that Ash wasn't going to be coming to her for comfort anymore.
"Honey, are you sure you're up to that? You haven't eaten anything in nearly two days and you're probably weak…" Ash silenced her with a don't start, Mom look.
Delia also wasn't sure if she liked the idea of Ash having a girlfriend. In her eyes, Ash was still a baby. But as Ash stood up, Delia was suddenly aware of how tall he was now. It was then that Delia realized that Ash wasn't a baby anymore. He was a teenager now and well on his way to manhood.
Delia forced herself to smile. "Well, all right, dear. If you feel like you're up to it, then you can go visit Misty."
As Ash disappeared upstairs, Delia was suddenly overwhelmed by sadness. Why did Ash have to grow up so quickly?
-
"Seadra, Hydro Pump now!" The seahorse Pokémon sent a torrent of water in the direction of the Sandslash sitting on the edge of the huge pool dominating the Cerulean City Gym.
"Oh no! Sandslash!" the Pokémon's trainer cried as the yellow, mole-like Pokémon collapsed and fainted.
"Sorry, kid," said Misty as she emerged from the water. "You'll have to try again some other time if you want to win the Cascade Badge. Come back when you get some more experience under your belt."
The disappointed young trainer recalled his Pokémon and made his way out of the gym just as a dark-haired teenage boy was entering.
"Watch out for her," the youngster told Ash, pointing in Misty's direction. "She's one tough Gym Leader. She'll kick your butt if you're not prepared."
"Yeah, Misty's a pretty tough water Pokémon trainer," Ash smiled slightly as he walked towards the tank where Misty was drying herself off.
"Ash!" Misty exclaimed in surprise at the sight of her friend. She hurried over to Ash and embraced him. "Oh, Ash…how are you doing? I wanted to come over to your house, but your mom said that you weren't feeling well and needed to rest. Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm feeling a little better, Misty. Do you have time to talk?"
"I'll always have time for you, Ash. You know that. Let me get out of my wetsuit, and we'll go sit outside."
Ash went outside and sat down on one of the benches in the back of the gymnasium. Misty emerged from the gym a few minutes later and sat down next to him.
"Are you doing okay, Ash?" Misty said, concerned. Despite his efforts to clean himself up, he couldn't eliminate the red eyes that two days of crying had produced.
"I'm better today, Mist," the boy replied.
"No offense, Ash, but you still look pretty rough around the edges."
"I'll be all right, Misty. Listen, the reason I came over here is because I need to talk to someone."
"About what, Ash?"
"About what I want to do now. What I want to do with my life now that Pikachu's gone."
"Ash, what are you talking about? For as long as I've known you, you've always wanted to be a Pokémon Master."
"Yeah, Professor Oak said the same thing. But I'm not sure I want to continue training Pokémon, Misty. Without Pikachu, it all seems kind of meaningless now."
"Ash, I know that you miss Pikachu, but you do have other Pokémon."
"No, I don't. They're all at Professor Oak's now. Besides, none of them are Pikachu."
"Ash, I've known you for a long time. And I know that you're at your happiest when you're in the middle of a Pokémon battle. I think if you give up training now, you'll be making a big mistake. You'd never be happy. Ash, you're one of the most talented trainers I've ever known."
"Thanks, Misty. But I don't know what to do now."
"Ash, I think you should go back to Hoenn."
Ash stared at her in disbelief. "Huh? What do you mean, Misty?"
"I mean that you should go back to Hoenn and continue your journey to becoming a Pokémon Master. It's what you and Pikachu have been dreaming about for years. I think going to Hoenn and becoming a Pokémon Master would've been what Pikachu would've wanted. And I think Pikachu would be pretty disappointed if you gave up on your dream because of him."
Ash felt a lump forming in his throat – Misty was right. He took her hand in his and clutched it desperately. "Come with me to Hoenn, Misty."
"Oh, Ash…more than anything I want to go with you. But you know that I can't leave the gym until my sisters get back from their around-the-world trip."
Ash nodded. "Yeah, I know."
Misty took Ash's face into her hands. "But I promise you that as soon as my sisters get back, I'm going to head out for Hoenn the first thing that day." Misty drew her face to Ash's and kissed him tenderly. "Because I love you, Ash."
"I love you too, Misty." The two embraced.
"Be sure to call and let me know about all your adventures in Hoenn," Misty smiled through her tears.
"I promise, Misty." Ash slowly got to his feet.
"Take care, Ash," Misty said, biting her trembling lip.
"You too, Mist." Ash quickly turned away and headed down the path. He didn't want her to see him crying.
-
"I think Misty's right, Ash. You should go back to Hoenn."
On his way back home from Cerulean City, Ash had stopped by the Pewter City Gym to visit Brock.
"You think so too, Brock?"
"Yeah. You'd be carrying on yours and Pikachu's dream. You'd be honoring Pikachu's memory by continuing what the two of you had started."
"Gee, I never thought of it that way."
"And I'd come with you, Ash, but I have to stay here and teach my younger brother how to run the gym."
"I thought your dad was the gym leader, Brock."
"He's got his hands full with my brothers and sisters, so he's teaching my brother how to run things. And I promised him that I'd help out. Besides, I want to spend a little time with my family." Brock picked up a shirt and proceeded to sew a button on it.
"Thanks for the advice, Brock," Ash said, rising from the table in the Slate family kitchen. "I wish you were coming to Hoenn. I could use someone to talk to along the way."
"You'll do all right on your own, Ash," Brock said, giving Ash a thumbs-up. "You've grown up a lot since we started hanging around together. I think it's time for you to go it on your own."
Ash gave his friend a quick hug. "See ya' around, Brocko."
"Just let me know if you see any pretty girls in Hoenn and be sure to give me their phone numbers," Brock called out as Ash stepped out the door.
Brock watched as his friend waved and then disappeared down the road back to Pallet Town. And even though he knew that Ash would be all right on his own, cutting the apron strings still hurt.
-
"So whaddya think, Pikachu? Should I go back to Hoenn?"
On his way back home from Pewter City, Ash had decided to pay a visit to Pikachu's grave.
"I know it won't be the same without you, buddy," Ash said, picking up one of the wilted yellow roses on the fresh grave. "But like Brock and Misty said, I'd be carrying on our dream."
"Bulba," came a voice from the direction of the cemetery entrance.
"Hey, Bulbasaur," Ash greeted his Pokémon as it made its way over to Pikachu's grave. "I was just having a little talk with Pikachu."
"Bulba?" the Pokémon said questioningly.
"Yeah, I was thinking about going back to Hoenn. Both Brock and Misty think that I should do it. What do you think, Bulbasaur?"
"Saur," the Pokémon nodded.
"You too?" Ash bent down and patted his Pokémon's head. "Yeah, I'll miss you too, Bulbasaur. I wish you could come with me to Hoenn. But you need to stay here with Professor Oak and Tracey and keep the peace around here."
"Ash, if you want to take Bulbasaur with you to Hoenn, feel free."
Ash whirled around in surprise and saw Professor Oak standing on the other side of the fence surrounding the cemetery. He had noticed Ash heading in the direction of the cemetery earlier and thought that the boy might want someone to talk to.
"Oh, Professor…you startled me."
"Sorry, Ash. I didn't mean to. How are you feeling?"
"Better."
"Have you eaten anything today?"
"Yeah. Mom gave me breakfast, I had lunch in Cerulean City, and Brock fed me dinner."
"That's good. Ash, I couldn't help overhearing that you were thinking about going back to Hoenn."
"Yeah. Both Brock and Misty think I should go back. What do you think, Professor? Should I?"
"What do you think you should do, Ash?"
"Well, both Brock and Misty said that I'd be carrying on Pikachu's dream if I did." Ash looked down at the fresh grave at his feet.
"I think so too. I don't think Pikachu would've wanted you to abandon your dream of becoming a Pokémon Master just because he's not around anymore. And if you want to take Bulbasaur with you on your journey, you can."
"I can't do that, Professor. Who's gonna keep the peace around here?"
"Oh, I have someone in mind. There's a Pokémon who's proven that he's an excellent leader, and he's asked me about staying here in Pallet."
"Huh? Who are you talking about, Professor?"
A turtle Pokémon wearing sunglasses stepped out from the bushes. "Squirtle!"
"Squirtle? But…but what about the Squirtle Squad?"
"Squirtle said that all they needed was some guidance in how to get their act together. And he feels confident that they've won enough firefighting competitions that they can do it without him. He said that he wants a new challenge."
Ash knelt down and looked Bulbasaur in the eye. "Whaddya think, Bulbasaur? Should we go win the Hoenn League Championship for Pikachu?"
"Bulbasaur!" the Pokémon said confidently, nodding.
"All right, then," Ash said, standing up and clenching his fist confidently. "We're gonna go back to Hoenn. And we're gonna win it all for Pikachu."
-
"You're what?"
"I'm gonna go back to Hoenn, Mom," Ash replied as he continued stuffing items into his backpack.
"But…but honey, it's so soon after Pikachu's death. Don't you want to spend a little time here recovering? You've had a rough time the last couple of days. Are you sure you're up to the journey? And don't you think that being back in the place where everything happened to Pikachu would be upsetting?"
"That's exactly why I need to go back, Mom. I've got some unfinished business to take care of." Ash zipped up his backpack.
"Ash, I think you need to think over this a little longer," Delia protested. "Don't go rushing into making any impulsive decisions." But Delia knew that her son was legendary for his impulsive behavior, and she might as well be talking to the wall.
"It's not an impulsive decision, Mom. Brock and Misty and Professor Oak all think I should go back to Hoenn and carry on Pikachu's and my dream."
But I don't, Delia thought sadly. I want my baby to stay here. I want to help you, Ash…please don't push me away.
"Honey, I think you should think about this a little more. At least sleep on it tonight. Please?"
"All right, Mom," Ash sighed. He wasn't planning on leaving for Hoenn until the next morning anyway.
That night, the dreams Ash had were far different from the ones he had been having the last couple of days. Instead of dreaming about the good times he and Pikachu had had together, that night he dreamed about Team Rocket.
"We killed your Pikachu, twerp!" Jessie smiled proudly, holding Pikachu's limp body above her head.
"We win, twerp!" James gloated. "Your little electric rat is dead, and there's nothing you can do about it!"
"Now you'll know not to mess with Team Rocket anymore!" said Meowth as he took Pikachu from Jessie and flung the body at Ash's feet.
Ash awoke with a start, the taunting laughter of Jessie, James, and Meowth still echoing in his head. Heart pounding wildly, Ash looked around and suddenly realized that he was in his room back in Pallet Town.
"Man, Pikachu…I just had a scary dream," Ash said, reaching for the usual spot beside him where Pikachu slept.
When his hand contacted only the blanket on his bed, Ash then remembered that Pikachu was dead. And then all the hatred he had felt for Team Rocket in his dream came rushing back in an instant.
And at that moment Ash's mind was made up. He was more determined than ever to go back to Hoenn now.
He had some unfinished business to take care of.
To be continued…