POKEMON HEART SOUL ADVENTURES

oooooooooo

Saying Goodbye

Sadly, the weather forecast had been accurate... a few hours after Ash and his friends were back from visiting Pidgeot and his companions, the sky became covered in black clouds... and the young trainers had been just in time to lock themselves in the Ketchum house or wherever they were staying, before a truly impressive downpour had begun. A thick, insistent rain that had continued through the night, and that even now, in the early afternoon of the day after, was forcing everyone to stay at home.

Boredom could almost be felt in the Ketchum household, which Brock had luckily managed to break by proposing a few distractons such as some card games... but even that could only last so long, and both humans and Pokemon were soon back where they had started...

Dawn, looking at the falling rain from the window glass, placed her head on the palm of her hand and sighed, staring blankly at her bare toes sticking out of her leg casts - which were already bearing a few scribblings and signatures from her friends. Two weeks had passed since the incident in which the blue-haired pre-teen had broken both her legs, and the pain had mostly subsided... but the humidity of that particular day had the annoying effect of making her healing leg bones sting again. And not being able to stand from that wheelchair for at least a month wasn't improving her sullen mood very much.

Pikachu and Piplup, for their part, were trying to keep her company and liven up the mood with some comedic tricks and stunts. With a short, gentle giggle, Misty picked up the two Pokemon and placed Piplup in Dawn's lap, causing the blue-haired coordinator to pet the penguin-like Pokemon and gently scratch his head.

"Thank you, Pikachu... Piplup... I know you're doing your best to make the day less boring..." Ash said, picking up his best friend and scratching him behind an ear with hs uncasted hand. "I just wish this rain would stop... it's been pouring down since last evening..."

"If only we had some wood, we could light up a nice fire in the hearth!" Delia said gently, pointing at the fireplace around which Mimy was listlessly sweeping. "Can you imagine how great it would be to sit around a fire, chatting together? There's nothing better than that to spend the time, when the weather is so bad!"

"Mr. Mime!" Mimy answered with a shrug.

"Well, if you'd like to, I can throw a pullover on and..." Brock started to say, being interrupted when there was a knock at the door, drawing everyone's attention. A curious Misty went to answer, and was left quite surprised when she saw Tracey and his Scyther standing right out there, covered in yellow rain mantles, and carrying several wooden logs, exactly like the ones the young artist and his mantis-like Pokemon were picking up in the forest the day before.

"Hello, everyone! I hope we aren't bothering you, but I thought you might have liked to have some wood to burn in the chimney!" Tracey said, raising a hand in greeting. "And we also thought you could use some company too, so... here we are!"

"Oh, hello, Tracey! Please, come in... and your Scyther too, of course!" Delia greeted back, motioning for the young man and his Pokemon to enter while Misty kept the door open. Tracey and Scyther thanked her, and as soon as the young artist had wiped his shoes clean and closed his umbrella, they entered, carrying the firewood with them... and right behind them came Gary, professor Oak, Zoey, Kenny, Johanna and even Ursula, all of whom seemed to be dealing with the same problem as Ash's team, and were probably thinking it would be nice to at least spend the afternoon together.

"Thank you, everyone... and please excuse all the people I've brought with me!" Tracey said with a wink. "But, well, what can I say, we have the same problem with rain keeping us from doing anything..."

"And we figured it wouldn't hurt to at least spend some time together, while we're here." Gary completed Tracey's sentence.

Ursula shrugged, keeping some distance from the rest of the group. "Don't look at me. I am only here because I have nothing better to do." the rich heiress answered, checking her drill-curls to make sure they hadn't gotten damp.

"Well, you still got here at the right moment!" Misty exclaimed. Dawn was joyously greeting Kenny, Zoey and Gary, while Ash, Brock, Delia and Mimy tried to help Tracey and his Scyther with the firewood. "In fact, at this point, it would be a great idea if you stayed here and spent some time with us, so we can get over the boredom! Sorry, miss Delia... the offer of an afternoon around the fire is still valid, I suppose."

"Of course it is, Misty dear!" Delia answered, to which the red-haired former Gym Leader got down to business and went to get some wooden logs, checking them to see that they weren't too damp. Then, she began placing them orderly in the fireplace, putting them in a pile so that the fire would quickly spread to them. Brock, as the outdoors expert, went to help her with the wood... and as soon as the heap of firewood became large enough, the two former Gym Leaders nodded in satisfaction while some of their friends prepared even more wood.

"Wow, that's quite a good idea, Misty!" Kenny commented. "In fact, with this terrible weather, sitting around a nice fire sounds like a very nice plan! And it will make for a different way to spend the day!"

"I can't help but agree with that, Kenny!" Dawn answered as her mom pushed her wheelchair close and helped her sit on the sofa where several of the others had already taken their place. Misty and Brock finished placing the logs, and Delia lit up a match and carefully placed it at the base of the heap of wood placed in the hearth. It didn't take long for the fire to take hold, and the wooden heap was turned into a nice fire that began spreading a soothing warmth and a pleasant smell of burnt wood in the whole house. The team grouped around the now healhy fire, enjoying a comfortable moment that had been possible because of the horrible weather still raging outside.

"Aaaah! That hits the spot!" Ash happily commented. "With such a weather, one loses even the will to go out and train his Pokemon, but at least it's nice to spend the day together like that. Don't you agree, guys?"

"We... agree with that 100 per cent, Ash!" Misty answered with a smile while sitting besides him, taking care to pick the side of his unbroken arm. The motive was soon apparent to Ash - the red-haired Water trainer affectionately leaned on him, trying to stay as close to him as possible... and after a moment of embarassment and half-heartedly trying to get some distance, Ash decided that he might as well stay where he was, and allowed Misty to place her head on his shoulder. He had to admit, it was a pleasant feeling... and he was surprised himself when he got enough courage to hold Misty's delicate hand in his own.

"Oh boy... what's the matter with me?" he asked himself in slight, yet for some reason pleasant, confusion. "I really don't remember ever... well... ever having this much confidence with Misty... and it feels very nice too, to be honest!"

"Ash is holding my hand... I can't believe it, Ash is really holding my hand!" Misty thought to herself, hoping that the rapidly-spreading red hue on her face wasn't all that evident. Luckily, the dim lighting the living room was bathed in made it hard to see the details of her face...

And good old Brock and Tracey, who seemed to know better than even the two younger trainers, put themselves in a somewhat removed position from Ash, Misty and Pikachu, tooking at each other in a gesture of understanding, while Tracey's aging Scyther regarded the young Pokemon Master in training and Cerulean City's former Gym Leader with some nostalgia. He was reminded of the period of time in which, after leaving his swarm, he had joined Tracey's team, four years ago...

Really, those four years had been so happy... and the thought they were about to end saddened Scyther, who winced a little as he felt a sharp pain in his chest. It faded soon enough, though, and Scyther quickly managed to once again put up his facade of relative health...

The Sinnoh group seemed to be quite pleased as well, as Dawn and her Piplup were taking advantage of the situation to chat with Zoey, Kenny and Gary, while Zoey's Glameow, after rubbing affectionately on his trainer's leg, received a scratch on the ear in reward, laid down close to the fire, enjoying the warmth!

"You know, this kinda reminds me of when I was on Mt. Coronet with Maylene and Candice... didn't I tell you, Dawn? I had to do withthose Team Vicious jerks too..." Zoey was saying to her younger friends. "See, on the way, the other girls and I stopped to rest in this place belonging to a friend of Candice's family... and now that we are all together in front of a fire, it kinda reminded me of that time!"

"Wow, Zoey, that must have been one heck of an adventure!" Kenny sighed. "Man, if I think you were in such great places, fighting against a dangerous group of ciminals, while I was only concenrating on teaching new tricks to my Pokemon... I feel kinda ridiculous, you know?"

Dawn chuckled good-naturedly. "You were not ridiculous at all, Kenny!" she stated. "And believe me... considering all the dangers we had to face, you wouldn't be so envious of us if you knew what we lived through..."

"I... suppose you've got a point here, Dee-Dee..." an embarassed Kenny answered, averting his glance. In fact, in his enthusiasm, he had almost forgotten that his friends, especially Ash and Dawn, had risked their lives in their adventures. And besides which, it was nice to be sitting in a warm living room together, happily chatting about what had been...

It was then that Kenny noticed someone who did not seem to be that thrilled about the whole thing. "Hm? Hey, Ursula, are you alright? You don't look that thrilled..."

The spiral-haired girl was somewhat startled. and turned towards Dawn, Zoey and Kenny, shaking herself out of her funk. "Er..." she murmured in embarassment, before trying to look nonchalant. "Me, not thrilled? That's not the case, I was just, well... just thinking that this is my first time siting in front of a fire with all these people! We don't have an hearth like this at home, we have an heating system that uniformly warms up the entire house!"

Ursula was saying this with a proud tone to her voice, almost as if she thought an hearth was primitive... but Gary could hear a slight envious accent to Ursula's comment, and he suspected that, deep down, Ursula wasn't that resentful of the more dated method of warming people...

"Well, that is interesting. But I'm willing to bet it's not quite the same thing when it comes to making you feel at home." Gary answered with a cunning smile. Ursula frowned and glared at Gary in slight annoyance, but then sighed and decided it wasn't worth getting angry about. She had to admit that the young researcher did have a point...

The afternoon was spent this way, chatting and having fun with each other like a group of close friends and lifelong companions, sitting around a fire and talking about the latest news and their lives, and trying to involve the others as much as possible in the conversation. While the rain was still beating mercilessly outside, inside the Ketchum household the sun still seemed to be shining!

Still, none of them could imagine how much, and how soon, things were going to get worse...

oooooooooo

"Well, this was sure an entertaining afternoon! Professor Oak, Gary... it was a pleasure, come back whenever you want!" Delia thanked as, several hours later, the reunion between friends was over, and everyone was beginning to return to the places they were staying at. "And you too, Tracey, Scyther... it was very kind of you to bring the firewood! Thank you so much!"

"No problem, miss Delia!" the young artist answered, a hand leaning out of the door in order to ascertain whether it was still raining. Luckily, the downpour seemed to have ceased, and there was no more need to open up their umbrellas or run under the rain! "In fact, we are the ones who should thank you, we spent a very nice afternoon!"

"In that case, we'll have to organize another one as soon as possible!" Delia answered. "Tracey... everyone... see you soon!"

"Mr. Mime!" Mimy waved at them.

"Pika pikachu!" Even Pikachu joined the greetings, moving his right hand in a friendly wave.

"Thanks for keeping us company, guys! We really appreciated it!" Misty thanked, shaking Zoey's hand. The two redheads seemed to have instantly clicked...

"It's no problem! Thank you so much!" Kenny answered, he and Dawn exchanging an high-five.

Ursula felt the need to thank as well. "Well... truth be told, I was at a loss for what to do... and this reunion, so to speak, wasn't too shabby." she affirmed. "I wouldn't mind doing it another time soon."

"It's decided, then! As soon as it rains again like that, we'll gather in front of the lit chimney again!" Ash said, giving a thumbs-up with his uncasted hand. "See you soon, everyone!"

"And if you need anything... do not hesitate to ask me!" Mrs. Ketchum wanted to add.

"Thank you, Mrs. Ketchum. It will certainly be a pleasure!" Proffesor Oak answered as everyone exchanged the proper greetings before departing. Gary, his grandfather, Tracey and his Scyther began walking back towards the lab, in order to put things in order and close for the day...

The lab was only a couple steps away when Tracey turned for a moment towards his Scyther, just to make sure the aging Pokemon could keep up... and saw that the Bug / Flying type had stumbled, using one of his bladed arms as a prop, and panting heavily.

"Scyther!" Tracey exclaimed. Gary and his grandfather turned to see what was going on, worried for the mantis-like Pokemon. Luckily, he seemed to recover quickly, and stood up again, shaking his head as if to clear it.

"Scy!" he exclaimed with a nod. The three humans, well knowing that Scyther was of respectable age, and was probably trying to assuage their worries by acting nonchalant, still wanted to make sure he was alright, and Tracey gently put a hand on the mantis' shoulder, bending down to his eye level.

"Scyther, you sure you're okay?" Tracey anxiously asked. "I don't mean to offend you... but you're not a youngling any more, are you sure you can afford to strain yourself? I think you should stay at home for a few days, what about it? Then... when you're feeling better, we'll go take a stroll through Viridian Forest, like we did yesterday!"

Scyther cracked a smile, and then glanced up, somewhat alarmed, towards Professor Oak, who was getting close to the mantis-like Pokemon and was looking at him worriedly, rubbing his chin. It looked like something was troubling him, and Gary and Tracey could see that as well. "What's the matter, grandpa? Is everything alright with Scyther?" the young researcher asked.

"Well.." Oak answered, hoping he had not caused needless alarm. "No, Scyther doesn't seem to have anything wrong, at least at first sight... but I can't really say what's the matter with him without a better examination. Maybe it would be wiser to do a check-up to your Scyther tomorrow morning. It's just to be sure, of course. It is wise to be prudent, with Pokemon of such age."

"Alright, professor. Then... we'll have Scyther do a check-up tomorrow, right after breakfast." Tracey said, before turning to his Pokemon with a smile. "But don't worry, Scyther, it won't be anything serious. We'll just have to see if everything is alright. It won't take long, don't worry!"

"Scyther..." the mantis-like Pokemon murmured, frowning weakly...

oooooooooo

"Alright, time to get dinner ready!" Brock exclaimed, cracking his knuckles with a radiant smile. "Mrs. Ketchum, you don't mind if I lend you a hand in fixing it up, do you?"

"I'd like to lend a hand too, for what I can." Dawn offered, pushing her wheelchair towards the kitchen, Johanna quickly walking up to her in order to help her. "I know I can't move much, but there must be something I can do..."

"Well... thank you, everyone, that's very much appreciated!" Delia answered, seeing that Ash, Misty, Pikachu and Piplup were reordering the couch on which they had been sitting. All that travelling and those experiences had done wonders for Ash's attitude... "Still, don't feel like you're obligated, you are guests after all!"

"It's no problem, Mrs. Ketchum. Its a pleasure for us as well." Johanna answered, everyone getting things ready for dinner...

oooooooooo

Night had fallen upon Pallet Town... and after a tremendous downpour that had scared quite a few people, the town was sleeping tight. The sky was relatively clear, at least for now, and it was decorated with countless stars and a beautiful crescent moon, giving the rural town an air of calm and rest.

But right then, close to the Oak Labs, someone was not resting, and was not feeling calm at all.

Moving warily and slowly, Tracey's sCyther slipped out of the shadows, looking around for anyoe who could have seen him as he sneaked out of the small town. In spite of his advanced age, the mantis-like Pokemon still had a good eyesight, and was able to catch even the slightest movements among the shadows of the night. Still, nobody seemed to be around... and Scyther sighed in relief and caught his breath before being back on his way. A short pang of melancholy stopped him, and he turned to the laboratory's closed window, peeking inside where Gary's Pokemon were sleeping along with Tracey's. Inside, Scyther could make out the sleeping forms of Azumarill and Venomoth, the now evolved forms of the Marill and Venonat he had been travelling with, unaware of the empty place close to them. Scyther smiled sadly and stood there, as if to affix their images in his mind... then, murmuring what sounded like words of farewell, he turned away and continued walking away, taking a good look around.

But it was not out of fear that he might be noticed. This time, Scyther wanted to take a good last look at Pallet Town, before leaving it for good. He had spent the happiest years of his life in that town, even though they were his twilight years, and he had nothing but good memory of that place, his trainer, and all the people he had known there. Now, as he looked at the houses, the newly-built Pokemon Center and the Pokemon Market, Scyther wanted to make sure these images were with him during his last journey...

He had hoped he could keep it hidden from Tracey until the end... But now that his trainer, Gary and Oak were beginning to have suspects, the time for hesitating was past. He would walk away, unnoticed, following the trail until his legs could carry him no more... and then, he would lay there and spend his last moments recalling his life.

Forty years... a remarkably long life for a Bug-type Pokemon... the last four of which spent alongside the person who had given him the most happiness, and his friends...

Then, without any tears, he would pass away.

It was better this way, than causing needless sorrow to Tracey for something he could do nothing to prevent anyway. The almighty mistress called age was soon to take him.

Scyther walked away, disappearing in the thick vegetation around Pallet Town...

oooooooooo

"Phew... the weather sure got a lot better..." Ash stated, walking out of home and breathing in some fresh air. The sun was shining upon Pallet Town again, but the morning was still rather cold, and the young trainer shivered a little as he felt a light breeze blowing upon him. Pikachu, for his part, seemed to feel perfectly at home, perhaps because of the fact that the air right after the storm made him feel charged with electricity. "After such a downpour, the sun seemes to shine even brighter!"

"Yeah, too bad it's still somewhat damp out here... but I don't thnk it will take too long to dry up anyway." Dawn commented, pushing her wheelchair out of the house. The blue-haired girl was trying to get around on her own, so that she didn't have to rely on her friends and she didn't let her injuries slow her down, and after covering her toes with a couple of large black socks, she had gone out to pay a visit to Zoey and Kenny, and to take a look at professor Oak's lab.

"You're right... but still, try not to exert yourself too much, okay, Dawn?" Brock reccomended. "It's good that you want not to rely on others too much, but remenber you're still on the mend."

"Alright, Brock..." Dawn answered. Her attention was then drawn by a small group heading towards them at a quick pace, a group composed of Tracey, Gary and Zoey, along with Tracey's Venomoth, Gary's Arcanine and Zoey's Ninetales, who seemed to be looking for something, or someone, with urgency. "Oh, hi guys! What's the matter? Is there any problem?"

"I'm afraid I have to say there is, Dawn." Zoey answered. "Something very strange just happened. Tracey's sCyther has just... disappeared. We can't find him anywhere, and we have no idea where he could have gone."

"Pika?" Pikachu asked, and even Dawn's Piplup, who didn't know Tracey's Pokemon all that well, blinked in surprise. That Scyther sure didn't look like the kind of Pokemon to just up and disappear...

"What?" Misty asked, widening her eyes. It was both alarming and strange, considering Tracey and Scyther were inseparable. The fact that Scyther had disappeared like that sure didn't bode well... "Tracey... are you sure he just went away on his own? It all sounds so... strange, at least to me!"

"Well, I know... it's strange indeed... but we have no other explanation! We found some of his footprints going out of the lab, but then we lost track of him. He's been careful not to let us follow him." Gary answered, his Arcanine sniffing the air as he looked for Scyther's scent. It was a strange situation indeed... and the feeling of tension that accompanied everyone, especially Tracey and his Venomoth, was almost palpable.

"Venomoth! Venomoth?" the giant moth asked Arcanine, who kept sniffing the air for a moment, and then shook his head.

"Darn..." Tracey murmured, clenching a hand into a fist in anxiety. "Where on Earth can Scyther be, then? At his age... I mean, e never went that far away from Pallet Town, lately, and I can't see why he started to do it now!"

"Let's keep our head on our shoulders, okay?" Zoey exclaimed, her Ninetales joining Gary's Arcanine in the search. "Prfessor Oak stayed at the lab to check on something that might have to do with Scyther's disappearence... and Kenny, Mrs. Johanna and that rich snob are searching as well. We'll find him before you can realize it."

Or at least, that's what the red-haired coordinator hoped, but even she was afraid that finding the aging mantis Pokemon was going to be hard. Luckily, Ash and his friends didn't have to think long about it to decide what to do. "Well, in any case, we're joining the search as well!" the young man exclaimed, lifting Tracey's spirit somewhat.

"Thanks, Ash... you're a friend!" the young artist thanked him. "I owe you one."

"Oh, come on, Tracey, that's nothing... okay, first off, I think we should check the ourskirts of the village, maybe Scyther did leave some tracks there..." Ash proposed. The team immediately began heading in that direction, with Zoey pushing Dawn's wheelchair so that her friend wouldn't have trouble catching up.

Sadly, they couldn't find much either. There were a few prints inthe mud, showing that Scyther had indeed passed through that place, but there was nothing else in sight, and no amount of looking around seemed to help Ash and his friends... at least, until Arcanine and Ninetales managed to catch a faint scent, which Gary's Fire-type canine Pokemon immediately associated with Scyther! He sniffed the air just to make sure, and turned to the team.

"Nine! Nine!" he barked, wagging his bushy tail while pointing towards a narrow road that went into the large green fields surrounding Pallet Town! There was no more doubt about it... for whatever reason, Scyther had gone that way.

"Alright, Arcanine! Thanks for your help!" Gary complimented the large tiger-dog while petting him on the head, and Arcanine closed his eyes in an expression of content. "Alright, then let's search that way..."

"What reason could Scyther have had to go that way, anyway?" Misty asked herself, noticing that, for some strange irony of the situation, the narrow road was headed towards the same river where she had met Ash, four years ago. Brock rubbed his forehead, wincing in sudden realization... as if he suddenly remembered something very serious! "Huh? What's the matter, Brock? Why the long face?"

The darker-skinned boy winced again, mentally kicking himself for having been so obvious... and as he tried to think of a way to put it delicately, Professor Oak's well-known voice spared him this burden. The famous Pokemon researcher had come out of his lab to search for his friends and tell them the news. "I... I'm afraid I know, my friends." Oak started, with a rather worried expression on his face, as if he had a secret he wasn't eager to tell but had no other choice. Kenny, Ursla and Johanna were right behind him, and none of them seemed less worried than he was. Again, it didn't take a genius to see something was very wrong with the whole picture...

"Piplup?" a surprised Piplup chirped. "Piplup piplup, pip?"

"Mom, you too!" Dawn exclaimed. "But... what's going on? You all look like you're about to attend to a funeral or something..."

"Sadly, Dee-Dee... I'm afraid this isn't that far from the truth." Kenny answered. "Professor Oak... I'm not sure I can say this, can you please...?"

"And please, try to put it kindly..." Johanna reccomended, which only confirmed that it was something serious. Oak nodded in agreement and took a deep breath, trying to find the right words and looking at the group of teens and preteens that seemed to be in anxious wait...

"Please, Professor, don't keep us hanging..." Ash pleaded. "What is the matter? What's up with Scyther?"

"Is it... something serious? Please, professor, don't hide anything..." Tracey continued, sounding more and more frantic every moment.

Finlly, Oak heaved a sigh and gathered all of his courage, trying to tell the news with all the restraint he was capable of. "Tracey, son... I'm afraid... this is something that's hard to say..." he started sadly. "You see... the reason why I stayed at the lab was because I needed to consult one of my old books about Bug-type Pokemon. I... went back to the Scyther chapter and re-read it as quickly as I could... And I was reminded that... well... A Scyther only abandons his swarm and begins wandering the wildlands when... well..."

"When...?" Misty repeated almost frantically. She saw Kenny, Ursula and Johanna look at the ground, a moment before Oak ended his sentence.

"When his life... is about to come to... an end..."

The young trainers felt like a thunderbolt had struck out of nowhere, stunning them with a deafening boom! So... that was it? Scyther... was about to pass away... of old age? He had walked away... because he was searching for a quiet place... where he could lay down and sleep forever?

"Wh... What...?" Tracey mouthed. "T-then... Scyther... no... this can't be... I... I suspected nothing of this... I... didn't imagine... he was about to... How... how could I not see that? What... what kind of trainer am I? I... I can't even understand... when one of my Pokemon..."

"Tracey! Tracey, please, it's pointless to blame yourself..." Ash exclaimed, as Tracey's Venomoth got closer to his trainer and tried to soothe him.

"Ash is right, son..." Oak went on. "Scyther... didn't want you to see how he was feeling, for the same reason he went away without telling you anything: he... didn't want you to be saddened and worry about you... considering that, unfortunately, you couldn't have prolonged his life anyway. Science... has made a lot of progress, that's true... but unfortunately, even it cannot do much to stave off the effects of time and the laws f nature..."

Tracey's eyeswatered, and the young man glanced down, clenching his fists. "At... At least... I could have comforted him... let him not feel alone in his last days..."

"It might still not be too late!" Misty exclaimed, shaking Tracey by the shoulder. "Maybe, if he hasn't gone too far... maybe we still have a chance of finding him before..." the redhead gulped, not daring to say something that was hard ever for her to accept. "Come on, everyone, let's at least try! It's... it's not like we have anything to lose, is it?"

"You're right about that..." a somber Zoey answered. "Ninetales... please follow Scyther's scent and take us where he is now!"

"Arcanine, lend her a hand." Gary went on, his dog-like Pokemon nodding in agreement. Both canine Pokemon started their search, as Professor Oak sighed and placed a comforting hand on Tracey's shoulder. If he really wanted to assist Scyther in his final moments, it was only fair that he knew what he was facing.

"Tracey, son... I would never want to interfere in your decisions..." he said severely. "But... it is only right that you are warned. It is not easy to watch someone you care about pass away... and I know there is a deep bond between you and your Scyther. I'm telling you this because... well... back when I was a trainer myself, I saw a few of my Pokemon go like this, with me being unable to do anything for them except stay there and comfort them. You... need strength in order to do this. Are you really sure you can do this, Tracey?"

"Yes, Professor..." Tracey answered with an heavy heart. "Now more than ever."

Oak nodded. "Fine then, son... I won't try to stop you." he affirmed. "I just hope you can get there in time..."

Arcanine and Ninetales barked in unison, pointing to the narrow road going towards the river... and the group of young trainers began running after them, trying not to waste any moment. "Looks like Arcanine and Ninetales have found a lead..." Brock stated. "Professor Oak, please excuse us... time is of the essence right now!"

"Of course, young ones... I hope you get there in time..." Oak stated. Everyone nodded, running after Arcanine and Ninetales. In record time, only Oak and Johanna had remained there, looking in apprehension and sadness the team as they got ready to say goodbye to a Pokemon that had a place in their hearts. Delia reached Oak and Johanna a few moments, later, looking rather upset and worried herself. "Oh... Mrs. Delia, are you okay? Ash and his friends went that way... they had something very important to do..."

"That's what I wanted to speak to you about, professor Oak..." Mrs. Ketchum said. "What's going on? It seemed to me that they were all quite upset..."

"It's... kind of a touchy subject, Delia..." the scientit answered. "If you would come with me and Mrs. Johanna, so that I can explain..."

oooooooooo

The heart of a small forest, close to Pallet Town. A quiet, silent place where one could sit and immerse himself in the beauty of nature, surrounded by wild flowers, the quiet sound of the nearby river, and the chirping of the wild bird... that was just was Scyther, who was now sitting under a tree, surrounded by tall bushes, considered a good place to close his eyes for the last time. There was no hiding it any more: Scyther felt like he couldn''t breathe much longer, his legs were failing him, and his strength was slowly but surely vanishing. He knew he only had a few minutes left... and decided to spend them thinking back on his life, what he had done, and asking himself whether, in the end, he could consider himself satisfied...

He was born forty years before, in a large Scyther swarm... and ever since he was very young, he had honed his skills in order to become a skilled hunter and a leader for the other Scythers, managing to become the alpha in record time. For many years he had remained a strong, respected hunter and leader... until the ruthless master that was time had claimed the strength of his body, even though his spirit had remained untouched... and after reaching a venerable age for a Scyther, he had lost his fangs, and it had been all too easy for a younger, stronger Scyther to defeat him in a ritual fight and claim his place as swarm leader.

Luckily, that was when he had met Tracey, that young artist with a noble and caring heart, who had offered him to become a member of his team. Scyther could scarcely believe it - even as old and weak as he was, he still had a chance to be useful to someone, and show himself that he still had worth... and the there were those two young friends of Tracey, Ash and Misty, that had made the journey even more fun and worthwhile...

It was with him that Scyther lived the happiest years of his life... his rivalry with Ash's Charizard... Ash and Misty's awkward moments together... the battles in the Orange Island Gyms... and finally, the fantastic battle Ash had sustained against Drake, the Orange Islands Champion, ending in Ash's victory! Scyther could say that he had never seen such an incredible fight...

Then, the three years he had lived in Pallet Town, helping Tracey in his job as Professor Oak's assistant... perhaps a simple, unassuming job, just a great way for someone as old as he was to remain active without straining himself. And he was working at his friend's side anyway...

Smiling sadly, Scyther glanced up at the bright blue sky, covered in fluffy white clouds. His only regret was... not having said goodbye to Tracey before dying...

"Scyther!"

The mantis-like Pokemon widened his eyes. Were his ears playing tricks on him, or was that really...?

An unmistakeable sound of steps on the grass... then, the bushes he had hid into moved, and Scyther saw Tracey arriving, with Azumarill and Venomoth in tow, and Ash, Pikachu and Misty following close behind! The young artist sat beside his Pokemon, tears in his eyes.

"Scyther..." Tracey murmured, managing a sad smile. "Scyther, I... sorry, I... I just had to come... I couldn't leave you alone right now, not when you are..." his voice faltered, and the young teen had to breathe deeply in order to continue. "Wh... didn't you say anything, Scyther? I... could have supported you... helped you in this final moment..."

"Scy... scytherrrr..." the mantis-like Pokemon answered, touched by his trainer's thoughtfulness. He looked at Ash and Misty, who were standing there in saddened silence, trying to at least be of moral support... and to the slowly nodding Pikachu.

"Pikachu..." the yellow mouse answered sadly. "Pika pi pikachu pi pika pichu... pika pika pikachu, pika!"

"We know, Scyther... we know..." Tracey answered, understanding what Pikachu wanted to say. "You... didn't want to make me sad, my friend... but you shouldn't have worried... You... are one of my Pokemon... and one of my greatest friends! What kind of trainer would I be... if I weren't going to stay close to you in your moment of need? And... that goes for Azumarill and Venomoth too! See? They're here to... say goodbye."

The aquatic rabbit and the giant moth approached their fading teammate, trying to stay close to him in his final moments... and Tracey gently held one of Scyther's blade-arms. The mantis Pokemon shuddered slightly, even though his sigt was almost gone now. Darkness was creeping upon him, but the warm feeling of Tracey's hand... that he could never mistake for anything else.

"And... there's everyone else here, you know?" Tracey said, looking beyond the bushes, where a group of trainers and Pokemon was solemnly watching. Dawn, Piplup, Zoey, Ninetales, Kenny, Gary, Arcanine, Ursula, Brock... all of them were keeping a courtesy distance, but they were partecipating as much as they could. "They're all here, now... because you're our friend, Scyther! We... couldn't leave you alone, not now! We... had to at least say goodbye to you... Thank you, Scyther... for all the good you brought to our lives... and all the affection and lve you gave us. We... will never forget you... Never..."

"Venomoooth!" the giant moth murmured, hiding her face behind one of her ample wings, as Azumarill placed his hand upon Scyther's other blade-arm and smiled tearfully at him. Looking around himself for the last time, Scyther could see the grieving, but still grateful, faces belonging to Ash, Pikachu, Misty... and while he couldn't see that far anymore, he felt that all the others wore the same expression...

And that was when Scyther was sure of it - he was surrounded with people who loved him and would never forget him. Now he knew that his life had been well spent.

The last thing Scyther ever saw was Tracey's warm smile...

...and, with a smile on his own face, Scyther closed his eyes for the last time and welcomed his eternal rest.

All around them, nature was going on like usual... but to Ash and his friends, it was like time had stopped as Tracey's silent tears fell upon Scyther's blades. Ash held Pikachu with his good arm and hugged the crying Electric-type for all he was worth, releasing his own tears... and then allowed Misty to hug him and cry on his shoulder.

Brock and Gary stood in silence, glancing somberly at the ground.

Dawn covered her face with her hands and began sobbing, and Zoey tried to soothe her by hugging her from behind, but even the redheaded coordinator couldn't hold back a few tears herself. Kenny closed his eyes and began sobbing himself, only calming down when Dawn put a soothing hand on his back.

Ursula was trying to look indifferent... and failing miserably to do so, judging by her clenched, trembling hands and the tears running down her cheeks.

All of them wanted to do something for Tracey, who was still kneeling beside his Scyther, mourning his passing... and all of them knew that, whatever they tried, it would still be inadequate. They could do nothing but stay there, mutely partecipating to Tracey and his Pokemon's sorrow.

"Tracey... I'm sorry..." Ash said among tears, placing a hand on Tracey's shoulder. The young artist seemed to calm down a little, but continued sobbing, holding Scyther's blade-arms and caressing Venomoth and Azumarill with his free hand.

It was a sad day for them all. Saying goodbye had never been harder.

oooooooooo

TO BE CONTINUED...