The Ash Connection
Butterfree – Migration Situation
"You've been really quiet since we left Wayfarer Island, Ash. Is everything okay?" Iris asked, nudging his knee with hers.
"And you've hardly touched your plate. That's not like you at all." Cilan added as he took his seat across the table from Ash and Iris.
The trainer in question put his fork down with a sigh.
"Yeah, I just can't stop thinking about Butterfree." Ash told them, turning from his plate to face Iris.
"PiKapi?" Pikachu's interest was piqued from where he was eating with the other Pokemon. He made his way over to the table and hopped up and looked up at his best friend.
"Why? I'm sure it's fine Ash, you prepared it well for it to be able to leave so quickly. And it's with the rest of it's with its kaleidoscope now." Cilan tried to comfort his friend.
To his surprise Ash shook his head. Pikachu's ears drooped, seeming to already know what Ash was thinking about.
"Not that Butterfree, my Butterfree." He replied almost somberly.
"The Caterpie you said you caught evolved? Why didn't you bring it over to help Caterpie instead of Leavanny? Don't you think that might've worked better?" Iris asked curiously.
"I don't have Butterfree anymore." Ash said almost somberly.
When it became evident Ash wasn't going to continue talking on his own, Iris pushed further.
"Then where is it?" She asked incredulously.
They could hear Ash mumble something under his breath, but neither Unovian could make it out.
"What was that?" Cilan asked, leaning closer.
Ash sighed and threw his hands into the air.
"I don't know, I released him! He could be anywhere in the world right now for all I know." He said loudly.
"Well why did you release it if you were just gonna sit here and cry over it?" Iris asked, half glaring at Ash for his outburst.
"What was I supposed to do then? Keep him from starting a family?" Ash shouted back. Both Iris and Cilan seemed taken aback by the change in demeanor, but Ash quickly composed himself again.
"Back when I was still a rookie trainer, hadn't even gotten my first eight badges yet, we found a whole group of Butterfree out flying around. My friend Brock told me they were all getting ready to go on migration and start families soon, I wanted to give my own Butterfree that chance too." Ash explained, looking back to the table.
"But what, you didn't think Butterfree would take it?" Iris asked. Ash shrugged.
"It's not that, as soon as Butterfree found his mate I knew what he wanted. I wanted what was best for him too. It was just… a lot harder than I thought, y'know?" Ash said. "Butterfree was the first Pokemon I ever caught, and the first one to really seem to want to work alongside me and get stronger."
Ash couldn't help but think about his battles with Caterpie in Viridian forest. Caterpie came through in a big way, getting him his first few wins against trainers when Pikachu was too lazy to battle multiple opponents in a row. And of course, it was Caterpie that fought off Team Rocket in Viridian Forest as well.
Or when Pikachu refused to battle Misty, it was Butterfree who stepped up first and given them a huge advantage in taking out Misty's Staryu that was, arguably, stronger than Starmie at the time.
"Butterfree was the first Pokemon I ever released. He taught me how important a Pokemon's own happiness was independent from their trainers, how to think about what was best for them too." Ash said. "But still, sometimes I just… get worried."
"Oh Ash," Iris muttered sympathetically.
"If you made the right call or not? Or about Butterfree's safety?" Cilan inquired next. Ash shrugged again, avoiding the human eyes at the table, and instead looking only at Pikachu.
"Both, I guess. I can't help but wonder if I checked with him enough times, or if he felt like I was pushing him to go too hard. I know he wanted to stay with me so bad, and would've if I asked, but I couldn't do that to him. Then I start wondering if he's still happy with it. We've all made bad calls, right? I just… what if Butterfree decided later it was unhappy and I wasn't there for him?" Ash sighed loudly. "And the world is such a big place, there's a trillion and one things that could've happened to him out there."
"You know you can't think like that Ash. This isn't a decision you can just undo, especially not now." Cilan replied. Ash vigorously shook his head.
"I'd never undo it, not unless Butterfree didn't want to go. But every time I see something like that again, a migration I mean, I can't help but wonder…" Ash trailed off.
"You were looking for your Butterfree weren't you?" Iris asked. "In the two kaleidoscopes of Butterfree's we saw?"
Ash nodded almost embarrassed.
"I think it's really nice that you still look for your Butterfree, Ash. It certainly shows you haven't forgotten about it." Cilan interjected. Iris nodded, reaching over to put a hand on his shoulder.
"And it such a you thing to do. I don't think a lot of trainers could do what you did, let alone still feel so strongly about it." She paused. "Plus, if the rest of your Pokemon are any indication, your Butterfree could more than take care of itself."
"'Course he can, my Butterfree's one of the toughest Butterfree there is." Ash couldn't help but huff in reply. "I just hope he's still happy, is all."
Silence between them filled the air, neither of his traveling companions knowing quite what to say. They weren't there when Ash released Butterfree, they had never met Butterfree and it had been… they didn't even know how long ago this happened.
The silence was only broken after minutes by Pikachu.
"Pikachu Pika! PiKapi Pika, Pikachu. Pikachu Pipi, Pikapi Pika!" Pikachu squeaked, moving his arms around a lot.
Neither Iris or Cilan had any clue what Pikachu had said, but Ash seemed to understand and be somewhat comforted.
"You really think so, huh?" Ash asked. Pikachu only nodded determinedly, and Ash couldn't help but crack a smile. "Pikachu thinks I made the right call and that Butterfree wouldn't have left without me telling him too. And that if he was ever unhappy that he knows he always has me to come back to. Right buddy?"
"Chaa," Pikachu agreed, walking up to rub his head against the arm Ash had rested on the table. Ash smiled as he scratched Pikachu's head in return.
"I think Pikachu is exactly right Ash." Cilan agreed, moving to stand up. "Thank you for sharing that with us."
"Yeah! It's always nice to hear about the other Pokemon you caught." Iris added in.
"Sorry I was such a downer during lunch." Ash paused. "I'm even more sorry I didn't eat while it was warm." Iris and Cilan couldn't help but chuckle. "I'm gonna go look for an apple tree or something, I'll be back in a few. Pikachu?" Ash said, standing.
Pikachu moved alongside him, hopping to the ground, and excitedly wagging his tail as the two trudged into the woods. The brush was thick, so a few hacks of Iron Tail were needed here and there but there had to be a fruit tree around here somewhere. The area was too big for there not to be.
Not long after, they reached what looked like the biggest tree around; topped with loads of apples to boot. Ash knew Pikachu was perfectly adept at Thunderbolt-sniping them down, but the drop was a lot further than he was used to catching from reliably. So, exchanging another look they began to climb.
Once making it high enough to become covered by the brush of the tree, they began feeling around for the closest apples. With a handful of apples already, Ash moved his hand a tad up and to the left, landing on something a lot warmer than an apple. Curiously, he carefully moved to kneel on the branch and poke his eyes over the branch in his way and was suddenly stopped in his tracks.
On the branch above (that was thick enough to possibly be another tree splintering off the first) was a line of sleeping Caterpie that appeared to stop mid-lunch for a nap. Ash looked at them carefully, noting they couldn't be more than a few weeks old judging from their size. Their mouths were also still yellow, meaning they weren't yet strong enough to eat berries; just leaves.
Pikachu, noticing his lack of movement, climbed up to his shoulder. Upon seeing what Ash saw, he also stopped and turned to look at Ash with worry. To his surprise, Ash just smiled and gently went back to sitting on the branch below.
"Y'know, if Butterfree did have a family… that's exactly what he wanted. Even if he thinks about me like I do him, we both have our own goals. I like to think he completed his, don't you?" Ash asked.
"Piii Pikapi." Pikachu moved to sit on the branch next to Ash. "PiPikachu!"
"That's right buddy, just like we will." He paused, glancing back up to where the baby Caterpie slept, then out at the wide-ranging forest just buzzing with other bug-types all around. "For Butterfree."
"PiKapi!" Pikachu added happily. Ash smiled.
He moved to get out of the tree but doing do with this many apples would prove to be troublesome. Anything else would defeat the purpose of eating them safely… so, with a sigh he bit into one, Pikachu mirroring him.
He'd get back to Iris and Cilan soon. Right after a real lunch.
But not before leaving a pile of leaves bigger than Pikachu on the branch above for the Caterpie after their nap.