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Sinnoh (A week after the game)
There was nothing Gary Oak liked more than taking a hot shower after a long day of work in the field. He found it relaxing and it also gave him a chance to gather his thoughts. Years ago, when he had decided to follow his grandfather's footsteps, he didn't think he would have to do so much work.
Even though he had lived with a world-renowned researcher all his life, he had underestimated how much work actually went into taking care of Pokemon and research. As it was, he had to wake up at the crack of dawn, get ready and be out in the field with his superior. Then spend the whole day tracking and observing Pokemon in their natural habitat as well as take notes meticulously.
When the day ended, he had to spend hours going through those notes, take care of the Pokemon at the ranch as well as read up on the existing materials. More often than not, he wondered if he had made a mistake when he decided to stop being a trainer.
Whenever he was plagued by those thoughts, he would take out the recording of his match against his rival and relive it. That match in Johto never failed to remind him of what it felt like when a trainer was one with his Pokemon.
The stadium was packed that day. It had been a fight they were both waiting for; Ash and him. They were both ready and willing to prove how far they had come since their rivalry began. Even as they stared at each other with confident smiles, Gary Oak knew his rival was just as nervous as him. And it was not just about stage fright either, both of them had enough experience to deal with that.
They were the only two from the six people, who began their journey to become Pokemon maters on that fateful day, who didn't walk away from their path. Ash and him, they were the only two who had achieved something and they were both proud of it. They liked to be antagonist against each other, but deep down, Gary had a feeling that Ash respected him just as much as he did him.
Sometimes, he dreamed of their battle. It always felt real to him. The way adrenaline rushed through his body. The thrill he felt when they faced off. The desire to prove himself. He knew his Pokemon felt the same too when they gave their best. It had been a battle of high and lows, of will and grit. It was a battle of smarts and spirit. And for Gary Oak, it was the battle of a lifetime.
He had known he was defeated long before his pokemon fell. He couldn't say how or why, but for a few moments, it was as if he and his Blastoise were one and the same being. He could feel its desire to do its best for him. He could feel its pain and fatigue. That feeling... He had felt it for a fleeting moment but Gary knew it was real.
It was one of the reasons he had decided to be a researcher. He had not been able to find anything about it anywhere. When asked, his grandfather had smiled mysteriously and told him to figure it out. It had been years since then and he could not say he was any closer to figuring it out.
Stepping out of the shower and tying a towel around his waist, he paused in confusion. "When did I change the music?" He could not say he had heard that tune before. A flute was playing. It was compelling, slow and melodic. As he walked out of the bathroom, Gary felt it was haunting and beautiful.
A startled scream left his mouth when he noticed yellow eyes from the window. "What the..?" He muttered. "Hey..." He turned to walk towards the window but stepped on a book and stumbled. He thought that the lights flickered but given their location, he didn't think much about it . And when he got his bearings, the creature with yellow eyes was no-where to be found.
"Maybe it was some Pokemon from the ranch," He muttered as he got up. "Now, how did you get here?" He wondered staring at the book with brown binding. "I should really tidy up this place." He flipped the book and searched for a title. Finding none, he sighed and decided to look at it later. He didn't want to be late that day.
Ring ring... Ring ring...
Tossing the book on his bed, he went over to answer the call. A small smile graced his face when he recognized the familiar figure on the screen.
"Well, well," He greeted, "If it isn't our Ashy-boy. Don't you look pretty with your new makeup? What brand is it?"
"Haha. Very funny, Gary." Ash scowled. His injuries had not yet healed. The ones on his face didn't cool either. If he had to get scars, why couldn't it be something that looked cool instead of dark swellings and purple bruises? "At least wear a shirt before answering the phone."
Gary blinked, looked down and then smiled. "Never took you for the shy type, Ashy-boy." He glanced up with half-lidded eyes and smirked. "What? Am I too pretty for you now? Are you going to blush?"
He laughed at the stupefied look on his rival's face. "Don't worry, Ash-boy. I won't tell anyone if you do."
"Just get some clothes on, Gary," Ash muttered in exasperation. "I need to talk with you."
"Sure, sure." Gary chuckled and turned to find some clothes. "Why don't you tell me how you got the new make-up?"
"That's the thing," Ash muttered with a frown. "I don't remember much about this one. The only thing I remember is running from a group of bird type Pokemon and stumbling into the nest of bee-drills."
"Why am I not surprised?" Gary sighed and began dressing out of sight. "You sure you don't have a concussion or two? The memories should come back soon enough."
"I know," Ash answered. "But it's been a week now and I still don't remember anything. I-I think something is wrong with my memories."
"Hmm?" Gary sat in front of the screen and winced when he noticed the extent of injuries his rival had sustained. "That looks bad."
Ash snorted. "Trust me, it hurts worse."
"I see," Gary shook his head. "After your adventures, I would think you can handle yourself. Was there a psychic pokemon nearby? There aren't many pokemon that can mess with memories. Even then, most of their effects are temporary."
"I can't say." Ash slouched back in his seat. "I didn't see anything. At least I am sure I didn't."
"That's not much information to go on," Gary muttered. "Are you certain something is going on?"
"I don't know," Ash gestured with his good hand. "I just have a gut feeling. Even with only Pikachu with me, I have been able to deal with hordes of beedrills and bird type pokemon in the past. No. There must have been something else there."
"I see," Gary nodded and wrote on his notepad, "Why don't you focus on recuperating for now? I will try and see what I can find."
"Thanks, I owe you one," Ash sighed in relief.
"Don't worry about it," Gary smiled. "Anyways, I have to go now. I have a date soon and I want to get things ready."
"Misty's there?" Ash leaned forward eagerly.
"Don't you know?" Gary frowned. "We broke up a while ago."
"What? Why?"
"You know how it is," Gary shrugged. "She is busy with her gym duties. I have my own studies to focus on. We thought it would be best to break up. No one likes to spend festivals alone while everyone else has a date anyway. Not everyone can handle a long-distance relationship like you."
"I see," Ash grimaced.
"Speaking of," Gary began with a suggestive smile, "How did Miss Yvonne take your surprise? I bet she was all over you. Where is she anyway? I would have thought she would have been at your side berating you for your latest stunt."
His amusement died when Ash looked away instead of rising to his bait. "What's wrong? Something happened."
"I think we broke up."
"You think?" Gary asked incredulously. "Why don't you take a deep breath and tell me everything?" At his prompt, Ash reluctantly began recounting the events and shared his thoughts about them.
"Oh, Ash," Gary exclaimed softly. "I don't know what to say. I mean..." He trailed off.
"Yeah," Ash agreed miserably. "Why did she do that?"
"I can't say," Gary answered. "I am sorry."
They sat in silence for a few moments before Gary spoke again. "What will you do now?"
"I don't know," Ash shrugged. "Go to school... study... do my best. And be happy I at least got the chance to attend Lumiose High."
"Don't lie to yourself," Gary sighed and ran his fingers through his brown hair, "The only reason you chose to attend a school is that you wanted to stay close to her. I know you and you have never wanted to study pokemon."
"Well," Ash blustered in an attempt to save face, "What if I changed? What if I am interested in theory now?"
"Oh really?" Gary challenged with a raised brow. "Then why don't you tell me about the pokemon type native to Kalos region?"
"Uh..." Ash began, "I.."
"Don't do this, Ash," Gary shook his head sadly, "We all knew why you wanted to join Lumiose High. Your desire for Miss Yvonne was apparent to everyone."
Ash looked away and Gary could see his frustration.
"Look, Ash," Gary sighed, "Instead of just going to this school and studying, why don't you also do something productive? In your free time, you can challenge gyms and continue training for the league. This would be the perfect time for you to focus on things that matter."
"What do you mean?" Ash asked in confusion.
"Look," Gary hesitated for a moment, "I don't know how to say this but Gramps has been worried about you."
"Huh?"
"Don't you see?" Gary asked. "Ever since you began dating Miss Yvonne, your performance has been affected. And not in a good way either. For better or worse, Ash, you are the only trainer from our batch who is still competing. Gramps had high hopes for you. Everyone did. Especially after you the battle frontier."
"After a victory on that stage," He continued gesturing with his hands, "We were hoping you would finally win a league this time, you know. And then make a debut in the big leagues. But then you began dating..." He trailed off when he saw the look on his face. "The point is, why don't you try and get your fire back? You should have enough time to prepare for the next Kalos league."
"Yeah," Ash muttered after some thought. "I guess you are right. I think... Yeah, I will do that. Thanks, Gary."
"Don't thank me," Gary chuckled. "I have no idea why come to me for relationship advice when you know I am not good at those."
"You are the only one I know who is good with girls," Ash shrugged.
"Only if you think they are Pokemon," Gary laughed. "Speaking of, I should go. Being late on the first date is bad form."
"Yeah, yeah," Ash rolled his eyes. "It was nice talking with you, Gary."
"Same here," Gary smiled before pausing. "Hey, Ash?"
"Hmm?"
"When was the last time you felt one with your pokemon?"
Gary stood up, stared at the blank screen for a few moments and stretched. Ash's answer had been unsatisfying but he was certain his rival would pull through. "Now where did I put the flowers?" He turned to search for them when he realized something.
"Wait, when did the music stop?" He scratched his head in confusion.
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Kalos (three days before the present time)
"This place looks comfy," Miette observed as she walked inside the room with Ash. Lumiose High provided rooms for students who wanted to live on the campus. The rooms were nothing to brag about but they were nice.
"Yeah," Ash agreed and sat on the bed. "I am just happy we don't have to share rooms."
"You know you are always welcome to stay at my place, right?" Miette tried not to blush as she sat beside him on the bed. "Mother wants to meet you again, you know?"
"I don't want to be a bother," Ash answered and leaned back. "Besides, I won't be able to make a good impression with my face in this condition anyway."
"You always look nice to me," She stopped, thought about what she said and blushed. "Ah, I- I mean..."
Ash laughed softly. "You are too kind to me, Miette."
Kind? Yeah... Miette shook her head. "So, what do you think of Kalos?"
"It's certainly beautiful," He answered. "You know I have been here many times."
"Yeah," Miette chuckled. Silly girl. She glanced at him. "I, uh, I should go. I have to go grocery shopping with mom."
"So, soon?" Ash frowned. "But we just got here. I was hoping to spend more time with you."
"I-uh," Miette couldn't help the giddy feeling inside her, "I can stay for a little while."
"Won't your mom be upset?" Ash asked curiously.
"I-uh, maybe?" Miette knew she should have asked her mother to reschedule. It wasn't often that she got to spend time with Ash without Serena around.
"Don't worry," Ash smiled softly. "We will have a lot of time to hang-out together."
Miette barely stopped herself from squealing. Maybe she would get the chance she hoped for. "I will hold you to that, Ketchum. We never get to spend enough time together whenever you visit."
"Yeah," Ash agreed, realizing why they didn't get the chance to spend time together. Serena. His face fell.
"Hey," Miette cursed herself for reminding him of Serena again. "There is no need for the long face. I am not that bad of a company, you know. Or are you saying that I am a bad company and you are dreading to spend more time with me?"
"Of course not dummy," Ash tried smiling. It was still difficult to ignore the pain. But he was learning how to deal with it.
"You better remember that," Miette smiled and stood up. Gathering her courage, she said her farewells, gave him a hug and kissed his cheek.
She left the room with a silly smile on her face.
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