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“Ooh! This looks like a good place to check out!”
It was another warm, comfortable afternoon in Alola, the sky beginning to change from a clear blue to a sleepy orange, when Mallow, a tall, green-haired girl, turned her attention to her excited friend.
“You think so, Sophocles?” she asked.
“Totally!”
“Oh my, a bookstore!” Lillie added. “I would love to have a look!”
“All right,” Sophocles said as he pushed the door open and made his way in, “then let’s go!”
Ash Ketchum groaned. “Aww, but I really want to get back to do some special training with Lycanroc!” he said with a whine. “There’s this new strategy I wanted to try out!”
Mallow gave a sympathetic smile to her excitable friend. “Just one more stop, Ash. I’m sure you’ll have plenty of time to train afterward.”
Ash responded with a pout, mirrored by his partner Pikachu who sat atop his shoulder. “I guess.”
After a day spent hopping from clothing shop to clothing shop without buying anything, Mallow and her Pokémon School pals had made their way into the small, cozy bookstore tucked away in Hau’oli City’s shopping district, drawn in at the insistence of two of her friends—the short, rotund, and brainy Sophocles, whose passion for science and inventing was all-consuming, and Lillie, the proper, yet timid bookworm, who seemed to have read a book on everything at one point or another. As the two of them made beelines for the science and history sections respectively, Mallow and the others gave each other smiles and resigned shrugs before making their own ways—but for Ash.
“Y’know, I’m not really the book-reading type, so I’ll just wait here for you guys to finish up,” Ash said, scratching the back of his head with a grin, before noticing a chair placed near the entrance and making his way over.
“Okay, but don’t complain if we tell you about some cool finds and you get bummed that you missed out,” Kiawe replied, briefly turning his head back before continuing on his way.
With the opportunity before them all, the students split up, seeking out books tailored to their interests—Kiawe, the tall, always bare-chested farm boy whose down-to-earth demeanor masked the fiery passion that came out in battle, made his way toward the comic books; Lana, the short, blue-haired angler and Mallow’s lifelong best friend, seemed to eye a first-edition copy of Manaphy: The Prince of the Sea proudly displayed in the center of a section on aquatic books with great interest; and Mallow herself, the young cook with big dreams for her family’s restaurant, decided to glance at the assortment of cookbooks written by famous chefs from faraway regions, especially those written by the legendary master chef from Kalos, Siebold, an idol of hers.
Several minutes later, as the five filed back to the checkout counter, their new books tucked under their arms, cheery and talkative about their choices, they turned to an empty chair near the entrance.
“Hmm? Hey, where’d Ash go?” Mallow asked, folding her arms across her chest.
Glancing all around the store, Lana’s eyes widened as she caught a glimpse of a red hat behind a bookshelf. “Over there!” she said, her arm extended to a point.
Following Lana’s directions, the gang made their way to an isolated corner of the store and soon found their friend, standing in front of a wall of racks loaded with magazines, his loyal buddy Pikachu on his shoulder like always, and his eyes fixated on something in his hands.
“Hey, Ash, whatcha looking at?” Mallow said.
But there was no response.
Raising an eyebrow and pursing her lips, she could only continue staring in confusion as the awkward silence became more apparent. Not only hadn’t he replied, she thought to herself, he hadn’t given any indication that he’d even heard her.
“Ash?” Lana asked, a hint of unease in her soft voice.
Nothing.
The five looked to one another, each in utter confusion, wondering who would be the next to try to get the attention of the normally hyperactive boy.
To that, Kiawe stepped up to the plate. “Hey. C’mon, Ash, what’s up?” he asked.
“Yeah, is something wrong?” Sophocles added.
Nothing still.
Straightening her back and curling her mouth back into a reassuring smile, Mallow took a step forward, extending her hand toward his shoulder. “C’mon, Ash, we’re ready to go now, so are—”
Sniff.
Reflectively, Mallow froze, her eyes slightly widening as her hand hung in the air.
That wasn’t the sound of a stuffy nose or a whiff after catching the scent of something delicious, she realized.
It was the sound of crying.
Composed and reserved—maybe just a single tear—but a cry nevertheless.
She turned to the others, and the discomfort and concern visible on their faces proved that they were all hearing the same thing she was.
But before any of them could speak up again, and conjure up words of concern and empathy, they watched as Ash wordlessly placed the magazine back on the shelf and wiped his eyes with his right arm before turning, face downcast and eyes shrouded under the shadow from his hat’s brim, and making his way toward the exit, walking past his classmates as if they weren’t even there.
For what felt like an eternity, the gang stood motionless, mouths slightly agape, working to comprehend the oddity they had just seen.
“What do you think that was about?” Sophocles finally asked, breaking the uncomfortable silence.
Curious, Lillie walked over to where Ash had stood and picked up the magazine that had seemed to captivate him so intensely. It was a copy of Coordinator Monthly , a magazine that discussed Pokémon Coordinators who competed in things called Pokémon Contests in the far-off Hoenn region.
Hmm, she thought to herself. I’ve read about this before. Is Ash familiar with Pokémon Contests? I never thought he might’ve once been something other than a Pokémon Trainer, and he’s never brought it up before, but perhaps…
She turned her eyes to the broader picture. Splashed across the cover was a girl—short, honey-blonde hair; blue eyes; a fashionable dress of pink, red, black, and white fabrics; and a beaming smile. Arms outstretched in a dramatic pose, and accompanied by three foreign Pokémon she had never seen before, the Pokémon Coordinator seemed to be having the time of her life.
Turning back to her classmates, Lillie pointed to the cover. “Do you think it has anything to do with this girl?” she asked.
“Ash and a girl?” Mallow cocked an eyebrow in disbelief, waving her hand dismissively. “Psssh, nah. It’s gotta be something else.”
“I dunno,” Kiawe replied, crossing his arms. “The way he was looking at that cover, and how he just started crying all of a sudden and then left without saying a word, I think there’s gotta be something about this picture that made Ash just act like that.” He shook his head. “I’ve never seen him that solemn and serious before.”
“Maybe it’s about the Pokémon Contests themselves,” Sophocles piped in. “I think they have them in the Kanto region where Ash is from, so maybe he’s a big fan who used to watch them and really misses being able to see them. Or maybe they just remind him of his home.”
“You mean he’s homesick?” Lana asked Sophocles.
“Precisely. Because I don’t get how else that picture would make him so sad. She looks pretty happy to me.”
“Well, maybe he’ll be better tomorrow in class,” Lillie said. “Do you think he just needs to sleep on it?”
Kiawe nodded. “Yeah, I hope so. I don’t think we need to worry too much. I mean, while I haven’t seen Ash act like this, he can be a pretty strange guy. Maybe he does act like this from time to time and we’re just not familiar with it.”
“That’s a good point, Kiawe,” Sophocles replied.
“But still, I don’t think we should totally count out the possibility of it having to do with her,” Kiawe continued as he pointed to the magazine cover. “As unlikely as it seems.”
“Hmm.” Mallow pursed her lips, then sighed. “I hope you guys are right.”
“Alola, class.”
As Professor Kukui walked into his classroom, rather than being greeted by the usual “Alola, Professor,” he was met with five concerned faces with their tongues tied.
The students had thought perhaps Ash would come into class with the professor—after all, he did live at the professor’s house. But with still no sign of Ash, their minds immediately drifted to the worst.
Without missing a beat, the professor preempted their inevitable line of questioning. “Ash isn’t coming in today,” he said unprompted. “He’s not in the right frame of mind, so I felt it’d be best for him to take the day off.”
“Is he sick?” Lillie asked.
Kukui cupped his chin with his hand. “Not exactly. He doesn’t have a fever or anything, and he was awake when I left. He’s just kinda…out of it.”
Lana’s eyebrows drooped. “That doesn’t sound good.”
“You’re right,” Mallow added. “Professor, did Ash say anything to you before you left?”
Kukui shook his head. “Ash hasn’t said a word. In fact, he didn’t say anything yesterday when he got back either. He even skipped dinner last night.”
“Ash? Skipping a meal? ” a frantic Sophocles said in alarm, grabbing fistfuls of his ginger hair. “Now that doesn’t sound like Ash at all! Something’s really, really wrong!”
“Professor,” Kiawe said, rising from his desk, “would it be okay if we all went to your place to check up on Ash?”
Kukui didn’t like the idea of losing valuable class time, but at the same time he realized his students would no doubt be thinking about Ash throughout the entire lesson, and probably wouldn’t absorb any information unless they knew their friend was okay. He sighed. “All right, all right. But we’ll need to go long with class today so we can get through the lesson afterward. Sound good?”
The class nodded in agreement and made their way out of the classroom with the professor.
The students looked worriedly upon their friend, whose reddened eyes were fixated on the ceiling. While Rotom Dex had greeted them all with surprise, Ash didn’t acknowledge any of them as they came into the house during normal school hours.
“Ooh, this is just terrible,” Lillie finally said as the tension in the room became too much to bear. “I can’t stand to see you like this. None of us can.”
Ash said nothing.
Lana frowned. “Ash, please tell us what’s wrong.” She paused, but received no response. “You haven’t said a word since yesterday.”
Seated to Ash’s side, Pikachu matched his silence, though it occasionally glanced at the other humans if only in a vain attempt to pass on some sort of wordless, telepathic message to them about what was wrong.
“C’mon, Ash,” Mallow said, rubbing her arm nervously, “We just want to know that you’re oka—”
Suddenly, the tension in the air seemed to break as Ash sat up from his bed. For a moment, a flicker of hope ignited in the gang, hope that their pleas had broken though, only for those flickers to be immediately dowsed by reality as the boy got up out of bed, threw his hat on, and made his way out of the house, Pikachu following close behind, slamming the door behind him.
As the students gazed crestfallen at the door, the professor, a pensive expression across his face, finally sighed. “Just give him some time, okay, guys?”
“Professor, do you have any idea why Ash is acting this way?” Mallow asked.
“Yeah, we saw him just staring at a magazine cover in the store yesterday,” Lana said, “and then he just started crying to himself and left without saying anything.”
“Mhm,” Lillie added, “it was a magazine called Coordinator Monthly , and it had this girl on the cover...”
A girl, huh?
Kukui hmmed, stroking his chin. “I…have my suspicions,” he said, causing everyone to lean in closer, “but that’s still Ash’s matter. Not mine, nor yours.”
The students let out an audible groan, their pouting faces looking on with matching disappointment in their eyes.
“Come on, don’t act like that,” the professor said, arms folded, with a twinge of sharpness in his voice. “What if something personal came up in your lives and everyone wanted to try and pry in on it?”
The looks of disappointment quickly gave way to shock, and then slowly to guilt, their eyes flashing to each other and then back to the professor.
“P-personal?” Lana said with unease.
“That’s right,” Kukui continued. “Whatever has Ash upset, that’s his business, and none of yours.” He placed his hands on his hips. “If he wants to keep it to himself, then let him. And later, if he wants to open up, then be there for him. But right now, it’s obvious Ash needs—and wants—some alone time, and you all should respect that. Do I make myself clear?”
“Yes, Professor,” was the unanimous—if unenthusiastic—reply.
Kukui smiled. “Good,” he said, allowing the tension of his scolding to die down. “I’d expect nothing less from you kids. Now c’mon, let’s make like a Quick Attack and get back to the school.” He flashed a toothy grin. “Today’s lesson isn’t going to learn itself.”
The setting sun beat down on the sands of Hau’oli Beach. As the various wild Pokémon made their ways alone and in packs to their homes for the incoming night, two figures—one human, one Pokémon—sat quietly on a log, gazing out as the dimming sun descended beneath the vast ocean and the tides rhythmically came in and out, producing the only sound aside from some distant chirping and swaying tree branches.
Face despondent and hands in his lap, the boy was slightly hunched forward, as if the gravity of his own thoughts were manifesting themselves and pressing down on his back. Under the looming brim of his hat, his eyes shimmered. For but a moment, a litany of fond memories from the not-so-distant past flashed through his mind: boundless adventure, death defying danger, the lowest lows and the highest highs, all alongside the best of friends that a guy could’ve asked for—practically a family, with whom there was never a dull moment.
He remembered encouraging his traveling family to reach for the stars and give it their all, that they could do anything if they just tried.
He remembered giving encouragement, brightening their spirits, insisting with his own inner determination that they never give up.
And he remembered being brought back from the depths of despair when he was the one who had all but given up.
And through it all, he remembered a smile that always seemed to push him forward.
A certain smile.
That smile.
An unpleasant jolt ran through his mind, causing those thoughts to drift away and settling him back into the all too familiar present.
After what felt like ages of gloomy stewing in silence, he finally expelled a deep sigh. “I’m sorry, Pikachu,” Ash said in a hoarse voice, catching the electric mouse off guard as its ears flinched on reflex. “I feel awful for being this way, and I know the others are worried sick about me.” He paused. “It’s just— ughh~! Oh man~! ” he blurted through gritted teeth, suddenly grabbing fistfuls of his own raven hair, before taking a few breaths and smacking his face with his palms to settle down from his outburst. “I...I dunno, I guess I didn’t expect to feel this way after seeing that...well…”
“Pika~.” His partner extended its paw and gently brushed his arm.
“Y’know, it feels like it’s been a lot longer than it actually has since we said goodbye to them. And since she…” He trailed off again.
Pikachu turned up, taking an inquisitive look at its trainer, noticing a light pinkening of his cheeks as he continued to try and grasp for the right words to explain what was on his mind. Had it not been for its trainer being so glum, it probably would’ve taken the opportunity to tease him.
“Y’know, this probably sounds stupid, Pikachu, but I—whenever I remember that I’m not there,” he said, his voice turning wistful, “not there for her contests, not there in the audience cheering louder than anyone else, not there to congratulate her after a win—” He took a deep breath. “—or to cheer her up after a loss...”
“Pikapi~?”
“I know I watch each contest of hers I can on TV, or at least I try to, but—it’s just—” His words became caught and his mouth began to shudder, a lump in his throat building. He closed his eyes and took another deep breath. “I-it’s just not the same,” he finally said, a shakiness in his words as his racing, bouncing thoughts continued to drop out of his mouth in short, disjointed chunks. “It’s weird. It’s like we spent all that time traveling, but in the end I still didn’t really know the real her; but now, when it all starts to make a little more sense to me, at least I think, she’s gone, she’s far away, and I don’t really know what to say, or even what to think. It’s just so frustrating.”
Ash rubbed his eyes, hoping to stave off another fit, then looked up at the clear, warm sky.
“Y’know, Pikachu?” he asked his partner, whose face appeared confused about the question—or whether there had even been one.
Unconcerned, Ash continued, “It’s just, I don’t want to just watch her on TV from a thousand miles away. I want to be with her when she competes. I want to be there to celebrate with her, and—and, when things don’t turn out well—” He tightened his hands into fists, as if to contain an intense, building pressure as he became more animated, and his speech quickened. “I want to be able to let her know it’s all going to be okay, to never give up until the very end.”
Pikachu tilted its head. “Pika?”
Ash stifled a chuckle under his breath. “Maybe give her a—a hug to make her feel safe, y’know?”
“Pikapi?! ”
Ash cracked a smile—his first in more than a day—and giggled. “C’mon, buddy, you know what I mean. It’s what she told Bonnie, remember? Give a hug to make ’em feel safe?”
Pikachu mumbled a noncommittal response in its Pokémon language—a kind of unspoken “Yeah, but…”
Ash got the message, and moved on to his next thought.
“Before she left, she told me the next time we met that I’d like the kind of person she grew into, remember?”
Pikachu nodded. “Pika.”
Ash grumbled. “I just wish that day could come sooner.”
He leaned back on the log, and his mouth flattened out again into a slight frown. “I know she’s strong, Pikachu. I just wish we could be strong together.”
As its trainer turned downcast again, the electric mouse Pokémon made its move, leaping onto his shoulder and beginning to nuzzle its cheeks against his face. “Pika! Pi-pika, Pikapi!”
A faint smile formed on his face as he placed a hand on his partner’s head and started to rub. “You’re right, buddy,” he said. “We’ll see her again soon.”
Then, he adjusted his hat and turned back to the ocean, just as the last rays of the setting sun faded into the night.
“And when that day comes, I hope she’ll like the person I’ve grown into, too.”