Author’s Note: I just want to say that high school is killing me. Oh yeah, and um…this story was hard to write, for some ungodly reason.

- Destiny -

- By Brian -

My name is Ash Ketchum, and I used to have a dream of becoming a pokémon master. I used to dream of capturing all the pokémon in the world, and to be the very best, just like how I imagined my father would be.

I used to dream about victories and battles…I used to dream about fame and glory…I used to dream about finding someone who loved pokémon as much as I do…

I don’t dream much anymore.

Did I mention that I’m the Chosen One?

Yes…I’m the one who supposedly stopped Mewtwo from destroying the world, although I’m not sure if that really even happened or not…

Yeah…I’m the one who, with help from the Lugia, stopped the Legendary Birds from destroying the Orange Islands, as well as the rest of the world…

Sure…I’m the one who stopped Molly Hale, the daughter of Professor Spencer Hale, from destroying Greenfield…although she didn’t know what she was doing, since the Unown were affecting her at the time…

And I’m the one who prevented Celebi, a time traveling pokémon, from falling into the hands of Team Rocket…

I bet you’re thinking…wow, that’s amazing! How is it that you’ve managed to save the world so many times? You must be happy with yourself, huh?

The truth is…I’m not happy.

Who would be happy, when you’re destined to be alone?

* * *

2 years earlier…

Today is the big day…

Why, you ask? Because today is the day where a dream of mine will finally come true! No, it’s not being a pokémon master, but I’ll get to that soon enough.

In case you were still wondering, today was the day that I would ask out Misty to be my girlfriend. Sure, I’m only fifteen and she’s seventeen, but I’ve known her since I was ten, so that’s a little over five years…

My smile widens as I round the corner to the Pewter City Park, where Brock, Misty, and I would meet. My heart’s pounding in my chest, and I’m trying to think of how exactly I’ll ask her out…

“Hey Misty, I love you!” No…that’s too cliché.

“Misty, will you be mine?” Boring…overdone…yadda yadda yadda…

“Hey Mist, will you light my fire?” Um…no.

“I missed you, Misty…I was thinking…you know…we could take our relationship a step further…? What do you say?” Well, that’s better then nothing-

My eyes widen and I drop the flowers in my hand, my mind in shock as I watch my two best friends, who are sitting on a park bench, look into each other’s eyes…intimately…

“Brock…” she whispers, his arms around her waist, their faces inches apart, “I missed you…”

I hide myself in the shadows, not wanting to be seen, not wanting to walk in on something like…this.

He looks into her eyes, and instead of saying the usual romantic thing that he did with the countless Nurse Joys and Officer Jennys, he merely nods and smiles, before giving her a kiss.

As their hearts flutter with love and joy, my heart sinks as I quietly walk away from the scene, unable to watch anymore.

I felt no malice or ill will towards them. They were-are my friends, after all.

It’s not their fault that they fell in love while I wasn’t looking.

* * *

1 year earlier…

Misty and Brock look so happy together. In fact, they’re dancing right now. Celebrating their one-year anniversary with all their friends and family, to be precise. Most couples would spend their one-year anniversaries alone, like having a romantic dinner or watching a movie that they both loved. No, not Misty and Brock. They had to go all out, inviting as many people as they knew, so they could all know how much they both loved each other.

“Hi Ash.”

I take another large gulp of soda as I watch them, slumping in my chair lazily as I hear them both laughing as they dance.

“Ash, we need to talk.”

It almost feels like they’re laughing at me, but they would never do that. They’re my best friends, and I’m just being paranoid.

“Ash?”

I mean, I should be happy for them. I’ve known them both for so long that-

“Ash?”

What’s that sound? Is someone calling me-

“Ash!” screams a female voice, as she slams on her hands on the table, her face looking flushed, yet full of anger.

I look at her bewildered, wondering what had suddenly gotten into May. “Are you okay, May? You don’t look too good…”

Her breathing is slow, and her knuckles are going white from clutching the table spread. People are staring now, including Brock and Misty, who have stopped dancing.

“Ash…” she whispers angrily, which catches me completely off-guard as I straighten up in my chair.

I lock eyes with her, noticing that they had the look of pain in them. It looked like she was about to cry, but why…?

“May…” I try to say soothingly, only to be cut off by a vicious slap to my face as she runs out of the room.

There’s an uncomfortable silence in the room as I rub my cheek, wincing at how hard she hit me.

Did I do something wrong?

“Ash…I think you should go talk to her…” whispers Gary, who had the decency to break the silence that had permeated the room.

I nod my head numbly, as I walk quietly out of the room, under the piercing gaze of nearly everyone in the room.

After mindlessly walking around the streets of Pewter City for an hour I see a familiar brown-haired girl sitting on a park bench…

The same park bench where I found Misty and Brock proclaiming their love for one another, nearly a year ago…

I temporarily forget about that as I notice that May is not crying, but rather staring ahead blankly, her arms neatly clasped on her lap. All in all, it’s a very disturbing scene, since the May I know is usually energetic and always up and about…not like this.

She doesn’t acknowledge my presence as I take a seat next to her, which confuses me all the more. Is she mad? Is she sad? Why is she acting so different today?

“Ash…” she whispers quietly, her gaze still directed straight ahead, “I think…I think I’m going to go…”

“Where…?” I reply in a tiny voice, fear rising in my chest as I realize that I might lose another best friend…

“I have no idea...” she replies with a small laugh, “But I know that I can’t travel with…with you, anymore…I mean…I feel like I’m just in the way…so don’t I just get out…?”

Now she’s looking right at me, her eyes glistening, as if she had been crying. She slips a small letter into my trembling hands, and then gives me a small peck on the cheek, which reddens my cheeks considerably.

There are no words exchanged between us as she walks away, and out of my life.

* * *

After May left, Misty and Brock had decided that they were tired of traveling, and were thinking of settling down to take care of their respective gyms, as well as pursue their relationship further. I could only smile and say good things as they too, walked out of my life.

These days I’m traveling aimlessly around Kanto, Johto, and Hoenn, wondering when the next time I’ll be called on to save the world. Pikachu still travels with me, although I know that someday she’s going to leave too, because she’ll want to have a family and a nice Raichu she can love.

I don’t mind really…I’m used to being left behind.

My dad, whose face I’ve never seen, left when I was very little. My mom said he had no idea why he was leaving, but he knew that deep down he had to, or something terrible might happen…

At first I thought that was complete crap, but now that I look back on it…it makes perfect sense.

Gary and Amy left me behind too, with Gary wanting to be the greatest pokémon master ever, and Amy wanting to find herself. I thought that we could’ve gone on the journey together, but they felt so adamantly about going at it alone.

Everyone that I’ve met has left me, with the exception of my mother and Pikachu. I figured that since I’m the Chosen One, I’m supposed to save the world all by myself.

It makes sense, doesn’t it? Chosen One…not two or three or four. Just one.

It’s why I have no father, or friends, or even enemies anymore…because whoever determined my destiny wouldn’t allow anyone to interfere with what I was supposed to do…

It’s why I will never become a Pokémon Master…because I have no time for things as pointless as that…

Because I’m the Chosen One…

Destined to save the world from all pokémon pose a threat to it…

Destined to be the hero, no matter where I go…

Destined to be alone, because what I do is for only me to do…

As Pikachu and I continue walking to the next town, I suddenly find myself singing a song that I once heard on the radio, despite my current state of mind.

“One is the loneliest number…one is the loneliest number…” I start to sing, causing Pikachu to perk her ears up, unused to hearing me sing, ever since May left.

“Pikapi? Pika pika!” she squeaks out, tugging on my leg, wanting me to continue singing, despite the depressing theme. I guess she thinks that if I sing, I’ll be happy or something…

A smile creeps it way on my face, and instead of continuing with the previous song, I start singing something a little happier.

“Life can be a challenge…life can seem impossible…it’s never easy, when so much is on the line…but you can make a difference…with courage you can set things right…the gift to dream and make dreams real, is yours and mine…the power of one…” I start to sing, as I hoist up Pikachu in my arms, who squeals happily. I haven’t seen her this happy in a long time…and her being happy makes me happy.

I haven’t been happy in a long time…so it feels like…like a brand new feeling. I like this feeling…

I used to have a dream of becoming a pokémon master. I used to have a friend named May.

I may be the Chosen One, but…I don’t want my destiny to be the only thing running my life.

As I sing along with Pikachu, I realize that I want to be a pokémon master. It’s not impossible to pursue a dream and save the world at the same time, right? Heck, I used to do it all the time back then!

And you know…being the Chosen One…there isn’t anything that says I can’t have at least one friend, right…? May…she could be like…the Chosen One’s “chosen friend”!

“To Petalburg City!” I announce, causing Pikachu to jump on to my hat with a happiness I hadn’t seen in her for over a year now.

As Pikachu and I race towards the Hoenn region, I know now that I make my own destiny, no one else is allowed to do that…except for me.

- End -

I feel this story is sort of messy…and I think I might’ve slightly copied the storyline of Realize…so…o_o I can’t help it…school is killing me. I have five pages of work to do…and it’s due tomorrow…and…yeah. Then again, Realize focused on friendship, while this story focuses on destiny and being the lone hero, so it’s different enough, right? Ex-actly!

Originally this story was going to end with Ash singing “One is the loneliest number…” but darn it, this story deserved a sort of optimistic ending, don’t you think? Besides, too much angst can lead to writer’s block. o_o I think.

When I first saw the second movie I thought “That must suck…being the Chosen One and all…having to be called upon to save the world…” I mean…I know I wouldn’t want to be handed down such responsibility…especially not from a talking…Lugia…thing. I’d imagine I’d lose contact with all my friends and family if I were Chosen One, since someone that as important as that has no time for things like that.

Finally, if you didn’t get it, May was mad because Ash was staring at Misty (and Brock). It’s not really clear, but May likes Ash, and can’t take the fact that he’s still moping over Misty. When he doesn’t listen to her after she tries to talk to him, she decides it’s the last straw, and leaves.

Next stories for Season Two:

Doom Desire - Wishing can be dangerous...especially when that wish is granted.

Deal - Misty and Gary make a deal that neither are comfortable with…especially not Ash.

Dad – Ash meets his father.

Dream - After losing Ash to Misty, May dreams of what could’ve been.