Part Eight

      I gazed down solemnly at the two open coffins that lay down before me, the shadows of tree branches gracefully swaying in the wind on the lush grass below. Warm sunlight danced across my face as I heard soft chimes echo somewhere in the distance. Everything was strangely peaceful. Chris, I learned his name was, my rescuer, was the only one who seemed to share these feelings with me. He hadn't known Pikachu very well, and hadn't known Ash at all, yet I still felt like he deserved to go to their funeral.

      During the speeches and the goodbyes spoken before the burial I was standing at now, everything seemed to go by as a blur. I had too many tears to let out any words. Not sobs, just silent tears. What would I have said, anyways? That both Ash and Pikachu dying was completely my fault? That I possibly could've saved them? Sure, that would've made Ash's other friends and family really happy. Yeah, right. But as Chris put a reassuring hand on my shoulder, and whispered into my ear softly, "He loved you.", I felt strangely calm. The first difference I noticed was the lack of wetness rolling down my cheeks. As I touched a hand softly to my face, I could feel no real tears, only the dried stains of past ones.

      But that was an hour ago. Now there were only mere minutes left until the funeral would be officially over. The crowd of friends and family seemed to leak out into small numbers as workers began to walk near us, ready to shut the two coffins and place them inside the earth. Wishing to remain at that peaceful spot for an eternity, I continuing gazing into Ash's lifeless face. The faint lone expression that remained there was one of such peaceful calmness, I wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. Maybe I would've, until the realization hit me. 'He loved you.' How would Chris know?

      I glanced up into his deep green eyes. Him, Delia, and I were the only ones left at the graveyard. "Did you know Ash personally?" I asked, curious.

      "No, I didn't." He answered.

      My expression grew confused. "Then how would you have known what he thought of me?"

      I paused without waiting for his answer as my eyes wandered down to the sight of Pikachu. Something about him looked slightly different. It took a split second for me to figure out what. My eyes grew wide.

      "My ponytail holder! Where did it...?"

      Chris's eyes grew sad as he took my ponytail holder out from his pocket and held it out to me in his open palm. "Would you like it back? Or do you want to give it to Ash or Pikachu?" He asked me. His voice was the most soft, calm, and careful I had ever heard it before. The inked words 'I love you, Ash.' I had written just days before stood out on the thick fabric in the sunlight. My heart thud quickly deep in my chest as I slowly took the ponytail holder in my hand.

      "I'll give it to Ash." I whispered softly, holding back the tears as my eyes quickly swept to the ground. I couldn't bear to look into Chris's caring eyes any longer. He had no idea, and yet it seemed like he knew everything.

      "Hey, c'mon, you two!" One of the workers interrupted us in a loud voice. "We have to start working. The funeral's over." As Chris and I glanced over our shoulders at the exit, sure enough, Delia was there, beckoning us over.

      I quickly ran over to Ash's coffin and placed the ponytail holder inside his hand, closing it up around it with my own hands. "I'm sorry I never got a chance to tell you personally." I said softly. "Goodbye, Ash Ketchum."

      And with that, I took one last look into Pikachu's and Ash's faces before whirling around and running to catch up with Chris and Delia.

      It's over. It's all over.

*****************************************************

Two weeks later...

      Leaning back on my chair, I crossed one leg over the other as I quietly sipped some punch from a straw. I glanced up at Chris, whom was sitting in front of me. Waiting for him to speak, I fingered the small glass of juice gently. But still nothing came. Both of us had remained unusually quiet on this peaceful day.

      Ever since the funeral, Chris and I had gotten to know each other better. He introduced me to a new, adventurous world. Though he owned a couple pokemon, I eventually found out that he was Pokemon Hunter - a new sport that had evolved over the years. At first I was horrified to learn this.

      "It's not all that bad, pokemon hunting." Chris had tried to convince me gently. "Over the century, the population of certain pokemon has been increasing rapidly. When it comes to the ones on the lowest end of the food chain, they've been ruining farmer's crops. You've seen how high the prices were raising before pokemon hunting was introduced."

      I had no argument for that one.

      "The pokemon on the higher end of the food chain have always been fairly uncommon or rare, so we never had to worry about those, but the ones high enough to eat the lowest ones on the food chain have been rapidly over-populating too." Chris went on. "If there are too many of them, there will be too small of a number of the lowest ones on the food chain. Some might possibly go extinct. That's something we really don't want to happen."

      I spoke this time. "Yeah, I guess you're right about that." I admitted. "What about the ones that aren't over-populating, though? Wouldn't that be just shameless killing?"

      "It's illegal to hunt certain pokemon." Replied Chris. "Especially legendaries. Not that we ever see them anyways."

      "I still think it's horrible to kill pokemon, though..." I whispered solemnly. "I mean, they're just like you and me. I was against pokemon hunting from the start."

      This time it was Chris's turn not to have any words left. After a moment of silence, he sighed. "Yeah... I do feel a little bad about it. But I don't know, Misty. Now that Ash, our former Pokemon Master has passed away, some pokemon trainers might not be as encouraged to catch pokemon anymore..."

      '...Now that Ash, our former Pokemon Master, has passed away...'

      I buried my head in my hands. "No. Stop." My voice was a sad begging whisper. "Please... just... please don't mention him."

      "I'm sorry." Chris murmured softly.

      That was all just fifteen minutes ago. As I let my memories lurk back to the words about Ash, I let my mind wander back to the moments that happened at his funeral two weeks before. Chris knew I had loved Ash. He said Ash had loved me. How...?

      I finally shattered the deathly silence. "How would you have known that... Ash... might've loved me?" I asked. It still hurt to say his name. "All you knew was that I loved him."

      This time Chris smiled warmly. "Because, knowing you... if you loved somebody, how in the world could they help not loving you back?"

      He's so good.

      I felt my face grow hot. But it was also a tickling, happy feeling in my heart. "Thanks." I replied simply in a small voice.

      His smile grew into a grin. "Now what was that just then, Misty? What's with the quiet? I've only known you for two weeks, but I've never known you to be shy!" As I looked into his deep green eyes, I saw that he was excited and wild inside. His adventurous side was showing again. Maybe that was the main reason he was a Pokemon Hunter... because he got to travel to so many places. I could easily imagine him doing that and loving it.

      "Thanks!" I repeated, much louder this time. I returned the grin.

      My heart leapt as Chris suddenly jumped out of his chair across from me, grabbed me by the wrist, and forcefully pulled me towards the doors leading away from the restaurant. "Come on, I'm taking you outside." He told me.

      I laughed as he dragged me along with him. "What?! Why?"

      He didn't answer, just shoved me out the swinging doors first, and then quickly followed behind. I breathed in cool, fresh, nighttime air as I gazed around at the twinkling stars above me. Not for long, though. Chris once again grabbed me, this time by the hand, and pulled me towards a large, beautiful, shallow pool of water with a large fountain spurting out streams of water. Rainbow lights from the bottom floor of the fountain glittered gracefully on the wavy water's surface. Chris and I collapsed at the side of the fountain, breathing heavily, but at the same time giddy with laughter.

      "There. We're here." Chris managed to speak. He stood up and brushed himself up. Chris then offered a hand, and I took it in mine. Surprisingly quick, he pulled me back up to my feet.

      "What was that all about?!" I asked him, taking a break from laughing, but still grinning widely.

      "I'm not really sure. I guess I just wanted to show you this fountain. Isn't it beautiful?"

      "Yeah..." I sighed softly in agreement. We both continued admiring the fountain for a few more moments until Chris spoke again.

      "You know, even though I've only known you for two weeks, it feels like I've known you for seven years." He told me, smiling softly, as he held my hands in his.

      "What are you trying to say?" I asked him.

      "That... we should take off our shoes and go into the fountain?"

      Maybe he was just joking, I don't know. I guess I'll never know. All I know was that without hardly even realizing it, I kicked off my shoes, and climbed over and into the fountain, spinning around with my arms flailing by my side. Chris was quickly by my side. I didn't care how crazy other people probably thought of us at that moment. All I cared about was how free being near Chris made me feel. The memories of Ash, our past argument, and his past funeral still continued to burn a mark through my mind, yet somehow that mark was no longer deeply affecting me. I raised my head up and let out all the happiness that was inside my heart, begging to be let out, in one long explosion of laughter. I was laughing at the stars. I was laughing at the moon. I was laughing at the world. I was letting them all know how amazing this new feeling bubbling inside of me felt.

      Eventually losing my balance, I collapsed into Chris's arms. I smiled warmly, remembering his past words. "You know how you told me you don't know how someone could help not loving me if I loved them?" I asked softly.

      "Yeah? What about it?" His face grew closer to mine. Now that I look back on these moments, sometimes I feel that he knew what was coming all along.

      "You better live up to those words."

      "Why?"

      "Because I love you." I whispered into his ear gently. My heart was tickled with happiness from finally letting those words out.

      Chris grinned. "Okay. I will."

      And as he spoke those final words, any space left between us disappeared as he pulled me in closer and our lips touched, a mixture of cold and warm mixed into one, a dream into reality.