Well, this is my very first fanfiction and I hope it gets good reviews. I spent almost a whole week writing this fic and I must say I'm very proud of myself :). The idea kind of came to me whilst writing another story and I thought it would be fun to write this as a little break from my main project. I spent a great deal of effort on this thing so please take the time to read, enjoy, and gimme your feedback!

Ash-14

Misty-14

Brock-17

Disclaimer: I don't own pokemon.

Memoir

Part 1

The light from the setting sun shone down unto the large city. On every street, around every corner, each building was covered with paintings of many different flowers. From tulips to azaleas almost every blossom you could think of was up for display on every one of the green and white buildings. For visitors this was a form of eye candy, for lovers it was a romantic venture, but for the residents of Celadon City it was longstanding tradition to paint flowers on the sides of your home, shop, or whatever.

At the city core a group of three travelers had stopped for a rest next to a large fountain where in the center of its circular structure was a small dais. Seated atop the dais was a stone Venasaur spouting a large pillar of water out of the flower on its back. Two of the travelers were arguing while one was seated on the fountains edge reading a copy of Pokemon Breeders Weekly whilst trying to ignore them. In his lap were the two quarrelers pokemon: an adolescent Pikachu and an almost newborn Togepi who were fast asleep back-to-back.

"You are so insensitive! Does the word compliment mean anything to you?" growled the teenage redhead with unsuppressed rage.

"What? Its just perfume! Why are you making a big deal out of this?" A boy of around the same age glared at her through the strands of night black hair that fell around his face.

"I only asked you if I smelled nice, you didn't have to be an insensitive jerk!"

"Oh so just because I said that all perfume smells like weeds out of the ground..."

"You have no idea how to treat a lady, god I feel sorry for your future wife."

The little yellow rodent in Brock's lap suddenly uncurled itself and yawned. "(Are they fighting again?)" It asked lazily. Brock answered by scratching it behind its ears.

Ash who was now fuming at the last comment bellowed, "I don't know what the hell your problem is or why you even waste your money on that stuff! Its not like its gonna make you Misty, who reek of a Gloom smell any better!"

Brock who wasn't paying any attention before now looked up at the two. Even Pikachu who was still half asleep inclined its head to watch.

Now it was Mistys turn to fume. "Fine! Forget I asked you!" and with that she stormed off down the road.

Ash sighed then frowned and shook his head. Brock folded up his magazine, stuck it in his back pocket and walked slowly over to Ash. "I think you went a little overboard with that last comment." He remarked.

"Chuu." Pikachu agreed.

Togepi who had awoken during the squabble stared confusedly down the road at where its mother had gone. "Prii?"

"Its her own damn fault." He said stubbornly. Brock knew better than to argue with him. If he tried convince him of his folly Ash would only go off at him next.

"Its almost 7:30," he said "We'd better get back to the Pokemon Center."

Ash muttered a 'fine' and started walking. "I wanna stop by somewhere first though." Brock nodded.

On the way to the Center Ash stopped and told Brock "Just wait here I'll be right back."

"Where are you going?"

"Just wait here." He repeated and dashed around the corner. Brock was a little confused as to why Ash didn't want him to come with him, but all perplexion died down when his best friend rounded the corner again with a slight bulge in his pocket.

"Okay I'm ready." So the two of them walked down to the Center to turn in for the night.

<><><><><>

The alarm clock in their assigned room buzzed to life suddenly, unnecessarily however, because they had gotten up the hour before. Ash and Brock hurriedly tried to get their things together; they wanted to make it back to Pallet Town before evening.

Ash having just stuffed the rest of his T-Shirts into his backpack hoisted it over his shoulder and was just about to leave the room when he felt something pulling at his pant leg. Looking down, he saw Pikachu tugging at him with the item he bought the day before clamped between his jaws.

"Oh, thanks pal." He said gratefully taking the object and stuffing it into the front part of his bag.

"What'cha got there?" Brock asked craning his neck in an attempt to see what Ash was holding.

"Nothing," he said and quickly zipped up his bag. Suddenly they heard a knock on the door. Ash turned the lock and opened the door and stood face to face with a disgruntled Misty. "Oh, hi Ash..."

"Hey." He said nervously scratching the back of his head.

"Um, I just wanted to apologize for yesterday. I mean..."

"No, don't. It was my fault. I shouldn't have insulted you the way I did. I was being dumb and immature and I'm sorry Mist. I'm really, really sorry."

Misty smiled. His apology seemed sincere, and she was just glad to be back on good terms with him.

"It's okay." She said and gave him a hug.

"Toge!!"

"Togepi!" she cried, and the little egg pokemon waddled over into her arms.

Brock grunted as he hoisted his large sleeping bag over his shoulders. "We better get going, breakfast ends in half an hour." He remarked. Ash and Misty gave their 'okay's and together they walked into the lobby where the smell of pancakes, eggs, bacon and other such food wafted into the air.

During their meal Ash remarked, "You know, you did smell nice yesterday."

She looked up, "Really?"

"Yeah," he said, "it was very...evanescent." He said and grinned sheepishly. "What type was it?"

Pikachu, who was seated on Ash's lap sucking at the packets of ketchup peeked up at its master and chuckled silently to himself.

Misty smiled and closed her eyes "Fragrance of Vileplume."

"It suits you." He said.

Misty opened her aqua blue eyes and stared into his chocolate colored ones.

"Ash Ketchum there may be hope for you yet."

After breakfast they set off down the road toward Pallet and managed to reach there before noon. Approaching Ash's house they found Mrs. Ketchum hoeing in her front yard. She heard the sound of footsteps and looked behind her only to find her son and his friends coming towards her smiling brightly.

Dropping her hoe she ran towards them and gave them each a big squeeze. "Ash! How are you dear? You look exhausted, were you jogging in the sun again? God, its so great to have you home! I need to cook a large meal for you right away!"

Ash and his friends laughed. "It's good to see you too mom."

After a few more hellos and how are you's the gang decided to each spend the day to their own favor. Delia and Misty went shopping, whilst Brock and Ash paid a visit to Professor Oak. The good Professor was as happy to see them as his mom was and greeted them wholeheartedly. Ash was delighted to see his childhood mentor again as was Brock to be on his compound. The many different species of pokemon living together in their natural habitats was a great place for any breeder to be.

After inviting them in and getting reacquainted, Brock decided to go outside and check out the pack of Vulpix that usually congregated around the pond. Ash was seated on the couch while Professor Oak was examining his PokeDex.

"Well, it seems as if you've been quite busy on your journeys. Wa? What's this? An Articuno! That's one of the rarest kind of Pokemon there are!"

Ash smiled. "Yeah, we saw it while traveling up through Frostbite Mountain. The blizzard was pretty heavy and we couldn't even see the road, then we heard this soft cooing and we looked up and there he was! I couldn't believe it! I almost had Pikachu do a thundershock so I could capture it! It lead us out of the storm and back towards the city."

The Professor nodded understandingly. "Yes. Articuno are said to appear to lost travelers from time to time." He was about to ask something else but then noticed that Ash's expression had changed. He was staring at the calendar with a sad look on his face.

The Professor was puzzled on the sudden changed but then looked over at the calender and realized what date it was. Suddenly he realized.

"Ash..." he began to say, but Ash shook his head and got up.

"It's getting late. I better get back home, mom's gonna have dinner ready soon. I'll talk to you later Professor."

Professor Oak nodded but didn't say anything. Ash made a quick dash outside to collect Brock then strided back towards his home.

During dinner the atmosphere was joyful. Mrs. Ketchum, Brock and Misty were wrapped in conversation, while Pikachu was trying to feed Togepi some mashed potatoes and laughing as she was messing up her face.

"I remember when we were going through the Orange Islands," Misty was saying "We had stopped on the ocean for lunch, and Lapras was catching fish in her mouth. Brock was swimming and dove under for a few seconds," she said giggling. "Then he came up right where Lapras was feeding." She laughed. "She clamped down on his head and hoisted him out of the water. He was dangling from her mouth and screaming 'Let me go! Let me go!'"

Delia Ketchum burst into laughter. Brock just blushed. "Hey, how was I supposed to know those fish were her lunch?"

"What about Ash?" asked Delia. "Has anything embarrassing happened to him?"

Everyone stared at Ash who had been silent all throughout dinner.

"Hm? What do you mean?"

"Come on Ash," Misty encouraged. "Tell her about your pokemon journey."

"What is there to tell?" he snapped "I just traveled all over and catch pokemon. What do you expect, I discovered Atlantis?"

Brock frowned. "You don't have to be so rude."

"Whatever." He grumbled.

"Ash," his mother spoke in that motherly concern voice "sweetie, is there something wrong?"

"No."

"Are you still mad about yesterday?" Misty asked

"I apologized didn't I?"

"Then why the attitude problem?"

"What attitude problem?" he asked arrogantly

"The fact that your acting like a child." She answered coolly

He burst out "I said nothing is wrong dammit!"

"Ash!" his mother cut in "Quit acting that way!"

Ash growled and got up from the table. "I'm not hungry." He said. Still fuming, he jogged up the stairs to his room door and went inside. Placing his hat down on the bedside table, he buried his head in his hands and rubbed his eyes. Suddenly, he heard a knock on his door.

"Come in."

The door opened and Misty walked through the foyer. "Ash, what is your problem?" she asked hotly.

Ash let out a sigh, frowned and stared out the window.

"Your mother just wanted to know how you've been doing, that doesn't mean you have to act like a spoiled child."

"I am not a child!" he hollered.

"Your sure acting like one."

"Leave me alone, you wouldn't understand."

"Try me." She said and sat down next to him on the bed.

"I said go away!" he shouted.

"Fine!" she shouted. "Be that way! See if I care!" she walked back out the foyer and slammed the door.

<><><><><>

Professor Samuel Oak ran his wrinkled fingers through his dull yellow hair and absent-mindedly sipped his coffee. How long had it been now, almost seven years? Yes, that's right. All that time and the boy still felt it deep within his heart. Still felt the anger, the pain, and the sadness. Samuel remembered as if it were only yesterday. It had such a harsh effect on the family, especially Delia. She kept blaming herself; she kept saying it was her fault. But however many times she ran through it in her mind, she knew in her heart there was nothing she could have done. And Ash, oh the poor boy.

Finishing his coffee, he stood up and walked over to the window overlooking the fenced in area that held the dozens of Tauros Ash had captured in the Safari Zone. Well, he was going to have to come to terms with it eventually. He thought to himself. One way or the other, even if it tore at him from the inside out.

<><><><><>

Ash's mom entered his room the next day in order to bring some clean laundry to her son. Laying the freshly ironed clothes on the bunk bed adjacent to him, she sat down on his bed. "Ash, are you gonna tell me what's wrong?"

Ash, who was lying on his side, wearing his black cutoff T-Shirt, jeans, and socks, did not answer. He laid facing out the window, his eyes bloodshot and swollen, a clear sign he'd been crying.

"What is it sweetie, tell me."

He was fidgeting with a stuffed Squirtle doll that had been on his bedside table since he was five. "Go away." He hissed.

"Don't you think your getting to old for those things?"

"No." he said and placed it back on the table.

"Why are you so upset honey? Did someone do something to you?" she reached over and stroked her sons hair. At the feel of her touch, his body tightened like a steel cable. The sudden outburst surprised her.

"Just, GO AWAY!" he hollered.

Delia stood up and looked down angrily at her son. "That's enough! I'm not having any of this behavior. You can either get over what ever is troubling you or you can just sit there and mope all the live long day! Ash, we all have problems okay? But we don't just sit there and cry over them. We deal with them. And that's what you need to do. Until then don't get uncouth with me, because I will NOT put up with it!"

Ash let out a small cough then he shut his eyes tight and firmly bit his lower lip to stop it from quivering.

Delia moved down toward Ash and enveloped him in a big hug. "I'm sorry Ash. I-I don't know why I said that. Look hun, I bought tickets for us to go to the fair in Viridian. You can come if you want but if you ever want to talk about this. You know you can always come to me."

She gave him another hug and a kiss on the cheek, and then left him to his own company. Ash buried his face in his arms and cried.

<><><><><>

Misty had barley slept the night before, the confrontation with Ash playing over and over in her mind.

What in the world was bothering him? She wondered. Was it something she did? Had that apology he had given her yesterday been a load of bull? Had he said it just to make her feel better?

Sighing, she shut her eyes tight and pulled the pillow over her head trying to block out the rest of the world. Drawing her legs up to her chest she tried her best not to cry. Did he hate her?

"Toge?" her little egg pokemon asked. Misty flinched as her room door opened.

"Calm down it's just me." Brock said as he walked inside.

She sighed. "You startled me."

"You wanna take a walk?" he asked.

"Mmm mmm." She sat up and shook her head.

"You okay?" he inquired.

"I'm fine," she answered petting Togepi's front spike "Its Ash who needs counseling."

"Pika." Pikachu said and leaped onto her lap 'Hey Pikachu." She said and scratched under his chin.

"Is he still mad at you?"

"I don't know." She said frustrated, and exhaled sharply. "You know what, I don't care. If he wants to act this way let him. I've got better things to do than worry about his stupid feelings." But even as she said this, she knew it wasn't true.

Brock knew it wasn't true either but he decided not to push any further. "Hey uh, Mrs. Ketchum got us these tickets too a fair in Viridian." He said holding up the one that was intended for her.

She stared at it for a moment then smiled. "Great. At least some of us will have a good time on this visit."

"Well, hurry up and get ready. Were leaving in twenty minutes."

"Alright, just tell Ash's mom I'll be down in a minute."

"Okay." Brock said and he and Pikachu exited the room.

<><><><><>

Mrs. Ketchum, Pikachu and Brock were standing in wait when Misty came downstairs with Togepi in her arms. Delia stared up the stairs one more time before exiting out the front door. I guess he isn't coming after all, she thought.

<><><><><>

It could sense him. Close now. Yes, yes, he was very close. It was latched on to the boy's emotions like a leech to an animals flesh. He was sad, he was very sad, and his sadness was drawing It towards him.

It was floating above his home now, silent and invisible. Out of the front door came three people: A middle aged woman with long auburn hair tied back into a low ponytail, a teenage girl carrying a Togepi, wearing shorts with red suspenders over a yellow tank top and short red hair tied into a sideways ponytail, and another teenager. This one a male, short spiky brown hair, chocolate colored skin and thin slitted eyelids. He had a Pikachu on one shoulder.

But directly in front of It was the one who was drawing It towards him: a skinny, depressed, boy with jet-black hair. He was looking out of the window down at the three people with a serious look on his face. It quickly moved forward and dived through the window and into his room.

<><><><><>

Ash watched from his bedroom window as the lot of them headed down the road. He pulled the curtains across and sat down on the bed, his head in his hands. Why did he have to be such an ass? Why did he have to lash out at his friends and family? He was just about to start crying again when all of a sudden he felt someone in the room with him. Looking up, however, he saw nothing, only his shadow on the wall. He shook his head and tried to shake off the feeling but then the shadow moved.

Ash's body froze with fear. That wasn't his shadow, that was.....what was that?

Whatever it was it moved all around his room. Then, it moved over through the crease in the door and disappeared through it.

Ash suddenly got an urge and got up and left his room. Running down the stairs two at a time he quickly dashed out his front door, leaving his house as silent as the dead.

And there's Part 1 ^-^ Did you like it? Did you hate it? Should I not have written it in the first place? Review please!