Notes: Ash is 14 now, some more time has passed. <> for telepathy, ** for thoughts, italics in case a pokemon talks. That is, a non-psy type.

 

Disclaimer: I do not own pokemon, Nintendo does. So does the Pokemon Company. And I love Shogakukan Comics. This is non-profit fanwork! I am not making any profit, ok? Ok!

 

Chapter 8: Let History Repeat Itself

 

            Ash and Sabrina were sitting on the balcony, watching people. It was actually a rather amusing pursuit.

            Strange that real life is often more bizarre than fiction.

            Ash took another bite of his chocolate ice pop, enjoying the creamy taste of vanilla underneath.

            She was busy levitating cream puffs and occasionally eating one.

            Shrugging, Ash took another bite.

 

            A loud squawking noise interrupted his thoughts. Turning, Ash saw a girl hanging onto a Fearow, snapping pictures of him.

            “Hey!”

            “YES! The perfect story!” The girl gushed. “Sabrina’s boyfriend! Oh, this will make the front page!”

            Sabrina rolled her eyes. < Haunter… >

            < On it! > The pokemon promised. A second later, the idle reporter found herself pokemon-less and in Antarctica.

           

            “People think I’m your boyfriend?” Ash asked, sounding insulted.

            < Afraid so, Red. >

            < I cannot believe the stupidity of that remark. >

            < Neither can I… >

            < But it’s life. >

            < True, true, very true. > Ash said, before he pulled on his black fingerless gloves, seeing as it was getting slightly chilly.

            < Bakayarou… >

 

            Sabrina ate another cream puff and yawned. < What are you going ot do now? >

            < I’m not sure. Life is good. >

            < True, but don’t you have some goal? >

            < I’ll think on that. >

            Sabrina chuckled. < I see. >

 

            Misty walked by.

            Ash pointedly ignored her presence.

            “That girl is chasing an impossible dream.” Sabrina sighed.

            “She is?”
            “Sure. She doesn’t like you, she’s looking for a dream icon she built up and doesn’t exist. It’ll only hurt her more in the long run.”

            “I suppose.”

 

            Sabrina nodded.

            “Duty will come for me, eventually.” Ash said, looking at the clouds. “Because being a guardian gives you duties…”
            “Don’t worry, Ash, just walk to the future without fear.”
            “That’s all it takes, Sabrina nee-chan?”

            “Yes, that’s all it takes. It’s such a simple truth. But you see, anyone can reach his or her dream. Most people are just too scared to fly.”

            “Oh.”

            “They see the branch and the earth below and they get scared, so they cling to the branch, until it breaks.”

            “I see…”

            “Don’t worry, you’re one of the ones who will fly away.” Sabrina smiled. * And so am I… *

            Relieved, Ash licked the stick of his popsicle clean and tossed it in the trash can on the street below.

            He wouldn’t worry about growing up.

            Just take it in stride…

 

Three years later…

 

            He and Sabrina sat on the stairs together, watching a sunset.

            “Ne, Sabrina-chan, how do you think things might have turned out?”

            < Hmm? >

            < What if I hadn’t run into you when you were fighting Team Rocket? >

            < Then I wouldn’t have found my kawaii little brother, of course! > Sabrina laughed.

            < And I wouldn’t have an onee-chan… >

            < So it’s a good thing we ran into each other. >

            < Yes! >

            Ash smiled adorably. It looked slightly out-of-place on a seventeen year old’s face, but that wasn’t the point.

            History took strange turns, sometimes.

            He was just happy it had taken a right one this lifetime.

 

            He didn’t need romantic love; he had friendship and partners.

            Romantic love made one crazy, and he sure didn’t want Misty!
            It had taken two lives to see the truth, but now he knew what was really true.

            So the time had not been wasted…      

            Ash watched as the sun sank into the night. Tomorrow would bring another new day, hope, joy, fear, love…

            But, he would do it.

            He would stop looking into the past, and see the future instead.

            He had been a child, but now he was grown.

 

 

THE END

Started 2/25/04

Completed 4/5/04