Chapter 2
Latias sat at her fountain within the Secret Garden and let the warm water gently tickle her claw as it trickled past. She no longer changed herself to appear as a human anymore. Preferring to become Shadow Latias and view the town that way at all times, she had also stopped attending the Tour De Altomare every year for the past eight. She just didn't feel like participating in much but her duties as guardian of Altomare ever since that day nine years ago when she had lost both her brother and the only boy she had ever loved.
While lost in thought, a mint green Latios had flown up beside her and watched her, curiously. She looked up and regarded him with a warm chirp and started delicately preening the feathers on her wings with her mouth, her sparkling golden eyes somewhat glancing at him every so often as he stared.
“I still don't understand you,” the Latios finally commented after a long and awkward silence. “You live in a beautiful island paradise around many people who care about you; Pokémon who respect and idolize you, and humans that are in awe about your legendary status. However, you seem unhappy all the time. I offer to make you happy and become your mate, but for the past 5 years straight since I got here, you rebuff my advances even though I am a very special Pokémon that is rare among the rare and that any other Latias would kill to have. You tell me it's been 9 years since any family trauma. There has to be something else wrong.”
Latias sighed softly and stopped preening to make full eye-contact with him. “I appreciate that you are so interested in me and my past. You've been really nice to me over the years and I don't want you to think I'm arrogant or anything, but I'm just not interested. Had you met me when I was young and with my brother, I probably would have been enamored. I hate to sound rude, as it's entirely against my nature, but we've had this discussion several times before. I hope that we can still be friends, though. I am happy to have your company here in such a way.”
The Latios shrugged as best a Latios can and broke eye-contact with her. “You are a very strange Latias and I can't stop thinking about you, but if that's the way it has to be, I guess I can understand.” He shook his wings indignantly and turned around to fly off in the opposite direction, out of her garden.
Latias sighed again and hovered over to her swing set and gently placed herself on the seat and rocked herself back and forth, holding on to the ropes with her claws. She thought about how it was the very same swing set in which she revealed herself to Ash when she was a more youthful Latias with a heavy infatuation. Little did she know then that it would turn into full-blown love even after so long into her adulthood. It wasn't like she thought about him constantly, but it would get especially hard for her to function all by herself in the season in which all the other Latios and Latias paired up and started families, along with all the other Pokémon that lived in Altomare.
She had had and rejected plenty of opportunities to find a mate and start a family because her heart still belonged to none other than her beloved Ash. She knew that she had fallen so deeply in love with this human that she would sacrifice having a family and continue waiting for something that just could never be. She had never told another soul why she seemed so unhappy much of the time. Everyone just thought that it was her brother's death afflicting her even though it seemed odd that her mourning could last so long and that she hadn't made peace with it yet.
On many occasions, the Latios from before had offered to take over her duties as current Guardian of Altomare so that she could leave a place that seemed to make her so unhappy, but she refused him that as well. She just didn't feel she had anywhere else to go, and to find Ash after so much time seemed ridiculous. So much had changed for him since they were together. He'd met all kinds of people and Pokémon in his travels that she was certain that he would not even remember who she was. She preferred to live in the memory of his arm draped around her neck and her cuddling close to him after her brother had died, and the look on his face when she had kissed him and run away the next morning. She didn't want to think about the feeling of pain she would have to endure of finding him only to see a blank stare on his face as to who she was.
It was then for the first time ever in her life that she began to feel anger. How could you leave me here?!, she thought to herself. You just came into my life, showed me incredible love and kindness that probably no other human or Pokémon alike could show another, and then left as quickly as you'd come.
Thinking about how loving and kind he was melted away her anger instantly. She hovered there in shock that she could ever be affected so badly that she could feel anger for anyone so lovely as he. Letting her golden eyes begin to leak with tears and ignoring them as they streamed down her face, she thought, Why didn't you ever come back for me? Why, Ash, why? I love you. I want to take care of you and be there for you. Will you ever come back to me?
As if to cosmically answer her question, she noticed a familiar woman, a long-time friend running up to her with long flowing brown hair tucked neatly under a beret. Latias quickly dried her tears and regained her composure as Bianca stopped in front of her.
“Latias, you have to see this!!! Come quickly!” She took off in a sprint back toward their small cottage, Latias flying closely behind and mulling over what could possibly be so important that Bianca would come get her and be running around. Bianca was usually a very calm and not easily excitable person.
When they arrived inside the house, Latias stared at Bianca in confusion. Bianca then pointed at the television set and said, “Look!” Latias turned her gaze toward the TV and suddenly stopped cold. There on the TV set was a man with a Pikachu, directing her moves in battle. She studied his features and could tell without a doubt that this man was her Ash, only older, in different apparel, and without the trademark hat. She could feel her heart thumping wildly, and a warmth spread around her entire body as she watched him.
The scene unfolding on the TV was a replay of Ash's battle that made him champion earlier that day. A narrator was speaking and once Latias regained her senses, she began to listen; “You've heard right. The world champion is now Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town, Kanto. In a battle against the former champion today, he made it through with a win that clearly showed his abilities as a trainer were good enough to make him the best in the world. The awards ceremony that will officially bestow upon him the title of Master Champion will occur on May 27th in the beautiful island city of Altomare.”
Latias stopped listening after that as her heart had practically stopped. She suddenly felt woozy and had to land on the ground to keep from fainting. She looked around frantically in search of a calendar. She had never taken much interest before in the way humans kept track of time, but suddenly it seemed like the most important thing in the world. Finally spotting an electrical clock with the date, she read, “May 20.” It was almost too much to take. Ash would finally be here again for the first time in 9 years in only seven solar cycles.
Bianca turned around and looked at Latias expectantly. “Isn't that amazing? That nice kid who wandered into our garden a decade ago is going to be here again, except he's all grown up now.” She turned back to watch him on TV. “I wonder if he still has my picture. Maybe we'll get to see him again! Though, I wouldn't get my hopes up too high as now he seems to be the most important person on the planet. He's really cute now too. Wow.”
Latias felt a small twinge of jealousy at Bianca's last remark, but let it go as she knew that Bianca had become somewhat of a boy-crazy flirt in her teenage years and it hadn't gone away even though she was 23. She quietly slipped out the door and flew back out toward her garden, arriving at the highest point she could find to look out over the city and think for a while. When dusk approached, she ruffled her feathers and made her way down to her favorite tree and landed on a large branch, curling up to sleep.
While lost in thought, a mint green Latios had flown up beside her and watched her, curiously. She looked up and regarded him with a warm chirp and started delicately preening the feathers on her wings with her mouth, her sparkling golden eyes somewhat glancing at him every so often as he stared.
“I still don't understand you,” the Latios finally commented after a long and awkward silence. “You live in a beautiful island paradise around many people who care about you; Pokémon who respect and idolize you, and humans that are in awe about your legendary status. However, you seem unhappy all the time. I offer to make you happy and become your mate, but for the past 5 years straight since I got here, you rebuff my advances even though I am a very special Pokémon that is rare among the rare and that any other Latias would kill to have. You tell me it's been 9 years since any family trauma. There has to be something else wrong.”
Latias sighed softly and stopped preening to make full eye-contact with him. “I appreciate that you are so interested in me and my past. You've been really nice to me over the years and I don't want you to think I'm arrogant or anything, but I'm just not interested. Had you met me when I was young and with my brother, I probably would have been enamored. I hate to sound rude, as it's entirely against my nature, but we've had this discussion several times before. I hope that we can still be friends, though. I am happy to have your company here in such a way.”
The Latios shrugged as best a Latios can and broke eye-contact with her. “You are a very strange Latias and I can't stop thinking about you, but if that's the way it has to be, I guess I can understand.” He shook his wings indignantly and turned around to fly off in the opposite direction, out of her garden.
Latias sighed again and hovered over to her swing set and gently placed herself on the seat and rocked herself back and forth, holding on to the ropes with her claws. She thought about how it was the very same swing set in which she revealed herself to Ash when she was a more youthful Latias with a heavy infatuation. Little did she know then that it would turn into full-blown love even after so long into her adulthood. It wasn't like she thought about him constantly, but it would get especially hard for her to function all by herself in the season in which all the other Latios and Latias paired up and started families, along with all the other Pokémon that lived in Altomare.
She had had and rejected plenty of opportunities to find a mate and start a family because her heart still belonged to none other than her beloved Ash. She knew that she had fallen so deeply in love with this human that she would sacrifice having a family and continue waiting for something that just could never be. She had never told another soul why she seemed so unhappy much of the time. Everyone just thought that it was her brother's death afflicting her even though it seemed odd that her mourning could last so long and that she hadn't made peace with it yet.
On many occasions, the Latios from before had offered to take over her duties as current Guardian of Altomare so that she could leave a place that seemed to make her so unhappy, but she refused him that as well. She just didn't feel she had anywhere else to go, and to find Ash after so much time seemed ridiculous. So much had changed for him since they were together. He'd met all kinds of people and Pokémon in his travels that she was certain that he would not even remember who she was. She preferred to live in the memory of his arm draped around her neck and her cuddling close to him after her brother had died, and the look on his face when she had kissed him and run away the next morning. She didn't want to think about the feeling of pain she would have to endure of finding him only to see a blank stare on his face as to who she was.
It was then for the first time ever in her life that she began to feel anger. How could you leave me here?!, she thought to herself. You just came into my life, showed me incredible love and kindness that probably no other human or Pokémon alike could show another, and then left as quickly as you'd come.
Thinking about how loving and kind he was melted away her anger instantly. She hovered there in shock that she could ever be affected so badly that she could feel anger for anyone so lovely as he. Letting her golden eyes begin to leak with tears and ignoring them as they streamed down her face, she thought, Why didn't you ever come back for me? Why, Ash, why? I love you. I want to take care of you and be there for you. Will you ever come back to me?
As if to cosmically answer her question, she noticed a familiar woman, a long-time friend running up to her with long flowing brown hair tucked neatly under a beret. Latias quickly dried her tears and regained her composure as Bianca stopped in front of her.
“Latias, you have to see this!!! Come quickly!” She took off in a sprint back toward their small cottage, Latias flying closely behind and mulling over what could possibly be so important that Bianca would come get her and be running around. Bianca was usually a very calm and not easily excitable person.
When they arrived inside the house, Latias stared at Bianca in confusion. Bianca then pointed at the television set and said, “Look!” Latias turned her gaze toward the TV and suddenly stopped cold. There on the TV set was a man with a Pikachu, directing her moves in battle. She studied his features and could tell without a doubt that this man was her Ash, only older, in different apparel, and without the trademark hat. She could feel her heart thumping wildly, and a warmth spread around her entire body as she watched him.
The scene unfolding on the TV was a replay of Ash's battle that made him champion earlier that day. A narrator was speaking and once Latias regained her senses, she began to listen; “You've heard right. The world champion is now Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town, Kanto. In a battle against the former champion today, he made it through with a win that clearly showed his abilities as a trainer were good enough to make him the best in the world. The awards ceremony that will officially bestow upon him the title of Master Champion will occur on May 27th in the beautiful island city of Altomare.”
Latias stopped listening after that as her heart had practically stopped. She suddenly felt woozy and had to land on the ground to keep from fainting. She looked around frantically in search of a calendar. She had never taken much interest before in the way humans kept track of time, but suddenly it seemed like the most important thing in the world. Finally spotting an electrical clock with the date, she read, “May 20.” It was almost too much to take. Ash would finally be here again for the first time in 9 years in only seven solar cycles.
Bianca turned around and looked at Latias expectantly. “Isn't that amazing? That nice kid who wandered into our garden a decade ago is going to be here again, except he's all grown up now.” She turned back to watch him on TV. “I wonder if he still has my picture. Maybe we'll get to see him again! Though, I wouldn't get my hopes up too high as now he seems to be the most important person on the planet. He's really cute now too. Wow.”
Latias felt a small twinge of jealousy at Bianca's last remark, but let it go as she knew that Bianca had become somewhat of a boy-crazy flirt in her teenage years and it hadn't gone away even though she was 23. She quietly slipped out the door and flew back out toward her garden, arriving at the highest point she could find to look out over the city and think for a while. When dusk approached, she ruffled her feathers and made her way down to her favorite tree and landed on a large branch, curling up to sleep.