Pokemon Indigo League stories

Letter of Hope

Gary sighed and rubbed his eye as he read all that data on the Aerodactyl. It was hard work being a researcher, and sometimes he thought he should return to being a Pokemon traveller like Ash

Ash. His childhood friend.

Gary sighed and smiled faintly as he looked at his half of the Poke Ball. He picked it up and looked at it in the light

" What is that?" Dora asked as she walked up behind him

Gary looked at her. " Oh, nothing. Just something one of my friends gave me when we were parting ways."

Dora cocked her head. " You never told me on a friend from Pallet."

" Well, he was also a rival. For about ten months or something. Then we made up and became friends again."

He opened a drawer and fished a photo out, showing it to Dora.

Next to Gary was a raven haired boy with messy hair. He had a Pikachu in his shoulder, and he was wearing a black shirt under a blue jacket with a white collar and sleeve. He wore jeans and black sneakers, and in his head was a red and white cap with a green L on it.

" Woah." Dora said as she handed it back to Gary.

Gary put it on his desk and sighed, leaning back in his chair. " Wonder how he is."

" Gary? Gary, my boy, where are you?" An old voice called.

Gary sat up. " Grandpa?"

Professor Oak came through the door and waved. " Hello, Gary, my boy! How are you?"

Gary grinned. " Good! I was thinking about you!"

" Good, good. Hello, Dora. Where is Crystal?"

" With her Lapras."

" Aaaaah. Good, good. It's important for her to be able to befriend Pokemon of she is to be a trainer."

" Like ash?" Gary asked

Oak nodded. " Yes, like ash."

Then he went through his coat pocket and pulled out a small box. " Ash told me to give this to you."

Gary blinked in surprise as he took the small box from Professor Oak. "Ash sent something for me?" he asked, a bit of disbelief in his voice. It wasn’t every day that Ash remembered to send anything—he was usually too caught up in his adventures.

Professor Oak chuckled, nodding. "Yes, he did. He told me it was something you might want to keep as a reminder of your... rivalry and friendship."

Gary carefully opened the box, and inside was something he never expected—a small, polished stone. It shimmered faintly, and attached to it was a note, written in Ash’s messy handwriting.

"Thought you'd like this. Found it during one of my travels. It's supposed to bring good luck. Figured you could use some in your research. See you around, Ash."

Gary smiled as he read the note, feeling a warmth settle in his chest. It was such a simple gift, but it held so much meaning. Ash hadn’t forgotten about him, even with all his wild adventures.

Dora leaned over, looking at the stone. "That’s pretty cool! Looks like Ash still remembers you guys were rivals."

Gary smirked, closing the box gently. "Yeah, we’ve had our ups and downs. But in the end, we’re still friends. Even when he’s halfway across the world chasing after some Legendary Pokémon."

Professor Oak smiled softly, watching his grandson. "It’s good to hold onto those friendships, Gary. No matter how far apart you two might be, the bond will always remain."

Gary nodded, staring at the box in his hands. "Yeah, I guess so. It’s just... strange. I never thought Ash and I would go from rivals to friends like this. But I’m glad we did."

Professor Oak clapped him on the shoulder. "Life’s full of surprises, my boy. And sometimes, it’s the friends we make along the way that matter most."

Gary leaned back in his chair, looking up at the ceiling with a thoughtful expression. "Maybe one of these days, I should get back out there. See Ash again. Who knows what kind of adventures we could have now."

Dora grinned. "You should! I bet it’d be just like old times."

Gary chuckled. "Maybe. But for now, I’ve got some research to finish."

But even as he turned back to his computer, the small box and the note from Ash sat close by, a reminder of the friend who was never really that far away.