Rigorous Relationships

Roads Less Travel By.

Ash and Cal found the girls waiting for them at the bottom of the hill. When they saw the two boys they beckoned them over and began making jokes about how they'd planned on leaving them if they hadn't shown up when they did.

The boys accepted the heckling gracefully, knowing full well that they deserved it for making their friends wait so long. Jokes out of the way the group set off through the forest, desiring to get as much distance between them and the lodge as possible. As they walked Cal kept glancing at Ash, waiting expectantly for him to deliver his news to the girls. But Ash seemed to be lost in his thoughts, staring blankly ahead as he shuffled down the path.

Aura was the first to notice the boys peculiar actions and slowed down to investigate. She placed herself a foot to the left of Cal, approximately directly between the two boys, and fell in step with them. She looked ahead at Diana, checking to make sure that her friends involved in their conversation, before striking one up with Ash.

"What's up with that far outlook, you trying to think of a way to make up for keeping me from getting one of the Pokémon?" She said with a poke to his ribs.

"Huh," Ash said as life returned to his eyes. "Oh, sorry Aura I was thinking, what did you say?"

"I was just wondering if you planned on apologizing for keeping those Pokémon from me and Diana," she repeated with a hard look in her eyes.

"You knew about that," Ash said somewhat surprised.

The hardness of Aura's eyes melted and was replaced by amusement. "Of course we knew, we're not dense as some people," she said in a playful manner.

"Sorry about that," he said regretfully.

Aura dismissed his apology with a wave of her hand. "Forget about it, we know you had the Pokémon's best interests in mind."

Ash smiled guiltily, "Truth is I wasn't even thinking about it until you brought it up."

She then leaned slightly forward so she could see Ash's face better. "Oh? Then what were you just thinking about?"

Ash flinch at the realization that he'd been caught in a verbal trap. Truthfully he'd been thinking of how to present the letter to his friends but he had yet to figure out how and began stuttering to stall for time.

"I...er, um... I was, ah..." Ash discretely glanced around for a scapegoat and foolishly chose Cal. "I was wondering why Cal keeps looking at me," He said having noticed Cal watching him.

"Really?" Aura said sassily, letting Ash know just how little she believed him. "Cal, why do you keep glancing at Ash?"

"I'm simply curious about when he planned to tell us about the letter he got from Nancy and was looking at him for any indication of him doing so," Cal said flatly as he ratted Ash out.

"Really?" Aura asked with genuine interest, "What's the letter about? Come on, spill, I wanna know."

Ash sighed and sent a scowl Cals way before answering Aura. "A few weeks ago I was asked to meet someone in Hoenn but I wasn't able to make it. He still wants to meet up with me so he sent me a letter with a new time and place."

Aura nodded. "Okay I follow you so far but why is that making you act so... I want to say pensive but it doesn't seem quite right, thoughts?" She asked and turned to Cal.

"Contemplative?" Cal suggested.

Aura shook her head, "No that's not quite it either."

"What about grave?"

"Serious! That was the word," she exclaimed excitedly.

She turned back towards Ash and reiterated her question, "Why's that letter making you act so serious?"