Lost in their Past

Chapter 70:- Deadly Diamond

Alain shared a very emotional goodbye with his family. At one point, Alice latched on to him and didn't let go.

"If you're injured... they can't make you work, can they?" Her hands were wrapped tightly around his neck, "can they?"

"Um... sweetie," Alain rubbed her back, "I think not."

"Good then," she let go of his neck and turned to face Charlus who was standing right behind him, "hey, fake hair, my daddy saved your life, now kick him till you break his every bone to repay him."

A snicker escaped their lips.

"I'll return soon honey," he passed her to Aria, "I promise."

Alice was on the verge of tears but she didn't shed a tear as the mother and daughter kissed him goodbye.

She was the strongest four year old they ever met.

"Here," she gave him a certain leather bracelet with a mega stone in the middle, "mommy said that you used to have one just like this... so I painted my favorite marble."

A smile crept on Alain's face as Alice tied the bracelet around his wrist, he couldn't help but think of his Charizard, his buddy, and best friend.

Rest in peace, old friend, he thought, I've avenged you now.

It was Serena and Alain who drove to Hald fest. Charlus slept through the whole ride, Ash and Gary had some speculations that he had taken some very strong pain killers or sleeping pills.

"You know he used to be friends with my dad?" Ash said.

The brunet nodded, "Gramps used to say that during the brief time we were rivals."

"Brief?"

A laugh escaped his lips, "Yeah, we were young, what'd you expect?"

Ash remembered the talk he had with Charlus back in Citadark when he was still up and about. You're lucky if you were half the friends we were, he'd said, Red and I had a pact, we never battled each other.

"Hmm," Ash said subconsciously, "do you know that he blames himself for his death?"

The brunet frowned, "No... but why?"

Ash chose not to repeat what he'd seen and heard in the dream. He couldn't bear to see the look on Gary's face when he explained how his mother and he were the ones who'd ruined Charlus's life.

"Don't know," he lied, "he didn't go to his funeral either."

"Oh," he stretched the syllable with a sigh, "wait a minute... I don't care."

The raven-haired couldn't help but feel a little hurt over Gary's strong words. Over the course of a few days, he'd grown to share a bond with his old man. Charlus was just a man who'd made a lot of wrong choices in his life, which had been nothing but regret over the past twenty years.

"He's your father, Gary," said Ash, "don't you think you should be a little more sensitive?"

A scoff escaped the brunet's lips, "The last I checked you were my friend."