A Toast to Innocence
Copyright 2003 by Bluesy of BulbaGarden
Based on the song “A Toast to Innocence” (do not know the singer/band/writer)
If someone has the words to “A Toast to Innocence, I would like to have them so I can write a non-pokemon version of this short story.
He was all alone that New Year’s Eve. Oh, sure, he had family and friends to look forward to. But, tonight, of all nights, he is alone. Alone on the very eve where relationships are all about. Where new beginnings end, and another one begins.
It was nearing the last hour before the chime of the world’s people welcome the New Year with open arms. He was probably the only one in the world not wanting to celebrate, not finding the need or reason. All he had was that very second, walking nowhere to drown out the loneliness.
He walked into the corner store that night near 11pm when he also ran into a girl on the way out. The girl brushed it off as he tried to keep his balance. Before he could apologize, the girl looked at him with wide eyes.
“Ash?” she asked. “Is it… is it really you?”
“What are you talking about?” he asked, but as soon as he muttered those words his eyes flew open wide. “Misty?” Ash asked, as if he could not believe it.
“I cannot believe this!” she said with joy.
As she reached over to hug him, the supplies from her backpack spilled out on the floor. Ash could not help but laugh as he knelt down to help pick them up. She laughed as well at her own embarrassment. And there they sat, they laughed until they cried.
They walked down the road they far less traveled on those streets of the town, he by the curb and she by the buildings. They walked and talked for moments, but it could have been for hours on end.
“I haven’t seen you in ages,” said Ash.
“I know,” replied Misty. “It has been so long. It’s been a long time since we said goodbye.”
Ash remembered it like it was yesterday. He could still feel the pain in his heart to lose such a friend.
“So what have you been up to?” asked Misty. “How many adventures can you no longer count?”
“If I knew then I could count them,” Ash said with a smile that made Misty laugh. “I must have been through about fifty leagues.”
“Really?” she asked surprised.
“No, about ten.” He looked down at the ground covered with light powdered snow. He saw each step of theirs make a temporary imprint into history. “How about you?”
“I was a gym leader after you left,” she began. “Broke a few dreams or so. But, it wasn’t me. I missed the open roads, traveling with friends. Much like we did in the past. But, on the other hand, I couldn’t leave.”
“Why?” asked Ash.
Misty paused. “I never knew why. It was just this… feeling. I did not know what to do besides battle as a gym leader, so, I settled down.”
“With who?” he asked.
“A nice boy,” she said. “It was like he came out of nowhere. But, he was funny, sensitive, sweet. We knew each other for a long time as friends but, between you and me, I think we’re ready to be much more than that.”
“Have you two gotten…” Ash began.
“Married?” she finished. “No. We became good friends and see each other a lot. He wants to move in, I want to keep that kind of things for marriage.” She paused. “How about you? How many hearts have you broken over the years?”
“Mine,” he began. “It was long after you left, a year or two ago actually. She was a bit of a smart mouth, but so charming when she’s not. And so dang beautiful. We didn’t travel. I actually gave up my journey for her. We were in love for a long time, but tried to remain friends. One day, we took the chance to kiss. And that kiss,” he said solemnly, “changed everything.”
“How?” she asked.
“The kiss had no feeling. It lacked something. Something that told me I was truly in love, that she was my one true love. I could not feel for her anymore, because of that meaningless kiss. I had to leave her and continue on my journey. And I had to do it without saying goodbye.”
“Wow,” she said. Ash looked over to see if it was his story that touched her. It was the moon, and the clock on a street corner that flickered the time 11:37pm. “It is almost upon us, the New Year,” she said. “Full of opportunities, new adventures, anything and everything for us. Oh, can you just feel it Ash?”
Ash could not feel anything about the New Year. All he could feel was that moment in time. What a perfect chance to start a New Year, if only the New Year began at 11:37pm.
Misty looked down at the clock. “Do you know what is so sad tonight?” she asked Ash.
“What?” he asked her.
“It is nearing the hour and I have not even celebrated yet. Not even a toast.”
Ash looked down at the clock across the way and saw the flickering face was connected to an old diner.
“Come with me,” said Ash. “We got twenty minutes, let’s make it the best.”
Ash and Misty sat in that booth of the coolly lit diner. Each with a glass in hand at their side of the table, they watched as the clock neared 11:45pm. Misty suddenly picked up her barely touched glass and held it high in the air.
“How about a toast,” said Misty. “To another year.”
Ash lifted his glass and added. “Another Auld Lang Sine.”
After they each took a sip and watched the clock roll on a few more steps, Misty lifted her glass as she looked at Ash. “A toast to Innocence.”
Ash clinked his glass next to Misty’s and stared deep into her eyes. “A toast to time.”
Misty smiled as she lowered her drink.
Ash and Misty walked outside the town. They could feel the light of the buildings warm their backs, but they kept walking into the darkness. Ash never felt so alone in the darkness, and so together with her.
Misty saw her bike parked and locked onto a small oak tree. “Well,” she said. “This is my ride.”
Ash grabbed her hand. “It doesn’t have to end like this.”
“What?” she asked.
“I mean, we just met after all those years,” he said. “Can’t you just stay together for the night? You need a place to stay, right?”
“I’d love to stay Ash, you know I would,” she said, “but, I need back at home, back with my sisters.”
Ash sighed. “Back with him.”
Misty sighed and nodded yes.
Ash was silent as he turned away and faced the town. Misty knew that it shouldn’t end like this. She put her hand on Ash’s shoulder, Ash slowly turned to her. With her hand on his cheek, she gave him a gentle kiss. Ash gently hugged onto her before she could let go.
Misty leaned back and looked deep into his eyes. “Ash, we will meet again,” she said. “It is not the end. It is only the beginning.”
Misty did not need to look back. As she slowly drove away on her bike, she could feel the presence of Ash drift away from her again.
Ash could remember the day rush back into his head. He could see the handkerchief in his hand and watch young Misty walk away. But something new was there, something only love can spark. He could hear Misty whisper to him from yesterday.
“I love you Ash.”
Ashe could feel the snow gently fall onto his back and gently freeze his hands deep in the drift on the ground.
“I love you too, Misty.”
…. and the snow turned into rain ….
Copyright 2003 by Bluesy of BulbaGarden
Based on the song “A Toast to Innocence” (do not know the singer/band/writer)
If someone has the words to “A Toast to Innocence, I would like to have them so I can write a non-pokemon version of this short story.
He was all alone that New Year’s Eve. Oh, sure, he had family and friends to look forward to. But, tonight, of all nights, he is alone. Alone on the very eve where relationships are all about. Where new beginnings end, and another one begins.
It was nearing the last hour before the chime of the world’s people welcome the New Year with open arms. He was probably the only one in the world not wanting to celebrate, not finding the need or reason. All he had was that very second, walking nowhere to drown out the loneliness.
He walked into the corner store that night near 11pm when he also ran into a girl on the way out. The girl brushed it off as he tried to keep his balance. Before he could apologize, the girl looked at him with wide eyes.
“Ash?” she asked. “Is it… is it really you?”
“What are you talking about?” he asked, but as soon as he muttered those words his eyes flew open wide. “Misty?” Ash asked, as if he could not believe it.
“I cannot believe this!” she said with joy.
As she reached over to hug him, the supplies from her backpack spilled out on the floor. Ash could not help but laugh as he knelt down to help pick them up. She laughed as well at her own embarrassment. And there they sat, they laughed until they cried.
They walked down the road they far less traveled on those streets of the town, he by the curb and she by the buildings. They walked and talked for moments, but it could have been for hours on end.
“I haven’t seen you in ages,” said Ash.
“I know,” replied Misty. “It has been so long. It’s been a long time since we said goodbye.”
Ash remembered it like it was yesterday. He could still feel the pain in his heart to lose such a friend.
“So what have you been up to?” asked Misty. “How many adventures can you no longer count?”
“If I knew then I could count them,” Ash said with a smile that made Misty laugh. “I must have been through about fifty leagues.”
“Really?” she asked surprised.
“No, about ten.” He looked down at the ground covered with light powdered snow. He saw each step of theirs make a temporary imprint into history. “How about you?”
“I was a gym leader after you left,” she began. “Broke a few dreams or so. But, it wasn’t me. I missed the open roads, traveling with friends. Much like we did in the past. But, on the other hand, I couldn’t leave.”
“Why?” asked Ash.
Misty paused. “I never knew why. It was just this… feeling. I did not know what to do besides battle as a gym leader, so, I settled down.”
“With who?” he asked.
“A nice boy,” she said. “It was like he came out of nowhere. But, he was funny, sensitive, sweet. We knew each other for a long time as friends but, between you and me, I think we’re ready to be much more than that.”
“Have you two gotten…” Ash began.
“Married?” she finished. “No. We became good friends and see each other a lot. He wants to move in, I want to keep that kind of things for marriage.” She paused. “How about you? How many hearts have you broken over the years?”
“Mine,” he began. “It was long after you left, a year or two ago actually. She was a bit of a smart mouth, but so charming when she’s not. And so dang beautiful. We didn’t travel. I actually gave up my journey for her. We were in love for a long time, but tried to remain friends. One day, we took the chance to kiss. And that kiss,” he said solemnly, “changed everything.”
“How?” she asked.
“The kiss had no feeling. It lacked something. Something that told me I was truly in love, that she was my one true love. I could not feel for her anymore, because of that meaningless kiss. I had to leave her and continue on my journey. And I had to do it without saying goodbye.”
“Wow,” she said. Ash looked over to see if it was his story that touched her. It was the moon, and the clock on a street corner that flickered the time 11:37pm. “It is almost upon us, the New Year,” she said. “Full of opportunities, new adventures, anything and everything for us. Oh, can you just feel it Ash?”
Ash could not feel anything about the New Year. All he could feel was that moment in time. What a perfect chance to start a New Year, if only the New Year began at 11:37pm.
Misty looked down at the clock. “Do you know what is so sad tonight?” she asked Ash.
“What?” he asked her.
“It is nearing the hour and I have not even celebrated yet. Not even a toast.”
Ash looked down at the clock across the way and saw the flickering face was connected to an old diner.
“Come with me,” said Ash. “We got twenty minutes, let’s make it the best.”
Ash and Misty sat in that booth of the coolly lit diner. Each with a glass in hand at their side of the table, they watched as the clock neared 11:45pm. Misty suddenly picked up her barely touched glass and held it high in the air.
“How about a toast,” said Misty. “To another year.”
Ash lifted his glass and added. “Another Auld Lang Sine.”
After they each took a sip and watched the clock roll on a few more steps, Misty lifted her glass as she looked at Ash. “A toast to Innocence.”
Ash clinked his glass next to Misty’s and stared deep into her eyes. “A toast to time.”
Misty smiled as she lowered her drink.
Ash and Misty walked outside the town. They could feel the light of the buildings warm their backs, but they kept walking into the darkness. Ash never felt so alone in the darkness, and so together with her.
Misty saw her bike parked and locked onto a small oak tree. “Well,” she said. “This is my ride.”
Ash grabbed her hand. “It doesn’t have to end like this.”
“What?” she asked.
“I mean, we just met after all those years,” he said. “Can’t you just stay together for the night? You need a place to stay, right?”
“I’d love to stay Ash, you know I would,” she said, “but, I need back at home, back with my sisters.”
Ash sighed. “Back with him.”
Misty sighed and nodded yes.
Ash was silent as he turned away and faced the town. Misty knew that it shouldn’t end like this. She put her hand on Ash’s shoulder, Ash slowly turned to her. With her hand on his cheek, she gave him a gentle kiss. Ash gently hugged onto her before she could let go.
Misty leaned back and looked deep into his eyes. “Ash, we will meet again,” she said. “It is not the end. It is only the beginning.”
Misty did not need to look back. As she slowly drove away on her bike, she could feel the presence of Ash drift away from her again.
Ash could remember the day rush back into his head. He could see the handkerchief in his hand and watch young Misty walk away. But something new was there, something only love can spark. He could hear Misty whisper to him from yesterday.
“I love you Ash.”
Ashe could feel the snow gently fall onto his back and gently freeze his hands deep in the drift on the ground.
“I love you too, Misty.”
…. and the snow turned into rain ….