The day began without ceremony: no strange glyphs, no humming in the walls, no breathless waiting for ancient voices to speak.
Just sunlight on leaves.
They left early, long before the market stalls of New Bark Town had opened, walking together beneath a canopy of dew-slicked branches. Professor Elm had arranged a light day of exploration, more like a stroll than a class. The Ilex Forest was less than an hour's walk from the town center, and they weren't expected back until late afternoon.
No assignments. No lectures. Just time. And space. To think, to wander.
Ash walked at the front of the group with his hands in his pockets and the weight of the forest settling over him like a soft blanket. The light here filtered through layers of green. Not harsh, not dim, just… softened, made quieter. Birds called from high above, unseen. Somewhere deeper in the woods, water moved gently, the babble of a slow stream folding into the hush like another breath.
Yellow walked beside him, sketchbook already in hand, though her pencil was still tucked behind one ear. Her eyes moved constantly, tracing the lines of trees, the shadows between roots, the clusters of mushrooms growing in the mossy dim.
The others had come too, Kris and Ethan a few paces behind, discussing a rare fungus noted in their forest field guide. Vincent, Casey, and a few others trailed even further back, arguing about which way the town bakery's delivery cart would take later and whether it'd be faster to intercept it before lunch.
But no one rushed.
Even Goh, who had rejoined the group earlier that morning after some time away working on independent research in Ecruteak, walked in a kind of subdued silence, eyes sharp but distant. He carried a small notepad and made quiet marks in it from time to time, but didn't speak unless spoken to.
Ash didn't mind. For once, the silence didn't feel strained.
They entered the heart of the forest just after midmorning.
The trees grew thicker here, tall and wide, their trunks twisted by time and streaked with pale lichens. Ivy wound itself up branches like lazy green rope. Some of the trees looked older than anything Ash had ever seen: massive and knotted, their roots rising in great arcs before plunging back into the earth like anchors.
"Feels like we're being allowed in," Yellow said, finally pulling the pencil from behind her ear and sketching the silhouette of one of the trees. "Not like we're breaking in. Like the forest is okay with us being here."
Ash nodded. "It feels… old. But not heavy. Just… present."
Kris paused ahead, looking up through the leaves. "This place is protected, isn't it? Like, not just legally. Culturally."
"Yeah," Ethan said, brushing a low-hanging branch out of the way. "The people here say Celebi watches over it. Like a guardian. But no one really sees them. Not anymore."
Casey grinned. "Bet I could find it."
Vincent groaned. "You say that about everything."
Ash let their voices fade behind him as he stepped off the path slightly, drawn toward the sound of running water. A narrow stream cut through the forest floor, winding between roots and rocks like silver thread. A pair of Lotad floated lazily in a shaded pool, blinking at him without alarm.
He crouched by the edge of the water and let his fingers trail through the cool surface. It felt real in a way that was difficult to explain. Not mysterious, not magical, just simple. Good.
Yellow joined him a moment later and crouched beside him, mirroring his motion.
"You ever think we get so caught up in looking for meaning," she said, "that we miss the things that don't ask to be understood?"
Ash smiled faintly. "Yeah. I think about that a lot lately."
She tilted her head slightly, as if trying to read something in his voice. "Because of the Ruins?"
He hesitated. "Not just that."
But he didn't elaborate. And she didn't press.
A breeze moved through the trees then, soft and full of scent: leaves, wet bark, something sweet beneath it all like crushed pine needles or the faintest breath of flower petals.
They moved on.
Further into the forest, the ground softened, blanketed in thick layers of fallen leaves and moss. A wide clearing opened before them, ringed by stones half-buried in the undergrowth. The center held a large, weather-worn tree whose hollow base gaped like a mouth. It felt like the kind of place where things waited. Not ancient things. Not hidden truths. Just... quiet moments.
"Let's stop here," Kris suggested. "Lunch?"
No one argued.
They spread out across the clearing, some sitting on logs, others on the grass. Yellow unpacked her sketchbook again. Ethan pulled out snacks, offering some to Kris, who accepted without looking up from her digital notes. Casey and Vincent started a half-hearted game of catch using a folded glove, and Goh sat a bit apart, scribbling rapidly, his brow furrowed.
Ash didn't feel like eating just yet. He sat with his back against a low tree, arms loosely draped over his knees, and watched the sunlight shift across the ground in dappled patterns.
A few Butterfree floated through the clearing, wings catching the light in glimmers of violet and gold. Somewhere off to the side, a small rustling marked the passage of a Sentret, which paused to sniff at Casey's abandoned pack before vanishing again into the trees.
For once, the world didn't seem to need anything from him.
And that felt rare.
"Hey," Yellow said softly, settling beside him. She held out half a rice ball wrapped in wax paper. "You didn't eat."
Ash took it with a small smile. "Thanks."
They ate in silence. Not awkward, just... easy.
Eventually, Yellow said, "You know, you're different when you're in places like this."
"How?"
"Quieter. Not sad. Just… quieter."
Ash didn't answer right away. A pair of Spearow flew overhead, calling sharply to each other as they vanished behind the trees.
"It's easier to think," he said finally. "Easier to breathe."
Yellow nodded. "Yeah."
Eventually, Kris called out that they'd head back in half an hour. The others began repacking bags, brushing crumbs from their pants, stretching legs and backs stiff from sitting on forest floor and stone.
Ash lingered.
Not because he was searching for anything, not today.
He just didn't want to forget how it felt to be here. In a place that didn't ask him to become anything more than what he already was.
Yellow touched his shoulder. "Ready?"
He stood.
They left the clearing without ceremony, the forest swallowing their footsteps as they made their way back along the same winding paths. The trees said nothing, but somehow still made their goodbyes: rustling softly, casting shadowed patterns on the path, letting in just enough light.
By the time they returned to Azalea, the late afternoon sun was dipping low. Chimneys smoked gently. Children played along the fences with bouncing Marill and rolling Voltorb balls. Someone was hanging flower garlands from a porch.
And none of it asked for answers.
Ash smiled to himself.
Not every chapter needed to be about destiny.
Some days, it was enough just to walk in a forest and be still.