The wind felt nice today.
Aaron sat on the grass, watching Rufflet shift around on a low tree branch. The little bird stretched his wings, giving them a few test flaps before puffing out his chest like he was the toughest Pokémon around.
Aaron grinned. "Feeling better, huh?"
Rufflet ignored him, too busy preening his feathers.
It had been more than month since Aaron found him, all weak and hurt. Back then, Rufflet could barely move, but now he was hopping, stretching, and even flapping. He wasn't flying just yet, but he was close.Aaron should've felt happy about that. And he did… mostly. But something was bugging him. Rufflet wasn't leaving.
Most wild Pokémon went off once they got better, right? But Rufflet was still here, still watching Aaron, still taking food from him. Aaron didn't mind, but… what did that mean?
He frowned and plopped backward, staring at the sky. Does that mean he's my Pokémon now?
Trainers had Pokémon. Trainers battled and went on journeys. Aaron didn't do any of that. He didn't even have a Poké Ball.
But Rufflet was still here.
Aaron turned his head, looking at his feathery friend again. "You could leave, you know."
Rufflet gave him a side-eye before looking away, clearly uninterested.
Aaron sighed, kicking at the grass. He didn't get it. Was he supposed to do something?
That night, Aaron helped his mom clean up after dinner. He wasn't really thinking about it—his mind was still stuck on Rufflet.
Delia must've noticed because she gave him a little smile. "You're quiet today."
Aaron blinked. "Huh? Oh… yeah."
She wiped her hands and leaned on the counter. "Something on your mind?"
Aaron hesitated, then shrugged. "I dunno. I guess… it's about Rufflet."
Delia raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"
Aaron picked at a scratch on the table. "He's still here. I thought maybe he'd leave when he got better, but… he didn't. Does that mean he's mine now?"
Delia smiled softly. "Well, what do you think?"
Aaron frowned. "I don't know. I don't have a Poké Ball or anything." Delia chuckled. "You don't need a Poké Ball to be friends with a Pokémon."
Aaron thought about that. "So… he's just my friend?" She nodded. "Seems like it."
Aaron wasn't sure if that made things easier or harder. He wanted Rufflet to stay, but if they were friends, did that mean he had to battle with him? Did that mean he had to be a trainer?
He fidgeted. "But… what if I mess up?"
Delia knelt down, ruffling his hair. "Everyone messes up, sweetheart. But if you care about Rufflet, and he trusts you, then I think you'll be just fine."
Aaron bit his lip. He wasn't totally sure yet… but maybe he didn't need to be.
Outside, Rufflet sat in his usual tree, staring at the stars. Aaron watched him for a moment before smiling.
"Guess we'll figure it out together."
The next morning sun bathed Pallet Town in golden light as Aaron made his way outside, clutching a small cloth bundle in his hands. Inside was a mix of berries—some he had picked himself, others taken from the kitchen when his mom wasn't looking. He figured Rufflet wouldn't care where they came from, as long as they were tasty.
"Rufflet!" Aaron called, scanning the tree branches.
A familiar chirp came from above. Rufflet had taken to perching in the same spot lately—a strong branch just above Aaron's reach. His feathers looked shinier today, and Aaron could see the improvement in how he moved. A month ago, he could barely hop. Now he was standing tall, looking as proud as ever.
Aaron smiled. "Brought you something."
He unwrapped the cloth and held out a few berries in his palm. Rufflet eyed them for a bit at first but eventually flapped down and pecked at the offering.
Aaron sat down in the grass, watching his friend eat. "You're getting better every day," he said. "Maybe soon, you'll be flying all over the place."
Rufflet paused mid-bite, tilting his head.
Aaron leaned forward. "Wait, you haven't tried flying again, have you?"
Rufflet huffed and looked away.
Aaron blinked. "You haven't?" He thought about it for a second. "Is it 'cause you're scared?"
Rufflet fluffed up his feathers in protest, but Aaron grinned. "Ohhh, I get it now. You are scared."
Rufflet squawked and turned his back to him.
Aaron chuckled but then paused, thinking. It made sense. Rufflet had been injured for a while, and even if he was better now, maybe he didn't trust his wings yet.
Aaron stood up and stretched. "Well, guess we'll just have to fix that."
Rufflet glanced at him warily.
Aaron smirked. "C'mon, I've got an idea."
Getting Rufflet to try flying again turned out to be harder than Aaron thought.
At first, he tried coaxing him from the ground. "Alright, just flap your wings! Lift off a little!"
Rufflet flapped exactly once, then gave Aaron a deadpan stare. Aaron frowned. "Okay… maybe try jumping first?" Rufflet jumped—straight at Aaron's face.
"Ow! Hey!" Aaron swatted lightly at him as the bird flopped back onto the ground. Rufflet ruffled his feathers, looking unimpressed.
Aaron sighed and sat back. "This is gonna take a while, huh?" Rufflet chirped in agreement.
For the next hour, they kept trying. Aaron encouraged him to hop onto different surfaces, jump from one log to another, and flap a little harder each time. Rufflet, despite his stubbornness, started getting into it. Slowly, his hops got higher, his flaps got stronger, and eventually—
For just a second— He hovered.
Aaron gasped. "You did it!"
Rufflet blinked in surprise, then squawked happily.
Aaron beamed. "Let's keep going! You'll be flying in no time!"
Neither of them noticed the pair of eyes watching from a distance.
Later that evening , Delia Ketchum wiped her hands on a kitchen towel as she turned toward the unexpected guest in her home.
Professor Oak sat at the small dining table, sipping a cup of tea she had just served him. His expression was thoughtful.
"So, Samuel," Delia began, taking a seat across from him, "what brings you here?"
Oak placed his cup down. "I wanted to talk about Aaron and Ash."
Delia tilted her head remembering oak come back not a while ago. "Oh? Did they do something?"
Oak chuckled. "No, no, nothing bad. Quite the opposite, actually."
Delia relaxed slightly. "Then what's on your mind?"
Oak leaned forward. "Delia, have you ever thought about what Aaron wants to do in the future?"
She blinked. "Well… I suppose not too much. He helps around the restaurant, and he's always been independent. But he's never really talked about what he wants."
Oak nodded. "And what about Ash?"
Delia laughed softly. "Oh, that's easy. Ash talks about becoming a Pokémon trainer every day. He wants to be the very best, just like in those adventure stories he loves."
Oak smiled. "That much is obvious." He tapped his fingers on the table. "But Aaron is different. He doesn't talk about battles or becoming a champion. He's not as… loud about his dreams."
Delia nodded slowly. "That's true. But… what are you trying to say?"
Oak exhaled. "Delia, I believe Aaron has the potential to be a great trainer perhaps one of the best"
Delia looked surprised. "You do?"
Oak leaned back. "I've been watching him with that Rufflet. His patience, his understanding of Pokémon… those are qualities you can't teach. They're rare."
Delia listened carefully, her brows furrowing in thought.
Oak continued, "I wanted to ask… have you considered letting both of them become trainers?"
Delia was silent for a moment. She had always assumed that Ash would leave on a journey. But Aaron? Aaron never said he wanted to be a trainer.
And yet, she knew her son. She had seen how he cared for Rufflet. How he paid attention to small details others overlooked.
"…I suppose I never thought about it," she admitted. "Aaron's always been different from Ash."
Oak nodded. "That's why I wanted to bring it up again. I don't think Aaron knows what he wants yet. But I do believe he should have the opportunity to choose."
Delia glanced toward the hallway, where her boys were likely resting for the night. A small smile played on her lips.
"I'll talk to him about it," she said at last.
Oak smiled. "That's all I ask."