EPISODE 76: Thawing a Frozen Heart!

"Goodbye Kalem! We'll be waiting for you at the gym!" Elly waved goodbye. and smiled at Riolu.

"Thanks for everything Mr.Florence!" I waved back and smiled at the father and daughter.

"I'll be waiting for you at the gym Kalem!" Mr.Florence uttered while getting on board the helicopter.

You're probably wondering why they're going away? Or, why we're saying goodbye to each other? It all happened this morning, when the commentator called Mr.Florence. The commentator said that there is a problem at the Silvent City gym, so Mr.Florence and Elly had to go back to the city right away. They were fetched by a helicopter that went to the Silvent Desert.

You might be wondering why we didn't ride the helicopter with them? Well the truth is, I want to explore the desert! I want to train harder as well, and just between you and me? I'm not ready for my battle yet! So, it's time to strengthen my Pokemon in the Silvent Desert.

"Alright! Let's continue our adventure through route twenty!" I uttered with determination as I clenched my fist towards the sun.

It is another hot and luminous day! The morning flower is at its peak while the ground type Pokemons squiggle through the sand. Mr.Florence and Elly just left the desert and went back to their gym, we also ate lunch together before they left.

"It... It's so hot!" Glade complained as we walk through the desert.

"Well yeah? That's what we're feeling to you know?" Zhery uttered as she to a sip from her water bottle.

"You should conserve water you know? You can survive without food as long as you have water!" Camellia explained.

"Yeah we know that! The question is... what if we run out of water? We're still far away from the city and we're already running out of water! I don't see any oasis anywhere." I complained as my body tempts me to drink water.

"I can't handle the thirst anymore!" Zhery complained and drank all her water in her water bottle.

"Haha! Now you don't have water left! What are you going to drink now?" I teased as I took out my water bottle from my bag.

"You think that's funny!?" Zhery badgered.

"Calm down hot head! Don't be mad so easily!" I teased and winked my eye.

"Grr! You dare laugh at me like that!? Roselia come on out and use razor leaf on Kalem's water bottle!" Zhery uttered frustration as she commanded her Pokemon! Roselia used razor leaf on my water bottle when I was about to take a sip. My water bottle fell to the ground and all the water spilled. The water got absorbed by the sand as I watch my precious water disappear. My head turned hot and my spirit boiled with fire and rage.

"What was that for!?" I badgered.

"That's for teasing me no brainer!" Zhery explained with frustration.

"Is it my fault you ran out of water!?"

"Who teased me first Mankey!?"

"You're the Mankey!"

"Guys stop fighting! Are the both of you always going to stay like this?" Glade uttered with an intoned voice as he extended his arms to stop me and Zhery from fighting.

"All you care is to tease me huh Zhery!?"

"Tease you!? You teased me first!"

"From the very first day we met, you would always tease me!" I angered.

"You're starting to annoy me!" Zhery uttered with rage.

"You're the most annoying friend I've ever met!" The words slipped out my mouth without me even thinking. Zhery paused for a while and thought of what I said.

"Kalem, I think you've overdone it," Camellia said softly. Riolu was trying to comfort me, while Zhery's Eevee was trying to comfort her.

"Fine then! If I'm the most annoying friend you've ever met then don't be my friend! I shouldn't have asked help from you when I first saw you and Glade!" Zhery angered as tears slowly fell from her eyes.

<Eev... Eev...>Eevee tried to comfort Zhery. Her words made me think of what I said to her. Zhery ran away from me... I didn't know where she went.

"Zhery wait!" I tried to stop her but she ran away too fast. Eevee tried to follow her, she wanted to comfort her trainer.

"Hmph! Fine, go away... we don't need an annoying friend!" I uttered slowly and picked up my water bottle.

"Come on Glade, Camellia! Let's go." I uttered with rage as I looked forward.

"Kalem, you have to find Zhery!" Glade uttered slowly.

"Find Zhery!? She didn't do anything! We didn't benefit from her, so why do we need her!?"

"Watch your words Kalem! Can't you realize what you just did!? You broke her feelings, now we have to find her so you can apologize to her!" Glade insisted.

"Me? Apologize? She should be the one to apologize!" I demanded.

"Both of you must! It is not about who started it! Kalem, you just lost a friend! If we look for her and you apologize then she might come back and join us!" Glade forced me to apologize to Zhery.

"Do not lean on the past Glade! Let her be, there are seven billion people out there! She can befriend some of those." I angered and teased sarcastically.

"That's it Kalem! I'm fed up with you, travel by yourself! I'm going to find Zhery!" Glade shouted and left me.

"Well yeah!? Fine! Leave me too! Traitor!" I shouted as Glade walked farther away from me.

"Why did I even become friends we them!?" I uttered slowly.

"Kalem... you just pushed two of your friends away. Don't you want to apologize?" Riolu suggested.

"They should be the ones to apologize! They left me." I angered.

"Kalem, Glade is right you know. If you agreed with Glade and apologized to Zhery, our team would be stitched back up together." Camellia uttered softly hoping that she won't make me angrier.

"So... you're planning to find Glade now!?" I angered.

"We can find them together, after all... they're our friends!" Camellia encouraged with a soft voice.

"They aren't real friends so why should I bother them!? Leave if you want to! Join them if you like." I uttered with frustration and began to walk.

"Kalem, just please apologize to them, I know Zhery is annoying. I agree with you, but you shouldn't treat her like that!" Camellia uttered softly and began to follow me. I ignored what Camellia said, if she wants to go then she can go.

"Kalem please listen to me... Zhery may be annoying sometimes, but didn't she supported you in your gym battles? Didn't she cheered for you? Yes, she did make you angry, and you made her angry sometimes but did she ever complain that you're annoying?" Camellia uttered.

"Don't be scared Camellia, I know that you want to go with them. So go, I can handle this journey by myself anyways." I halted for a while as tears fell off my eyes.

"Kalem, Camellia is right. Listen to her please. I don't want any more people fighting. It irks me." Riolu begged.

"Y...You can leave me to if you like." I uttered with tears and began to run away. Zhery headed north and I headed south, Glade headed north, and where will Camellia head this time?

"Kalem please don't run!" Camellia uttered and shouted as I ran away from her. Riolu and Camellia were left, a fork in the road! Up? Down? or left? It's up to them, which side will they pick? Me or Zhery?

Camellia sat down and thought of the decision.

"If I follow Zhery, Kalem will have no one to travel with. If I follow Kalem, where would Zhery and Glade go?" Camellia uttered to herself while Riolu sat down beside her.

"Hey Riolu, you must be wondering which path to follow huh?" Camellia uttered. Riolu moved closer to Camellia and nodded her head.

"You must be wondering why I'm not mad huh?" Camellia smiled and giggled at Riolu.

"You see, when I was a toddler, me and Kalem would fight once in a blue moon, I know how to handle Kalem's anger, I got used to it. The truth is, this is the fifth time I saw Kalem get angry at someone. Kalem's head is mostly cool but when Kalem is really teased hardly, then that's the time Kalem's head bursts like a volcano." Camellia explained.

Meanwhile at a small oasis lies Zhery sitting down while her head stuck in her knees. Eevee was trying to comfort her trainer but Zhery would continue to cry.

"Go away Eevee! I don't want to talk." Zhery uttered.

<Eev! Eev!> Eevee uttered and tried to comfort her trainer. Eevee tried to lick Zhery's hair but her trainer continued to sob.

"Zhery!" Glade rushed towards her as quickly as he can.

"Go away Glade! I thought you came with Kalem?" Zhery uttered solemnly.

"Kalem is with Camellia... I tried to force Kalem to apologize but he wouldn't. So, why don't you be the one to apologize to him?" Glade suggested.

"Me? Apologize to him? He called me the most annoying friend he ever met! He doesn't want to see me anymore."

"Don't believe what Kalem said! He's just exaggerating that's all! Zhery, we've come this far and I'm not going back to the orphanage! The only way is through Kalem!"

"I can go on my own journey. Go on your own journey too. Kalem will be happy since there's no one to annoy him anymore." Zhery uttered solemnly.

"Please Zhery! Our friendship with Kalem is at stake! You can't give up now. Kalem is just saying that! If Kalem is really annoyed at you then why would he ask you to join him in our journey?"

"Kalem's words pierced my heart. The truth is, you... Kalem... and Camellia are my only friends. I didn't have any friends at all until I met you and Kalem. The reason why I teased Kalem all the time is because I wasn't used to having any friends." Zhery explained solemnly as Eevee tried to flap her hair.

"I didn't know that we were your only friends," Glade uttered and sat down as well.

"It's true, I tried to play with the kids in the orphanage but they didn't want me to join in their games. When you and Kalem became my friends that's the only time I experienced fun with other people. I didn't know that Kalem was getting annoyed, that's why I ran off." Zhery explained and hugged Eevee tightly.

<Eevee!> The Pokemon purred at her trainer.

"There is still a chance to undo everything, all you have to do is to apologize to Kalem!" Glade suggested.

"What if he doesn't forgive me?"

"He will apologize! Camellia is probably comforting Kalem by now." Glade hunched.

"You're right Glade! I should apologize. It is my fault for teasing him in the first place. It was only now when I realized that teasing Kalem would lead me here. I'm going to apologize!" Zhery uttered and stood with determination as she wiped off her tears away.

"Thank you Eevee and Glade!" Camellia smiled when all of a sudden, Eevee began to glow.

"E... Eevee? Are you alright?" Zhery queried as the glowing Eevee on her grip was getting a little bit taller than before.

"It's day time, and since you and Eevee have a high friendship or bond? Could it be that Eevee is evolving into Espeon!?" Glade hunched.

<E... Eev... Eev... Ee.... Es... Espeon!> The Pokemon evolved into a violet creature with two tails attached to one except for the upper part. It had a red dot on her forehead and also had two violet ears.

"That's great Espeon! You finally evolved. I'm happy for you." Zhery hugged Espeon tighter as she purred on her trainer.

"Alright Zhery! Let's go find Kalem!" Glade beamed with determination.

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"Come on Riolu! We have to help Kalem..." Camellia and Riolu stood up and ran to the northern part of the desert, the path where I went.

"I need to get Kalem to apologize or else their friendship would be frozen for eternity!" Camellia wondered as they ran through the dunes.

I was walking still and solemnly. I was thinking of what my friends said. Gardevoir decided to go out from her Pokeball and comfort me.

"Kalem-"

"Enough! I know what you're going to say. I'm not going back!" I interrupted.

"Kalem... please apologize, before it's too late." Gardevoir begged.

"You're starting to sound like Camellia! Stop disturbing me!"

"I only want you and your friends to be together as a whole. Zhery may tease you but Camellia is right. She supported you in your battles! Didn't she? Zhery also trained your Riolu right? If it weren't for her, Riolu wouldn't know quick attack." Gardevoir recalled.

"How did you know about those?" I queried solemnly.

"I can see your past and your future. You're my trainer so of course I wanted to study your past, but no way am I looking to your future. I don't want to scare you or something." Gardevoir explained.

"Me and my big mouth. I shouldn't have called Zhery annoying! You, Camellia, and Riolu are correct." I admitted.

"There is still a chance to defrost your frozen hearts for each other! Forgiveness is the only way." Gardevoir quoted as Camellia and Riolu came rushing by.

"Kalem! Please don't go without Zhery and Glade!" Camellia begged.

"Nah! I'm going to ask for forgiveness! You, Riolu, and Gardevoir are right all along! Zhery may be annoying but she helps me in everything I do!" I beamed with happiness.

"Great! What are we waiting for? Let's find them before the sun sets!" Camellia suggested as Riolu rushed to my shoulder.

"Great! Now let's go to Zhery quick!" I beamed with determination as we rushed back.

"Zhery hurry before Kalem and camellia leaves the desert!" Glade uttered as they rushed as fast as they could.

I was running towards the south and Zhery was running towards the north! We were running to fast that we countered each other just like two Pokemon moves colliding.

"Ouch..." I uttered and scratched my head as I accidentally bumped into Zhery.

"My head!" Zhery uttered with frustration and scratched her head.

"Kalem!" "Zhery!" The both of us uttered and stood up together.

"Look Kalem, I'm really sorry for teasing you all the time. I'm sorry for annoying you and frustrating you." Zhery apologized.

"Zhery, I want to say sorry too! I shouldn't have called you the most annoying friend I've met. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. The truth is, its fun, when we tease each other." I apologized and admitted.

"Yeah... me too, it is really fun to tease each other!" Zhery admitted.

"So, what do you say? Are we friends are again?" I queried with joy.

"Yeah! We're definitely friends!" Zhery beamed with joy and both of us fist-bumped each other.

"Glad that's over..." Glade uttered with relief.

"Yeah! Imagine what it's like to travel through life without a friend?" Camellia smiled while looking at me and Zhery.

"Only forgiveness can thaw a frozen heart!" Glade exclaimed.

"Oh, this is Eevee when it evolved! Her new name is Espeon!" Zhery introduced.

"Hey there Espeon! You're a cutie aren't you?" I smiled and played with Espeon's chin.

"Alright! That problem is solved and we can finally move on to a bigger fish to fry." Glade exclaimed.

"A bigger fish to fry!?" I uttered in shock.

"Yup! I'm starving. You and Zhery's argument made me hungry!" Glade teased.

"I guess that's my cue! It's time for me to cook!" Camellia beamed with determination while everybody else laughed.

After that long argument, I and Zhery learned that hurting one's feelings can lead to long arguments especially if someone is a friend. Alright so I'll end this here since the man I'm starving! As the journey continues my friends! Haha!