Let's Talk About Living and Letting Go

Me: OK, well... you know what, it's complicated. Let's just have a "Let's Talk" for now. We haven't done it in a long time anyhow.

Goh: That's true. Come to think of it, we haven't done it since last year, when you started sending Ash back to events when they came back.

Ash: Hey yeah! So... does that mean our talks were in place of them all this time?

Pikachu: Pi... ka...? [suspicious]

Me: In a way, maybe. But I prefer to think of it as an outlet for our thoughts on specific things [and, shhh... OOC: my creativity] as well as a fallback for when stuff doesn't go right, which has happened once in the past... and now again. But that's for a little later.

Goh: So what do you want to talk about now?

Me: Have you ever heard the term "live and let live"? It means, essentially, to live as you are and to allow others to do the same. It's almost like what some people call... "laissez-faire" ...in my world.

Ash: Oh! I guess I do do that with my Pokémon. It's fine if they evolve, but it's also fine if they don't want to evolve. I mean, Pikachu did that when Pikachu didn't want the Thunder Stone and just wanted to be so.

Pikachu: Pika! ["Yeah!" (assertive)]

Ash: They can be just themselves if they want to - but if they need help, like Gengar with Gigantamax, then I can do that.

Goh: It's also like the time when we - I with Project Mew - rescued an Alolan Ninetales in Sinnoh. It was tense, but the key was allowing it to live like it should, during and after that.

Ash: That was awesome, wasn't it? It seems like we can live, and Pokémon can live.

Me: OK, so both of you get the point. Here, though, I made it "live and let go", which I consider as doing the same, but also having the element of releasing any burden. What do you think?

Goh: I guess, it's like that time I had to let go of White Flower Floette. It has to do what it has to do, and if that means for the good of its White Flower for its future fellow Pokémon.

Ash: For me, it had to be that time with Butterfree and Butterfree's partner, when I let go of Butterfree. I felt the same way like Goh. I still wonder where they could be.

Me: Those are fine examples. We don't need to discuss them more than they should be discussed - I know how sentimental they can be. All right, so today I actually sent you somewhere, Ash.

Ash: It looks like it was for an event! But... you didn't seem to have a way of getting me in there.

Me: See, that's the thing. I could have gotten you in there for the character competitions some days ago, but something seemed iffy in the process. Even a friend of mine couldn't get in, and it seemed like just a ruse. And I know the people behind the competitions, and I've had some history with them.

Goh: I see. What did you do, Ash?

Ash: I just didn't get in. The ticket was expensive!

Pikachu: Chu... [head spinning]

Me: The event was all day, but characters were only - and I heard, only - involved for a couple hours. Even if you got in then, you still couldn't compete.

Goh: No, definitely not worth it. Good call on not wasting money. It seems like they want people to be in there all day, but if you're in there for a few hours, what's the point?

Ash: I understand now. It was our "letting go".

Me: There you go; it was also an act of letting them be - letting them live while we live. What did you do then?

Ash: I caught a Galarian Zapdos for you!

Goh: Wow!!

Ash: And then I met up with other characters and people who also couldn't get in, and we just had a great time hanging out outside - but we did let go of a few things too.

Me: That's perfectly fine. They all may have experienced the same things we did, in worse ways too. At that point, we just continue living - and let go of the not-so-good stuff. Speaking of which, it seems that soon there will be a major "letting go" and...

Ash, Goh: Oh no.

Pikachu: Pika chu. ["Terrible." (dejected)]

Me: Well, let's let it go for now and just live for today.

One year ago: Pokémon Go Community Day Classic, 1/22/2022

Two years ago: Best in the World and Universe

Three years ago: On the "Invisible Forces"

Four years ago: Fan Art... for Me!

Five years ago: Costume and Cosplay Checklists

Six years ago: Pokémon World + Hero's Come Back = ...