Hi, Shaun. Hard to believe it’s only been two months, isn’t it?
I’m writing this letter to update you on things for when you get back. Mom has been insisting I start a journal, and this seems as good a place as any to start a writing habit. I know you can’t read paw print, so maybe just get someone else to read it for you.
Meowstic and Fearow recovered just fine. They seemed a lot more understanding about the entire situation than I would’ve thought, even though Dad must’ve apologized almost a thousand times. I thought Meowstic would be a lot more miffed, but he seemed to take it in stride, in his own way. I think Dad’s going to resign from the council. Too many secrets for his conscience.
Oh, right, the thing I’m supposed to be writing to you about. I’m going to the Explorer’s Society in a few months! Dad managed to get into contact with his brother, and I’m supposed to get some sort of internship. I’m hoping that things work out. Mom has been saying that I’ve been spending far too much time moping.
She’s actually been teaching me how to swim through water, which is actually a lot easier than I thought it would be. Apparently I can spin my tails really fast to blast through water, which is really cool! I hope I get to show you someday.
Me and Sneasel have been hanging out a lot more since you… left. Actually, now that I’m writing this out and thinking about it, I don’t think anyone’s seen Haunter recently. I’ll have to ask around.
Sneasel’s been really nice to just talk to. She has really nice perspectives about you… leaving. Even though she thinks you aren’t going to be back any time soon. She says that Arceus put you here to save the island, and I have wondered about that. Do you think you were put here, or was it all just one big coincidence? We’ll have to talk about it once you get back.
I’m keeping your scarf for you, by the way. It was in an awful state, but I washed it, and it’s as good as new. I’m probably going to be taking it with me to the Explorer’s Society. Something to remember you by until you get back. Send a reply, okay? I don’t think I could take it if you showed up again and didn’t tell me. Besides, you’ll probably want your scarf back, right?
How are things in the human world? I know that you probably aren’t on the best terms with your parents. Still, please try to be nice to them. For me. I don’t want the Shaun I know to disappear. That would hurt me more than any departure ever could.
I don’t think I’ve smiled since you told me that. It’s gotten a lot harder to smile at all, really. I kind of hate myself for it. You explicitly told me not to focus on you, and yet I’ve done it anyway. I’m sorry. I’m working on it.
I’m really running out of space in this letter. Sorry, I just had a lot to write down. Come see me soon, alright?
Love,
Buizel
I cannot congratulate you enough for finishing this fic. Thank you so much for reading this story that spawned itself on a whim of an ill man locked in his room all day.
This story took a whopping six months from start to finish. I started back in February, and then had to take a month off while a new baby sister was born in April and my mother was recuperating. Yes, I wrote a good half of this story during a very monumental time in my life. Who hasn’t?
I apologize if I made you cry. When two friends get separated, it’s always sad, don’t you think? Loneliness is one of the main themes of this fic, and I feel like it’s something that’s hardly addressed by most people. That’s why we write, isn’t it? To communicate ideas and thoughts and feelings. I know it’s hard, but maybe if we worked really hard at it, we could stop being so lonely.
Buizel will be making a return in a future story. Not the next one, and not the one after that, but he will be back. Eventually. The world moves on, even if he doesn’t want it to.
Again, thank you so, so, so much for reading this story and sticking through to the end. It may have been hard at times, but I truly hope the experience was worth it.