Sacrificing Pokemon

Before his mother could say a few words of consolation, Hao Yu spoke again with determination, as if he just decided something very big in his life, "Mom, I will never stuff Flareon into my pokemon ball again. Maybe he wanted to stay outside like how Pikachu wanted to always stay with Ash. Maybe he never liked to stay in pokemon ball. I will never stuff him inside again. Will he then play with me again?"

While speaking, he pursed his lips looking at the ball in his hands and threw it away as far as he could, which landed just in their lawn outside.

Yao Xinyu did not understand what her son was talking about. What Pikachu? What Ash? Who are they?

Not only her but her husband too did not understand the kids' shows' jargon that their son just used.

But they still understood that their son was about to 'sacrifice' his favorite game just for the sake of his raccoon brother.

For kids his age, sacrificing his favorite game is akin to sacrificing his life goal.

The parents were not only shocked but were also equally touched at the boy's actions. How much love should he have towards his raccoon brother for him to take such a huge step?

They looked at his son's expression to find that he was really sad to leave his pokemon ball. Yet he did not try to take the ball back for himself. It is very clear that he prioritized his brother over a game.

Yao Xinyu smiled and ruffled his small head with love, "He will of course play with you. You are his beloved brother after all."

Hao Yu pursed his small pink lips, "When will he come back then?"

Yao Xinyu wanted to cry but stopped herself because she knew that she shouldn't do so in front of a child before saying, "Didn't you hear what your dad said? He will bring Flare back for sure. There were already people who were searching for him outside. Maybe he just lost his way. Once someone finds him, he will happily come back home and you both can play together once again, alright?"

Hao Yu did not nod his head immediately. But he looked like he was thinking of something. He then raised his head and spoke, "Then, can I go and search for him too? Maybe if he hears my voice, he will come to us faster?"

It was already so late and the sky was about to turn dark. There is no way the parents would let their other child leave the home at this hour of the day.

Hence Yao Xinyu caressed his head and spoke softly, "I think Flare would be home at any moment now, dear. If you leave now to search for him and he comes back, wouldn't it be difficult to catch up on each other soon? I think you should stay at home and welcome your brother home once he comes back. What do you think?"

Hao Yu thought for a while before nodding his head.

The parents sighed in relief that the kid did not insist any further to go out at this hour. His Father spoke, "Hao Yu, you should go inside and look after your sister now. Since Flare is not here, you have to take care of her in his stead, right?"

Hao Yu nodded his head and ran towards his sister's room where the toddler was sleeping, not knowing what was happening in the house.

As soon as Hao Yu was out of hearing range, Yao Xinyu couldn't stop herself anymore as streams of tears started flowing from her eyes. She once again started wailing, "Where did Flare go? Why is there still no news about him? Did something happen to him? What should we do if something really happened to him?"

After asking a string of questions, she shook her head frantically before standing up from her seat, "No, I think I should also go out and search for him. Maybe he won't come out until I apologize to him myself. He is so smart that I am sure once he found that people were searching for him, he would hide so that no one would be able to find him. He must be really angry for him to take such extreme lengths to hide from us, right?

"It is all my fault. I should have considered his feelings more before. How can I be so careless? I am really a failure as a mother."

Her husband couldn't continue watching his wife blaming herself to this extent. But he didn't know what to say.

Only after Flare returned could they know what actually happened. He himself was not sure if Flare was really avoiding them or if he was just lost or something else serious happened to him.

Though he wanted to console his weeping wife, he did not want to say any sympathizing words which were not all truths.