"Well, I guess this is goodbye." Caroline wiped away a tear as she gave them both quick hugs.
"We'll see you again, don't worry." Gloria looked like she might shed a tear, too.
"Yeah, it's not 'goodbye', it's 'see you later'." Chris almost felt like laughing at how she was reacting, but was able to keep his face somber.
"Well, I need to go drum up some business. Bye!"
"Until we meet again, Caroline." They waved as she walked off into town.
"Lugia, come on out!" Lugia appeared before them, resting in the water. "Yes?"
"Could you give us a ride?"
"But of course. Where to?"
"Cianwood."
"As you wish, Gloria. Get on." Chris and Gloria walked along his wings and sat on his back. He then took off, heading south east to Johto.
"So, Gloria, you said your dad's the gym leader there?"
"Yeah. Mom's a tougher fighter, but dad's better with Pokemon."
"Maybe I'll challenge him while we're there."
"Not like it matters, since we're already League Champions."
"Heh, I guess you're right. Still be worth the challenge, though."
"If you two don't mind," Lugia called back "I would like to visit my own home in the Whirl Islands."
"No problem."
"Yeah, what she said. We've got nothing urgent planned."
"I've heard those caves are pretty cool. Mind if we come with you?"
"Not at all. I'd prefer it, actually."
They flew on in silence for a while, Gloria and Chris holding hands while Lugia glided along on the ocean breezes. Soon the island came into view. "I've never seen it from this angle before. It's really quite beautiful," Gloria commented.
"I'm looking forward to getting down there."
"So am I, sort of. I'm betting most people know about our league victory down there already."
"Considering that they knew about it on the St. Anne over a week ago and that this is your hometown, I'd be surprised if they didn't know."
"Hold on, you two, we're coming in for a landing!" Lugia angled downward, and they descended towards the island.
"Hey, I'm home!" Gloria opened the doors to the Cianwood Gym, and was met by her mother hugging her. And then wrestling her to the ground.
"1, 2, 3…" Chuck cut off counting as his daughter turned her mother over, pinning her swiftly.
"Sorry, Mom, I'm not going down that easy." Chuck got to a full count of ten, and Gloria got up.
"So, you've finally surpassed me."
"That I have, Mom."
"And you're Chris. Good to meet you."
"Likewise, Chuck."
"So, Chris, I have to assume you're the source of this ring on my daughter's finger, right?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"Heh, no one's going to be surprised to hear that."
"We didn't think they would be, Dad." From there, they started talking about plans, though once she got the message that Chris had only asked Gloria that morning, her mom lay off the pressure. From there, they moved to lunch. And a fateful question.
"So, dear, how are your Pokemon?" her mom asked.
Gloria broke into tears anew, thinking of Metang. She pulled out his Pokeball, now coated in blue metal, and her parents understood.
"He...sacrificed himself...to save us," Chris managed, choking on the words. After lunch, they made a small shrine in the backyard of the gym, placing the blue ball in a glass box atop a stone pedestal. They then related their story...
"...And then Kyogre returned to his ball back to normal," Chris told them.
"After that, Lugia spoke to me, asking to come with me on our journey," Gloria finished.
Her parents stood there, stunned. So much had happened to the pair in the short time since they had met, the two of them had a hard time grasping it all. "Dear, it sounds like you two have earned a good long rest" her mom said.
"Or at least a short rest. Chris, you're welcome to stay here, too." Chuck gave him a hearty pat on the back.
"Thanks, Mom, Dad."
"Yes, thanks for the lodgings, Chuck."
They fell silent after that, and then dispersed. Chris walked out to the bay, and brought Kyogre out of his Pokeball. "Welcome back, Kyogre." Chris rested his hand on his friend's head.
"Back? From where?"
"From a lot of things. If you don't remember, I understand, since you were under Archie's control."
"That would explain why I have no clue how we got from Lilycove to Cianwood."
"Yesterday we released you from Archie's control, which was forcing you to create a Deluge in the Orange Islands."
"So, the Shamouti Prophecy has come to pass?"
"Uh, yeah." Chris was surprised for a moment, then realized that Kyogre probably would know of a prophecy concerning him, as a Legendary Pokemon.
"I knew it would someday. I just didn't know how or why."
"Yeah, Archie planted some sort of device on you that allowed him to control you."
"I have to ask, what happened to him?"
"He and Giovanni are dead. So is Gloria's Metang."
"Metang? He evolved, and then died?"
"Yeah, he sacrificed himself for us."
"Just what all did I miss? Did any of the others evolve?"
"Dragonaire, Haunter, and Hitmontop. And now Lugia has joined Gloria."
"And for good reason, my old friend." Chris turned to see Lugia and Gloria approaching. "We have more to do. It would seem that many of the events that we have dreaded are tied together."
"We always feared that would be the case. Humans ripening to the levels of evil that cause them to breach those protocols at the same time. Chris, Gloria, do you mind if the two of us speak alone?"
"Go ahead. We'll wait here for you." The pair departed as their trainers watched.
"So, were you and Lugia talking about anything in particular?"
"He's worried. He senses that something is going awry, but he can't tell where or when. Just that we need to be there."
"Whatever it is, we'll take care of it. Together." Kissing her, he then held her close, sharing a moment of serenity together. So much had happened over the past few weeks, it felt good to be able to relax, even if just for a short while...