Pokémon

Avenger – By BenRG

Legal Disclaimer

Pokémon, the Pocket Monsters and their human friends and enemies are all the sole copyright and trademark property of Nintendo Entertainment and 4 Kids Productions. No breach of any copyright or legal property is intended.

Author's Notes

This is the last part of my first Pokémon fic. As sad as it is, after all this time I still don't know all the monsters or all the moves. I base my story purely on what I've seen of the cartoon and absorbed from other fan works. I thank all the other Pokémon writers on this board for providing plenty of inspiration. Special thanks to Charles "RocketBoy" Reilly, Wind, Joshua Falken, Chuchino and Catalina Storm for their comments, advice and encouragement.

Just to warn you, this won't be an action-packed chapter. I have some character issues that I have to deal with and I am going to deal with them here.

Another warning: A bit angst-filled and depressing in places. Sorry.

Text in [squared-off brackets] indicates the translation of a Pokémon's language into English.

Text in italics but not in quotes indicates thoughts.

Text in "quotes and italics" is speech from a speaker, telephone or some other electronic means

Text in Bold Text is an email sent by a mobile 'phone.

This is an Alternate Universe story

Ages: Ash is 17 and Misty has just turned 19; Brock is 25; Jessie and James are both 24; Richie is 17; Duplicia is 18; Sabrina is 24; Lance is 16; Joy is 29; Delilah is 38; Professor Oak is 47; Gary is 18.

Censor: R (Equivalent to UK '15' Certificate)

Content Warning: Swearing, explicit violence, description of injuries, implied sexual activity and mature topics.

Book 3 – The Return of the Crusaders

What has gone before…

It is the mid-twenty-first century, and in the land of Kanto, a war has begun. The heroic young Pokémon trainers known as Team Thunderbolt are waging a terrible struggle against the evil world-wide terrorist organisation Team Rocket. Leading these young heroes is Ash Ketchum, one of the greatest Pokémon trainers ever to have lived. Leading Team Rocket is the insane Giovanni diRocketti, the man once known as Joseph Oak, Ash's father.

Having beaten the most recent attempt by his father to defeat him, Ash and his friends have returned to Pallet Town, itself only just beginning to recover after a terrible assault by Team Rocket. Now, as they try to recover from their most recent adventures, they must also count the cost of their latest victory and decide what, if anything, they should do next…

***

Brock's Aerodactyl landed in front of Delilah and Ash's house. The street was filled with the sounds of construction work. Delilah slid off of Aerodactyl's back and started crying again when she saw her house restored to some kind of order. The windows were all repaired, the door was back in place and her garden, and her beloved garden had been replanted. "Did… did Ash do this?" she asked hoarsely.

"Yeah," Brock confirmed with a broad smile. "When he wasn't working on getting you three out of captivity, he and Misty were here, trying to put this place back together. I think they did a pretty good job."

Delilah couldn't stand up any more and fell to her knees. She was feeling a terrible confusion of pain, pride, loss, triumph, hope and fear. Sam Oak knelt beside her and hugged her gently as she covered her face and let the tears freely stream down her face.

Joy watched the two of them with an unreadable expression. "Uh… Joy," Brock said. She turned from her consideration of her two former cellmates and looked at the man who was once the boy she loved. "I… I'm glad we got you out of there," Brock continued.

Joy managed a slight laugh. "You can't be as glad as I am," she said ruefully.

"No, I'm far more glad than you imagine," Brock said. He stepped forward and stopped just outside of reach of his former lover. "Joy, I told myself that it was over and that I only felt friendship for you… But that was a lie." Brock sucked in a deep breath and wiped his face nervously. "The truth is that, from the moment you were taken, I was on the edge of madness. I… I couldn't stop thinking about you and what was happening to you… I couldn't stop thinking that you might die when I never told you."

"T… told me what?" Joy asked, going pale.

"Joy, I still love you," Brock said. "I don't think I ever stopped. I… I can't live without you and I don't even want to try."

Joy gasped and several contradictory notions collided in her head. Her first impulse was to laugh in Brock's face and run as far and as fast as she could. Her next impulse was to lie and try to drive him away. However, she wasn't a good liar, and she never was. "Brock," she said, her voice filled with pain and hope, "how… how can you love me after what I did to you?"

"I don't care about that," Brock growled. "I don't care about the mistakes I made and you made a decade ago. I only care that I love you and I want to be a part of your life… if you will let me." Joy suddenly burst into tears and covered her face. Brock dropped to his knees at her side and Joy suddenly launched herself into his arms. Brock held her tightly, then they separated just enough to manoeuvre their faces to claim a kiss that they had both waited so very long to claim.

While the two of them were still kissing hard, Ash and Misty dropped out of the skies on Charizard's and Dragonite's backs. The two of them stepped forward to stare at the two reunited lovers. "Wow," Ash surmised. "I guessed that they still loved each other but…" Ash shook his head and ran his hand through his hair, looking very surprised.

Misty was smiling in a slightly silly way. "All they needed to do was admit it to themselves," she said quietly. "A familiar tale, isn't it Ashy-boy." Ash grinned at her in a fatuous way.

Joy looked up and blushed. Brock released her and the two of them stared around at their friends. "Uh… gee… this… well…" Brock stammered, blushing brightly and running a hand through his hair.

Joy laughed, the happiest sound the others had ever heard her make. For Brock, it brought back good memories. "I can wait," Joy whispered to Brock. "I have waited this long, a few more hours can't kill us."

Raichu skipped forward and watched the scene. Brock and Joy had started kissing again. Ash and Misty were looking at each other in that way that always made Raichu feel that he was intruding on something unique and wonderful. Even Delilah was standing closer to Professor Oak than usual and was leaning into his hug in appreciation.

[Must be mating season for humans,] Raichu remarked.

[I think it is always mating season for humans,] Charizard replied with a roll of his eyes.

And now the continuation…

Chapter 2 – The Eye of the Storm

The memorial was simple, which was understandable given the haste in which it was erected and the fact that those behind it needed to concentrate their efforts on more immediate and critical priorities. Yet, in its' simplicity, it was appropriate for one whose existence had always been defined first and foremost by humility, loyalty and love. The simple wooden cross in the Ketchum house's back garden had a hastily-etched bronze plaque on it marked with a single name: 'Mimey.'

Gently and lovingly, Delilah placed a single yellow rose at the foot of the cross. "Goodbye, old friend," she whispered. She closed her eyes and said two short prayers, one to the Humans' God and one to The First Mew, the legendary Psychic-type that was said to watch over all the Pokémon.

She opened her eyes again and stood up to look at the two other people in the back garden, Ash Ketchum, her son, and Misty Waterflower, the girl… no, a woman now… who was the daughter she was fated never to bear herself. "Thank you for taking the time to do this," she said to Ash. "I know it couldn't have been easy with everything else you had to do at the time."

Ash shrugged uneasily. "Well… It seemed appropriate," he said in a quiet and embarrassed tone. "I mean… people do the same for pet cats and dogs. Mimey was more than a pet, he was a friend." Ash's face twitched up in a smile at some memory. "I learnt more about life from that little Psychic-type than I care to admit!"

Delilah nodded and smiled sadly, thinking of how lonely the house would be without the perpetually cheerful Pokémon there to help her out.

"As long as you remember him, he'll never really be dead," Misty said into the silence.

Delilah's smile jacked up a few notches. "I know that, dear," she said.

Delilah took a moment to look at the two young people. Ash and Misty had changed so much over the seven and a half years since her son began his journey.

Ash was now over six feet tall (having finally overtaken Misty shortly after his fifteenth birthday) and had developed a powerful, muscular build that reminded Delilah of her own father. His cheerful chocolate brown eyes peered out from under a perpetually untidy thatch of coal-black hair, which he had grown slightly longer than he did as a child. He had long since discarded most of his childish clothing habits and had begun to dress like an adult. His eyes still reflected his youthful humour and determination, but gone was the innocence and optimism, replaced by the harsh certainty of one fighting a holy war. It worried Delilah most of all that, since Ash had embarked on his quest to defeat Team Rocket, the primary motif of his wardrobe had become black. Black cotton shirt, black jeans and a black leather duster.

Misty had changed too. Gone was the tomboy who seemed to revel in not looking even remotely feminine. Now she was almost exactly on the six-foot mark and had developed a very feminine figure with the build of a dancer. She had grown her ginger hair a lot longer and it was currently tied back in a waist-length ponytail. Her cerulean green eyes shone with vitality and strength that served as a warning for anyone who thought that, as a woman, she was vulnerable. She was currently wearing a white blouse, a pair of jeans and a denim jacket.

Yes, neither of them were children anymore. Given the dark business that currently absorbed their time, it was appropriate that they should have become more adult. However, Delilah would always feel guilty about being party to stealing away the last of their innocence so quickly. Delilah noticed the way the two of them were leaning into each other's presence and smiled slightly. Yes, it was a shame they had to grow up so quickly and so traumatically, but at least they were experiencing the good side of adulthood as well as its' pains and responsibilities.

"So, are you two going to be home in time for dinner tonight?" Delilah asked.

Ash and Misty started laughing. After all the trials and troubles of the past six months, the incredibly… mundane nature of Delilah's question caught them by surprise and was a tremendous relief. "Yeah, Mom," Ash said with a grin, "we'll be back. You just be careful around the place until then, we haven't finished sanding off all the rough edges."

***

Professor Samuel Oak stood apart from his two companions, looking at the ruins of the Research Centre where he had spent the last fifteen years of his life. "Years of research," he said to no one in particular. "Samples, experimental results, decade-long observation studies. Everything gone."

The old man sagged as he looked around. The dead Pokémon had found decent burial (or at least hygienic disposal). The UN-funded clean-up crews had tidied away the worst of the debris and, after Ash had spoken to the UNHCR commissioner in town, a one-room house-trailer had been delivered by helicopter so the Professor would at least have a roof over his head. However, the skeletal remains of the buildings hung over the site like a depressing monument to everything that he had lost.

"At least you still have your life," Jessie Scarlet finally said into the silence.

"Yeah!" Meowth said. "Youse can rebuild! Meowth! Youse just get ya pals to steal ya some Pokémon, and youse'll be on ya feet in no time!"

"Meowth," James Weston hissed. The feline-like Pokémon looked up and saw his tall human friend make a 'zip it' gesture.

Oak managed a slight laugh. "Don't worry, Mr. Weston," he said. "Your Meowth is right about rebuilding, although I don't plan on starting to steal Pokémon. That is my brother's speciality… as you well know." Yes, they knew that only too well. After all, they had once been thieves in the employ of Joseph Oak, now known as Giovanni diRocketti. Professor Oak never knew why Ash trusted these two and allowed them to join his 'Team Thunderbolt.' He respected the boy too much to openly criticise the decision, but he still did not feel comfortable around two people and a Pokémon who once wore his brother's sigil. "Anyway, I should thank you and Ms. Scarlet for helping me get settled into my… er… hut."

"No problem," Jessie said, trying to sound honest and reassuring. She could feel the distrust whenever she was around the Professor, and it upset her. "Both of us know what it is like to lose… well, everything, really. At times like that, having friends who will help is the best gift you can have."

"Friends… yes…" Oak replied. He was thinking of Ash, Misty and Delilah… especially Delilah. He wondered how she was coping. "Anyway, I am sorry I can't make you any more welcome than I am right now."

"That's okay," James said.

"Yes," Jessie agreed, "we both are used to making do with little or nothing."

"Hmm…?" Oak was surprised.

"Meowth! Da Boss don't pay very well ya know," Meowth said with a mischievous grin. "We had ta rough it a lot when we was chasing Ash and his pals!"

"And before that, we both pretty much lived rough," James added, kicking Meowth in a reminder to stop mentioning their time with Team Rocket. "Jessie is pretty much and orphan and so am I now… but back then I didn't really want anything to do with my family."

"Really, Mr. Weston?" Oak asked. "From the way you and she conducted yourselves, I always imagined you were quite… er… wealthy." Simply put, they both acted like members of the aristocracy. To hear that they came from a destitute background was a surprise.

"Oh no," Jessie said. "Quite the opposite. In a way, Ash and Team Thunderbolt are the closest thing to a real home and family we've ever had. Team Rocket was always too harsh and obsessed with treachery for that." James nodded in agreement. "I joined Team Rocket because of my late mother being a member before me and James joined because of me," Jessie continued. James had to chuckle when he heard that truth. "Both of us ultimately regretted that decision. So, please, don't think of us as enemies who have changed allegiances," Jessie continued. "Think of us as… lost souls who are trying to find redemption." James looked impressed at hearing Jessie express such a deep concept.

Oak smiled gently. "I will try," he said. Although it is very difficult, madam, he added silently. I can't forget that you tried to steal from me more than once.

There was an awkward pause before James suddenly spoke up. "Jessie, we promised to help Richie and Brock with repairing the North Bridge over the river today." There was so much rebuilding to be done, and those who could bring a few well-trained Pokémon to the aid of the townspeople were more than welcome.

Jessie nodded. "You go ahead, James," she said. "I… er… have to talk to the Professor about something." James looked surprised, but he had learnt to trust Jessie a long time ago. He released Growly and helped Meowth join him on the Arcanine's back. With a roar, the big horse-sized fire wolf raced off towards the town leaving Jessie and Professor Oak alone together.

"Er… so… er… what can I do for you Ms. Scarlet?" Oak asked nervously, remembering the woman's reputation and wondering if he had seriously offended her.

Jessie's normally composed face was suddenly filled with such a torment that he instinctively moved to touch her in reassurance. She managed a slight smile and touched his shoulder in thanks. "Professor," she said. "After you and the others were kidnapped, Giovanni left a message in which he claimed to be… my father."

Oak could tell how much that possibility frightened her. How typical of his brother to try and torture his enemies like that. He opened his mouth to say something to reassure the woman, but she was talking again.

"I have to know the truth," Jessie continued. "All my life, I've idolised the memory of my mother, and now I realise that I might know even less than I thought. Ash told me that you were a member of the original Team Rocket, so you should know. Tell me… who was Miyamoto Scarlet…? And what happened to her?"

Oak jumped. "Miyamoto Scarlet?" He stepped forward and grabbed Jessie by the arms, startling her. "Your mother's name was Marion Miyamoto Scarlet?"

"Y… yes…" Jessie said, surprised and afraid of the burning fire that suddenly appeared in Oak's eyes.

"My God… so you are alive after all…" he said. He stepped away and had to try and regain control of his emotions.

"Professor… what is it?" Jessie asked.

"Ms. Scarlet… Jessica, dear, you should sit down," Oak replied. "I have a story to tell you. It isn't a nice tale, nor is the ending a happy one, but you must know the truth." Jessie, feeling more than a little shocked and intimidated, stood back. Oak drew in a breath. "Your name is Jessica Musashi Scarlet," he said. "How stupid of me not to realise before, but I genuinely believed that you were dead, and hearing of someone with that name simply did not catch my attention." Oak stepped forward and touched Jessie's face gently, raising her chin with a finger. "Yet you are her living image. I ought to have recognised you at once. I am a old, blind fool." Oak sighed. "Your mother's name was Marion Miyamoto Scarlet, and, yes, your father's name was Joseph Jonathan Oak, my brother."

***

Joy Burke felt rather embarrassed, wearing her skimpy pink-and-white League Nurse uniform again for the first time in a month. However, she was wearing her 'medical official' hat right now, as she needed access to the refugee camp's hospital to perform the task that her leader had requested from her.

"So, Doc, will I ever play the harmonica again?" Ash asked. Joy looked at him and blushed. Brock was the man for her, but she could see what attracted Misty to the young man. He was… distractingly masculine. Especially when he was lying on an examination table, wearing nothing but an antiseptic-green hospital gown and his silly self-confident grin.

"Well, there is good news and bad, Ash," she said quietly, setting her PDA to collate and organise the data from the comprehensive examination she had just given the boy. His story had horrified her and had confirmed her impression that Team Rocket was the ultimate expression of evil in this world. Strange to realise that men were as vulnerable to the ultimate violation of body and soul as women were. "You were right to come to me about this."

Ash's expression hardened. "I would like Misty in here too," he announced. "She has as much a right to hear this as I do."

Joy stuck her head through the tent flap and called Misty in. When the young water-type specialist had joined her mate and grabbed his hand tightly in her own, Joy looked at them both, trying to think how to present her findings in the best possible way. It was a skill all doctors and nurses knew, but one that they all uniformly hated exercising. "Firstly," she began, "you will be glad to know that you have suffered no lasting injuries from your… torture," Joy said, shuddering a little at the last word. "You were right to start on bland foodstuffs when you were freed, so your digestive system has recovered from the starvation and dehydration. There is no indication of any lasting trauma from the sonic and electric tortures. The psychological tests are normal… well, normal for someone living in a war zone."

Misty smiled and kissed Ash on the side of the face, making him and her blush momentarily. "See, I told you there was nothing to worry about," Misty said quietly, making Ash relax slightly. Joy smiled as she recalled how Brock and her used to react to each other when they first met. Then she sobered, realising the hardest part was yet to come.

"However, the… rape… is another matter," Joy said quietly.

Misty shivered, hating a reminder of Ash's worst torment at Team Rocket's hands, one that nearly broke him. "He… that Team Rocket bitch hasn't given him HIV-8 has she?" she asked, sounding terrified. She had reason to be. Joy knew perfectly well that Ash and Misty were lovers and were relying purely on their League-issued FII implants for contraception, not enough to protect Misty from catching a sexually transmitted disease.

Joy was quick to reassure the girl. "No, Misty, there is no indication of any STD in Ash's blood tests. No, it is something else." Joy paused again. "While most of the injuries Cassidy inflicted have healed up with little or no trouble, or even very much scarring, there is some indication that…" she sighed. "Ash, the pain you felt while having sex was caused by a swelling of your Prostate Gland. You seem to have developed a minor infection of the gland as a result of the lacerations that woman inflicted on you. While there is no serious damage, the tests indicate that it is not working properly anymore."

Ash's hand closed tightly around Misty's and she drew closer to him, trying to reassure him. "What does it mean, Joy?" he asked, his voice level and neutral.

"Possibly nothing," Joy said. "The infection has subsided and your body is otherwise in good shape. You tell me that the pain has faded away?" Ash nodded. "Well, there is no reason why you and Misty cannot enjoy normal relations. However… Ash, you know what the gland does. Because of the infection, it has begun to malfunction and this may prevent your sperm from being released during sex. You should be aware that you may now be functionally sterile."

Ash was quiet for a long moment, his wide, good-natured face pale. Misty had begun to cry silently. Ash pulled his lover closer and hugged her. "Thanks for telling me the truth, Joy," he said calmly.

Joy felt a need to explain the bright side. "On the other hand, it might not be that way," she said hurriedly. "Even if it is, there is no reason why you can't use in vitro treatment to conceive children, as you are still producing sperm…"

"Okay, Joy," Ash said with a slight laugh. "Calm down. We weren't planning on having babies just yet anyway." Ash paused and shot Misty a worried look before he continued. "Is there any way to be certain?"

Joy shook her head. "Not without a lengthy series of very unpleasant tests of your sperm count during ejaculation," she said. "Even then, the results would only provide a statistical likelihood, not an actual definitive answer."

Ash grimaced. "That doesn't sound like the sort of thing I would be interested in spending time on anyway," he said ruefully. Misty nodded at him, managing a very shaky smile. "Look… uh… Joy, can we have a few moments…?"

Joy nodded and turned to leave. The two of them needed to be alone together right now.

***

Lance watched in awe as Sabrina mediated, and was thankful that she was feeling better now.

When they first arrived in Pallet Town, shortly after the Team Rocket assault, the blonde psychic had been suffering pretty badly. Large urban communities tended to develop a mass 'super-consciousness' from the minds and lives continually interacting in the same area. Sabrina had described it as being as if the town or city were alive and aware, based on the massed feelings and perceptions of its' inhabitants. When Pallet Town was assaulted so awfully and so many of its people were killed, violated or had lost everything, the massed mind shattered into a howling psychic agony. Sabrina described that as being as if the streets and buildings themselves were bleeding and continually screaming in her ears.

However, as the town was rebuilt and hope returned to the area, the aura had become calmer and less inflamed with pain and sorrow. Sabrina was now feeling much better and, for the first time in several weeks, she felt able to do her exercises. Lance was watching now as she sat in the lotus position, her face calm and relaxed. Lance's head itched and the air felt cold as she began to stack small stones telekinetically.

Suddenly there was a bellow of surprise. Lance turned to see his Golem rising slowly off of the ground and do a slow somersault in mid-air.

There was a bright flash of light and Sabrina, her concentration broken, opened her eyes with a gasp. The rocks tumbled to the ground. Golem hit the turf with a loud, resonant 'thud.'

Lance turned to see a tall, thin brown-haired man wearing loose travelling clothes and pointing a state-of-the-art digital camera at them. "Oh!" the man said. "Sorry, Miss. I didn't mean to distract you, but you don't see a telekinetic exercising every day."

"Who are you, mister?" Lance asked suspiciously. He moved slightly in between his girlfriend and the photographer.

"Todd Marshall," the man said, sticking his hand out in a nervous but friendly gesture. "I'm a photojournalist for Kanto Life magazine. I've come to do a piece on the death and rebirth of Pallet Town."

"Really?" Lance asked. "Let's see your press card then." He wasn't taking any chances. Team Rocket would doubtless be trying to infiltrate the camp of their enemy, and who would question a simple photographer?

"What are you, some kind of cop?" Marshall asked suspiciously. "I'm not showing my ID unless I see yours."

"You will show him your identification," Sabrina said, her voice strangely resonant.

"Here you go," Marshall said, passing his press card and his Citizen's ID to Lance. Lance looked at it. It looked genuine. What is more, there was something familiar about this guy… He handed the card back to the photographer, who looked a bit dazed. "Wait a minute," he said. "Todd Marshall… You are from Valencia Island originally?"

"Uh… yeah," the man replied. "How did you know?"

"You're 'Snap!'" Lance said. "You travelled with Ash and Misty for a while!"

"Yeah!" Snap said. "Hey, you know them? They're all right? The whole region has been in an uproar looking for them after they didn't turn up for pre-season League training last year!"

"They're both fine," Lance said.

"Great, I can't wait to see them again," Snap said. "I'll bet they have plenty of tales to tell!"

"I'm sure they'll be glad to see you again too," Sabrina said. "I think they will be at Ash's house right now. Let me take you there." Lance shot Sabrina a strange look. Give me some time alone with him, she said silently. There are portions of his mind that some third party has shielded. I want to try and find out why he is really here before I let him near Ash and Misty.

Be careful, love, Lance replied, making Sabrina smile.

"Uh… am I missing something here?" Snap asked. Instead of replying, Sabrina linked her arm through Snap's led the photographer off.

***

Jessie was sitting on a fallen log, stroking Arbok's head absently as Professor Oak spoke to her.

"Before you were born," he began, "before Team Rocket and long before my brother fell into darkness, there were three friends who were on a Pokémon Journey together. Their names were Joseph Oak, Miyamoto Scarlet and Charles Mason. Joe was a novice from Pewter City, Miya was a novice from Viridian City and Charlie was an apprentice Breeder from Fucia City. The three of them formed the closest friendship I had ever seen. They journeyed through Indigo, Orange, Johto and Green together. Never once did they part. They were like an extension of each other's souls. They trained together, fought together and met the world's challenges with a unity that I never saw again until I saw how Ash, Misty and Brock worked together.

"Now, you must remember that Joe and Miya were only ten when they started travelling together. All those years on the road together formed an amazingly close bond of friendship. Then came puberty and, inevitably I suppose, their relationship transformed and they became lovers." Oak smiled. "It was something to see, Jessica," he said. "Miyamoto and Joe were so incredibly in love. The passion burned from them and lit up the area around them."

"So… so it is true," Jessie said, shuddering slightly. "Giovanni is my father."

"No," Oak said, raising a finger. "Joseph Oak is your father. Giovanni diRocketti is a filthy, insane monster that has usurped his body and legacy for evil. Don't get them mixed up as they are most decidedly not the same person."

Jessie tried to absorb that concept. She shook her head and looked at Oak again. "Tell me more about them together," she said.

"It was amazing to watch, Jessica," Oak said with a grin. "Your mother and father worked together so smoothly that they were like one person sometimes. They could not stop arguing for one moment, yet they enjoyed a mutual passion that most mortals can't hope to experience in their lifetime. I suppose…" he sighed. "I suppose in the end that was the problem. While Miya loved Joe very much and he treasured her feelings for him, it wasn't a very deep relationship. It had gone right from a teenage crush into full-blown sex in one leap and that doesn't make for a particularly steady long-term bond.

"When Joe won the Supreme Championship shortly after his eighteenth birthday, I could already see that the damage was irreversible. Joe was beginning to form the original Team Rocket by that time, feeling that his destiny was more than to just be a competitor in a spectator sport. He was spending so much time recruiting and training that he was neglecting Miya and the relationship had withered away. Finally, shortly after Joe, Charlie and Miya founded Team Rocket, they broke up. It was amicable and they remained close friends, it was just that they realised they were simply not close enough to remain lovers any longer.

"About this time, Joe met Delilah, who was training as a nurse here in Pallet Town. Miya was busy trying to get the two of them together. In them, she could see the emotional depth and mutual devotion that she and Joe had never enjoyed. However, there was a fly in the ointment." Oak sighed. "This was in the years before the League started requiring young novices to have FII implants fitted when they enter puberty, so Joe and Miya had relied on physical contraception. However, the night after Joe's victory in the Champion's League, the two of them had got drunk and had slept together one last time. A short time later, Miya found that she was pregnant with Joe's child."

"Then… I am nothing but a mistake?" Jessie asked, her eyes filled with tears. "Mama and Papa didn't even love each other when they made me! Thanks for nothing, old man!" Jessie lunged to her feet and was about to storm off when Oak grabbed her arm firmly.

"You are not a 'mistake,'" Oak said firmly. "I will not let you talk about it in those terms. You were the last act in the most incredible star-crossed romance I have ever been privileged to witness. Your father and mother knew that they were going to part. Your mother did love your father, even though she knew it could not last. She deliberately decided to conceive Joe's child. And your father would never do anything that he didn't want to do, even if he was drunk. I am certain that he knew what would likely happen, and he was content with the possibility. A parting gift, if you will."

Jessie nodded quietly. Described like that, it didn't sound so bad at all. If anything, it sounded romantic and dramatic, something that appealed to her.

"Miya came to Charlie and me for help," he explained. "She asked that one of us marry her hurriedly and adopt the child as our own. She correctly assumed that, learning he had a child, Joe would leave Delilah and insist on marrying her. He would make himself miserable by tying himself to a loveless marriage out of a feeling of loyalty to her child." Oak laughed. "It was a typical act of self-sacrifice on her part. Your mother was always putting others first. She still loved your father and didn't want him to be miserable because of something she saw as being entirely her responsibility."

Oak laughed again, more ruefully as he remembered the look of utter shock on Charlie's and his faces when Miya made her request. "Neither Charlie nor I knew exactly how to respond. Then it was too late. Joe found out. He and Miyamoto met. She refused point-blank to marry him and… well she told him a lot of lies and very nearly broke his heart. She also told him a truth: that his place was with Delilah, his true soul mate, not with her even though she carried his child." Oak smiled. "She was very persuasive. Joe reluctantly did as she asked. Miya even refused to accept money from him to help bring up the child.

"Joe put even more effort into his relationship with Delilah than before. The two were already very much in love. Delilah must have noticed how worried he was about something and made it her business to make him feel better. She succeeded. Within a year of their first meeting, the two married and you only had to look at the expression on their faces as they walked down the aisle to know that, difficult as it was, Miyamoto had done the right thing. They were happy together in a way that Joe and Miya never were or could ever hope to be.

"Miya was invited to the wedding, but chose not to attend, and I can't blame her. You were born about a week before the wedding. Joe never saw you even once. Miya asked him to stay away for Delilah's sake and he respected that. Of course, in time, I think the pain lessened somewhat. He had Delilah and his love for her healed many of his wounds from his failed relationship with your mother."

Oak's face darkened. "As I explained to Ash, however, the first clouds were already forming. Team Rocket had begun to clean up this imperfect world as best as it could, but there was so much in the way of Joe's dreams of a just, free world. Slowly, but surely, Joe was slipping further and further into the darkness. Everyone could see it, but he was so charismatic and so… certain about everything that all of us were too afraid to say anything.

"The final straw was when Joe led an assault force to free the people of the Afghano-Persian Republic from a fundamentalist government that claimed to be Islamic, but frankly failed both the spirit and the letter of their faith. He was… brutal, Jessica. Bloodthirsty and cruel. There is no other way to describe it. It was the beginning of the end of Joseph Oak and the birth of Giovanni diRocketti.

"Miyamoto was one of Team Rocket's Inner Council by now. She was the only one of them courageous to speak out against Joe. She denounced him in a full meeting of the Council and demanded his impeachment and expulsion from Team Rocket." Oak groaned and covered his face. "She was always too brave, Jessica. Too brave, and not wise enough to know when to remain silent. Joe had her expelled from the Inner Council and demoted to a Field Agent. Six weeks later, he assigned her to find The First Mew in the Icy Mountains. He was certain, so he claimed, that the God of the Pokémon could be captured and would be a great asset to the Cause."

Professor Oak stopped. Jessie knew the rest of the story. "And she died in the mountains," she continued. "She died in an avalanche. So what Giovanni said about executing her was a lie designed to hurt me."

"No," Oak said. "I wish that were so, Jessica, but it is not." The old man was crying. "I don't know the details, but I do know that Joe disappeared from the Earth Gym for a few weeks. When he came back, he had changed completely. The Joe I had known was dead and he had become Giovanni. Your mother never returned and you disappeared too. I can only assume she knew that something was wrong and she had made arrangements to keep you out of Giovanni's hands. Charlie and I searched for both of you. We found your mother…" he paused. "Do you want to know?"

"No," Jessie said, her voice small and terrified.

Oak nodded his understanding. "It is enough to say that Joe… that Giovanni ambushed her. He brutalised her over what must have been a period of weeks. Then he slit her jugular veins and left her tied up in a sewer pipe under Viridian City to slowly bleed to death surrounded by rats, Grimers and filth."

Jessie had collapsed into tears some time during the Professor's recital. He stood up and walked over to her. He knelt beside the weeping woman and held her. "I'm so sorry, dear," he said. "If I could say or do anything to make this better, I would. But I can't."

"I… I half ex… expected it," Jessie sobbed. "But I don't understand why everyone thought she died in the mountains."

"That was… my fault," Oak said. "Charlie, who was closer to Joe than anyone, begged me not to tell. He was certain that if he could face Joe with his crime alone, he could save him. God forgive me, but I believed him. Charlie took Miya's body to Glacier City and buried her there. He was the one who raised the memorial stone you've probably seen. When I returned to headquarters, Charlie had already spread the tale you heard about an avalanche. In retrospect, I signed all their death warrants. If I had told them what happened, the entire team would have turned on Joe and stopped him. As it was, none of them knew about how he had fallen until he decided to destroy them all, and then it was too late." Professor Oak stopped and frowned. Jessie could see an incomprehensible pain writhing behind his eyes. "I am the last survivor of the original Team Rocket, except Joe… Giovanni and Charlie… they call him Mondo Jones now, I understand."

"Mondo's grandfather? He was one of the original Team Rocket?" This caught Jessie's attention. "But… he was one of Mama's friends! Why is he still working with Giovanni?"

"Charlie… Mondo… whatever you call him… had a choice, Jessica," Oak explained. "He had to choose between loyalty to Team Rocket and loyalty to his closest friend. He chose his friend over his cause. I should have realised that he would blindly follow Joe wherever he went. All my friends died because of his weakness of the soul, and it is all my fault."

"It… it isn't your fault," Jessie said in a low, broken tone of voice. She had started to cry again. "It… it is Giovanni. Everything bad about my life seems to somehow be because of him!" She shook her head, sucked in her sobs and tried to stop crying. "Well," she said harshly, "it seems I have as much a motivation to fight now as Ash and James have."

"Don't," Oak said firmly. "Don't succumb to revenge. Giovanni has to be stopped for the good of all people everywhere, but if you let hate motivate your actions, you will have started down the same dark path that claimed my brother. Then Giovanni really will have won the ultimate victory." Jessie looked at him unsteadily. "Learn from Ash's example," Oak said gently. "Do this to build a better future, not to perpetuate the pains of the past. That is what your mother would have wanted. She bore you in love. The best memorial you can give her is to live your life for love."

Jessie began to cry even harder, and Samuel Oak could do nothing except hold his niece until her tears had finally been all cried out.

***

It was late evening in Pallet Town and the sun was setting behind the Pallet Hills.

Jessie leaned back into James' embrace thankfully while Ash and Misty stood nearby, Raichu hanging on Ash's back and Togetic hovering beside Misty. Meowth was sitting in her lap, rubbing her face reassuringly. The seven friends and were standing on the opposite slope of the Pallet Valley from the site of the Professor's research centre. Jessie had flown over on Fearaven to see James. She had told her four closest friends everything Professor Oak had told her. The horror in her voice hurt everyone, especially James, who hated seeing his lover hurt.

"I'm here," James whispered into Jessie's ear.

"I know," Jessie replied quietly. "It… it was hard," she said more loudly, "but it has cleared the air. I know who my mother was and the cause she died for. I think I can move on now."

"We all have our own pain," Ash said quietly. He felt strangely ambiguous. Professor Oak had told him this story before, but never had Ash imagined that Jessie was the daughter of that brave Rocket who stood up to Giovanni when he emerged from the darkness that consumed Ash's father. Stranger still, that a woman who had been his bitterest enemy for the first six years of his Journey was, if fact, his half-sister. "Yours is greater than most, Jessie. I…" he paused. "Giovanni is yours to kill, if you want him." Misty gasped and James physically tensed as Jessie considered the offer. Meowth was silent, knowing that he had no right to interrupt or advise in this matter.

"Wouldn't I be depriving you of your rights, Ash?" she asked with an indecipherable smile. "You are the firstborn son, after all." Ash didn't reply. He just focussed his thoughtful brown eyes on his half-sister and waited for her decision. "Mama believed in Team Rocket and what it originally stood for," she said. "She died because she stood up for those beliefs. If I went out to kill to avenge her… I would be betraying her."

Ash nodded thankfully. "That's good," he said. "I don't want any more deaths because of this, and least of all Giovanni's. It would be descending to his level." Misty, Meowth and James visibly relaxed when they heard Ash and Jessie's words.

"You know, I don't know why I ever thought you were a dumb Twerp," James said with a laugh.

"I was dumb when I was ten, James," Ash said with a grin. "If I've changed for the better, it is because of the quality of my friends and the determination and skill of my adversaries." Ash winked at the threesome sitting together on the hillside.

"Hey, he gave us a compliment," Meowth chuckled. "Meowth! We finally done som't'in' right!"

Jessie stood up and James joined her. "Well, I should be going to get some decent clothes," Jessie said. "I can't go to Delilah's dinner tonight in these rags." She turned to leave, intending to get her best clothes from Team Thunderbolt's ad-hoc headquarters in a derelict factory in Pallet Town. "We'll see you later."

"See you tonight, James, Jessie, Meowth," Misty said with a smile and a wave.

"Yeah, see you," Ash said thoughtfully. "James… uh…" Ash paused, feeling uncomfortable. James turned to look at him, looking curious. "James, look after my sister, okay?"

"She is usually the one who looks after me," James said with a laugh. Jessie punched him playfully on the shoulder. With Meowth skipping at their side, the three who Ash used to refer to as 'Team Rocket' but now thought of as among his dearest friends walked back towards the town.

There was a long quiet moment as Ash and Misty stood watching the sunset. Misty could read Ash's expression and posture, and she could see the pain that filled his every movement. "Please tell me what you're feeling," Misty asked Ash quietly.

"I feel… mutilated," Ash said at last. "Joy tried to dress it up in nice clothes, but Cassidy has maimed me for life." Ash covered his face for a moment, fighting tears that were the symptoms of delayed shock more than any other thing. Misty sighed and walked over to hug Ash from behind. Ash placed his hands over where Misty's hands crossed over his chest. "I'm sorry that you have to endure loving someone so… damaged, Misty. I wouldn't blame you for trying to find someone else."

"Ash!" Misty was suddenly angry and released him. She whirled her lover around and stared in his face. "Don't you dare start getting all self-loathing with me, Ash Ketchum!" she snapped, sticking a finger in his face. "None of this is your fault and I am not going to leave you because of a minor medical malfunction that Joy isn't even sure is going to be a problem." Ash tried to babble a response, but Misty rode right over him. "Look, Mr. Ketchum, I am with you because I love you. Not because I want to bear your children or because I think you are a good genetic material for a mate, but because I love you: the heroic, kind, loving, honest and woefully dense Ash Ketchum!"

Ash jumped back a good yard and frowned as he heard Raichu and Togetic starting to laugh from where they were sitting watching them. "Okay! I believe you," he said hastily before Misty could launch another barrage. He shook his head. "I should know better than to doubt your feelings for me by now."

"Damn straight!" Misty snapped and turned around to look away from him.

Ash didn't like that view, so he acted to change it. He walked up behind Misty and circled her waist with his arms. "I love you, Misty," he said. "You are the thing that keeps me in the light." He hugged her a little tighter, and when the outraged stiffness of her posture didn't change, he nuzzled her hair aside and kissed her on the side of the neck. "Your love is the thing that makes me strong," he said as he continued to place kisses on Misty's neck.

"Ash…" she sighed and groaned gently, her body relaxing and leaning into Ash's presence. "Ash, you crazy idiot… we'll be late for the dinner your Mom is hosting…"

"Come on, you know we've got the time," Ash whispered seductively into her ear, nibbled on her earlobe and then kissed it.

"S' a hillside in full view…" Misty sighed, her eyes closed in appreciation of her mate's attentions. "Anyone could see…"

"It's late evening. People would need… a Starlite Scope… to see us," Ash murmured, tracking kisses along Misty's white neck and throat at every pause in his reply. "If they've… gone to that much… trouble, I think… we shouldn't… disappoint them!"

Raichu stood up on his hind legs as Misty chuckled sensually and turned to face Ash. [Guys…] he called and then sighed, sagging slightly. [Oh well, I suppose it's better than them fighting.]

[At least they're happy, Uncle Raichu,] Togetic said, sounding unusually mature and sensible. Evolving had changed Togetic and only for the better.

Raichu looked at the fairy-like Psychic-type for a long moment. [Yes,] he said at last. [Nonetheless we owe them some respect.] Raichu deliberately stepped in front of Togetic and covered the little creature's ears. The only problem was that meant he could hear the groans and sighs… even if his back was turned.

***

Delilah had just finished settling the polite journalist, Snap, in Misty's old room. She knew the young man on sight, having received a photograph of him with Ash and Misty during their second journey in the Orange Islands three years ago. No friend of her family would have to find a place in a refugee camp so long as she had a roof over her head.

Delilah was still amazed at the miracles that Ash and Misty had performed. The house was almost completely repaired although, as Ash had warned, there remained a great deal of fine details left to finish; like putting up curtain rails, laying carpets, linoleum and parquet flooring. Nonetheless, being under her own roof again had made Delilah feel a lot better about life.

However… well it wasn't the same house really. Most of the appliances and furniture were gone and the rooms felt very empty, something which Mimey's absence only worsened. Worse still, there was the disturbing discovery Delilah made when she went into Ash's room. She should have expected it, of course. After all, she had realised that Ash and Misty's relationship had finally deepened to intimacy long before anyone else. Nonetheless, it was still a great shock to see all of Ash and Misty's surviving possessions in one room and a large double floor-level bed sitting in the centre of the room. The fact that her little boy had indubitably become a man made her feel uncomfortable and just a little sad.

While Ash and Misty had, as already stated, performed miracles, even they couldn't do everything. None of Pallet Town's public utilities had yet been restored. Water was brought around every morning by military tanker trucks. If you were close enough, of course, there was either the river or the lake. Electricity and gas for heating were also still unavailable, so the big celebration dinner was going to be held in the back garden.

A large hearth fire was burning in the middle of the lawn and several cooking pots were suspended over the flames on frames assembled from metal pieces. Brock and Joy were tending to the cooking while Brock's Ninetails (who had been kind enough to light the fire) watched the roasting beef on the spit with a great deal of interest.

Everyone was there, and in his or her party-best clothes, a detail that was made rather surreal by the low-tech surroundings. No electric lights burned in Pallet Town these days except the massive spotlights at the refugee camp. Most people preferred to remain with their partially rebuilt homes, so other bonfires lit the night around the town. Delilah couldn't blame those who were sticking to their homes. Better a half-complete house than a soulless, anonymous tent or prefabricated hut, in her view.

"Hey, everyone!" James shouted as his Gyarados curved into the garden. "I've got the champagne! The best stuff in Viridian City!" That, Delilah reflected as Snap walked out of the back door to join the others in the garden, was one advantage of having a flying-type Pokémon. Shopping trips were easier and had a wider range.

As Delilah looked around the garden, lit by the fire and some oil-burning hurricane lanterns. She considered Ash's eight allies… no friends thoughtfully. After all, this was the first time she had met some of them, and certainly the first time she had seen them all together in this context.

Brock and Joy were clearly still delirious in re-discovering their love for each other. The former Gym Leader and the former Pokémon nurse hadn't been far from each other all day. Brock had changed so much since the time Delilah had first met him. Now, it seemed that he was finally putting away the demons that had driven him from the first time Ash had faced him in the Boulder Gym. For the first time Delilah could remember, he looked genuinely comfortable. Delilah didn't know Joy at all, but the way the woman kept looking into Brock's eyes told her everything she needed to know about their relationship.

Richie was, as always, surfing the Internet on his laptop computer. The young man was a genuine technology prodigy and he always seemed to prefer the company of the electronic kind. He had called up a web page of comedy cartoons of some kind. Lance and James were laughing at what was playing on the screen. Jessie was looking on in a superior disgust for such childish pursuits and Sabrina was looking on in frank amazement.

Speaking of Lance and Sabrina… Delilah had heard the rumours about Sabrina von Daimen. Who hadn't? However, the quiet and helpful young woman standing behind Lance didn't seem to match the stories of the formidable psychic who had a reputation for forcing those who failed to win her Marsh Badge to go through the most nightmarish experiences. The Sabrina that Delilah had come to know over the last day was a quiet and highly introverted woman. The only time she ever came out of her shell was around Lance Hook. Despite the fact the boy was about ten years her junior, the two of them were like two halves of the same soul. He was a typical farm boy type: Honest, formal around people who he wasn't familiar with and extremely proper in his manners. The only time the boy seemed to relax was when Sabrina was near him. When she touched him, his eyes would lose focus and Delilah could almost feel the bond between the two of them.

Maxine Simmonds, aka 'Duplicia,' was someone that Delilah knew quite well. The girl had stayed at the house with Ash, Misty and Brock for a few weeks a couple of years ago. She was kind, friendly and seemed to live to help others. She was a born prankster and a wonderful entertainer. Her singing voice, Delilah knew, was one of an angel. She could be fierce and gentle by turns. Delilah knew that she was deeply attracted to Ash, but the young woman understood that he had given his heart to another.

Jessie and James were the ones who had changed the most. James, who was once a timid and highly neurotic personality, had become a harsh and unyielding fighter. He was filled with a pain and anger that reminded Delilah of some of the original Team Rocket. The only time he was able to relax was with Jessie. Jessie, who was once scornful and superior, seemed now to be gentler and more caring. She hovered near James a lot, worrying about his happiness and safety. She was a fighter born and bred, but she was also a person with the deepest hurt in her soul. Delilah could see the sadness in her eyes, and could see how James soothed it. Both Jessie and James had suffered great wounds because of Giovanni. Perhaps, together, they would heal them.

Sam had told Delilah that he had found out that Jessie was Miyamoto's little girl. How strange that after two decades, she should have found herself first fighting against and then with her half brother. As surprising as fate's whims were, Delilah had promised she would treat the former terrorist woman more kindly from now on. Although the relationship was a tenuous one, Jessie was still family.

"Er… is everyone here?" Sam Oak asked.

Delilah looked around. "Where's Ash and Misty?" she asked. No one knew. Suddenly the back door slammed open and the two missing Thunderbolts arrived.

"Sorry we're late," Ash said.

"Yeah we got… held up," Misty added, and giggled as Ash went bright red.

Delilah looked at her son and the girl she saw as her daughter and sighed. Both of them were as scruffy as you could possibly be; their clothes in disarray and their hair unkempt. What had they been doing? Rolling in the grass somewhere…? Delilah suddenly went very red herself as she realised what they had been doing.

"Right, as everyone's here, we can begin," Professor Oak said over the buzz of conversation. "This is just an informal get-together, I know. However, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Delilah Ketchum for hosting this event. I also want to thank Ash Ketchum and Misty Waterflower, as I understand they are responsible for ensuring the house was usable. On behalf of Delilah and myself, I would also like to thank you for yesterday's rescue. We owe you our lives and are in all of your debt."

There were some embarrassed smiles as the young heroes all looked away and around, trying not to feel too self-conscious about that praise. Delilah smiled slightly. Heroes they might be, but it was important to remember that their average age was only 21. To these… children… fate had entrusted the future of the world.

"So, if that finishes the speeches," James said from the other side of the cooking fire, "let's eat!" There was a great deal of good-natured laughter in response, and a general stampede towards where Brock was standing ready to dish out the food.

***

Ash was talking to Brock and Joy when Professor Oak came up to him. "Ash," he said quietly. Ash turned to look at his mentor with a friendly smile. "Ash, your mother and I would like to have a word in private," he said.

"Sure," Ash said easily. "Raichu," here Ash turned to his electric-type, who was hanging from his back, "can you ask Misty to come and join me please?" he asked. Raichu nodded and leapt from his back and darted off to where Misty was talking to Jessie and Duplicia about something.

Oak sighed and rolled his eyes. I really meant it when I said 'in private,' lad, he thought. Still, Ash and Misty seemed to be a joined by some invisible bond these days. If you wanted one, you got both.

"See you around, Brock-o," Ash said, waving easily over his shoulder as he followed Professor Oak away.

"I thought he would never leave," Brock said with a slight shake of his head.

Joy looked at Brock in surprise. "I thought he was your best friend?" she asked.

"He is," Brock said, smiling at her reassuringly. "It's just that I want to do something, and it's difficult when your best friend is talking at you without even taking a break for breath." Joy chuckled. "Ash is a good man," Brock continued, "but, boy, can he talk!"

"So what is it that is so important?" Joy asked, still chuckling slightly.

"I want to give you something," Brock said. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a velvet bag. He pulled the bag's drawstring and pulled out what was nestled inside.

Joy gasped in appreciation and drew back. She almost couldn't believe that this was happening, and she was a little afraid. "Wh… where did you get this from?" she asked.

"I bought it ten years ago, for you," Brock replied. "We've been through bad times since then, but I still want you to have it… and keep it forever."

Joy felt tears prickling in her eyes. She looked from Brock's gift into his amber eyes and tried to think of something, of anything, that she could say in reply.

***

Ash walked into what, with a lot of work, would be a kitchen. By the light of a hurricane lantern, he saw his mother leaning against the counter Ash had assembled just a few days previously. "Hi, Mom. What's this about?" he asked.

Delilah felt nervous. While she recognised that this conversation was necessary, she wasn't sure she could face all the possible answers her only child could give to the questions they were about to ask.

"Ash, lad, we just want to have a chat with you," Professor Oak said quietly from behind Ash. "We were both more than a little alarmed about the level of force you used in Vermilion City." Ash shot Oak a surprised and concerned look, but didn't say anything. "Ash, I have to know," the old man said, "how far were you willing to go?"

"As far as it was necessary," Ash said in a completely level tone of voice. "I had to rescue you."

"But darling," Delilah protested, a little fear entering her voice, "you could have killed those Rockets!"

Ash looked at his mother in a concerned way. "I… don't think so," he said at last. "I went to a lot of trouble to make sure they were at risk. I don't want anyone to be hurt if I can avoid it."

Delilah blinked. "Ash, those fire attacks…"

Ash laughed. "Mom," he said with a lop-sided and confident grin, "you shouldn't worry! Those attacks were for effect only. I had to drive the Rockets up to the top of the building so I could immobilise them and stop them from killing themselves!" Ash stepped forward and put his hands on her shoulders. "Mom, trust me on this. I don't want cause any unnecessary hurt."

Delilah felt relieved. She cupped Ash's chin in her hand and looked into his eyes with a slight smile. "I'm happy to hear that, darling," she said.

"Ash, what would you define as 'necessary?'" Oak asked. Ash turned around and gave him a hard look, but the old man was resolute. He had to be sure that Ash hadn't started down his father's path. "What if you were in a fight for your life?"

Ash paused and drew in a deep breath. "I would make every effort to capture the person unharmed," Ash said. "Make no mistake, however, Professor: If it came down to it being he and I to the death, I wouldn't hesitate for a second." Ash heard his mother gasp in horror, but he concentrated his attention on Professor Oak. "I would take no joy in using lethal force, Professor, but I won't throw away my life of that of my friends for a principle that the other guy wouldn't respect anyway."

Oak nodded. "Your father once said the same thing," he said sadly.

"I'm not going to become a new, worse Giovanni, Professor," Ash said with a smile. "Never worry about that!"

Easy for you to say, but we can't take that risk, Delilah said to herself, horror and desperate hope warring in her heart. "Ash, you understand that we need to be sure," she said.

"I do understand, Mom," Ash said. "Giovanni likes killing and causing suffering and that is something I could never do. I value my friends and my family too much to hurt them."

Professor Oak was about to say something when Misty suddenly entered the kitchen with Raichu running alongside her and Togetic fluttering at her side. "You can be sure of that," Misty said. She walked over to Ash, took his hand and kissed him on the cheek. "Ash is a good person," she continued. "You don't have to worry about him ever becoming like his father."

Professor Oak looked at the soul mates thoughtfully. "I'm afraid, my dear, that we need more than a glib assurance," he said.

Ash smiled. "Professor, I won't lie," he said. "When you, Mom and Joy were kidnapped, I nearly lost it. I was this close," Ash held a finger and a thumb just a fraction of an inch apart, "to falling into the darkness forever." Ash turned to Misty and smiled. "Misty saved me," he said. "I realised that if I gave into hate, I would hurt my friends, my family and… my love… Maybe even destroy them." Ash took Misty's hand and squeezed it. The two of them exchanged such an incredibly loving gaze that the two older people felt like intruders. "I couldn't do that," Ash concluded. "Not ever."

There was a long pause before Professor Oak spoke again. "I am very glad to hear that," he said. "I was worried about you, lad."

"You were right to be," Ash said. "I wouldn't have made if it were not for my friends."

"Don't undersell yourself, Ash," Misty said. "You are tougher than you think."

[You can be sure that we will always be there for you, Ash,] Raichu added stoutly.

Delilah and Professor Oak had to take a moment to gather their thoughts before continuing. "Now, we need to discuss what we do next." Delilah nodded in agreement. "I, for one, want to interview Gary as early tomorrow as is convenient for you," Oak continued.

"I couldn't believe that he betrayed us not once but twice," Delilah said sadly. "I can't understand why he would do that."

Ash looked at Professor Oak for a moment, making the man feel nervous again. "Gary explained it to me," he said. "He had his reasons, paranoid and insipid they were."

"I blame myself," Oak said quietly. "I never gave him the attention he needed after his mother, Sarah, died. Paul tried his best, but it was so difficult for him to raise Gary and May on his own and hold down his job with the Governing Council. If I had given Gary more of my attention…"

"It wasn't your fault, Professor," Misty said kindly. "We all know that Ash had to be your priority. So much depended on him." Delilah nodded her agreement and walked over to Sam Oak, holding his shoulders and looking into his eyes in an attempt to comfort him. Gary was far from the product of a deprived upbringing of any kind.

"Gary had to make his own choices," Ash added. "He was powerful enough a Trainer to do whatever he wanted, including finding happiness. Instead he chose to let his childhood bitterness consume him."

Oak cleared his throat. There was a suspicion of tears in his eyes. "Well," he said at last. "In any case, I want to start rectifying my mistakes. When can I see Gary, Ash?"

"Professor, I…" Ash shook his head. "That won't be possible, Professor. Gary is no longer with us. We don't have the facilities to hold a prisoner for more than a few days at the Gang Hut, and I couldn't just release someone who had proven he would do anything to injure me. I made sure he won't be a threat to our struggle against Team Rocket ever again."

There was a long, horrified pause. Delilah covered her mouth to muffle a cry and Oak's eyes opened very, very wide. Ash and Misty looked around at the expressions on the faces of the older pair and they both began to laugh out loud. "It isn't funny!" Oak shouted. "Ash, for God's sake, don't tell me that you killed…?"

Ash waved a hand to silence Oak's horrified question. "No…" he chuckled. "No Professor, nothing like that! I told you that I would only do something like that as an absolute last resort. No, I decided to sequester Gary somewhere safe until I have finished my business with Team Rocket. I dumped him, his Umbreon, Arcanine, some survival equipment, food and water on an uninhabited island in the Orange Archipelago." Ash grinned. "Who knows? He might capture a Lapras or a Gyarados and get off himself, but somehow I doubt it!"

Oak nodded in relief. "Still, lad," he said, "you shouldn't act as judge, jury and executioner, you know that."

"I do," Ash said. "I won't leave him there, Professor."

"No matter how much he deserves it," Misty added tartly, making Ash laugh and put an arm across her shoulders to hug her.

"I will bring him back after things are more settled," Ash announced. "He is still my cousin and I still care for him. I will try to help him and get over his bitterness." Ash's voice became more impassioned. "He is still a good person, Mom, Professor. I won't let that person die because he made a few bad decisions."

"That's my Ash," Misty said airily. "He's always trying to help people and save them, even from themselves if necessary." Even if they don't deserve the effort, she added silently. She smiled and shook her head. If Ash had chosen to forgive Gary, considering how he had suffered because of him, who was she to hold a grudge?

There was another long pause. "That is more noble and kind an attitude than he has any right to expect, lad," Oak said at last. "Thank you."

"I'm proud of you, Ash," Delilah said, a broad smile finally escaping her worries.

Ash smiled and nodded. "You know, I owe Gary," he said. "His example and that of my father show me what lies down the dark path: Greed, hatred, loneliness, sorrow and self-destruction. I would hate to have that kind of life." Ash looked lovingly into Misty's eyes again. "I prefer the light with the company of my friends and my loves."

Misty grinned and mouthed 'I love you,' at Ash. Raichu grinned and rolled his eyes in mock disbelief.

Suddenly, the back door opened again and Richie stuck his head in. "Come on, guys," he said. "You're missing all the fun! Not to mention the food!"

Raichu leapt off of the table and shot out of the door. [Save the Ketchup for me!] the electric squirrel squeaked.

Ash grinned and offered his mother the crook of his arm. Delilah nodded politely and took her son's arm.

As they left, Professor Oak caught Misty's arm. "So much is owed to you," he said to her quietly. "If Ash had fallen…"

"I only reminded him of what he already knew," Misty said with a quiet, gentle smile. "The strength and goodness are all from his heart."

***

Later that night, after everyone else had finally gone to their beds, Todd Marshall ('Snap,' to his friends) stood on the rebuilt 'terrace' garden on the roof of the of the Ketchum home's garage. He looked over the dark mass of buildings that was the slowly reviving Pallet Town for a moment before closing his eyes and trying to attain to peace. Suddenly, a strong, humour-filled voice filled his mind. What do you have to report, Snap? Mewtwo asked.

Snap swallowed and tried to stay relaxed. He carefully enunciated his thoughts, letting the powerful psychic-type pull them from his public mind. I have made contact with the Thunderbolts, Master, he thought. There have been no awkward questions so far. Delilah Ketchum has allowed me to stay at her house. Ash and Misty have welcomed me without question. I think that Sabrina is a bit suspicious, but she hasn't been able to penetrate the privacy blocks you placed in my mind.

Excellent, Mewtwo said. Well done, Snap. You have done very well indeed. Snap smiled unconsciously as the power of his employer's approval triggered an endorphin surge.

Thank you, Master. He replied. What are your instructions now?

For now, merely continue to observe them, Mewtwo instructed. I want to know the moment Ketchum makes his next move. The tone of the psychic-type's voice became thoughtful and meditative. I have as much of a debt to pay to the Dark One as any, and I want to be in the right time and place to pay it.

Snap nodded unconsciously. I will let you know as soon as anything out-of-the-ordinary happens, Boss, he thought.

Very well, Mewtwo sent and Snap felt the pressure in his mind ease as the Pokémon's alien mind withdrew.

***

Next morning, Team Thunderbolt were meeting in what was once an executive boardroom in the office/warehouse complex they were occupying, but which they had converted into a map room. The big mahogany board table now had a large-scale UNDF Survey map of the entire Kanto region pinned to it.

Jessie, James, Meowth, Richie, Lance, Sabrina, Misty and Duplicia were standing around, trying not to show the after-affects of last night's celebration too obviously. "So, Misty, what's this about?" James asked.

"I don't know," Misty said. "You know how much of an enigma Ash can be sometimes." Everyone knew that this was very true. "He was up half last night muttering about something," she continued. "Maybe he has come up with a plan."

"Maybe," James agreed.

"Meowth, if it means we can relax soon, it's got Meowth's vote!"

"I certainly hope it has," Ash said, entering the room with Raichu hanging on his back. He walked over to Misty and the two exchanged a kiss. "Where's Brock and Joy?" The former Gym Leader and Pokémon nurse were both absent still.

"They left about half-way through the party," Duplicia revealed. "Brock had been talking to Joy and suddenly they ran off."

"Weird," Richie said.

"What is?" Brock asked. He and Joy had walked in hand-in-hand looking… well the description that entered Ash's head was 'disgustingly chipper.' "Morning everyone," Brock continued with a broad smile. "So what did you want to see us about, Ash?"

Raichu suddenly tugged on Ash's jacket. [Ash, Joy has a new bit of jewellery,] he said. [Your mother wears something similar. Is there a particular significance to it?]

Ash looked closely and saw what Raichu's sharp eyes had seen. Brock and Joy were both wearing simple golden bands with solitaire diamonds on their left ring fingers. "Ah… Are congratulations in order?" Ash asked.

"Definitely," Brock said, looking lovingly into Joy's eyes.

[Look, Uncle Raichu,] Togetic said, [they're doing what Mommy and Daddy do!]

[Charizard's right,] Raichu said with a sigh, [it must be the right time of year for humans.]

"Meowth, just throw a bucket o' ice water over dem!" was Meowth's less-than kind comment, one that earned him a thump from Jessie.

Brock, having communicated something to his lover, turned back to his best friend. "I guess this is as good a time to announce it as any. Last night… Joy agreed to marry me. We'll wait until the worst of the action is over, but we are certain about this." Everyone suddenly closed in around the newly affianced pair and congratulated them. Brock had gone bright red and Joy was on the verge of tears by the time they got breathing room back.

Ash waited with a slight smile for the excitement to die down and for the ladies to stop cooing over Joy's ring. "Now we've got that out of the way, we can continue," he said in a slightly ironic tone of voice. Sabrina, Misty, Jessie and Duplicia all stepped back from Joy with embarrassed expressions. Ash couldn't hold the laughter in any longer, even though he was sure he would suffer for it from Misty in due time.

"Anyway," Ash said after a moment trying to sober up, "I called this meeting because I want to discuss a new strategy with you."

"A 'new' strategy?" Richie asked, leaning forward with some interest. "Are we going to try something new, Ash?"

"Yes indeed, Richie," Ash confirmed. "In many ways, I think I should apologise for leading you all down a wrong route," he continued. "Over the last few weeks, I suddenly realised that we were pursuing this war in completely the wrong way."

"Are you admitting to an error, Ash?" James asked with a sardonic smirk. Jessie scowled and elbowed him hard in the ribs. Ash, however, didn't take offence. Why should he, when what his friend had said was true?

"Indeed I am, James," he said. "I've finally realised that we could spend the rest of our lives ripping open and knocking out Team Rocket bases and we still wouldn't get within a mile of defeating them. Team Rocket is simply too big and has too large a membership. No matter how much damage we caused, we could never cause enough."

"So, what are you suggesting?" Misty asked, looking at Ash in a worried way.

"A new concept, Misty," Ash said. "I call it 'The Hydra Strategy.'" Ash took a moment to collect his thoughts before continuing. "A few years ago, I read Homer's The Argonauts. In it, the poet described a monster called the 'Hydra,' a sea serpent with dozens of heads. It sounds a lot like a Hydreel, and who knows? Maybe it was based on someone's visit to Kanto long ago. The point is that the Hydra was a very difficult beast to kill. If you cut off one of it's serpent-like heads, two more would grow in its place."

Brock saw where this was going. "You think this monster is a bit like Team Rocket," he said. "That we've been cutting off heads for no gain."

"That's right," Ash said. "As I said, Team Rocket is simply too large. We could carry on 'cutting off heads' until we all die of old age and Team Rocket would still be there, twice as dangerous as before."

There was a long, depressed silence as the ten friends absorbed Ash's words. "So what are you suggesting we do?" Jessie asked at last. "There must be something that we can do!"

"Well, the Hydra had only one weakness," Ash explained. "If you could impale its heart, it would die. It was the creature's only vulnerability." There was a sudden tension around the map table as Ash continued. "In the same way, Team Rocket has a vulnerable spot. A single target that, if we were to pluck it out, would make the beast shrivel away and die. A single target that could bring the entire edifice tumbling down."

There was a long, long, pause. "You are talking about taking down Giovanni," Lance said at last.

"Yes," Ash said. "I'm talking about taking down Giovanni."

To be continued…