Pokémon: The Final Journey

Chapter Three

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon or any of its affiliations, unfortunately.

Narrator: We left off on our last episode with Misty heading to the Pokémon Research Exhibition hoping to convince Ash, Brock, and Tracy to attend Vermilion City's beach festival commemorating the trainers selected for the Master's Trials. Will she convince the guys to attend? What mischief will occur if they do? I guess we will have to wait and see just what is in store for Ash and his friends…

ASH

The Pokémon Exhibition was incredible. It was being held in a huge gymnasium. Researchers of all kinds were here. People with papers, equipment, and Pokémon were dotted heavily throughout the space. Booths were spread out in rows with people flocking to every one trying to read about the latest Pokémon intelligence. There was so much information about Pokémon. I felt overwhelmed by all of the new discoveries.

I would never understand how people behind computers could learn so much about creatures who lived predominately in the wild. I had experienced so much out in the world myself. I was sure that a bunch of data couldn't compare to what I had learned throughout my adventures as a young trainer.

As I walked down the rows of exhibits, people scrambled around me. To my left, an argument was taking place over the nature of the body language Nidoran show when in love. To the right, there was a group of people handing out flyers protesting the inhumane nature of people who catch Pokémon and take them out of the wild. One of the girls from the group spotted Pikachu on my shoulder and, scowling, approached me.

"Excuse me, sir, but do you have any idea what taking Pokémon out of their natural habitats does to their overall happiness?" she was clearly angry at my decision about Pokémon training, "That Pikachu belongs with others just like it in the wild. It doesn't belong with you." She continued. Her green eyes and yellow hair were as striking as her words.

Pikachu's ears fell. "Pika," he frowned, clearly upset.

"Well, ma'am," I corrected her sternly, "I gave Pikachu a chance to leave once. I saw how happy he was with other Pikachu, many years ago. I even tried to force him to leave, but he chose to follow me and I will never force him to leave again. He knows he is welcome to go whenever he chooses. If he wants to continue to stay, I am more than happy to have him. As long as he chooses, he is my closest friend and lifelong companion." I tried to futilely explain our love to someone who would never understand.

"Pikachu!" Pikachu furrowed his eyebrows and yelled at my accuser. His cheeks sparking in anger at the thought of us being apart. I know how he felt. If I could, I'd make my cheeks spark too.

"Yeah. I'm sure staying together and fighting other Pokémon is a mutual decision. You trainers are all a bunch of cavemen, who battle innocent creatures to boost your own ego."

I was growing tired of her accusations, and by the looks of it, so was Pikachu, "Look, lady, I would never ask my Pokémon to do something for me that I wouldn't do myself. All of my Pokémon know that they have the freedom to refuse anything I ask of them. My Bulbasuar even reserves the right to refuse to evolve if that is what makes him happy!" My voice rose as I defended my family. I had caught the attention of several other people at this point. "I love my Pokémon. They are not pets or tools for victory, they are family."

The girl just groaned, "Trainers…" She huffed as she walked away, "They will never learn."

Pikachu smiled as he looked at me, "Pika! Pika chu!"

"I know, buddy. I love you, too." I loved all of my Pokémon with a ferocity that would scare people. I would do whatever it took to make them happy. I would be sure to remind them of that.

We turned and continued exploring the exhibition. It went on forever. I could not understand how Brock and Tracy had gotten so caught up in other exhibits that they didn't want to keep looking around with Pikachu and me.

Brock had made it fifteen minutes into the exhibition before stopping to gawk and a group of beautiful women who studied the evolutions of Eevee. As if there beauty wasn't enough for Brock, they had discovered a dead evolution that Eevee had transformed into long ago called Styporeon. I was Eevee's rock-type evolution, if I remember correctly. Apparently the reason it wasn't seen today, was because the evolution stone was made of a rare type of rock that was believed to be buried deep below the Earth. The missing evolution was really an incredible discovery, but I think Brock had stayed behind hoping to make a few of his own discoveries with the ladies.

I smiled to myself, while walking down a new isle of booths. Brock was so hopeless. He sure was handsome these days, but his desperation when it came to women shrouded what a sensitive, intelligent guy he really was. I had once thought that he would be good for Misty, she liked that romantic stuff, but as I thought about it now, it rather upset me. They were friends, and I liked it that way.

Seeing a group of researchers debating over battle strategy brought my mind back to Tracy. He had stayed behind to listen to a speech about a cutting-edge type of bug Pokémon attack that allows them to emit a foul odor, impairing their opponent. It sounded really interesting and I am always game for anything about battling but the speaker dragged on about bug-type Pokémon and I figured Tracy would more than fill me in later.

When I broke from my thoughts, I wasn't sure where I had wandered too. The exhibit went on in all directions and I really had stopped paying attention. I walked through some more exhibits and stopped. I should probably start heading back to find Brock and Tracy.

"Pikachu!" My pal protested as I started to turn back.

I spun around to see what had caught Pikachu's eye. In a corner of the gymnasium was an old man. He was perched on a stool. His beard was long and his eyes seemed all-knowing. His clothes were a bit ragged but not so much as to arouse suspicion about his operation. Around him sat a dozen young children. They seemed entranced by his words.

I stepped closer so as to be in ear shot. The old man began, "Once long ago, children, there were two great Pokémon who were constantly at ends. One was guardian of the seas, the other, guardian of the skies. They lived their days in solitude watching over their realms," the old man paused, "One day, there was a terrible fire. The watch tower where the sky guardian slept was burned to the ground. The fire had driven him from his fortitude. With his watch tower destroyed, he was forced to forever fly the skies never landing, unless…." The wise gentleman paused.

"Unless, What?!" Several children demanded him to continue.

The old man chuckled. "Well, it is said that since the great keeper of the skies no longer has a home, he is instead, forever in search of a trainer with a pure heart. Only when he finds a trainer with a pure heart will he land again. For now, he flies all over the Earth, leaving a cascade of rainbows behind him. All those who are gifted with his presence are said to possess eternal happiness and it is believed that the guardian of the skies has the power to resurrect the dead."

As the old man finished his tale, the children gasped in amazement. Their young minds filled with determination and imagination they begin to scramble around imitating what they believed the great guardian of the sky looked like.

I stood, puzzled at the story. I could only watch the old man smile at the young children. I was lost in my thoughts, "leaving a cascade of rainbows behind him…" I swore I had seen that before.

"Young man," I was caught off guard by the voice addressing me, "what have you to say about the old man's tale?" The wise, old, man asked me himself.

"Well, Sir," I stumbled. My story was going to sound silly. After all, his tale was just that: a tale.

I decided to continue anyways, "On my first day as a trainer, I was battling a storm trying to get Pikachu, here, to a Pokémon center-"

"Pika Pi!" He interrupted happily. The old man laughed at Pikachu's version of the story.

"After the rain had cleared, in the skies was a rainbow with a bird flying overhead. Just like the one from your story," I felt stupid, "It was probably just a normal rainbow created by the rain and the light, with a Spearow flying over it, I know. But, your story reminded me of that day…" I trailed off.

The old man gave a knowing smile, "Son, don't ever doubt what you see. The guardian of the skies has a way of finding his way to us when we need him."

Now the old guy really sounded crazy and I was crazy for believing him. A Pokémon who guarded the skies? There was no such thing. I asked, hoping to nullify his story, "But, if it really was him, I'd have eternal happiness wouldn't I? I don't." I felt proud at my argument. I was right. It was just a tale after all.

The old man laughed once more, "Young man, someone who has not suffered great sorrow cannot appreciate great joy. Eternal happiness is not the same as good fortune. It is the ability to reflect on your suffering and use your sorrow to appreciate the gifts that life has given to you."

"Ash!" I voice yelled my name through the swarms of people, interrupting the conversation. "Ash…?" The old man smiled at the voice, crinkling his insightful eyes. I turned around and saw Misty headed in my direction. I looked back for the old man, eager to thank him for the strange story, but he was gone. A stool was all that was left of our encounter.

"What are you doing over here, Ash?" Misty questioned.

"There was an old man! He was telling all these kids about the guardian of the skies and his rainbow tail!" I spilled out my recent experience, sounding like a moron.

"…Right…" Misty eyed me suspiciously. "And I am just a figment of your imagination, here to provide entertainment to the voices in your head." She mocked me.

"I really happened, Mist!" I swore.

"Okay, Ash. Whatever you say. Now come on, let's go find Tracy and Brock. We just have to go to this festival I heard about!" She thoughtlessly looped her arm around mine and dragged me off in search of our friends.

BROCK

Lily was the prettiest of the four girls, or was Delilah? I couldn't decide. They were all beautiful. Yeah, that was it. They were all beautiful.

I don't know how long ago Tracy and Ash had left but I didn't care. All I cared about was Bell and her pink, wavy hair. The girls were so great and I had finally reeled in their attention when I showed them my special Pokémon food for their Eevee.

Gosh. Did I mention they were beautiful?

"Brock…?" I heard Misty call my voice over the crowds.

I wanted to cry. "No!" I wanted to stay with the ladies. Maybe, if I just hid under this table-

"Brock!" Damnit. She'd seen me, "What are you doing, Brock?!"

"Brock is currently busy caring for the illustrious ladies who are Eevee experts." I exclaimed.

"Brock, we have to get going." Misty growled. She was such a cock blocker.

"Yeah, Brock," Tracy and Ash chimed in, "There is a Pokémon Beach Festival tonight celebrating the upcoming Master's Trials."

"I'll never leave Daffodil!" I vowed.

"Please, take your friend back. He's, like, totally ruining our exhibit."

Heartbreak. Tears fell from my face.

"Lily, how could you hurt me like that?" I sobbed.

"Get off me." She jerked her arm away from my hands.

I felt Misty grab my ear, paralyzing me from head to toe. "Brock, you can flirt on someone else's watch! Now, let's go! We need to get back to the hotel to change." And I was, once again, dragged away from true love.

Narrator: Well, It looks like another failed attempt at love for Brock, but Misty has managed to convince the trio of guys to attend the Pokémon Beach Festival. What lies in store for Ash and his friends at the festival? Fun? Trouble? A night to remember? Will Ash ever figure out the crazy ramblings of the old man? Find out next time.

*Special sources for this chapter: wiki/Main_Page