Chapter 12/Final: Heart, Tell the Truth


Fang had been destroyed. Ash and Hikaru were successful in stopping Fang from the havoc that could have spelled the end of Hikaru's old world, Ash's world and Cephiro. Misty and Umi leaped into the water, spotting Ash and Hikaru floating unconscious on the top of the water. "Hikaru!" Umi yelled out as she paddled with Misty in the water. For someone wearing boots, she was swimming pretty well. As the two were snatching the fallen from the water, Ash's mind had found himself in that oh so familiar area of darkness.


(Ash's Dream)

That dark area once more. Ash could already feel the frustration mounting. "Don't tell me that our jobs are still going," he groaned. As he stared around, he located a shine. "What's that?" he walked over to the shine, eying a light switch in the "OFF" position with a note on the side.

YOU CAN FINALLY FLIP THIS SWITCH

Somehow you have to feel like a sucker to be told to turn something on. "Alright, I give," he sighed as he flipped the switch. That's when a bright flash shined into Ash's eyes. He covered them in a snap. When the light dimmed enough, he uncovered those peepers. The area changed dramatically. It was no longer an area of black, but a plain of fresh grass and assortments of flowers. Was the vanquishing of Fang the reason? Ash was in shock, awe, disbelief and enjoyment all at the same time.

"Ash!" a female called to him. Ash turned to the sound, seeing that same blond that appeared in the beginning...just before his unintentional headbutt to Max.

"Princess Emeraude?" She nodded, confirming Ash's guess. She was in a shimmering white gown yet stood a foot shorter than Ash. Not the right expression of looking up.

"Cephiro will now forever be in peace, all because of you and Hikaru." Ash acted humbled to get the princess's good appraisal. "Those who've died: Lantis, Alcyone, Presea, Eagle Vision, Zagato and the many affected during the straining battles...they can now rest in peace." That's good to know.

"To be honest, your highness, I've just been doing what I always do." Ash was passing it off as everyday duties.

"As true as it seems, you used the best of your abilities to vanquish the last threat to Cephiro. For that from beyond the heavenly gates, I am eternally grateful." That was sweet. That's when a tall raven-haired woman in a black robe confronted Ash, standing next to Emeraude. She also had angel wings. Right away, Ash had a quick guess.

"Rion?" The new woman scoffed a laugh, amused at his guess.

"Guess nothing gets pass you," she chuckled. "But yeah, it's me. It seems like I gotta go to the golden gates. It was a blast keeping you on your feet." That and a whole lot more. But if Rion's here, what about..?

"And Hiki?"

"The heavens have one last task before she is to ascend as well," Emeraude informed. "But only you can invoke that last task." Ash nodded to accepting whatever that would be.

"Well, Ash, if I could stay alongside you," Rion teared. She realized it and wiped it away. "Excuse me. As I was saying, I would give you the confidence I had against the other trainers. But...the big man upstairs makes that final ruling." No power to overrule him. That sucks.

"As I join Rion to the gates, you are free to resume your life. Please, as much as it aches me to say, be careful on your future and live life to the fullest." Ash lofted a chuckle, fascinated with the serene compliments.

"You take care, your highness," he smiled as the two began their ascent. Watching them depart, Ash knew he had to get back to reality. He closed his eyes...


(Reality)

Ash began to open his eyes in front of Misty and Max, who began to breathe a sigh of relief knowing that he was alive. A good groan was enough to tell the two he was okay. "Ash, you alive!" Max cheered. Ash scoffed a giggle, but his body was nowhere close to okay. His clothes were charred and ripped from the blast. His arms were stained with blood and who knows how banged up he was on the inside. Well, there's one of satisfaction from it. Through a hole on the backside of his jeans, his underwear was spotless. He got to a seating position, yet his left arm was dead limp. He couldn't establish any feeling onto it.

"Don't move so much," a worried Misty warned. "You're badly injured!" Not that badly considering he sat up.

"I'll be fine," he lied. He was worried about someone else. He didn't really need to ask.

"Hikaru!" Umi hollered for the still down, maybe dead Hikaru. "Hikaru!" Fuu was right there, shaking her awake. No avail, but she persisted. "Please, Hikaru! We're here!"

"Please, Miss Hikaru!" Fuu politely but frustratingly called as well. "Open your eyes!" They remained closed, her whole body was stiff.

"Hikaru, don't go!" Ash, Misty, Tracy, Max, Pikachu and the Tauros watched on, helpless to do anything. Like reality striking the other two knights, Umi and Fuu began to surrender to the concept that Hikaru had passed away from the explosion. They began to cry in agony, loss of their great comrade too much to bare. Umi crumbled on top of Hikaru, emotionally in pain. Ash wanted to get over to Hikaru's side. That's when a familiar voice echoed into Ash's ear.

"Ash, allow me to heal your wounds," Hiki suggested. Yeah, those wounds might need some TLC. Ash could use some aid for the injuries, especially that arm that limply dangled.

"Sure, Hiki," he agreed...somewhat. "But not my wounds." He struggled to get to his feet, receiving massively sharp stings. His legs were mangled, causing him to fall on his knees.

"Ash, stop!" Max warned. "Your injuries!"

("You're only hurting yourself!") Pikachu advised. Ash knew that his friends were right and that he should take it easy. However, Ash had to know if Hikaru could be saved. He got to his feet again, despite how hurt those legs made him. He trudged to the knights, astounded at the mess he was in but able to reach. However, they believed that meeting Hikaru was a lost cause since they weren't able to alert her. Once more, the kneel down to see her.

'Hikaru,' he minded. 'I still remember when we first met. I still have that welt when you slapped me for being reckless. We became a team. We battled and won against all the Terror Gods, no matter the circumstances. There were times where you were always worried about what could happen and that your concern for others was great. Yet the more we worked together, I became you in that material. It's because of you that I was more vigilant in regard of my Pokémon. Now that Cephiro will be okay for the rest of eternity, you can live the life you want. Allow me to give you that motivation.' He lowered his head and kissed Hikaru on the lips as he was glowing white. Hikaru was starting to glow brightly as well. For a minute, everyone and everything eyed Ash and Hikaru lit up like a Christmas tree. Then, the glow dimmed. Ash broke from Hikaru, hoping Hiki could work her magic. For a moment, it seemed it was a pointless effort. Ash jerked his head away, figuring that his effort to save Hikaru was in vain. That's when Hikaru began to moan. She was alive! Umi and Fuu gasped, shocked that Hikaru was revived. Ash looked back in time to see Hikaru open her eyes, viewing him and her two other friends.

"Umi," she recognized in a weak groan. "Fuu. Ash." Umi dove on top of Hikaru, crying in happiness that she would be able to recognize her. Fuu wiped a tear from her face, also glad that Hikaru was alive.

"Hikaru!" Umi continued to cry. "You don't know how worried we were. We thought you died." Well technically, she did. Hiki just happened to bring you her back from there. The others were stunned that Ash was successful in reviving her.

"I'll be honest," Tracy started to understate. "I didn't know Ash had that in him to revive fallen people. He's certainly a miracle worker." No one would believe that, either. Hikaru reached up and snagged Ash's head, pulling him down gently. She embraced a hug onto the young man she fell in love with.

"I'm here," she whispered. "You can rest." Ash weakly nodded, blood draining steadily. "Thank you..." The group came to aid the two. Tracy wrapped and cleaned Ash of the blood that covered him. Very weak, Ash was helped onto a Tauros, a revitalized Hikaru holding on from behind. The group made it back home where Birch had a better first-aid kit. Fuu and Delia dressed the wound and hooked Ash's left arm in a splint which needed only half a day to recover. The feeling in his arm had recovered as well as his strength. During that time, Ash and Misty took the knights to see the Pokémon. Umi was like Misty, enjoying the water Pokémon, but none more than a small blue crocodile. Fuu had quite a time with the other Pokémon, even having a yellow owl hangout on her shoulder. You get the idea on who they liked? Hikaru hung around some of the shacks where she was feeding horses and unicorns with burning manes. As Ash came by the shacks, a small green dinosaur, about a foot taller than Ash with a leaf protruding on the head and green nubs around the neck, came by and playfully nuzzled him, making him laugh as well as Hikaru as soon as she glanced around. When night fell, talks of gossip strewn through the girls inside the Ketchum household. Ash, bandages still around his head and arm, and Pikachu stepped out onto the porch for some fresh air, like they haven't had enough today. It was quite an adventure for Ash, Pikachu and Hikaru.

"Say Pikachu," Ash smiled to the cloudless sky, crescent moon and shimmering stars all over. "Do you think we'll experience another adventure as big as what we had with Hikaru...and Team Rocket?" Yeah, let's not forget Jessie, James and Meowth.

("Who knows, Ash,") Pikachu squeaked. ("Maybe there will be more, maybe less.") Ash scoffed at the possibility of another big adventure in the future.

"Well if we do, I'll make sure to pack a few first-aid kits. Can't be too safe should some demon decide to cause chaos."

("Not a bad idea!") They shared a good laugh. Umi decided to step out, the crocodile in her arms.

"Well, it's about time I get some face time with you," she spoke up as she approached the railing. Ash twisted around to see the blue-haired female...and his little reptile.

"You and Totodile have gotten along pretty well," he noticed. Umi giggled but believed him.

"Well, you told me that he was always hyper. Maybe he just needed a woman's touch." Ash had to figure on that extent. That's when she leaned over the railing, gazing upon the stars. "Tomorrow, we can head back to Tokyo...back home and be with family once more." That would mean seeking Clef back in Cephiro. To Ash, he would be separated from Hikaru, hopefully not forever. He'd be also glad if Umi and Fuu would join in case Hikaru chose to return. That's when he remembered what occurred before the final battle.

"It's gonna be tough on you guys. You head back, pray for Alcyone and Lantis..." Umi understood what Ash meant. She had to have been told about how they were killed.

"At least High Priest Zagato is back with his brother, and I can somewhat imagine what's going on between the three of them in heaven. Alcyone taking it ahead and behind and she wouldn't mind it either way." Taking it ahead and behind? Anyone wanna take a gander at that? "Well, knowing that Cephiro is safe from any major calamity for the rest of eternity, all we can do is see what else needs to lie ahead." Now Ash had to bring up the offer.

"If it helps, you guys are always welcome to stop by."

"I know. I would like to see the Cerulean City Gym and see what Misty and her sisters have." Some food for thought. They chose to stop and head in for the night...the final night of remaining in the Pokémon world. The next day, the trainers, knights, professors and Max were in Oak's lab. They watched Tracy as he pulled out three heavy bags from a closet.

"Is it all right for me to ask if you were an adrenaline junkie when you were young?" he asked with a bit of shyness. Oak was handed one of the bags, pretty confident that these were bags with parachutes inside.

"Spring Break near the Ruins of Alph, man those were the days," Oak remembered his youth. The boys got a good chuckle from that confession.

"Yeah, but Ash has the testosterone and adrenaline to out-skill you if you were back in your prime," Misty teased. All but Ash and Hikaru laughed a storm.

"Come on, Misty," Ash whined, embarrassed from that confession. "Take it easy." He couldn't find a way to defend himself. Oak recovered and handed the chutes to Umi and Fuu. When Hikaru was offered, Hikaru turned it away. What's up with this? Everyone viewed Hikaru's refusal of a chute.

"Miss Hikaru?" Fuu wondered. A tear trickled Hikaru's face. This became serious.

"Where can I go if I do go back to Tokyo?" she whimpered. Obviously, she has family, right? "My mom, my dad, my brothers...Hikari, my dog..." Oh, dear. From this, she was saying that her family had been killed. No wonder she couldn't simply go back. She crumpled to her knees in regret and loss. The group realized that Hikaru had a seriously heavy burden on her. Hikaru was an orphan now.

"Poor kid," Ash downplayed. "No home, no family..." Ash came to Hikaru's side, understanding the heartache she was going through. His mind had gone into overdrive, trying to understand why she considered breaking into tears now since being so tough to begin with. "She was mustering up a relentless grit with vengeance on her mind because Fang had to be the one who wasted her family while she was returning from a destination, maybe school. She wanted revenge for her family and now that she made good, she's got nothing else to motivate her." Either that was such a long-winded piece of smarts that Ash came up with or something totally off the mark that made him look like an idiot. Whichever the case, Ash came to Hikaru's side. That's when Hikaru dove onto Ash, clutching onto him.

"Ash, please let me be by your side! Let me be by your side forever!" She wanted Ash and didn't want to let go. Ash returned the hug, allowing her to know that he was right there. No one would dispute this holding on.

"I'm here. Don't worry." That hold would last, and last and last...with an even longer kiss.


(15 YEARS LATER)

There was a large building in the outskirts of Pallet Town. There was a sign on the front by the front doors.

WELCOME TO THE BATTLE FRONTIER BATTLE SPACE, HOME OF FRONTIER BRAIN AND PRO EXTREME ATHLETE, ASH KETCHUM

Inside the building, a redhead girl was sleeping inside of a bedroom. A drawer had a picture of her with an even older Ash and Hikaru. There's a good possibility that she's the daughter of those two. In the living room, there were other photos like Ash holding a large crystal trophy and shaking a young blond female adult inside a stadium, Ash and Hikaru in wedding gowns, even Hikaru holding a newborn baby. In the kitchen, Hikaru and Ash were preparing breakfast with an orange mouse with a whip-like tail. Wait...where's Pikachu. Hikaru, wearing a red sweatshirt and jeans and only appearing about a few inches shorter than Ash, who wore a black shirt with scatters of stars as decal and jeans himself, got the table set for breakfast. "Raichu, you wanna go and see of Hannah is up?" Ash requested. Finally, a task for...Raichu? What happened to Pikachu?

("Okay, Ash,") it squeaked as it began to walk toward the stairwell. It entered the girl's room and hopped onto bed. ("Wake up, Birthday Girl!") Birthday girl? Well, she's Hannah, and it's her birthday. Hannah started to stir around, her eyes spotting Raichu.

"Good morning, Raichu," she greeted. "Is breakfast ready?"

("Just about. By the way, Happy Birthday, Hannah.") Hannah giggled, knowing what Raichu said.

"Why thank you!" Her eyes shifted to determination. "I can't believe I'm already ten years old! Time really flies when helping Dad with the battlefield." She helped her father with the Battle Space. Nice girl. She gowned herself in a black blouse under a blue open spring jacket. She slapped on some jeans and walked from her room to the kitchen. "Morning, Mom. Morning, Dad." Hikaru saw her daughter, brightened.

"Good morning, Hannah," she greeted. Ash would agree.

"There's the birthday girl!" Ash teased. "You're a whole decade old. How does it feel?" Hannah laughed sheepishly, almost embarrassed about turning ten.

"Trust me," she hiccuped. "It came so fast, I hadn't really planned too much for the future." Ash and Hikaru shared a laugh to ease Hannah's tension. "Oh, well. At least I'll try to beat you when the time comes, Dad."

"Is that so, Hannah?" Fire began to burn within both Hannah and Ash, daughter and father still eyeballing each other down.

"Alright, you two," Hikaru hollered with a few well sounded claps. Ash and Hannah stopped their staring contest to watch Hikaru. "Ash, don't intimidate our daughter like that. You're giving her bad advice." Guess there were some habits that died hard.

"Sorry, honey."

"And you, Hannah, don't get you father so riled up. He may be getting old, but he knows how to put you back in your place." Even worse when some of those habits are passed down to children.

"Okay, Mom," Hannah shyly muttered with her hand scratching the back of her head. After breakfast, Ash, Raichu and Hannah gathered in a large ballroom with a marked arena field. Above was a scatter of spheres like planets. Battle Space, huh? Fitting name. A cast of Pokémon were gathered to give Hannah the encouragement for a successful trip in being a great trainer, much like her dear old dad. Hikaru came in, bringing a backpack to Hannah.

"Here you go, Hannah." Hannah was astounded with the backpack and checked everything inside. Rope, bandages, clothing, berries...there was a lot inside the backpack for Hannah, even a couple of first-aid kits. Someone wanted Hannah to be safe. That's when Ash remembered something and dug into his pocket.

"There's something else I want you to have," he said as he pulled out a necklace with a safety pin. That pin had a few circles, one big gray circle being overlapped by three smaller violet circles.

"Dad, isn't this your Relic Badge?" she pondered.

"Yeah, it's also the badge you were after when you were just a tot." She had her mind on that badge when she was littler? Interesting that Ash would remember such detail. Hannah could recall those times now. "Now that you said your farewells to my Pokémon, are you ready to step out and get one of your own?" Hannah nodded. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Ash, Hannah and Hikaru were a bit stunned that someone decided to arrive at the Battle Space...this early in the morning.

"Who could that be?" Hikaru wondered. Ash opened the door when he walked to it. He saw something that almost made his heart skip a beat. There was a six-pack at the door and no folks, it ain't an order of Spotted Cow or Fat Tire. The six-pack can breathe. It was Umi, Fuu, Ascot, Ferio and two other kids who looked about a couple of years older than Hannah. One was a blond boy in glasses who wore a white dress shirt and brown dress pants. He did look like the intelligent type. The other was a light brunette girl in a blue fancy blouse and white skirt, trying to look like decent and well mannered. Ash could cackle at their arrival. "Come on in, guys." Umi, wearing a blue windbreaker with a red circle in a white rectangle fabric sewn onto the front of the jacket and the large letters "JPN" under "RYUUZAKI" on the back. Fuu was in a green business suit, pretty much everything else about her before remaining the same. Ferio was in a leather jacket and pants, looking like he's into motorcycles. Ascot, his mushroom cap still on him, didn't change so much. He did wear a white long-sleeve shirt and gray jeans. Hikaru was flabbergasted in seeing the new-looking group.

"Umi, Fuu," she chirped as she ran over to the girls and gave them a great big hug.

"Wow, Hikaru, I thought you'd change over the 15 years," Umi poked. Hikaru giggled, deserving that. The way they looked, it was like when they were schoolgirls back then. Ash felt guilty about allowing Hikaru to reunite with her fellow Magical Knights, but heck he didn't know about the knights visiting. The kids got to Ash's side, curious about their supposed mothers as well as each other.

"So, those two hugging my mom are your moms?" Hannah questioned. The other two nodded.

"Well, let us not forget the fathers," the boy pointed out. "I'm Hiroshi and she's Kata." So, Hiroshi was the son of Fuu and Kata was the daughter of Umi. "All that leaves it your identity." Hannah scoffed a chuckle.

"It's Hannah. I was just on my way to Professor Oak's lab." He's still alive after 15 years? Man, not even time slowed him down. "He's once my dad's rival and had taken over his grandpa's lab when his grandpa handed him the lab coat with Dawn. She's real passionate about the professor from my watching." Kata beamed a giggle, but turned to her mother, Umi, to see if she would like to join Hannah in getting her first Pokémon.

"Mom, is it alright if Hiroshi and I tag with Hannah to see the professor?" she requested. Umi saw nothing wrong with the three going to see someone with intelligence.

"Of course," Umi agreed. On that, the three kids raced off, seeing who would make it to Oak's lab first. Ash and Raichu watched on, seeing his offspring go off on an adventure that he lived in. That's when Umi noticed the Raichu with Ash and not Pikachu. "Ash, wasn't Pikachu suppose to be there?" Ash twisted to Umi, a smug look telling Umi that she was viewing the suspected missing Pokémon the whole time.

"It's him alright," he snickered. Hikaru made the point known about how Pikachu became the Raichu perched on Ash's shoulder.

"You see, Pikachu's electric sacs were getting terribly worn and that it wasn't able to emit electricity like it did when Ash and Pikachu first met," she started. "He challenged Cynthia a few times and she noticed that Pikachu's attacks were showing age and weakened over each battle. Cynthia noted the age of Pikachu and suspected that his sacs were shot. At that moment, Ash considered retiring Pikachu and have him as a house pet, but Pikachu was gun-ho in battling, the situation left Ash with two options: sac transplant or a Thunder stone. Ash knew that if Pikachu had that surgery, it would take a long time for Pikachu to reestablish control and strength of it's electricity and using the Thunder stone would be the shortcut but would make Pikachu's identity be lost. He had asked Pikachu for a choice. Because Pikachu believed he was as fast as he could ever be, he opted the Thunder stone and evolved to Raichu." Intriguing outcome. Pikachu chose the stone to get back into the game.

"My, it would seem that Sir Ash relies on his Pokémon more than himself when battle is not an issue," Fuu scoffed, still formally addressing Ash like she did those many years ago. "I might explain health issues with my students." The way she stated that, Fuu had to be a teacher. Then, what made Ferio?

"She's a teacher after graduating from Tokyo University while I'm a manager of a motorcycle corporation," he admitted. "While Ascot still monitors Cephiro without a job per say, Umi had been named the Olympic coach of the fencing team in Rio." Nice! Anyone wanna say spending time to dance the samba?

"By the way, Ash," Ascot voiced. "What happened to that strive for mastery?" Maybe he was resting his legs for when he battles the Pokémon Master.

"After seeing the world and knowing that there was a loved one back home," he began his guilt trip. "I felt as though walking the world was a lost cause and that I've seen all the Pokémon around. I then thought back to Scott's offer to open a gym or Frontier building and become a leader or brain so that I could meet younger trainers who want to challenge me. Besides, I have family to raise and Mom has never felt more happy for my choices since Hikaru had employed herself to work alongside in the nearby diner." He lost his adventurous spark, pretty much what killed his motivation to travel. It happens to the best of people.

"Then why is your sign also reading Pro Extreme Athlete?" Umi countered. Hikaru giggled, willing to explain that bit of detail.

"Umi, you're gonna love this," she sneered. "You know that battle against Fang?" Fuu and Umi nodded. "Well, sponsors had seen how he boarded down Rayearth. Ash picked up a skateboard and entered plenty of extreme competitions over the years, making millions. Yeah, he lost his desire to travel the world, but he did become quite an athlete." Who knew that Ash was skilled in something other than Pokémon training? Umi acted amused, almost to the point of wanting to take Ash for herself.

"Nice. I should bring you to San Francisco, California or Aspen, Colorado for the X Games. Sponsors would swarm your ass. I'm not kidding." No one said you were. Ash and Hikaru Ketchum, one a traveling Pokémon trainer, one a Magical Knight, both meeting in Cephiro by fate. Now, married, Ash waited those who sought to battle while Hikaru helped Ash's family with his mother's diner. Now, Hannah was the new Ketchum to battle the world. Could Hannah accomplish what her father failed to do? Only time will tell.


THE END