Episode 55: Homecoming

Niko put down his bag on the ground of his second-floor room. Looking around, it felt like he had never left. Yet, it still felt foreign to him. He looked over on his desk to see his badge cases from the four previous years, plus his Battle Frontier case with the four prints that he won, with a fifth one missing in the middle. Reaching into his bag, he pulled out his Unova badge case and placed it on the table next to Battle Frontier.

He took a deep breath and began to unpack with some of his smaller Pokémon around him. It was Lampent's and Reuniclus' first time in his room—and their first time in Kanto—that day, and they seemed to feel at home, too, oddly enough. The two of them helped Niko expedite his unpacking, and soon enough they were finished. Once they were done, Niko sat down on his bed and looked around.

"This feels more like home again." Niko said, remembering the last time he was in his room. "So much has changed." He looked at the Pokémon sitting in front of him. "You two have no idea."

Reuniclus made some gurgling sounds before flooding Niko with images, clearly from the past. He was reminded of a variety of events since Niko caught Reuniclus as a Solosis, including the first time they met. It felt good—cathartic, in fact. It also made him miss Charlotte and Warren. Earlier that day they were sitting in an airport, narrating their adventures to Sydney and Niko's mom. Now they were likely back in their homes in Castelia City, and he was here in the Kanto region.

"We'll see them soon." Niko said with a smirk, noticing that Reuniclus was reading his mind. This seemed to calm her, as it was clear that she missed her friends as well. "They said they'd visit."

Niko was about to lay down and take a nap when he heard a door shut downstairs. Jake…Niko said, sitting back up. This is the entire reason for him to come back. He needed to confront his brother.

"Jake! Welcome home!" Niko heard his mom speak just as he was taking to the stairs. "How was the Silver Conference?"

"It was alright. I placed Top 8, so not too bad."

"Well, your brother did for some time, too. But he finally broke through the Top 8!"

"Oh, great…" Jake said, turning around to see his brother standing there. Peeping behind the walls were Lampent and Reuniclus, but hid themselves just as Jake turned to them. "What're you doing here?"

"I'm…back." Niko said, looking at his brother with a confused expression.

"Yeah, and you think that's going to make things better?" Jake said, walking past Niko, pushing him aside with his shoulder.

"Jake, please talk to your brother…" Their mother said.

"And why should I?" Jake raised his voice, spinning back around. "He left us! Left us all behind, when you needed us! He was a coward, and I'm not going to tolerate that!" He shouted.

"Jake…I'm really sorry…" Niko said, sounding genuinely apologetic.

"Like hell you are." Jake said, thoroughly disappointed. "What? Did you practice that for the past year? You're sorry…?"

"I am, though. I was in a dark place, Jake. I—"

"Oh, you were in a dark place? OUR DAD DIED!"

"I know. It was a mistake, and I regret it. If I could go back in time and re-do it, then I would! But I can't, Jake! I can't! I've tried to find ways to redeem myself, and I don't think I know how to! Not for this! Not for any of it! But what has never changed, EVER, is that you're my brother, and I love you. I love Mom, and Dad, and my Pokémon, and my friends. I loved all the times we got to have adventures, as kids and in Hoenn. I loved all of the things we've gotten to do in life, and I'm so proud of you for becoming a trainer. Top 8! That's incredible! You should be proud of yourself, because I sure as hell am! And I always will be, regardless of the circumstances. Even if you up and front leave us for the same shitty reasons that I did, nothing will ever change how I feel about you!"

Jake was silent, looking away for a moment in apparent shame. He then walked away, completely silent. Niko turned to his mother, who shrugged, but smiled.

"I think you got through to him." She whispered.

"I sure hope so." Niko said. "I'm going to let the Pokémon out. Is there enough space for all of them?"

"Of course. Did you remember to get that Pokémon from Professor Juniper?"

"Yeah. She's right over there." Niko said, turning to Reuniclus. "You can come out now girls." He said, motioning towards himself. Reuniclus and Lampent floated over. "Let's go hang out with everyone for a bit, alright?"

Niko then walked out into the backyard and threw out nearly 30 pokéballs onto the ground, summoning all of his Pokémon.

"We're home, guys. Back in Pallet Town." Niko said with a smile, watching the sun set off towards the west, behind the mountains that led to the Johto region. "I certainly miss it." He turned to his Unova Pokémon. "You guys, this is my home. This is where Venusaur and I started off on our journey. And all of the Pokémon we've met along the way reside here now. So if I leave to another region in the future, I'll leave you here. This is your new home, if you want it to be."

Serperior looked around, looking positively satisfied with it. Braviary cawed out happily. Druddigon, Boldore, and Eelektross seemed to enjoy it as well. Niko then watched and played with the Pokémon until long after the sun set. It had been a long time since he had the chance to spend at least a summer with his Pokémon.


The following day, Niko walked through Pallet Town, showing some of his Unova Pokémon the area—his school, some of the places he, Fay, and JJ would visit. He took them to the store and got them some food to eat before getting on with his actual errands. There were two people in particular that he wanted to see. The first was just down the street from the store he was at.

"Hey guys, we're going to a small shop, so I need to keep you in your pokéballs. I promise it won't be too long." He said to his team, returning each of them, one by one. He then took a deep breath, and approached the store.

As soon as he did, he saw a Growlithe running around, chasing after a Bayleef. Both of them, oddly enough, noticed him, pausing in their tracks only a few feet away from them. In the back sat an Umbreon at the base of a desk with a cash register on it. An Azumarill was sitting in a chair behind the very person Niko wanted to see.

"Growlithe, Bayleef, what's—oh." JJ said, looking up at the shaven, but still long-haired, Niko. "It's you."

"Hey, JJ." Niko said, taking a step inside. "How—how are you?"

"I'm busy. What's up." JJ said, not bothering to ask a question.

"Just got back here yesterday, thought I'd stop by to see what you're up to."

"I've been working here part time. Why do you ask? Why do you care?"

"Because I'm your friend, and I want to make things right. I messed up, and I'm truly sorry. I understand that what I did was cowardly, and wasn't becoming of a good friend. So I get if you don't accept my forgiveness, but I just wanted to say it."

"…right. I get it. But why, Niko? Why did you decide to just up and front leave?" Niko took a deep breath, and began explaining to JJ what was going through his mind during that time—Lauren, his loss to Palmer, his dad—and why he left Pallet Town for Unova. JJ nodded at the end. "So, what happened then…? If you weren't a Pokémon trainer, then what did you do?"

"I was a dishwasher for several months, but I eventually got back into training." Niko said, explaining Warren, Charlotte, and Snivy, and then a shortened version of his explorations through Unova. I got all eight badges, and went to the Vertress Conference."

"I saw that, actually. Brittany called me, told me you were up against Hunter. At first I didn't want to believe it, and so I ignored it. But I tuned in at the end, and I saw your passion. Saw all of your Pokémon take down Toxicroak. It was…incredible. I stopped watching after that, though. I couldn't handle it." JJ then turned around to continue working.

"I made it to the finals." Niko said, himself trying to let it sink in.

"What the…?"

"I made it to the finals." Niko repeated himself.

"And…?"

"I lost. But by two Pokémon. It wasn't too close, but close enough." Niko said with a slight smirk. "I finally improved."

"My god. I noticed Elliot was participating. Was it against him?"

"No." Niko smiled wider. "I beat him."

"YOU BEAT ELLIOT?" JJ said, grabbing his curly blonde hair. "Niko! That's incredible!"

"I know. I'd like for you to meet my Pokémon, actually." Niko said, motioning JJ out of the shop and onto the empty street. He then threw out six pokéballs, containing all but Druddigon. Niko then introduced each in turn, since JJ wasn't familiar with Unova Pokémon.

"Wow…"

"Yeah. I have a seventh, too—Druddigon. He's a dragon type."

"A dragon type!?" JJ exclaimed. "You finally caught one."

"I did. I think I've caught most types now, actually. I know I don't own a dark type, or a fairy type…"

"Oh, I do, apparently. Professor Oak told me Togekiss is fairy type. So is Azumarill. They wreck dragons."

"Yeah, I learned that one the hard way…" Niko said with a laugh. "Anyways, this was my gang. I have some friends from Unova coming by in a couple of weeks, I'd like you to meet them too."

"I'd like that, Niko." JJ said, reaching out his hand. "I'm glad you're back. And…I'm sorry too. For how I acted just now."

"You have every right to be mad at me, JJ. I acted like a jerk."

"We both did. Say, what're you up to now? I can close down the shop and we could hang out?"

"I have another person to meet. Maybe later?" JJ nodded, and said his farewells to Niko, who proceeded on towards Professor Oak's lab.

"Niko!" Professor Samuel Oak said as he opened the front door to the lab, up on the top of the hill overlooking Pallet Town. "Well, it's been some time. How are you?"

"I'm fine, actually. Doing well." Niko said. "Just got back into town from Unova."

"Ah, yes! Your mother mentioned she was going to Vertress City. How did you do?"

"Top 2." Niko said with an expression of pride.

"Well done! Well done. I'm very proud of you, Niko. Now, what can I do for you?"

"I have a question for you about evolution. Do you have a moment?"

"Of course, come on in." Oak said, shutting the door behind Niko as he led the two of them to a lounge off to the left of the front room. They both sat down, and while Oak prepared something to drink, Niko took a look around. He had never visited this room in the lab before. On the walls were pictures of him with various people. Looking around, he noticed one of a young boy with spiky black hair and in a green striped shirt picking up a Pikachu. "That's Ash. He's an old friend of mine."

"Oh. I see. Sorry, just thought I'd look around."

"No worries! Ash was a peculiar trainer. He has a special bond with all kinds of Pokémon. And a very…unique way of battling. And he was always curious about the world of Pokémon around him. Much like you, but he was never down on himself…no offense."

"None taken." Niko said, putting the picture down and sitting in a chair opposite Oak.

"So…Pokémon evolution…"

"In the Vertress Conference, I encountered a friend of mine and his Scizor…"

"Ah, yes, Elliot…Fay's cousin."

"They're cousins?" Oak nodded. "Fay never mentioned that. Just that they were related." Oak pressed him to continue. "Right. Well, his Scizor…it mega evolved. Do you know anything about that?"

"Ah…mega evolution. It was discovered roughly a decade ago, but it's always been around. Some say Lucario was the first Pokémon capable of mega evolution, but others say Rayquaza. You might be familiar with the Draconid clan?"

"Oh…" Niko said, thinking back to his time at the Sky Pillar, when he encountered Rayquaza's altered form. "That wasn't mega evolution, though…it didn't have that…that…thing."

"You mean the mega stone. No. No it did not. Rayquaza is unique in that it doesn't require one. Every other Pokémon does." Oak cleared his throat and continued. "Mega evolution—and I'll be honest, I still don't know much about it—is a unique process that only certain Pokémon are capable of experiencing. It allows a trainer and Pokémon to utilize their strong bond together to access a higher power—that is, an enhanced form. It requires two things—a key stone, and the Pokémon's specific mega stone. What Elliot used was called a Scizorite. Your Venusaur, or your Aggron, for example, both are capable of mega evolution as well. As is Sceptile, Manectric, Pidgeot, and Glalie. Numel is, but only as a Camerupt. At least, that's all we're aware of today. There might be many more out there, but they haven't been found yet."

"Wow. Incredible."

"But, again, I know nothing about this stuff. Not nearly as much as Professor Augustine Sycamore in the Kalos region."

"The Kalos region? I've heard of that before." Niko said.

"That would be correct, I'm sure. If you've ever heard of fairy types, that's where they were first discovered."

"I have. Discovered them the hard way." Niko said with a light laugh.

"Hah! Well done, Niko." Professor Oak said. "But yes…that's it. If you want to learn more about it, I suggest making a trip to Kalos, actually. It's far away from here, but you might find it a lovely region to explore, too. They have a Pokémon League."

"Oh? Well then. Maybe I'll check it out." Niko said. "I'd have to ask my friends about that."

"Very well. Is that all?"

"I think so. Thanks, Professor."

"Anytime, Niko. Let me know if you need anything else."


Two weeks later

Since his discussion with Professor Oak, Niko thought about mega evolution and the Kalos region. It was the perfect place to continue his journey to be a Pokémon master. If he had Pokémon capable of mega evolution, then he should try and figure out how to best utilize it to his advantage. And he was quite sure Venusaur and the others would love to understand it, as well.

He even told his Pokémon about it. He first told Venusaur, who listened carefully to it, eventually feeling quite excited about the prospects of evolving further. Niko then explained it to the rest of his Pokémon. Some weren't quite happy to learn that they might not be capable of it, but all seemed to be pleased that Venusaur was able to. It surprised Niko—all of his Pokémon seemed to revere Venusaur, in an elderly way. It was even odder when he considered that Venusaur was quite young compared to some of them.

"So…when Charlotte and Warren get here, I'd like to approach them about the Kalos region."

"What was that?" A familiar voice said. Niko spun around to see Charlotte and Warren standing there. Both of them ran up to Niko and hugged him.

"Oh man, it's been so long!" Niko said.

"It was only a couple of weeks." Charlotte said with a smile.

"But it felt like forever." Niko replied.

"Anyway, what's this about Kalos?" Warren asked as they all let go of one another. Niko then explained his conversation with Professor Oak, mega evolution, and the person named Augustine Sycamore. For a few moments, the two of them were silent. "Well…if you want to go there, I'm game."

"So am I." Charlotte said with a wide smile. Wider than usual, in fact.

"You guys sure?" Niko asked.

"We're sure!" Warren said excitedly. "You get to challenge gyms again! It'll be great! And you'll have another chance to win a Pokémon League in Kalos!"

"Yeah…you're right, actually." Niko said. "I think if we can master mega evolution, we definitely will." He said, throwing some of his long, brown hair back to fly in the calm summer breeze.

"And you will." Charlotte said, gripping his wrist. "We will."

Warren grabbed the other. "You betcha."

"C'mon, guys. There's someone I want you to meet." Niko said, taking them out of the house and towards JJ's shop. Once they got there, Niko greeted his curly blonde-haired friend with the same greeting he always did. "JJ!"

"Niko?" JJ's head popped out of the backroom. "Oh! Hey." He said, running out to greet his guests. "Hello, I'm JJ, owner of this here convenience store. And you two are…?"

"Charlotte."

"Warren."

"Please to meet you." Niko then explained his new friends to JJ, who listened with relative excitement. "I'm glad that you brought Niko back alive. He has a tendency to…"

"Get himself into trouble?" Charlotte asked. "Yeah, he does."

"You know him too well." JJ said with a smirk. "Anyways, what's up?"

"Well, we're thinking of leaving for the Kalos region in a month or so. Are you in?"

"Probably not, actually. I'm closing shop here soon and opening my own daycare business. I've been taking some classes in Viridian City, and I think I'm ready to take the next step. Those talks with the people back in Sinnoh really helped to get me thinking about it all."

"Wow! That's great, JJ!" Niko said. "I'm really happy for you!"

"Congrats!" Warren said, slapping JJ on the back the same way Niko did.

"Thanks. I'm really looking forward to it."

"So am I. I better come back to see business booming around here."

"Oh, you can bet on it." JJ said. "And I want to see you win a Pokémon League for once!" He said, clasping hands with Niko. "Pokémon Master."

"Breeding King." Niko replied.


A month and a half later

Niko stood at the front door of his room to take long last look before leaving again. In hindsight, the two months he had spent in Pallet Town seemed to go by so fast, but in the moment it felt like eternity. During that time, Charlotte and Warren made trips back, once with Sydney. Brittany also stopped by, and it felt like old times with him, her, and JJ. Generally, though, Niko spent much of his time with his Pokémon, knowing that he would choose to start fresh once he got to Kalos. Although, he promised to Venusaur and some of the others, he would call on them once he understood mega evolution better.

Relations with Jake had gotten progressively better. Now that he knew more about Unova, Jake planned to make the trip there, planning to stay with Sydney for a bit to get a lay of the land before kicking off his journey throughout the region, just like his brother did the previous year. He had left the day before, leaving his own Pokémon behind just like Niko did, but for better-intended reasons.

Niko walked down the stairs to meet with his mother, who was outside feeding the Pokémon. He briefly joined in, feeding his Unova Pokémon. It was odd, going on a journey without them. The ones that gave him hope again. Gave him a reason to believe again. Leaving them, in a way, hurt him. And it was clear it hurt the Pokémon as well. But, they were likely assured by their new peers, Niko wouldn't abandon them. Niko himself made that promise, and made it clear.

"Alright, guys…" Niko said, standing in front of them. "The last time I did this, it didn't go so well…but I'm off. I'm going to Kalos with Charlotte and Warren. I want to challenge the gyms there, and learn about mega evolution. And, I hope, I'll make it to the Kalos League, and get a chance to battle with you all over again. I promise I'll call often to check in with you. And I want to hear that you're training as well. Not just playing around." He said jokingly, wagging a finger at them. They laughed in return. "Anyway, that's it. I wish I could say more other than…bye." He said, choking up a little when he looked at Serperior and Braviary in particular. The two Pokémon moved over to him and embraced him tightly (too tightly, in fact). The others gradually made their way over, and soon enough Niko was finished with his good-byes, and off to the airport with his mother.

"So…you're going to Unova first?"

"Yeah. Kalos is closer to Unova than it is to Kanto." Niko said. "I'm meeting Warren and Charlotte at the Castelia City airport, and then we're all flying together to Lumiose City in Kalos. That's where Professor Sycamore is based."

"Ah, right." His mother remembered. "Well, I wish you luck. Please call often."

"I will, Mom. I promise this time." Niko said as they approached the airport in Viridian City. He had made a lot of promises that summer, and when he got to Kalos, he intended on keeping each and every one of them.


Author's Note: Well guys, that's it-Unova is finished. This was a weird season for me to write-so many new changes, and on top of it I was behind on my writing schedule for much of it, because life got busier during this season. Either way, I think i'm proud of how it turned out, but understand that I might have been able to do better. The next season-Season 7, The Kalos League-will begin likely on December 1st. The episode might be out earlier than usual, but otherwise that's what I am planning on doing, so look out for that.

Before I go into my usual stuff, i'd like to ask you-the viewers (and reviewers) a couple of questions. This is something I should have done with every season before this, and I am appalled that I just now thought of this, but here they go. You are by no means required to answer them, but I do appreciate the feedback:

-What did you like about this season?

-What did you not like about this season?

-What could I have done better in this season (don't say that [insert character here] didn't get so-and-so Pokemon, or that I should ship two people. No. Those aren't acceptable answers, because I plan all of these things out ahead of time. I already know who gets who)?

-What can I do better moving forward with the story (same rules apply here as they did in the previous question)?

Again, you aren't required to answer these. It's just feedback that my dumb ass didn't think to ask in earlier seasons, when I might have been able to utilize it better.

And now, as I usually do, i'd like to thank the people who reviewed, favorited, and followed Season 6. In no particular order:

Light Flame Blast, Mega Espeon, RubyOmegaGroudon, Jolteon2404, Pokemaster3164, GeekyGamer314, Amazing Spectacular Spider Man, Athios, Citylover996, Eeveefan1290, Poosa-Ard, YellowFlashCannon, breath20k, BubblesOfTheNine, Meleenie, and mick12997.

Thank you all for the support. As I always say, you guys are the reason I keep spending my time writing this. Thanks as always, and I'll see y'all in Season 7!

-Evanibble