Chapter 52: Jaern's End

Once Ash and Lillie finished their fun, they go to meet others, who also just wake up. "So how are we going to get out of here?" Ash asks once they are back at the cave behind the gym.

"Leave this to me." Adam says as he then opens the insignia, making it becomes a Hoopa Ring, they get inside and then they land at the Samsara Cave.

"I remember this place..." Emily says, "This is the place where Lillie caught a Delta Pidgeot."

"You are right." Ash says. "But right now, we should get back to the Crystal Caves. Everyone is dying to see you back, Dad."

Adam nods and then they fly back to the Amphitrite City, but much to their surprise, they see Jaern there, fighting against the person in the Giratina costume. Adam widens his eyes as he sees both people. And the Rayquaza has fainted on the floor.

"There is no way..." Jaern says, "You can't defeat Rayquaza! Not with just an ordinary Pokemon!"

"One, I rather like this world's Pokemon, some of them are very strong. Garchomp is fantastic. And second, you are not Rayquaza's chosen one, so you failed to make Rayquaza into full power."

"How is... how is this..." Jaern is sweating.

"You're a fool if you thought you were any more of a hindrance at us, Jaern. We've been planning this since the dawn of time. Your acquirement of the crystal the Augur used was unexpected, certainly. It made things a bit more complicated- especially when it was shattered. You become the leader of Sky Cult was definitely a surprise, too."

As reporters are filming this, they are shocked to know that Jaern is the leader of the Sky Cult, one of the cults that have yet to disband.

"But it hasn't changed anything. Ash Ketchum has three of the pieces, and you have the last..." She takes the crystal from Jaern. "And I just won it from you."

"This is bad..." Nora gasps.

"For a defender of the region, you sure are a poor trainer." The Giratina-like person says. "The crystal is nearly reunited once more. Soon... so soon."

Then she turns around and sees the crowd, "Ash Ketchum, I know you are inside there."

Ash pales, but the people just move out of the way to let Ash face her. "I can feel the power emanating from the shards you hold. The crystal- and by extent, the shards- can only pass from one being to another if it is earned. I will be glad to defeat you for them. Come to my world, and I'll be waiting for you." Then the person is gone.

Jaern just stays silent and then one reporter yells, "Mr. Augur? Was that true? Were you really a part of the Sky Cult?"

"Oh, uh... um..." Jaern doesn't know how to reply.

"How could you lose? You said that you would protect us..."

" I... I couldn't..." Jaern mutters.

"We caught that all on tape, Jaern. This time, I am not going to let you threaten me into deleting it."

"But... you can't..." Jaern says.

"The first Augur is way cooler, anyway."

Jaern bursts out, " ...fine. That's fine. You'll see. You need me. The First Augur is gone, but the bad guys aren't! You need an Augur! You need a protector!"

"Don't lie, you have never protected us, have you?" The reporters yell.

Jaern yells, "... ... ...heh. Fine. When you come to me begging for help, don't be surprised if I turn away."

After he leaves, the reporter says, "Geez...first Zachary the librarian...and now the Augur... isn't there anyone we can trust around here?"

"So Jaern is exposed huh..." The reporters turn around and see Adam, much to their surprise.

"It's the first Augur!" "He has returned!"

As the reporters rush to him, one reporter asks, "The first Augur, what happened to you? Where have you been this whole time?"

"Let's say that Jaern kidnapped me and my wife, but thanks to these children, they saved us."

The reporters are amazed, then he asks, "The first Augur, are you going to protect us?"

Adam sighs, "I have lost to Jaern before, so I am not the Augur anymore. But it doesn't mean that I will let this region go into danger. Right now all the cults are destroyed, it doesn't mean that the threat is over..."

As Adam is answering the reporters' questions, Ash is rushing towards Jaern, he is looking at the bay. Jaern says, "You ruined me, Ash Ketchum..."

Ash is confused. "It was perfect. I had an entire region to myself and a legendary Pokemon. I could have been the hero. I could have used the crystal to stop Her. We didn't need to have this problem. But you... you couldn't leave well enough alone, could you? And now...I have no one. You ruined me. You're not getting out of here, Amy. I went easy on you... but now I have nothing left to lose. I am going to tear you to pieces!" Jaern yells.

He sends out Aegislash, Goodra, Arcanine, Lucario, and Salamence, Ash sends out Pikachu, Eevee, Bisharp, Scizor, and Greninja out, with the five Pokemon, they defeat Jaern with ease and also stops him from doing something unnecessary.

Jaern sees his Pokemon all fainted, he says, "Well then... I hope you are proud of yourself. I could have stopped Her, you know. But you ruined that. You forced my hand, and I got exposed."

At the same time, Adam and Delia, as well as Lillie, Gladion, Damian, Nora, Zachary, Taen, Diana, Persephone, Zinnia, and Calreath arrive, Adam says, "Jaern..."

"Well if it isn't Adam...you have escaped huh?" Jaern says with a bitter laugh.

"Why don't you surrender?" Adam says. "You have lost, disband your cult."

"I already have no members ever since your son broke into the Helios Tower." Jaern says. "I guess some advice wouldn't go amiss... I learned about what was really going on behind the scenes while researching the crystal. It seems to be a power source older than time itself. I thought it contained nearly limitless energy, it turns out...it actually is unlimited. With it, an entire universe could be created. I don't remember much about Her... I don't know why. It's like there's a block in my memory. But She's stronger than you can imagine. You can't let Her get it."

"Why telling us about it?" Calreath asks.

"Hah, who am I kidding? You don't have a chance to win against her." He then turns around and faces the ocean. "Good luck. I'm outta here. I'm going to enjoy my last few minutes on this planet before you ruin it."

"Wait, what are you doing?" Delia gasps as well as everyone.

"I am sorry for everything, farewell." Jaern says as he is trying to jump into the water, but a hand stops him.

"Don't do this, Jaern." Much to their shock, appear in front of them is no other than Valerie from the Kalos Region.

"Ms. Valerie?" Ash gasps, not knowing why she is here in Torren.

"Let go of me, Valerie." Jaern says. "I don't deserve to be in this world."

"The Jaern I know is not the coward, he won't do something as stupid as committing suicide!" Valerie yells at her.

Nora sees Emily and Alice, she asks, "What is going on here?'"

"We just call Mom here to knock Dad into senses." Emily says.

"Wait, Valerie...is Jaern's wife?" Ash is shocked.

Jaern says, "That Jaern you know is long dead, dead because somebody decides to leave me and my two daughters behind. Thanks to your actions, even the two of them decide to leave me as well. I have no one, except this Sky Cult! And the one who gave me the reason to live is also gone...by the hands of my daughters and their friends, I have actually nothing."

Valerie says, "You still have us! Do you think that if you go away, we will be happier?" As Emily and Alice step forward, Valerie says, "It is true, I was a coward, I couldn't stand with the cults, which is why I used modeling as an excuse to leave the region. I am sorry that I left Emily and Alice alone here to you." Valerie almost burst out into tears.

"Mom, so...you left isn't because of father...but because of the cults?" Emily asks.

"That is also one of the reasons that I vow to kill those cults." Jaern says. "I wanted those cults dead so that we can be back together...but the First Augur kept them alive and let them join in other cults! Making it a pointless act." Jaern turns to Adam, "You said that forgiveness is the policy, but what you did is absolutely nothing!"

Adam wants to retort, but he fails to do so. "And so, I tried to get rid of the useless Augur and tried to stop the cults...by becoming one...but all is failed...because of the children that kept stopping me..."

Alice says, "Dad...why don't you tell us about it? Why keep it to yourself? We can face the problem together! Are we nothing to you?"

Jaern says, "You girls mean a lot to me, which is why I can't tell you. But you just thought that I ignored you and ran away. Do you know how many times I dreamed of you two being killed by the cultists?"

Alice and Emily are silent, Valerie mutters, "Jaern..."

"Now the truth is out, I can die without nothing to lose." Jaern says, "Valerie, I wanted you to take care of Emily and Alice."

As Jaern tries to jump again, but this time Emily and Alice grab his hand and stops him.

"No! Dad, don't go!" Alice yells. "We are really sorry..." Emily says. "We were too stubborn to know everything..."

"It is too late." Jaern says. "To you, I may be a father, to the others, I am just a criminal who deceives the others as a good guy."

Adam says, "You can still be a good guy." This causes Jaern to stop and turns to him. Adam says, "Even though I dislike your method to use a cult to stop other cults, but I can tell you are not really evil."

Valerie says, "I know that the real Jaern is still inside you, I am really sorry for my actions. This time I won't try to leave you again..."

Jaern suddenly feels something in his heart that has revived...family...he turns to Valerie and the two daughters, he sighs, "All right...you win..."

Then the two girls hug their father. Taen says, "So...another family reunion plus disbanded cult?"

"Jaern is not evil..." Zachary says. "He cares for the region as well as his family. But he just uses a harsh method."

"So should we arrest him?" Nora asks.

"No, we should let him go." Delia says, much to their surprise to others. "Mom?" Ash asks.

"I agree with your mother." Calreath says. "Since it is true that he did bad stuff, but he is willing to atone his mistakes. People deserve a second chance."

Ash says, "I also agree." This time everyone turns to Ash. "Ash?" Lillie asks in confusion.

"Ever since I was betrayed...and now I traveled throughout this region with you guys...I learned a lot, people will change. And we should accept the change. Whether good or bad, it is their choice, we can't really force them. What has happened is in the past, right now we should look beyond the future."

Everyone is amazed at Ash's words. Delia hugs her son and says, "My boy has grown really well..."

"Mom, I am not a little kid anymore." Ash says back as everyone laughs.


Back inside the Crystal Caves, the members are giving Jaern and Persephone a chance, Persephone also apologizes to Tobias, who accepts the apology and decides to retire as a Timeless and go on the journey. So they all bid farewell to him as he goes away on his journey.

And Harmony and Reukra also come since Tory tells them that Malde is back to normal. After Malde wakes up, Harmony says, "Father..."

"Harmony...am I..." Malde asks.

"Yes, father, you are recovered." Harmony says. Then she hugs her father as Reukra and Taen are watching with smiles.

Jaern and Valerie are having a family talk with Emily and Alice, Serena is surprised to know that Valerie is the wife of the first Augur, but they also share a talk along with Diantha join in.

Lillie is also welcomed back by the Kahunas and the Professors, and with the short amount of time, she gets along well with Serena.

As for Adam and Delia, they are welcomed back by the group, but the group frown at the mention of HER taking two crystals.

"Dawn, you are the chosen of Giratina, right?" Ash asks. "Do you know where SHE might have gone?"

Dawn says, "I have talked to Giratina about this, and she and Arceus decide to place an insignia to her world. So we can go there and stop her for good."

"Okay." Ash says.

"So the ones are going in are Lillie, Nora, Ash, Dawn, Damian, Taen, Calreath, Zachary, Alice, Emily, Serena, Gladion, Adam, and Delia. I hope you guys be careful." Red says.

"We will." Ash says. After bidding the group farewell, they take a deep breath and they walk into the portal made by Hoopa and disappear from the others' sight.


Things are going to be special as the 5 cults are gone, now it is time to face whoever is beyond this door. I hope you like it.