Chapter 7: Forgiveness
Ash stood at the front of Gisei village with Ash-Greninja and Mega Lucario already beside him, but also recent arrivals from the rest of his vast team.
"Ape!"
"Hawl!"
"Unf!"
"Tile!" Infernape, Unfezant, Hawlucha, and Sceptile all joined Ash with fierce expressions after being made aware of the situation.
Nor was Ash the only one who'd brought in additional Pokemon. Daniel's Torterra, Tyrantrum, Aggron, Feraligatr, and interestingly enough, a female Charizard stood beside him.
Ash had never actually met this Charizard before and was likely a recent capture for the former Kaiser, possibly his Charizard's new mate. Despite this, she looked incredibly fearsome with a piece of Charizardite X around her neck.
Luckily for Cynthia, she, too, had a spare team to call in. However, she and Serena stood near the village's harbor, where the elderly, sick, children and all others incapable of fighting gathered on whatever boats were available.
Unfortunately, Ubbe's men left the airport without any planes just that morning, leaving them with just boats.
It took every ounce of strength Serena had to hand Satoshi off to Delia, who stood beside Grace on one of the larger boats. Serena's mother similarly took Stephen from Cynthia, both she and Serena struggling not to tear up as they kissed their son's cheeks.
"I'm sorry I have to leave you again, Stephen." Cynthia muttered while Serena caressed Satoshi's head. She'd only just gotten him back, so watching her baby sail off was beyond heartbreaking, even if he was with her mother and Ash's.
Charline similarly handed her egg off to a Chansey but with terrible reluctance.
"Chansey!" The pink Pokemon tried to assure her, but the Charizard, like Cynthia and Serena, hated being parted from her baby yet again.
"Serena, we'll keep him safe!" Delia promised.
"Mime!" Mr. Mime saluted while taking a defensive stance in front of Delia but didn't so so alone.
"Sol." Serena saw Absol standing beside Delia and nodded with an assured look, which finally made the Kalos Queen smile slightly before she stroked his head.
"Thank you, Absol." After another deep breath and one final kiss on Satoshi's forehead, Serena departed with Cynthia and Charline. Yet as she did so, Satoshi's sobbing nearly made Serena do the same.
It was only by Cynthia's strong arm around her shoulders that Serena didn't race back to the boat, which now moved steadily away from Gisei. Finally, the two reached Ash, Felix, Daniel, Gima, Riley, the remaining Aura Guardians, most of the Lucario trainers, and any other villagers who remained behind to fight.
Gima, Riley, and Felix gazed longingly at the other Lucarios among the various trainers/Guardians and thought of their partners who now marched under Ubbe's control.
Ash, Daniel, and Cynthia similarly struggled but maintained their composure. When Serena came beside Ash, he slowly turned his head back towards the vanishing boats.
"...He's safer there." Serena forced the words out of her mouth but noticed her husband nod.
"Hai. Stopping Ubbe is the best way to keep him safe."
"Grouu!"
"Gre!"
"Grauuu!" Charline roared beside Delphox, Roserade, and the others.
"Here they come." Riley muttered. The ground shook as hundreds of Pokemon moved across the island in unison, lighting up the jungle with glowing red eyes.
Most of Mr. Ubbe's men and Pokemon moved alongside the army of wild Pokemon, with Mega Orahaoya at their head.
"Orahaoya!" The villagers wailed in horror and despair when they saw what the businessman had done to her.
"Grauu!?"
"Grauuu!?"
Charline and Daniel's female Charizard gasped in horror when they saw their respective mates flanking Mega Orahaoya, eyes glowing red.
"Syl." Sylveon gave a similar expression upon seeing Pikachu.
Ash tried not to dwell on seeing four of his Pokemon, including Pikachu, turned against him in perhaps the worst way.
Mega Lucario trembled when he saw Mega Orahaoya but soon felt Delphox's warm paw grasp his.
"Phox." She tried to assure him.
"Well, well, well." Mr. Ubbe's voice made Ash grit his teeth, but he and the others looked up as four helicopters flew in above them.
Mr. Ubbe, Floki, and Urshifu stood inside, grinning down at those who'd remained behind.
"Kaiser, former Kaiser, and Champion Cynthia. I see you've remained behind and brought in more Pokemon. How arrogant." Mr. Ubbe stroked his blonde hair and flashed his teeth in an all too satisfied manner.
"Thank you for bringing more of your Pokemon to join my army. Orahaoya."
"Grouuu!"
"Mother of Aura, no!" The villagers pleaded but to no avail. Mega Orahaoya raised both paws to Ash, Daniel, and Cynthia's Pokemon.
However, all three simply smiled back.
"Ehhh?" Mr. Ubbe saw Mega Orahaoya struggling, and after almost a minute, the three Champions' Pokemon looked unimpressed at the businessman.
"What!? That's impossible!?"
"Weren't you listening to us back on the airship, stupid viking." Daniel chuckled.
"What did you say!?"
"Our bonds with are Pokemon are far too strong for even Orahaoya. It's taking everything she has to influence those currently under her. She doesn't have the strength to take anymore."
"Uhhh, sir." Floki muttered when he pointed to Mega Orahaoya, who now panted under the strain of influencing so many Pokemon.
"Hmp, fine. My current forces are more than sufficient." Mr. Ubbe's face turned into pure malevolence.
"The three strongest Pokemon trainers in the world stand before me. Once you're dead, no one will stand in my way-"
"Ubbe!" Serena roared so loud she nearly made the viking jump out of the helicopter.
Her eyes lit in a blaze that rivaled Charline's tail flame.
"Ash told me what you did! That you used my baby as bait for Orahaoya!"
The viking scoffed with an unapologetic look.
"Yes, I did. What exactly are you going to do about it? A shieldmaiden you are not, Kalos Queen."
"Shieldmaidens didn't exist. You'd think a viking would know that." Cynthia taunted Ubbe, who now looked like a child about to throw a temper tantrum.
"Shut up! You-"
"Ubbe, don't do this." Ash sounded surprisingly calm given the circumstances, which caught the viking completely off-guard.
"What did you just say?"
"Ubbe, you know what you're doing is wrong. You can stop this right now."
"Stop, wrong? Ha ha ha, surely you're joking, Kaiser. I'm a viking, and I decide what's right and wrong. I take what I want, who I want as my property, and kill anyone who gets in my way! That's what a viking does, Kaiser! It's what we've always done! Orahaoya, destroy them!"
"Grouuu!"
"Pika!"
"Grauuu!"
"Swell!" Ash's controlled Pokemon raced forward first.
"Pika chu!" Pikachu unleashed a full-powered thunderbolt strong enough to take off the edge of a mountainside straight for Ash, believing him to be Ubbe.
"Ash!" Serena, Felix, and Daniel cried. However, the Kaiser didn't move.
"Iron Tail."
Sceptile moved in front of his trainer without flinching and completely absorbed the thunderbolt with his steel tail.
"Tile!" Sceptile performed a frontflip and then hurled the electricity through the air, straight for Ubbe's helicopter.
"Yahhh!" Floki screamed like a little girl before Urshifu grabbed him, and Mr. Ubbe then leaped out. Both pilots similarly bailed out, using parachutes as Pikachu's lightning reduced the helicopter to dust.
"That could've been us." Floki muttered with a crestfallen expression.
"Grauuu!" Charline flew straight for Charizard, pleading for him to come to his senses.
"Grauuu!" Charizard came straight for her using Dragon Rush and tears of agony and pure terror filled Charline's eyes when she saw her mate preparing to attack.
"Hydro-Cannon!" Ash-Greninja leaped in front of Charline before blasting Charizard with the explosive water attack.
"Grauu!" Charizard grunted, but the attack only slowed him down. Even so, it allowed Daniel's female Charizard, now Mega Evolved, to intercept her.
"Grauu!" The female Charizard X roared, scolding Charline and reminding her that Charizard likely believed her to be someone bad, perhaps a Pokemon trying to smash their egg.
Charline teared up harder for a moment but then snarled as she looked at Ubbe.
"Grauu!"
Serena came up behind Charline and pressed her keystone.
"Let's go, Charline!"
"Grauu!" Charline transformed into Charizard Y and let Serena climb up onto her back.
"Grauuu!"
"Feral!" Daniel synchro-evolved Feraligatr into Daniel-Feraligatr before the water Pokemon clashed with his Charizard companion, managing to hold him in place.
By then, the tidal wave of jungle Pokemon swarmed in. Cynthia, Daniel, and Ash's newly arrived Pokemon managed to keep their controlled Pokemon at bay while Unfezant, Serena's Pokemon, and the villagers did their best to hold off the wild swarm.
Despite this, Ash and Mega Lucario very carefully moved closer to Orahaoya, knowing she was the key to all of it. Felix moved close behind, his Typhlosian and Skarmoy beside him.
"Grouuu!" Felix stopped when he saw his Lucario snarling at him.
"Lu, Lucario." Felix hesitated.
"Grouu!" Lucario surged forward as Typhlosian and Skarmory tried to intervene, only for him to knock them aside.
"Dad!" Ash screamed.
"Lucario." Felix muttered, his Pokemon believing Felix was an assailant trying to kill Satoshi.
"Grouuu!"
"Grouuu!" Ash and Mega Lucario tried to intervene but soon saw it was unnecessary as another Mega Lucario hit Felix's partner and sent him stumbling backward.
"Go, we've got him." Gurkinn assured Ash as he and his Mega Lucario protected Felix.
"Hai!" Ash and Mega Lucario continued, moving past Gima and Riley as they fought off two controlled Aura Guardians.
Mega Orahaoya lay just up ahead, straining herself against the sheer volume of Pokemon to influence.
"Aura Sphere!"
"Grouuu!"
"Pika chu!" Ash and Mega Lucario's eyes widened when they saw Pikachu standing directly in their path. His cheeks sparked.
Ash and Mega Lucario hesitated while Mr. Ubbe grinned sinisterly.
Ash and Mega Lucario grit their teeth but exhaled with flashing blue eyes.
"Pika chu!" Pikachu raced towards Mega Lucario, who dodged or parried each incoming attack with difficulty. However, it soon became clear that with Ash directing Lucario, it gave him a decisive advantage over Pikachu.
"Will you harm your beloved partner, Kaiser?" Ubbe laughed.
"We don't have to." Ash smiled with Mega Lucario.
"Eh?"
"Go, Sylveon! Delphox!"
"Pika?" Pikachu saw Charline fly over him, allowing Sylveon and Delphox to move into position.
"What? You must be joking! Your Pikachu is one of the strongest Pokemon in the world, and you expect two performer Pokemon to beat him?" Floki laughed.
"Time to give Pikachu a show he'll never forget!"
"Syl!"
"Phox!" Sylveon and Delphox began a performance, both moving around Pikachu in perfect synchronization, causing the electric mouse to divert his attention between them.
"Pika chu!" Pikachu was fast enough to hit both before either could blink, but Mega Lucario prevented him from doing so with a trio of successive aura spheres, which he either dodged or sliced apart with Iron Tail.
"Pika!" Pikachu readied himself for another attack when Delphox got behind him.
"Psychic!"
"Phox!" Delphox raised her wand towards Pikachu and held him in place with psychic energy.
"Pika!" Pikachu growled, easily resisting the Psychic energy with his sheer power. While the move couldn't impact Pikachu, it bought Sylveon just enough time to appear directly in front of the electric mouse.
"Draining kiss!"
"Syl!" Sylveon eagerly pressed her lips against Pikachu's, causing the electric mouse to turn bright red and tremble.
"Ehhh!?" Ubbe and Floki muttered while Ash and Lucario smirked.
"Hopefully, this will knock some sense into you, Pikachu." Ash said as Serena, Delphox, and her other Pokemon giggled.
"Shock her into dust!" Ubbe commanded through Orahaoya. However, even if Pikachu's mind was told one thing via the aura, Sylveon's physical presence told him another.
Ash and Mega Lucario both saw an opening and pressed their Aura bond with Pikachu hard. Orahaoya grunted and wavered against the strain of so many Pokemon, people, and now Ash's overwhelming bond with Pikachu.
"Pika! Pikachu!" The red in Pikachu's eyes turned to blue, and he no longer saw what Orahaoya commanded, but his partner, and particularly Sylveon, who hadn't broken off her kiss.
"Welcome back, buddy."
"Grouu!" Mega Lucario laughed hard as Pikachu sweatdropped with a slightly ashamed look for letting Orahaoya manipulate him like that. Sylveon, however, nuzzled her head against Pikachu's tenderly, relieved he was back to his senses.
"How did he break free!?" Mr. Ubbe snarled.
"Uhh, sir." Floki muttered when he pointed out Pikachu now standing beside Mega Lucario.
"Stop him! Don't let them near Orahaoya!"
"Lucario, break Orahaoya out of her armor! Pikachu, give him cover!"
"Pika!"
"Grouu!" Mega Lucario made a lightning-fast dash towards Mega Orahaoya while Pikachu remained close behind, blasting entire groups of Pokemon who tried to intervene.
"Syl!"
"Phox!" Delphox and Sylveon similarly helped Pikachu from behind, while Serena and Charline provided cover from the air.
Ash and Mega Lucario's eyes glowed blue together as the aura Pokemon's paw met Mega Orahaoya's.
Their glowing eyes locked, but as Orahaoya growled, Lucario merely remained focused.
"I know you're in there, mother. We will free you!"
"Grouu!" Mega Orahaoya and Mega Lucario began their clash, both unleashing their full might against each other in a series of nearly unseeable and thunderous blows one after the other.
The ground shook, and countless Pokemon/Aura Guardians raced to her aid. However, in doing so, Ash, Cynthia, and Daniel's Pokemon forgot their battles with their companions. In doing so, they easily left themselves open and each found themselves pinned down.
"Ape." Infernape grunted as he and Hawlucha struggled to keep Charizard pinned down.
"Grauuu! Grauu!"
"Ape!" Infernape snarled in frustration over Charizard's foolishness.
However, much to Mr. Ubbe's horror, he saw the red aura in their eyes fade slightly as the strain of battling Mega Lucario weakened Mega Orahaoya's influence.
"No! No!"
Ash and the others soon sensed it as well.
"Lucario!" Felix roared as he pressed his bond with everything he had.
"Grouu?!" Felix's Lucario staggered and panted heavily upon breaking free.
"Lucario!"
Riley and Gima had similar reactions as their Lucario regained their senses.
"Grauu?" Ash's Charizard appeared slightly confused upon seeing Hawlucha and Infernape over him with incredibly annoyed looks.
"Hawl! Hawlucha!" Hawlucha furiously pointed his talons at Charizard's face, scolding the Fire Lizard for letting himself get manipulated like that while also being the most powerful Pokemon in the world.
"Grauu." Charizard sweatdropped;
"Grauu!" Charline cried upon seeing him freed.
"Grauu!" Daniel's female Charizard X similarly nuzzled her mate, who slowly got up from under Daniel-Feraligatr while shaking his head.
"Charizard." Daniel said as he embraced his partner.
"Grauu." The former Kaiser's Charizard gave a shameful look upon realizing what he'd nearly done.
Mr. Ubbe now grit his teeth as he saw more of his forces free themselves as Mega Lucario kept up the pressure on Mega Orahaoya even with her armor.
"Why can't she beat him! That armor is supposed to enhance her power!?"
"Mr. Ubbe, that's the Kaiser's Lucario! Besides, controlling all those Pokemon is straining her!" Floki cried.
Mr. Ubbe calmed himself upon looking back at Ash.
"The Kaiser, yes, that's it. Team two, move in!"
Two of the remaining helicopters flew towards the ocean and past the fleeing boats.
"Sol." Absol growled while the others nervously watched them pass.
"What are they doing?" Grace asked with an anxious expression.
Delia's eyes widened in terror upon seeing several Pokeballs drop into the ocean. She tightened her grip on Satoshi as a Gyarados, two Tentacruel, and four Cloyster rose up before them.
"Ahh! Turn the boats around!" Someone shouted.
Satoshi wailed louder, and his two grandmothers shielded him with their bodies. At the same time, Absol, Mr. Mime, and any other Pokemon on the boats desperately fought off the incoming attacks.
This bought them enough time to reach the shore and race back into the village. Unfortunately, Delia and the others now realized they found themselves in the midst of the very battle they'd initially fled from.
"Damn it." Delia groaned.
Mr. Ubbe saw this and stared at Satoshi with a smile of pure malice.
"Mr. Ubbe." Floki trembled upon seeing his employer's face.
"Sssssir." Mr. Ubbe turned to his Urshifu.
"Bring me the baby."
"Ur!" The legendary bear Pokemon dashed across the battlefield, making a b-line for Satoshi.
"Ahhh!" Grace screamed when she saw him approaching.
"Sol!" Absol and Mr. Mime both tried to intercept him, only to be easily swept aside.
"Ahhhh! Satoshi!" Serena screamed.
"Grauu!" Charline flew like her life depended on it, with Delphox and the others close behind.
"Grauuu!" Ash's Charizard quickly followed with his companions.
Ash, Pikachu, and Mega Lucario heard this as well.
"Satoshi!"
Mega Orahaoya trembled when Satoshi's cries reached her ears.
"Grouuu?" The legendary Pokemon muttered.
"Ehhh?" Mr. Ubbe saw his Mega Wave Stone surge with energy before cracking.
The armor and crystals around her similarly started to swell with a blue aura.
"AHhh! Mr. Ubbe!" Floki yelped. However, the businessman wasn't paying attention.
Urshifu revealed his fangs in a vicious smile as he closed in on Satoshi, who cried out louder.
Orahaoya stopped trembling, and her eyes stopped glowing red, now turning blue.
"Aaron!"
Mega Lucario had just thrown his portal down when he, Ash, and Pikachu heard an aura-filled explosion.
All three now saw Orahaoya free of her armor.
"Aaron!" The legendary Pokemon hurled an aura portal down and leaped inside.
Grace and Delia both closed their eyes and tried to shield Satoshi as Urshifu closed in on them.
"No!" Serena wailed.
"Grouuuuu!" The Kalos Queen almost froze when she saw an aura portal appear before her baby.
Urshifu's eyes widened in pure terror as Orahaoya surged forward and hurled him backward with an explosive punch.
"Gaaah! Fight back!" Mr. Ubbe snarled as his Urshifu unleashed a series of fighting and water-type moves. First Bulk-Up, Dynamic Punch, then Surging strikes. Orahaoya didn't even need to use teleportation to avoid or block the rival legendary Pokemon's incoming attacks.
"Get away from my baby!" Orahaoya knocked away two more blows but then landed a devastating kick which flipped Urshifu up and into the air.
Before the fighting bear even knew what happened, Orahaoya hit him with a Golem-sized Aura Sphere, which sent Urshifu flying back and beside Mr. Ubbe with swirled eyes.
"Urshifu! You wretched little-" Ubbe started before a trembling Floki tapped his shoulder.
"...Sir." Only then did he realize that all of the people and Pokemon she'd been influenced turned on them and their men.
Ash, Daniel, Cynthia, Riley, Gima, Felix, the Guardians, visiting trainers, locals, and wild Pokemon surrounding the vikings.
"Pick us up now-" Floki screamed before seeing their helicopters torn apart by Ash and Cynthia's Garchomps. Similarly, their water Pokemon were hurled out of the bay and landed beside them.
Mr. Ubbe turned pale as he struggled to think.
"I, I am a viking! I'm invincible! I-" He and Floki found themselves lifted up by their shirt collars as Orahaoya snarled at them both.
"Get off my island, and never return!"
Orahaoya sent both men and Urshifu flying with another Aura Sphere. The other Icelandic corporation employees and their Pokemon quickly followed via attacks from Ash and the others.
The whole band disappeared in a twinkle of light like Team Rocket used to.
A collective cheer overtook the village and wild Pokemon, but Orahaoya panted heavily as a sense of immense fatigue from everything she'd endured came. Despite this, she remained fixed on something, or rather, someone.
"Aaron!" The legendary Pokemon desperately tried to find Satoshi but soon saw him in Serena's arms. The Kalos Queen teared up again when she recovered her son, and Orahaoya started to tremble, particularly after seeing how Satoshi reacted.
The baby cried out in joy upon being reunited with Serena, who similarly showed love in her expression alone that Orahaoya instantly recognized.
"Aaron." The Mother of Aura reached out with aura and came to the harsh realization that Satoshi wasn't trying to find her. He sought only the young woman who held him... His true mother.
Orahaoya's legs wobbled, and she struggled to remain standing.
"Orahaoya." A familiar voice reached her, and she looked up at Ash and Lucario. Neither looked angry but rather consoling as they approached the legendary Pokemon.
She offered no resistance and watched both of them offer their hands. Despite everything Orahaoya had done, Ash and Lucario remained calm and sympathetic to the Mother of Aura.
"Orahaoya, you need to know the truth." Taking a deep breath together, Ash and Lucario's hands glowed blue with Aura as they connected to Orahaoya.
Orahaoya saw herself standing in the ruins of a village destroyed by Ragnar's vikings and realized it was her final stand against him.
"Mama!"
"Aaron!" Orahaoya frantically looked around until she saw little Aaron sobbing before a massive crystal.
"Aaron!" She sprinted over and tried to embrace him, but nothing happened.
"Ehhh?" Orahaoya realized this was but a memory, a memory of what happened after her sacrifice years ago.
"Aaron." A soothing voice said as one of her old Aura Guardians approached and wrapped her arms around Aaron.
Soon, Aaron transformed into a boy of perhaps ten, training hard alongside the other Guardian apprentices and then running through Ora's jungles.
Orahaoya stood in awe as she saw more and more of Aaron's life until he was a young man in Kanto fighting beside a familiar Lucario. Orahaoya watched Sir Aaron bring down entire groups of bandits with the same fighting technique and Aura powers she used. For a brief moment, the Mother of Aura almost smiled until the memory changed.
Orahaoya and Lucario both trembled when they saw Sir Aaron inside the Tree of Beginning's core with Mew.
The legendary Pokemon pleaded with him, but Sir Aaron shook his head.
"There's no other way, Mew. If I don't do this, Rota will be destroyed, Rin will die, all of her subjects will die, all of the men and Pokemon in both armies will die, and then the Pokemon here as well."
"Aaron!" Orahaoya cried, and Ash had to hold Lucario, who teared up, knowing what was about to happen. Sir Aaron took a deep breath, and his eyes flashed blue.
"Aura is with me! Yaaaaaahh!" Sir Aaron conjured a Golem-sized Aura sphere which he gave to Mew.
"Mew!" Enriched by Sir Aaron's Aura, Mew sent our waves of psychic energy, halting the battle outside and sending both armies away peacefully.
Then, she saw it. Orahaoya fell to her knees as a familiar patch of crystal rested where Sir Aaron had been.
"Ahhhhhh!Grouuuu!" Orahaoya broke down completely, collapsing onto her hands and knees as tears fell down in an uncontrollable sob.
Lucario too nearly joined her, held up only by Ash, who similarly struggled.
"Mama, why are you crying?" Orahaoya stopped even as tears still fell from her eyes. She slowly looked up and saw Sir Aaron smiling down at her.
Ash and Lucario saw him too, but none of them needed an explanation for his presence.
Even so, Orahaoya narrowed her eyes at Sir Aaron, almost looking angry.
"How could you do that!?" She muttered.
"I made a sacrifice for those I loved, just like you did, mama. Rin, Lucario, so many families and children-"
Orahaoya's expression only turned sadder, and her tears increased.
"I sacrificed myself for you! I left you, my baby!" Orahaoya nearly broke down again before Sir Aaron knelt down and embraced her.
Orahaoya felt his presence, truly felt him there.
"Mama, have you forgotten your own teachings?" Sir Aaron almost chuckled as he placed his hand against her cheek.
"You never truly left, mama." Orahaoya then saw Aaron's memories closer. Throughout his life, he retained his Aura connection to her. Again and again, in hard times and other struggles, a part of Orahaoya was always with him.
Orahaoya didn't stop tearing up, but a smile slowly formed on her face. She embraced Aaron again, and the two remained locked together as another figure stood over them.
Ash and his Lucario watched Sir Aaron's Lucario smiling down on them both. Without a word, he turned his eyes to Ash and Lucario.
The Kaiser exchanged a nod with Lucario that spoke more than a thousand words, while his Lucario merely trembled as if staring at a living mirror.
Aaron's Lucario slowly approached Ash's and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.
Ash, Lucario, and Orahaoya opened their eyes and saw themselves back in Gisei as those around them kept celebrating. Orahaoya didn't speak but wiped away her tears before rising up.
From there, the Mother of Aura embraced Ash and Lucario.
"Yaahhhh!" Mr. Ubbe and his men landed hard in a grassy field with farmland in the distance.
"Ahhh? Where are we?" Floki muttered.
One of their men took out a network device and turned on the global positioning system.
"It appears we're near the eastern Galar coat."
"Mr. Ubbe, are you hurt?" Floki asked before the businessman shot up with a feral expression.
"Mr. Ubbe?"
"That damn Pokemon thinks she's gotten the best of us! I'm Warlord Ubbe! I'm a ruthless viking warrior, and I won't stop until I-"
"Did you say vikings?" A booming voice said, causing wind to blow past the vikings.
"Ehhh?" Mr. Ubbe muttered as he, Floki, Urshifu, and the others saw several figures approaching from the farming town. The men and women wore medieval armor with Sutton hoo helmets, Sirfetch'ds, Bisharps, and other Pokemon around them.
"Ehhh? Who are you people!?" Ubbe yelped.
"We're a historic town that honors our ancestry by retaining their culture. My name is Aelfric Milner! We are the Galar Saxons! Sworn enemies of the Vikings and we shall defend our home as our ancestors did!" Aelfric roared. He and his warriors, including the women, were enormous compared to Ubbe and his vikings, who turned pale with crestfallen expressions. Ubbe, however, scoffed.
"Hmp! Saxons, I'm not afraid of you, and neither are our men! We're vikings!"
Floki nearly fell over.
"Mr. Ubbe-"
A series of screams and yelps of pain followed as the Galar Saxons beat Ubbe and his vikings to a pump before locking them in stockades.
From there, police arrived from another town and took them into custody.
"Mr. Ubbe." Floki muttered as they were shoved into the back of a police car.
"Yes."
"I quit."
Back on Ora, Serena still held Satoshi with Delia, Grace, Felix, and their Pokemon around them.
However, she saw their overjoyed expressions instantly vanish into feral protectiveness. Serena herself almost jumped when she saw Ash and Lucario approaching with Orahaoya.
Unlike before, Felix noticed the Mother of Aura's expression matched her aura, a sense of deep peace but also overwhelming remorse. Despite the calm demeanors of Ash and his Pokemon, Serena similarly tightened her grip on Satoshi and jerked him away from Orahaoya while Charline and the others surrounded them.
"Ash, what are you thinking!?" Delia roared in a fury.
"Get away!" Serena screamed.
"Serena." Ash didn't raise his voice but gestured to Satoshi. The baby didn't look afraid. On the contrary, he seemed happy with Orahaoya before him.
Serena hesitated, as did the others, but Satoshi continued to giggle and reached for Orahaoya as she very slowly brought her snout in, allowing him to pet it while his eyes flashed blue.
A few tears fell from the legendary Pokemon's face, but she kept smiling.
"Satoshi, I hope you can forgive me." Satoshi's delight with the legendary Pokemon seemed to answer the question, but Orahaoya soon turned her attention to Serena and the others. After a deep breath, the legendary Pokemon lowered her head before them.
"I'm sorry."
Serena almost trembled as she stared back at Orahaoya. As much as she wanted to hate the one who'd stolen Satoshi from her, Serena remembered the memory she'd seen in the temple.
Ash sympathized with Serena more than anyone, but the look on his face and their aura bond made it quite clear he'd forgiven Orahaoya.
"...I forgive you." Delia and Grace weren't so keen, but Felix and his Lucario eventually relented.
Orahaoya lowered her head down to Satoshi one last time and slowly stroked his face.
"Take good care of him."
Serena managed a smile and nodded with Ash.
"Mentor." Orahaoya turned to see Gima standing with Riley and their Lucario. Soon, she saw most of the villagers and all of the Aura Guardians surrounding her with anxious or eager expressions.
However, Orahaoya remained crippled by a sense of guilt and shame.
"Don't call me that. After everything I've done, I-"
"Please don't say that!" Gima pleaded as she raced forward and clasped her hands around Orahaoya's paws.
"Orahaoya, you are the Mother of Aura. Teach us to be real Aura Guardians!"
"Grouuu!"
Orahaoya trembled slightly, but upon looking back at the others and Satoshi, she nodded.
"The new Generation of Aura Guardians begins today!"
Gima, Riley, and the others cheered.
By that evening, Ash, Serena, Satoshi, and their parents/grandparents, in Satoshi's case, parted ways with Daniel, Cynthia, and Stephen.
"Remember we're playing host the next time we meet." Cynthia said just before she got onto one airplane with Daniel and Stephen.
"Until next time, Daniel!"
"We'll be preparing for our next battle, Ash!"
The Ketchum family set themselves down on the plane, thoroughly exhausted but in some ways utterly fulfilled.
Satoshi had fallen fast asleep in Ash's arms, and the Kaiser, plus Pikachu, weren't far behind. Serena giggled slightly, seeing her husband and son like this, and leaned in to kiss them both. Satoshi on the cheek and Ash on the lips. After this, she rested her head against Ash's shoulder and too drifted off.
Epilogue:
A gentle breeze filled the air on Ula'ula Island, brushing past the tall grass and palm trees while a full moon lit up the Alolan night. Near the island's edge rested a house and Pokemon enclosure, Ash and Serena's Alolan residence.
Most of their Pokemon rested in the enclosure, including Charline and Charizard, who cuddled up beside each other, with their egg in between them.
Lucario similarly rested himself against a tree with Delphox's head in his lap.
Within the house's master bedroom, Pikachu and Sylveon slept beside each other, just under the feet of their respective trainer.
Ash and Serena both slept soundly while facing each, Satoshi in between them and each having at least one arm around him. The baby, too, slept, but his enhanced aura senses alerted him to a familiar presence, and he awoke.
Satoshi didn't cry and looked around before peering out the room's open window at a figure watching him from a distance. The baby's eyes flashed blue for a moment, and he made a happy gesture as if waving.
Orahaoya smiled tenderly and waved back, wiping a tear away from her forehead before standing up. After a deep breath, the Mother of Aura threw down an aura portal and vanished within. Upon feeling her departure, Satoshi closed his eyes and went back to sleep between his parents.
Author's note
Thus ends this movie, roll credits
I hope you guys enjoyed, I certainly had fun writing this
I will eventually post the Pokemon Generations short stories about Satoshi and the other children, but I've been a lot busier than I thought I would be, but I'll get there eventually
As I said, there's still plenty of time for OC submissions if you're interested
So until next time,
Please review, comment, suggest, or ask (VIA PM)
