The search for Johnny went on the next day, and the day after, and the day after that, until the days bled together and it seemed all they were doing was drifting along the currents in the ocean. When he closed his eyes, Ash could feel the soft, smooth rhythm of the sea rocking beneath his feet, even when he was on land. He could also hear his son's voice, scared, alone, echoing, "Help me, Daddy... I need you... I'm scared...." The thought of Johnny stung his eyes and made his stomach twist over itself. Misty wasn't any better. There wasn't a moment in the day she wasn't crying. Even when she was aiding the search, which was every second she was awake, her cheeks remained wet. Derek was quieter than ever. He barely spoke at all anymore. Rosy seemed peeved at her brother's misfortune. She wasn't sure how to behave in these situations. She was used to sunny skies with happy moments and bright days ahead. A gray cloud formed over their heads.
Eventually, the search party turned to the dungeons of the Whirl Islands. It was a last-ditch effort to find the boy, a step they didn't want to take, but had to. They'd searched everywhere else possible. They knew what they may face in the caves, and they didn't want to believe that the vicious terrain had gotten the better of Johnny. Brock, Tracey and Snap each led a crew into three of the four islands. Misty and Ash chose to lead the effort in the north-eastern island, the closest to the mainland. Ash and company followed the same path of stepping stones Johnny had into the heart of the cave, which was now open to the sky due to Lugia's explosive death. The waterfalls and pools remained the same, only with chunks of sharp rocks in them. Some of the rocks made a small hill next to the wall of the giant waterfall, and Ash and the other men scaled it. Misty stayed behind, for she'd spied something in the water, she thought.
Ash saw the destruction Lugia had caused, and saw the body of the magnificent bird floating in a cloudy pool on the other side of the falls. He saw the bodies of the poachers lying about as well. Some of them were missing limbs; one man's head was gone completely. The moisture of the falls and water kept the splatters of blood wet and fresh. The now plateau smelled of the moldy waters and flesh. The soles of Ash's boots were covered with thick, gummy blood. "This is disgusting," he said, covering his mouth. "I have to get out of here." He carefully went back the way they came.
Meanwhile, Misty had gravitated towards a pool she'd spied. It looked deep. Rocks filled it, and also, "Something else," she wondered aloud. She knelt beside the pool and pointed her flashlight closer to the surface. She saw a body in the rocks. She reached into the water to turn the body over. She nearly dropped the flashlight into the water. "Johnny," she screamed. "Johnny! My Johnny! What--how--" Not thinking, she stepped into the pool, gently lifting his head above the surface. His face, like the rest of his body, was cold and wrinkled from the water. His skin was pale, his lips were thick and blue. A large gash on the back of his head still oozed blood. It matted his red hair. This was her Johnny, her beloved son, her baby. "Oh, Johnny," she cried. She pulled the body into her lap, sitting in the surprisingly shallow pool of stagnant water and blood. She sobbed and rocked her son's pallid form.
Ash descended the hill of rocks and heard Misty sobbing over the roar of the falls. He saw her in the water. Her back was to him. "Misty," he called. "Hey, what are you doing in the water like that?" He reached her, offering his hand to help her up. She turned abruptly. Johnny's head jerked and slumped onto his mother's shoulder. Ash gasped and backed up. "My God, what happened?"
"I found him here," Misty wailed. "How long has he been here, Ash? Oh, my baby, my boy."
Ash's stomach turned. "Look, we've got to get him out," he said, taking the boy's inert body from her. "Come on. Hey, guys," he shouted to the remainder of the crew. Without waiting for them, he cradled his son, held his wife's hand, and emerged into the light.
*
A doctor was waiting on the mainland. He examined the boy, but knew the worst had happened before he'd even taken a temperature. He turned to Ash and Misty and said, "I'm sorry. I'll give you some time." Only Misty, Ash, Derek and Rosy remained. Johnny's corpse had been wrapped in a blanket. They looked at it sadly. No one spoke. The search party slowly disbanded, and everyone headed home. Brock followed the Ketchams' back to Cerulean, offering his help in any way, which they utilized well. They met up with Delia Ketcham, Ash's mother, who had been helping on the home front with Rosy and Derek. They sat in the living room one evening, days after Johnny's death, unable to sleep. Misty had turned on the TV in an effort to think of anything but Johnny being dead. The nightly news was on. "The rest of the victims in the mysterious Whirl Islands phenomenon were identified today," the anchor said. "Other than John Ketcham, ten years old, of Cerulean City, four others perished when the cave blew. Patrick Scott, forty, of New Bark Town, Kirk Halett, thirty-three, of Saffron City, James Fauntleroy II, eighteen, of Azalea Town, and Alan "Ace" Ketcham, sixty-seven, of Pallet Town also were killed. The elder Ketcham had been serving a prison sentence for Pokémon poaching earlier this year, but was released due to good behavior. The men were also believed to...."
Misty turned away from the screen to see Rosy and Ash wearing twin expressions of shock. "My father," Ash whispered. "He was still alive? A poacher? Mom," he said shakily.
Delia shook her head in disbelief. "I can't believe it," she said. "I thought he was dead.... Ash, I'm so sorry."
Rosy's eyes filled with tears. "Jamie," she said. "You, and Johnny, you're both gone. Mom," she wailed. Misty hugged her close. "Why? Why did they both have to go? Why couldn't we all live here, happy, Jamie and Johnny too? What's next? Am I going to lose you and Daddy and Derek and Grammy and Uncle Brock too? What the fuck? It isn't fucking fair, Mom!"
"Honey, Rosy, I know," Misty said. "It's been a long few days. Come on, let's get you to bed. I'll make you some tea."
"No! I don't want any damned tea," she shouted. "I don't want to go to bed, I don't want to forget about Johnny!"
"Babe, no one said anything about forgetting Johnny," Ash said, rising. He looked older. "I know you're hurting. I'm sorry that Jamie is gone. It's going to be even harder for you. You lost a brother, and a dear friend all at once. I lost a son, and my father, whom I thought was dead long ago. Grammy lost a grandson and a husband she thought was dead long ago. Mom lost a son. Derek lost a brother. We all lost someone we loved. Instead of pushing us away, Rosy, please, embrace the love we have now. We need to be strong now. Johnny will not be forgotten, ever. Let's all get some sleep now. We've got more pain ahead now."
Eventually, the search party turned to the dungeons of the Whirl Islands. It was a last-ditch effort to find the boy, a step they didn't want to take, but had to. They'd searched everywhere else possible. They knew what they may face in the caves, and they didn't want to believe that the vicious terrain had gotten the better of Johnny. Brock, Tracey and Snap each led a crew into three of the four islands. Misty and Ash chose to lead the effort in the north-eastern island, the closest to the mainland. Ash and company followed the same path of stepping stones Johnny had into the heart of the cave, which was now open to the sky due to Lugia's explosive death. The waterfalls and pools remained the same, only with chunks of sharp rocks in them. Some of the rocks made a small hill next to the wall of the giant waterfall, and Ash and the other men scaled it. Misty stayed behind, for she'd spied something in the water, she thought.
Ash saw the destruction Lugia had caused, and saw the body of the magnificent bird floating in a cloudy pool on the other side of the falls. He saw the bodies of the poachers lying about as well. Some of them were missing limbs; one man's head was gone completely. The moisture of the falls and water kept the splatters of blood wet and fresh. The now plateau smelled of the moldy waters and flesh. The soles of Ash's boots were covered with thick, gummy blood. "This is disgusting," he said, covering his mouth. "I have to get out of here." He carefully went back the way they came.
Meanwhile, Misty had gravitated towards a pool she'd spied. It looked deep. Rocks filled it, and also, "Something else," she wondered aloud. She knelt beside the pool and pointed her flashlight closer to the surface. She saw a body in the rocks. She reached into the water to turn the body over. She nearly dropped the flashlight into the water. "Johnny," she screamed. "Johnny! My Johnny! What--how--" Not thinking, she stepped into the pool, gently lifting his head above the surface. His face, like the rest of his body, was cold and wrinkled from the water. His skin was pale, his lips were thick and blue. A large gash on the back of his head still oozed blood. It matted his red hair. This was her Johnny, her beloved son, her baby. "Oh, Johnny," she cried. She pulled the body into her lap, sitting in the surprisingly shallow pool of stagnant water and blood. She sobbed and rocked her son's pallid form.
Ash descended the hill of rocks and heard Misty sobbing over the roar of the falls. He saw her in the water. Her back was to him. "Misty," he called. "Hey, what are you doing in the water like that?" He reached her, offering his hand to help her up. She turned abruptly. Johnny's head jerked and slumped onto his mother's shoulder. Ash gasped and backed up. "My God, what happened?"
"I found him here," Misty wailed. "How long has he been here, Ash? Oh, my baby, my boy."
Ash's stomach turned. "Look, we've got to get him out," he said, taking the boy's inert body from her. "Come on. Hey, guys," he shouted to the remainder of the crew. Without waiting for them, he cradled his son, held his wife's hand, and emerged into the light.
*
A doctor was waiting on the mainland. He examined the boy, but knew the worst had happened before he'd even taken a temperature. He turned to Ash and Misty and said, "I'm sorry. I'll give you some time." Only Misty, Ash, Derek and Rosy remained. Johnny's corpse had been wrapped in a blanket. They looked at it sadly. No one spoke. The search party slowly disbanded, and everyone headed home. Brock followed the Ketchams' back to Cerulean, offering his help in any way, which they utilized well. They met up with Delia Ketcham, Ash's mother, who had been helping on the home front with Rosy and Derek. They sat in the living room one evening, days after Johnny's death, unable to sleep. Misty had turned on the TV in an effort to think of anything but Johnny being dead. The nightly news was on. "The rest of the victims in the mysterious Whirl Islands phenomenon were identified today," the anchor said. "Other than John Ketcham, ten years old, of Cerulean City, four others perished when the cave blew. Patrick Scott, forty, of New Bark Town, Kirk Halett, thirty-three, of Saffron City, James Fauntleroy II, eighteen, of Azalea Town, and Alan "Ace" Ketcham, sixty-seven, of Pallet Town also were killed. The elder Ketcham had been serving a prison sentence for Pokémon poaching earlier this year, but was released due to good behavior. The men were also believed to...."
Misty turned away from the screen to see Rosy and Ash wearing twin expressions of shock. "My father," Ash whispered. "He was still alive? A poacher? Mom," he said shakily.
Delia shook her head in disbelief. "I can't believe it," she said. "I thought he was dead.... Ash, I'm so sorry."
Rosy's eyes filled with tears. "Jamie," she said. "You, and Johnny, you're both gone. Mom," she wailed. Misty hugged her close. "Why? Why did they both have to go? Why couldn't we all live here, happy, Jamie and Johnny too? What's next? Am I going to lose you and Daddy and Derek and Grammy and Uncle Brock too? What the fuck? It isn't fucking fair, Mom!"
"Honey, Rosy, I know," Misty said. "It's been a long few days. Come on, let's get you to bed. I'll make you some tea."
"No! I don't want any damned tea," she shouted. "I don't want to go to bed, I don't want to forget about Johnny!"
"Babe, no one said anything about forgetting Johnny," Ash said, rising. He looked older. "I know you're hurting. I'm sorry that Jamie is gone. It's going to be even harder for you. You lost a brother, and a dear friend all at once. I lost a son, and my father, whom I thought was dead long ago. Grammy lost a grandson and a husband she thought was dead long ago. Mom lost a son. Derek lost a brother. We all lost someone we loved. Instead of pushing us away, Rosy, please, embrace the love we have now. We need to be strong now. Johnny will not be forgotten, ever. Let's all get some sleep now. We've got more pain ahead now."