The weeks that followed took a lot of getting used to for the Ketchams. Brock became a frequent visitor. Delia tried to visit more often as well, but found it difficult to travel between Pallet and Cerulean. Derek and Rosy went back to school. Ash returned to the university. Misty remained at the gym, but without Johnny around, it seemed very empty. The days passed, seasons changed, and summer came. Derek, Rosy and Ash came home for the summer. Rosy was soon to enter college, but had yet to announce where she was attending college. Indigo University still looked to be the front runner in the chase. She remained tight-lipped about her intentions. Since Johnny died, she'd aged in other ways than most girls her age did. She saw there was more to life than dominating an opponent, as she did in her Pokémon Tech class battles. She knew that life was about people, not things. She realized that not she nor her parents, or Derek would be around forever. She hedged about her plans for higher education because success meant nothing to her. Without those she loved, all the laud in the world would be useless. Every day the remaining members of her family awaited her announcement, trying not to pressure her or be overbearing. One warm summer evening, she joined her mother and father on the back patio, where they were sipping Long Island iced teas watching Derek prune the roses in the garden. He enjoyed plants almost as much as he did music and the arts. He had inherited Delia's green thumb. "Mom, Dad, Derek, I know what I'm going to do next year."
Misty and Ash set down their glasses. Derek came in from the garden. "Well, pumpkin, what is it," Ash asked. Rosy stood with her eyes closed, inhaling the sweet breeze from the flowers. The gentle wind swished her loose white skirt around her legs and blew her long, wavy, dark locks about her face. On the back of her eyelids she saw Johnny, grown up, tall, with that same shock of red hair sticking up in places on his head, throwing a Pokéball high, releasing a Pokémon to battle with. Only there was no one to face him. No opponent had challenged him. He looked over his shoulder and pleaded with his eyes to the sister he left behind. When she opened her eyes she saw her family looking at her, anticipating her answer.
"I'm going to be the new Gym leader here," she said.
They looked at each other. "What," Ash asked.
"Mom has done an amazing job here, but she can't be the leader forever, right," she replied. "I think it's best to keep the gym in the family. Derek has his music to pursue, and Daddy has teaching to look after. I always assumed Johnny would take the reigns, but--" her voice broke. Her eyes teared up, but she regained her composure. "But he can't now. I know I can't be what he was, or what he is, or what he could have been, but I do know what I'm doing, and I know that I can keep this gym competitive and formidable. Opponents would expect nothing else from the daughter of Ash Ketcham and Misty Waterflower, right?" She smiled through her tears.
Misty rose to embrace her daughter. She was crying freely. "It's perfect," she said. "I know you can do it. Thank you, Rosy." Ash and Derek hugged them, tears flowing.
*
It had been a year since Johnny died. A long year, filled with sorrow, tears, fear, pain, loneliness. Now the Cerulean Gym stood on the dawn of a new era: Rosy was primed to defend the Cascade badge of the Cerulean Gym against all comers for the first time. Misty helped Rosy get her Pokémon ready to battle a gym match, a challenge neither Rosy nor her Pokémon had seen before. Derek was standing guard outside the Gym, waiting for a challenger to appear. "Hey," he suddenly shouted. "Here comes someone!" He ran in to dispatch the news. As he streaked past Ash to inform Rosy, Ash chuckled to himself. He'd never seen Derek so full of energy. Rosy stood up, and stepped onto the gym floor. She faced a young boy. "My name is Peter Straihan, and I'm going to be a Pokémon master," he announced.
"My name is Rosy Ketcham, and I'm the leader of the Cerulean Gym," Rosy answered. "This Cascade badge will be yours if you can defeat me." She held the badge up for him to see.
"It's as good as mine," he boasted.
Rosy smiled. Water-type Pokémon were never her strongest suit, but Misty had shown her how to use Water-types to her advantage. Water was the official type of the gym, and therefore, her best had to be at least some Water Pokémon. She grasped a Pokéball, thinking of the beast she planned to unleash in a few seconds. Years of her Pokémon education filled her head, as well as the tutelage Misty and Ash had passed on. Finally, she saw Johnny again. He smiled at her and gave her the thumbs-up. She took a deep breath and shouted, "Kingdra, I choose you!" Misty smiled from the shadows. Past, future and now present were one. Now she could sleep a little easier.
Misty and Ash set down their glasses. Derek came in from the garden. "Well, pumpkin, what is it," Ash asked. Rosy stood with her eyes closed, inhaling the sweet breeze from the flowers. The gentle wind swished her loose white skirt around her legs and blew her long, wavy, dark locks about her face. On the back of her eyelids she saw Johnny, grown up, tall, with that same shock of red hair sticking up in places on his head, throwing a Pokéball high, releasing a Pokémon to battle with. Only there was no one to face him. No opponent had challenged him. He looked over his shoulder and pleaded with his eyes to the sister he left behind. When she opened her eyes she saw her family looking at her, anticipating her answer.
"I'm going to be the new Gym leader here," she said.
They looked at each other. "What," Ash asked.
"Mom has done an amazing job here, but she can't be the leader forever, right," she replied. "I think it's best to keep the gym in the family. Derek has his music to pursue, and Daddy has teaching to look after. I always assumed Johnny would take the reigns, but--" her voice broke. Her eyes teared up, but she regained her composure. "But he can't now. I know I can't be what he was, or what he is, or what he could have been, but I do know what I'm doing, and I know that I can keep this gym competitive and formidable. Opponents would expect nothing else from the daughter of Ash Ketcham and Misty Waterflower, right?" She smiled through her tears.
Misty rose to embrace her daughter. She was crying freely. "It's perfect," she said. "I know you can do it. Thank you, Rosy." Ash and Derek hugged them, tears flowing.
*
It had been a year since Johnny died. A long year, filled with sorrow, tears, fear, pain, loneliness. Now the Cerulean Gym stood on the dawn of a new era: Rosy was primed to defend the Cascade badge of the Cerulean Gym against all comers for the first time. Misty helped Rosy get her Pokémon ready to battle a gym match, a challenge neither Rosy nor her Pokémon had seen before. Derek was standing guard outside the Gym, waiting for a challenger to appear. "Hey," he suddenly shouted. "Here comes someone!" He ran in to dispatch the news. As he streaked past Ash to inform Rosy, Ash chuckled to himself. He'd never seen Derek so full of energy. Rosy stood up, and stepped onto the gym floor. She faced a young boy. "My name is Peter Straihan, and I'm going to be a Pokémon master," he announced.
"My name is Rosy Ketcham, and I'm the leader of the Cerulean Gym," Rosy answered. "This Cascade badge will be yours if you can defeat me." She held the badge up for him to see.
"It's as good as mine," he boasted.
Rosy smiled. Water-type Pokémon were never her strongest suit, but Misty had shown her how to use Water-types to her advantage. Water was the official type of the gym, and therefore, her best had to be at least some Water Pokémon. She grasped a Pokéball, thinking of the beast she planned to unleash in a few seconds. Years of her Pokémon education filled her head, as well as the tutelage Misty and Ash had passed on. Finally, she saw Johnny again. He smiled at her and gave her the thumbs-up. She took a deep breath and shouted, "Kingdra, I choose you!" Misty smiled from the shadows. Past, future and now present were one. Now she could sleep a little easier.