"Are you sure you want to do this, Ash?" Brock asked as the three of them stood on the beach that lay just below the Pallet Town cemetery.
"I'm sure, Brock," said Ash as he reached into his pocket and placed a small gold ring on a nearby rock. "Go ahead."
Brock pulled out one of his Poké balls. "Geodude, I choose you!"
"Geodude!" the rock Pokémon cried as it appeared in a flash of bright light.
"Geodude, smash that ring!" Brock ordered.
The Pokémon raised a huge stony fist and brought it down on the ring, smashing the star-shaped crystal on the Kadabra's forehead into a million bits.
"Thanks, Geodude. Go, Cyndaquil!" Ash's fire mouse Pokémon appeared with a cry. "Cynadquil, melt that ring down with your Flamethrower."
"Quillllll!" A stream of fire shot out of the Pokémon's mouth as the quills on its back blazed.
"Now it's my turn," Misty announced. "Go, Goldeen!" She threw her Poké ball into the ocean and Goldeen materialized in the water. "Goldeen, use Hydro Pump to cool it down."
"Goldeen," the Pokémon nodded as water shot out of its mouth and onto the puddle of molten gold, which began to steam as the water cooled it.
"Thanks, Goldeen," said Ash as he picked up the shapeless gold mass.
Misty took it from him and placed it in her Pokémon's mouth. "Goldeen, I want you to take that as far out in the ocean as you can so no one will ever find it again."
"Goldeen," said the Pokémon in affirmation as it turned around and splashed out to sea.
The three friends watched as the fish Pokémon disappeared out of sight on the horizon.
"We'd better get back," said Brock as he gathered up his backpack. "Tracey's coming home from the hospital today and we've got to get everything ready for his coming-home party."
"I'll catch up with you guys as soon as Goldeen gets back," Misty waved as Brock and Ash headed up the path away from the beach.
As the two boys passed by the cemetery, Ash paused at the entrance. "You go on ahead, Brock. I'll catch up with you in a couple of minutes."
Brock smiled and laid a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Sure, Ash. I understand."
As Brock continued down the road to Pallet, Ash and Pikachu wandered through the cemetery until they came to the two graves lying in the shade of a large oak tree.
"Hi, Mom. Hi, Professor Oak," Ash said as he looked down at the flowers wilting on the two graves. "I just wanted to let the both of you know that everything's okay now. And even though I don't know what's going to happen to me once they decide where they're gonna send me, all I know that as long as the two of you are up there looking out for me, I know that I'm gonna be all right." Ash bent down and picked up his Pokémon, who was busy sniffing the few flowers that hadn't faded in the mass of bouquets that blanketed the pair of graves. "Pikachu and I are both gonna be okay, so don't worry." As a tear plopped on the Pokémon's fur, Pikachu leaned up and gave his friend a comforting hug.
Ash smiled. "Come on, Pikachu. We've gotta get back and get things ready for Tracey. "
And the two of them headed back to Pallet Town.