a/n: Next to last chapter.
If you've stuck this far…..nice
Please….tell your loved ones you care about them…one day they're all gone.
Coastal Kalos
04:37
15 miles east of Shalour City
The waves were rough, unusually so for this part of Kalos.
Team Rocket couldn't take the submarine in this shallow of water, so they were rowing back on a small inflatable boat. Ash pushed the boat forward, silently pondering what just happened.
In such a short span of time, his life changed permanently.
"So where to now twerp?" Meowth asked, as the small boat reached the beach
"Make sure I can reach just outside of Lumiose, I can handle it from there,"
"Okay….how exactly will we get there?" James asked
"Leave it to me," Meowth said
The group walked a few minutes to the nearest road, and Meowth sat on a log next to the road.
"What are you doing?" Jessie asked
"Waiting," Meowth nonchalantly replied
"James, hand me the backpack,"
James passed Meowth the backpack, questioning what Meowth was looking for.
A car could be heard in the distance, and Meowth walked in the center of the road, digging through the backpack.
As the car came into view, Meowth pulled a gun from the backpack and shot into the sky.
The car came to a screeching halt, and Meowth screamed at the occupants to get out and run
Jessie and James looked on in horror, protesting somewhat but Ash hardly reacted.
Instead, Ash just got in the driver's seat, and started to drive away before Team Rocket could even say a word.
—-
Five Hours Later…..
The road was winding, seemingly never ending.
The car was running low on gas, and Ash wasn't sure where he was.
A Stantler ran in front of the car, and just before Ash could slam on the breaks, a shadow made the pokemon disappear.
Ash hit the brakes, and got out of the car.
He turned around, he'd recognize that aura anywhere.
Greninja stood on top of a tree, looking down on Ash.
"Hey," Ash greeted his last remaining friend in the world.
—-
Meanwhile in Alola….
Aether Paradise:
It was a somber occasion, the funeral of Lillie Aether.
Hundreds gathered to mourn a beloved icon in Alola.
Friends and family of Ash Ketchum gathered to mourn her passing.
While the funeral proceeded, there was another question to be answered…. Who would take care of Ash and Lillie's children.
"Mohn, Lusamine, are you guys okay raising them?" Hala asked the recently reunited couple after the ceremony
"I'm too busy unfortunately, and newborns are a ton of work….it's just not for me, not again," Lusamine said
Hala nodded, "I completely understand,"
Hala approached Kukui, who was still nursing a gunshot wound to the knee, sustained from defending against the recent "terrorist" attack from Team Rocket who aided the fugitive Ash Ketchum. A special detachment from the international police was formed, with the objective of capturing and executing Ash.
"Kukui, I know it's a lot to ask, but…"
"I can't do it Hala, one kid is enough," Kukui said bluntly
Hala nodded, worried he'd be changing diapers yet again, when suddenly he was approached by a girl he didn't recognize.
"Excuse me, I couldn't help but notice you were asking about who can raise the triplets…and well, I'd like to volunteer, I was close with Ash before he went insane, and I'd be happy to help," The girl said
"What's your name, young lady?" Hala asked
The girl smiled, "Serena,"
Hala looked around for any objections, but everyone shrugged or nodded.
"Well, I guess it's settled. You'll have to live in Alola, so we can keep an eye on them. As you know, it takes a village to raise a kid,"
Serena smiled, "Of course!"
…..
Later that night…
Serena tucked in the triplets for bed, each in their own crib.
She looked at the kids before turning her head around.
"You three. You're going to help me get revenge. Your father doesn't know you exist, but I swear, we're all going to get revenge on that bastard," Serena muttered
—-
Fifteen years later…
"Elio! Open the door! Your uncle Gladion is here!" Serena shouted
"Selene dear! Make sure the kitchen is cleaned!" Dawn yelled
About five years ago, Serena and Dawn got married after years of Dawn hanging out around the family.
"Sun! Is the living room clean?" Serena asked
"Yes mom!" Sun yelled
The other two kids entered the living room where Sun and his two moms were waiting patiently for Gladion to come visit.
There was a firm knock at the door, and when Serena opened it, she smiled.
"Uncle Clemont! Aunt Bonnie! Uncle Gladion!" Selene shouted as she ran forward to hug them.
Gladion smiled at the kids, "You've all grown so much!" Gladion said with a smirk as he ruffled Sun's hair
"I love your hair! White is such a cool color on you!" Bonnie said to Selene who smiled, happy someone liked her hair which was inspired by a show about a family who raised dragons and all needed therapy.
"Come in! Sit down!" Dawn said happily
Sun was enthusiastic to talk to Gladion, the undisputed Champion of Alola and #3 in the most recent PWC, the world's premiere dark type specialist. Sun was the best battler of the three siblings, and a candidate of the Alola Elite Four, if he managed to beat one in the upcoming champions league.
Clemont was speaking eagerly with Elio, who was the smartest of the three siblings. While his team was less powerful then Sun's, he brought him to the brink in an extremely close league battle. Elio currently served as a Trial Captain, but his greatest dream was to create an artificial mega evolution.
Selene spoke happily with Bonnie, sharing a unique energy and passion for life, Selene wasn't just a trainer and someone who came runner up in the last Alola league, getting handed a firm defeat from Sun. Selene was also an author, and highly respected in the community. She absolutely had a promising future ahead of her.
After a while, the kids started to clear out, leaving the adults to speak.
"Any updates on the search?" Serena asked
Gladion shook his head, "He's a ghost, all these years later and not a whiff, I actually came to visit to ask about something, a potential lead. You guys would be the subject matter experts here,"
"Well, what is it?" Clemont asked
"What do you guys know about the Greninja he used all those years ago….I'm asking this because two weeks ago, a police vehicle was annihilated, sliced in half, forensic analysis concluded it was by a water shuriken fired from a Greninja. Wild Greninja don't attack humans, they just don't. Even fewer Greninja's are capable of firing a water shuriken strong enough to slice a car in half. It's a small lead, nearly impossible…but I'm going to Kalos to look for him, it's better then sweeping Kanto yet again,"
Clemont nodded, "I think I know where you should start, there's a forest about a day's walk from Lumiose, you'd be best off starting your search there,"
Bonnie nodded, "Greninja was strong back then, if he's still alive, and with Greninja. Be careful…..,"
Gladion laughed, "Bonnie, I'm a champion, I'll be okay,"
Serena sighed, "Gladion…..good luck, make him pay,"
Dawn put her hand over Serena's, and looked at her sadly.
Gladion nodded, before looking at Serena.
"If it comes to it…should I tell him about the kids,"
Serena nodded, "Yes….make sure he knows what his actions have cost him,"
—-
Several days later…
Gladion walked through a quiet forest as the sun rose. It was a quiet morning, a gentle breeze swept across the forest, causing the leaves to rustle.
Gladion stepped on a branch, and turned his gaze to a shadow behind a tree which suddenly vanished.
A branch snapped a few hundred yards away, and Gladion took off sprinting.
Jumping over fallen trees and dodging stumps and even a sleeping Ratatta.
Finally, after climbing up a steep hill, he reached a clearing of a reasonable size. A beautiful area, undisturbed by humans.
A small waterfall crashed down into a pond, where Gladion saw a humanoid figure sitting on a large rock in the pond. The figure was wearing torn clothes, had long shaggy hair and a long beard.
Gladion approached the figure, only to be greeted first.
"I didn't expect to see you out here," The figure spoke
Gladion recognized the voice instantly.
"You….you're alive,"
"Someone's observant,"
"I'm going to change that, I swear I'm going to KILL YOU," Gladion shouted
"Unfortunately, my dear brother in law, only one of us will be leaving here alive. And I intend on waking up tomorrow," Ash said
"You bastard! You never married her," Gladion screamed
Ash snapped his fingers and disappeared into thin air.
Gladion reached for his belt, and sent out his first pokemon.
"Umbreon! Let's do this!"
Gladion's Umbreon emerged, ready for battle.
Gladion and Umbreon both looked around the pond, ready for combat.
Suddenly, a water pulse fired out of thin air struck Umbreon.
Ash emerged behind Gladion, "Look behind you,"
When Gladion turned his head, he was struck with a water pulse that pushed him straight into the pond.
Gladion spit the water out of his mouth and screamed.
"Umbreon, dark pulse!"
Ash smiled, "The time is now,"
Suddenly, Umbreon was struck by a somewhat familiar figure, and ate a punch.
Umbreon flew into a nearby tree, and the pokemon that Ash was commanding revealed itself.
It was a Frogadier.
"Dark Pulse! Full power!" Gladion yelled
"Take it head on, and strike again," Ash commanded
Frogadier just stood there, and hardly flinched.
"But….but how?"
"Who says Frogadier is still a water type?" Ash replied
"Frogadier, power up punch,"
Frogadier struck again, and sent Umbreon into the water.
"Strike it again,"
Frogadier quickly slammed into Umbreon, who upon just standing up went flying into the deep end of the pond.
"Ice Punch, Freeze the water,"
Frogadier struck the water, completely icing it over within seconds while Umbreon was still underwater.
"Oh my….what the fuck, Ash you're going to drown Umbreon!" Gladion yelled, horrified
"You literally just said you were going to kill me," Ash said without any emotion
Gladion reached for his next pokeball, "Zoroark, save Umbreon! Focus blast and break the ice!"
"Frogadier, put this cheater in his place. Use Hidden Power,"
Frogadier fired a large orb straight at Zoroark, which knocked it back, and did so quite effectively
"Zoroark, double team and break the ice!"
"Frogadier, hidden power rapid fire," Ash ordered
Frogadier began firing off tiny orbs at an impossible speed, striking multiple copies of Zoroark on the ice, until only one remained who was clawing at the ice, trying to save Umbreon.
"Now, skate and strike Zoroark through the ice, power up punch again!"
Frogadier jumped up, and smashed Zoroark straight through the ice, on top of where Umbreon laid.
"Freeze them over again, ice punch,"
Gladion screamed, "You fucker! I'm the champion of Alola! I won't lose to a pokemon who isn't even fully evolved! Let's go Houndoom!"
Ash just smirked at his outburst. "You're losing to the real champion right now,"
Gladion slapped his bracelet, revealing a keystone.
Houndoom began to glow, and mega evolved on the spot.
Ash hardly seemed concerned.
"Houndoom! Blast the ice with a blast burn!"
Ash cursed under his breath.
"Frogadier, power-up punch!"
Houndoom unleashed a massive blast of fire which melted the ice instantly. Frogadier jumped up to avoid the blast, and disappeared.
Zoroark floated to the surface, knocked out. Unfortunately, Umbreon didn't float up.
Gladion recalled Zoroark, who was an inch from death, and upon trying to recall Umbreon, the ball failed.
"You….you killed my Umbreon!"
"This is a battle to the death, you said it yourself,"
Frogadier then appeared behind Houndoom, and landed a powerful blow which sent Houndoom into the pond.
"Frogadier, all out water pulse,"
"Solar Beam!"
Frogadier fired a kamehameha style water pulse which flew towards Houndoom.
Houndoom returned fire with a solar beam.
The two attacks met, and an explosion cleared the area.
Frogadier was down, and Houndoom was hardly standing, but Houndoom managed to take it down.
"Heh, guess that's it for you….so much for a Greninja, it was just an overly ambitious child….really Ash? You thought that could beat me-" Gladion was interrupted when suddenly, Houndoom collapsed instantly.
Frogadier raised his arm, and fired off a small water pulse which caused Houndoom to faint on the spot.
Ash smiled, and nodded at Frogadier.
"That changes nothing! Now, prepare to die…Lycanroc! Kill! Impale him with a stone edge!"
Gladion sent out his dusk Lycanroc, who prepared an attack
Ash said nothing, and motioned for Lycanroc to turn around, where a Greninja stood.
Ash said nothing yet again, and just waited. Ash's Greninja formed a blade out of water, and sliced Lycanroc's head cleanly off.
Lycanroc's corpse fell backwards.
Greninja turned around.
"Gladion, I'm offering you a deal. If you leave now, I'll let you collect the bodies and if you promise to leave me alone and not tell a soul about what happened…..You can leave. If not? This is the end for you. Greninja's son over here wiped half of your team, and he's hardly a year old, do you think you'll fare well against my 36 year old Greninja?"
"FUCK YOU! NOW YOU'LL SUFFER! DARKRAI! SILVALLY! ATTACK!" Gladion screamed
Gladion sent out a Darkrai, as well as his traditional ace.
Gladion readied his Z Ring.
"Two Z Moves at once! Blow him off the face of the earth! BLACK HOLE ECLIPSE!"
Gladion's body began to shake compulsively, but he continued nonetheless.
Ash raised his hands, and Greninja was surrounded with a veil of water.
Ash-Greninja emerged, ready for combat.
"Greninja, let's answer in kind! Water Shuriken! Full power!"
The Z moves combined to form one lethal strike in a deadly pitch-black beam.
Greninja fired off his signature orange water shuriken.
The water shuriken tore straight through the Z move, as if it were a butcher knife through butter.
The move struck Darkrai and Silvally, leaving both with severe wounds.
Gladion recalled them instantly, and turned to face Ash.
"Go on…kill me!" Gladion shouted
Ash turned his back
"Can't face your death head on! Come on! Look at me! Look me in the eyes! Your kids think you're a killer, so prove them right!"
"My kids…?"
"You don't know? You knocked up my sister, and she had triplets…they're wonderful, amazing battlers and they all idolize me, and despise you. Serena is raising them with Dawn, and they'll become wonderful adults…live wonderful lives….without you in them,"
"What are their names?"
" .Asshole,"
"WHAT ARE THEIR NAMES,"
"Eat. ,"
"TELL ME,"
" .Penis,"
"FUCKING TELL, PLEASE! I WILL SPARE YOU"
Gladion considered this…. And replied
" .Selene,"
Ash nodded, and started crying, and crying turned to screaming.
"This…this is too much! I…..no….Serena raising my kids…they hate me….I almost killed their idol….."
"Greninja, take my eyes!"
Greninja shook his head.
Ash reached for a nearby sharp rock, and stabbed his eyes out with it.
Gladion watched on in horror.
"Greninja! Take an eye of Gladion's, so he may remember this...and we can half match,"
Within a second, Gladion was on the floor screaming, down an eye.
"Now, Greninja, take him to the nearest hospital,"
As Greninja was about to take him away
"Tell my kids…I love them…and…they should come visit,"
Gladion replied, "They'll kill you, just you wait….."
—-
Ash sat there, blind. "Honestly…even if I die…hearing their voice would make it a worthy price,"