Pokémon – The Quest's End
A fanfiction by BenRG
Disclaimer
Pokémon, the Pocket Monsters, their human friends and enemies and all the technologies of the Pokémon universe are the property of Nintendo., Creatures Inc. and Game Freak Software. This is a non-profit work for free distribution through the Internet. No breach of copyright intended.
Author's Notes
This is an Alternate Universe story, closely linked to my Original Character story, 'The Journey'. Most of the events of Ash Ketchum's past have occurred as in the canon timeline. However, I have added one or two Pokémon to Ash's team that I feel he needs. I have also taken some liberties with some of the newer Pokémon, due to my unfamiliarity with the Ruby- and Sapphire-version Pokémon.
I don't know what they are going to call May's little brother Masato in the English-language dub of the animé. I have selected the name 'Matt' as being as good as any other.
Censor: PG-13
Continuity: Takes place eight years after Ash began his Journey.
The Story
Epilogue – The End Comes to the Beginning
The little girl with blue-green eyes and raven-black hair, which flowed down her back before spreading like wings at waist level, looked up excitedly at the tall man with grey-streaked black hair held back (weirdly enough) by a red hair-band. "So, Chloe, are you ready?" he asked.
"Am I ready?" Chloe asked, sounding disbelieving. Her father, standing behind her, squeezed her shoulder warningly. Chloe rearranged her features into something more approaching respect. "Yes, Professor Sketchitt, I'm ready," she said. Then the strain became too much and she blurted out: "Are you really going to give me my first Pokémon now?"
Tracey looked up at the girl's father with a wry smile. "Like daughter like father," he said.
"And proud of it, too," Chloe's dad replied with a laugh.
Tracey nodded in agreement. He looked around the hills of Pallet Town before turning his attention back to the latest Novice Trainer to come to him. "Yes," he said. "I really am going to give you your first Pokémon, Chloe." The girl virtually squealed with delight. "Do you think you are ready for the responsibility for caring for a Pokémon?" he asked.
Chloe drew in a deep breath. "I've lived around them all my life," she reminded her father's old friend. "But, yes, I am. I promise to feed, and groom and train it to the best of my ability."
Tracey's lips twitched upwards in response to the unconscious pomposity in the girl's voice. "Okay then," he said. He reached behind him and his wife and assistant, Melody, handed him a grey-and-white Super-type Pokéball with a leaf painted above the recall lens. Chloe virtually snatched it and held it to her like it was the greatest treasure that she had ever possessed. Maybe it was at that.
"Aren't you going to introduce yourself to your starter, Chloe?" her mother asked gently. Chloe looked up at her mom and nodded, knowing that if she made a suggestion, it would always be a good one.
The girl touched the 'release' touch-pad on the ball's side and the ball split open. It emitted a flash of white light that resolved itself into a squat green toad-like creature with blue-grey splotches all over its' hide. A green bulb like an onion was growing out of its' back. The Pokémon looked up at Chloe with fire-red eyes and smiled. "Bubbasaar!" it growled.
"It's a Bulbasaur! Oh, how wonderful!" Chloe dropped to her knees to embrace her Pokémon. The Bulbasaur reared up on his rear legs to cuddle closer to his Trainer. "I'm going to so enjoy travelling with you, Bulbasaur!"
"Saar!" Bulbasaur grinned in reply.
"Now, Chloe," I have a gift for you of my own. Chloe looked up at her father in surprise. The tall man in the dark shirt, jeans and jacket reached into his jacket and drew out a battered red-white-and-green official Pokémon League cap.
Chloe gasped. "Daddy! Is that…?"
Ash Ketchum, the still-undefeated Pokémon Master, smiled down at his oldest child. "Yes, Chloe, that is the cap that I wore during the battle when I became The Pokémon Master, fifteen years ago. It was a lucky charm for me back then, Chloe," he told his daughter. "Now I want you to have it. Sort of passing the torch, I guess." Ash felt the rush of memories overtake him for a moment, and looked at his wife, Misty, who was holding onto the hand of their second child and oldest son, Brett. The years had been kind to Misty, now leader of the Elite Four and the most famous water-type Master Trainer in history. In Ash's admittedly biased view, she was even more beautiful than ever.
Chloe seemed to freeze at the thought of taking the hat, so Ash, with a slight grin, perched it on the girl's head. Chloe seemed to wake up at that point. She gathered her long hair into a ponytail and stuck it through the gap over the adjustment strap at the back of the cap. "Thank you, daddy," she said. "I'll take care of it."
"Better care than he did, I'll bet," Misty said with a wry wink. Ash shot his wife a mock glare and she stuck our her tongue, winking at him.
Chloe had turned her attention back to her Pokémon and the two were already bonding, Chloe excitedly telling her new friend how they would become the greatest Trainer/Pokémon pair ever. "Er… After you and Raichu, of course, daddy," she added to Ash.
[And don't forget it!] Raichu declared.
Ash didn't believe it for a moment of course. She was going to be the very best, if she had anything to do with it. What else could he expect from a child of the Ketchum and Waterflower bloodlines? "I'm sure that you will do your very best, Chloe," he said. "Never forget that, no matter what you choose to do, your mother and I will always love you and be proud of you, okay?"
Chloe nodded soberly. As Ash turned to Misty to discuss some adult stuff. Chloe looked at her Bulbasaur. "You know, I think it is stupid calling you by your species name all the time," she told him. "Would you like a nickname?" Bulbasaur cocked his head. Chloe took that as compliance. "How about… Herbie! That's it!"
The grass/poison-type grinned at his Trainer. "Bubbasaar!" he declared, liking the sound of the name.
"Herbie it is, then!" Chloe declared. Then the realisation of what was about to happen hit the little girl hard and she had to concentrate to force back the tears. "Daddy… Mommy…" she said quietly. Ash and Misty immediately turned their attention to their child. "I'm… I'm going to have to go now…" she said.
Misty's eyes felt wet. She willed the tears away, not wanting to detract from the day that her daughter had dreamt of from the first moment she was consciously aware of the Pokémon's role in their culture. "I know, honey," she said. "Don't be afraid. I know that you're ready."
Ash knelt in front of his little girl. "Chloe, there is something that I want you to remember for me," he said. The 10-year-old girl focussed her eyes on her father. "I want you to remember that Pokémon are your very best friends, not tools to an end," he said. "Look at Herbie. He loves you already. He is ready to fight for you and to die for you. That means that you have to be ready to fight for him, and even to die for him. Do you understand? You must do this together, or you won't do it at all."
"I understand, Daddy," she said. "I'll make you proud of me."
"I've always been proud of you," Ash said. "I always will." He hugged his little girl and was glad to feel her hug him back.
"We will always love you, Chloe," Misty repeated, hugging her first child hard. "I will always love you. Don't ever forget that."
"I know, Mommy," Chloe said, her voice choked with emotion. After a few moments, she was able to separate from her mother and grin at her brother. "This is it, Squirt," she said. "Look after yourself."
"You too, Sis," Brett replied. "Hey, you never know! We might run into each other out there in a couple of years!"
Chloe grinned at her kid brother. "You would have to be very good to catch me up, Brett," she teased. The two youngsters laughed. Ash and Misty exchanged a significant look.
After a long moment, Chloe took a reluctant step backward. She pulled her backpack to her shoulder and prepared to leave. "Bye Mom, Dad, Brett… I love you!"
Misty reached out, not ready to let her first child go just yet. "We love you too," she said. "Journey safely… And don't forget to change your you-know-whats every day!"
Chloe coloured prettily. "Mom!" she protested. Then she winked at her mother.
"Go on, don't keep destiny waiting," Ash said. "Never forget that we are here for you, Chloe, but always walk forwards. And like the Pokémon, never look back."
Chloe nodded firmly. She turned decisively and started to walk towards Route 1 and the first stage of her Journey, Herbie the Bulbasaur skipping alongside her, eager for the start of his own adventure. Chloe looked over her shoulder. "Bye!" She called. "Love you! I'll call from Viridian City!"
"Best of luck! We love you!" Misty called back.
"Watch out for the Spearows!" Ash added.
[Shade and sweet water!] Raichu called.
[Mew watch over you!] added Togetic.
As Chloe Ketchum and Herbie the Bulbasaur started their journey into the future, Ash put his arm around Misty's shoulder. His mate leaned into his embrace, sad and filled with joy all at the same time. "And so the end comes to the beginning," he told his wife. As Chloe vanished from view, the two of them turned back to Ash's Pokémon Gym, to continue their own journey, day-by-day.
The End
Endnotes
Whew! That one has been buzzing around in my head for some time! Basically, if you take every chapter except the epilogue as separate episodes of the animé, that is how I would like the series to end. I'm glad that I've finally got it down on paper!
So, did it rock or did it stink? I will only know if you press the little button next to the words 'Submit Review' below. If you prefer to keep your comments private, feel free to email me at BenRG@rgflat.freeserve.co.uk.
BenRG
31st July, 2003
