Epilogue: Dawn

Ten years passed.

Everyone for miles around could hear the festivities going on. There were streamers and confetti in the air, bands playing loud, people shouting and cheering, and the voice of a single announcer rising above them all, drawing them in like a siren. It was a beautiful, gorgeous summer afternoon in Pallet Town, the perfect time and place for a Pokemon Tournament. But this was no ordinary event--many people had been waiting a very long time to see it.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" shouted the tournament announcer. "Welcome all to what promises to be the greatest Pokemon match of our generation! This one match has been over twenty years in the making, and it promises to finally settle the score between two lifelong rivals, both of whom we have watched and cheered for ever since they began their quest to become Pokemon Masters, so many years ago!

"Of course, I'm talking about the great Gary Oak, grandson of Professor Oak himself, and the marvelous Ash Ketchum, who made a name for himself traveling on one of the most perilous adventures ever! These two have been rivals ever since they were toddlers, and though time has quelled their maelstrom into a solid friendship, they're still looking to settle the score once and for all! Who will emerge victorious and claim rights to the world's greatest Pokemon trainer? We'll find that out later today, as soon as the events begin!"

From out of a small but simple house came a strapping young man, tall and sunny with a glint of childish wonder still in his eyes. He had rich black hair that spiked out everywhere and trailed down to his back slightly into a tail, and a face eager for bright futures and big challenges. He wore a simple black shirt and jeans, opting not to take his blue jacket or red cap that day, and smiled warmly as the sun fanned on his face. Somewhere in his early twenties, the young man was a bundle of hope and anticipation as he prepared himself to face his greatest challenge yet.

"Ah, what a beautiful day!" he sighed. "Now where did Pikachu get to?" A little yellow rodent scampered out after him as it was called, hopping up his body to his shoulder, where it stayed perched. The young man laughed and scratched its head.

"Oh, hey! You seem pretty eager to start the day!"

"Ash, wait up!" The young man turned around to see who called him, and saw his mother running towards him, still very beautiful and very doting on him even after all those years. She stopped suddenly, trying to catch her breath as she presented him with his backpack.

"Huh? Oh, did I forget something?" he asked. His mother nodded her head.

"I don't want you running off without these supplies again. Can you imagine what would happen if you were suddenly in the middle of a match and you forgot to pack medicine, or an extra change of clothes, or money for your lunch?" Ash grinned sheepishly and lifted his backpack over his shoulders, feeling the weight of the dozens of items his mother always seemed to stuff in there.

"You're right… what would I ever do without ya, ma?"

"I'd personally hate to find out!" called a voice from afar. Ash turned around and saw another young man close to his age, tall and modeled well from years of traveling. He had very short rusty-red hair, and wore a short-sleeved dark blue shirt, as well as a serious look. "So are you gonna take forever or are you gonna hurry up?" he asked impatiently.

"I'm doing the best I can, Gary," muttered Ash defensively. "I just wanted to make sure I was ready before I started out."

"Yeah, but you take forever and a day to do it!" he complained. Ash gave his lifelong rival an apologetic smile, but soon the tables were turned on young Oak as his famous grandfather came running towards him, wheezing and panting hard as he waved several papers in the air.

"Gary! (cough, wheeze) Gary! You forgot your registration data!" Gary's face flushed in shock as he suddenly remembered the papers he needed.

"Darn it, gramps! How come you let me come all this way without telling me? I could've made myself look like a fool! What would I have done when I got all the way there and figured out I didn't have it?!"

"Well, they're your responsibility, Gary," stated the Professor, waving the papers in front of his grandson's face. "I may be getting slow and forgetful in my old age, but even I wouldn't be caught in a Pokemon tournament without these!"

"Yeah, yeah…" Gary mumbled and swiped the pages from his grandfather; Ash's mother chuckled.

"It seems both our boys are very forgetful these days."

"Aw, moooom!" His mother and mentor shared a chuckle; Gary, having been humbled enough for one day, snorted and prepared his luggage.

"Hmph. Let's go, Ash. I've been waiting my whole life for this moment, and nothing's going to stop it, not even your uncanny ability to be slow."

"Hey, who's slow?" he defended. "I'm just cautious! I've learned a lot since I was a kid! And I'm still learning even now!"

"Well could you learn a little faster?" groaned Gary sourly. "We're gonna be late if we don't hurry!" The impatient young man sprinted ahead of his rival, leaving Ash behind as always. He merely shook his head.

"Gary… the tournament's not for another hour… What's the rush?"

-----

Since the tournament was taking place in the hometown of the two main participants, it didn't take either of them long to arrive. The entire place was crowded and thick with population, many of who had heard of the exploits of the two boys during the dark days of Team Rocket. They were both greeted with a wild cheer as nearly two thousand people shouted and waved at them. Ash and Gary couldn't help but smile, barely able to keep their humility.

"It's quite a turnout," noted Gary. Ash smiled and nodded his head.

"Yeah… and to think they came to see us!"

"Well can you blame them? My boys are some of the best Pokemon trainers ever!" Ash smiled happily as he recognized the lovely voice, and turned around to see an image of beauty smiling back at him. She was a thin girl, almost as tall as he was and twice as radiant in the face. She had gorgeous auburn hair that flowed freely down to her shoulders, and wore a sleeveless yellow shirt with short shorts over her long legs. She and Ash both embraced tightly as they were reunited again.

"Misty!! You came! Gary, my girlfriend came all the way from Cerulean just to watch us!"

"Of course I did, Ashley," replied Misty with a warm smile, touching his nose playfully. "I wouldn't miss this event for anything! Besides, we don't even live that far away."

"Oh, must've forgotten," he chuckled, plainly joking. Misty giggled and kissed him lightly on the lips.

"Silly boy… You were never a smart guy, but you sure were brave."

"Aww…" Gary, feeling brutally ignored, let out a rude cough to separate the two.

"Uh, ahem. Misty, aren't you gonna let go of the little squirt and give me a hug?"

"Maybe," she said, looking and sounding very serious. He growled quietly.

"Hmph. I'm as much your friend as Ash is."

"But you two aren't dating, and we are!" taunted Ash, pointing a finger at his rival. Gary frowned and snorted even louder than before.

"Ha! Who needs it? I've got my entourage to fawn over me! And they should be here any minute!! They're just… uh… being held up by traffic, that's all!"

A pause. Misty sighed and gave the poor guy a hug.

"Oh, don't get yourself tied up in a knot. I missed you too, Gary."

"Thanks." The friends smiled as they shared an embrace, and soon another familiar voice joined them.

"Hey, pretty lady, don't I get a hug?" Misty turned around, gasping with delight as she saw an older man smiling at her, his fully-grown body tanned from years of working outdoors and his hair slicked back into a cool-looking ponytail. He was wearing a casual surfer shirt with shorts, and clasping quietly to his elbow was a beautiful silvery-haired woman, mature and tall with a gentle look to her radiant face.

"Brock! Lenneth! Oh, you made it!" Misty and Ash both ran forward to hug their two friends, and even Gary joined in as soon as it looked like there was room. Both Brock and Lenneth returned their embraces warmly, barely able to speak because of the joyful happiness of reuniting with old friends. Lenneth winced slightly as Misty bumped into her as she hugged her old friend.

"Ooh, careful… the baby's been restless these past few weeks."

"Sorry…" Smiling, Misty gently knelt down and examined Lenneth's protruding belly. The child was definitely due soon, so the silvery-haired girl had been taking things easy for a while. "Wow… it's really coming along! Have you thought of a name yet?"

"We thought we'd give the baby a name when it was born," replied Brock. "I'm naming it if it's a boy, and Lenneth's naming it if it's a girl."

"So you don't even know what it's gonna be?" asked Ash. The couple smiled and shook their heads.

"We want it to be a surprise… but we'll love it all the same when it arrives…" Lenneth smiled warmly, and began to stroke her abdomen gently, glowing radiantly as all mothers-to-be usually did during the twilight years of their pregnancy. Brock, always one to instigate in the middle of a tender moment, shuffled forward and whispered something to Ash.

"(So have you and Misty had any children yet?)"

"(Brock, we're just going out on dates!)" he hissed sharply. Brock gave his longtime friend an annoying, slightly perverse chuckle.

"(Yeah, well, you gotta make progress sometime, Ash!)"

"Oh, whatever!"

"What are you boys talking about over there?" wondered Misty. They both turned around and gave the redhead deceptively innocent looks.

"No~thing, Mis~ty!"

"HA! What a joke!" screeched a voice from above.

"We can smell deceit a mile away!"

"And it reeks!"

"What?" The five of them jerked around, spotting two people standing on a car, clouding the sun from their view.

"Who are those people?" wondered Ash. He quickly got his answer.

"Prepare for double!"

"And make it double!"

"Oh, wow! James, Jessie! Come on down here! We haven't seen you two since you got married!" The duo suddenly fell flat on the car, slipped off, and groaned miserably as they tried to stand back up. They had barely changed at all through the years, except for gaining a little more mass and some additions and subtractions to their hairstyle: Jessie's was flowing and free, while James' was much shorter than before.

"Ohh, how could you? You ruined our big entrance!" wailed Jessie. The gang chuckled and embraced their friends warmly.

"We're sorry," apologized Misty, "but when you give away who you are so easily, it doesn't take long to figure out who you were!"

"We've missed you both so much!" exclaimed Ash, giving James a hug. He blushed humbly and returned it. Meowth, just as graceful as always, leaped down from the same car, with a young child clasping his paw.

"Ta-daa! Meowth, that's right!"

"Mowf! Dat's wight!" mimicked the child. Everyone looked at Meowth as if (clichéd or not) he had let the cat out of the bag.

"Your timing stinks, Meowth," said Brock. Meowth groaned and hung his head; the child mimed his moves perfectly. Jessie sighed and plucked the little boy up off the ground, carrying him in her arms. He had short spiky hair, as red as his mother's, but the face and constitution of his father.

"So this is little Clark, eh?" Misty smiled and tickled the boy's chin, earning a giggle as the child reached out and grabbed her finger. Noticing how good the young woman was with kids, Lenneth joined her and ruffled the toddler's hair.

"He looks just like his mommy and daddy! Amazing… But we feel so left out of things! You never invited us to showers or birthdays or anything! Why was that?"

"We've been busy," sighed James wearily, looking up to the sky for sympathy. "A toddler isn't easy to raise, and it's been tough for us to find a good job ever since Team Rocket went south. But we managed well."

"Too well for our taste!" snapped a pair of familiar voices. Jessie and James groaned miserably, and turned around to see their lifelong archrivals, Butch and Cassidy, glaring back at them with a wicked smile each.

"Oh… it's just the two of you."

"'Just the two of us'? Grr…" Butch snarled and clenched his fist, but the dam couldn't hold forever, so the two rushed forward to give their rivals and friends a pair of hearty embraces each. Misty and Lenneth smiled at each other warmly as their friends greeted each other, both of them glad than any enmity between the four had been settled years ago. Butch and Cassidy were soon joined by everyone else in greeting, and soon the gang was whole.

"Mama! Poppy! Want to pway wiff Loof!" Jessie looked down at little Clark, pulling on her pants leg and looking up with irresistible eyes of blue. She smiled lovingly and picked her son up.

"You wanna play with Lewis?" she asked, kissing its nose. Clark affirmed it with a broad smile, and was soon released to play with Lewis, the young daughter of Butch and Cassidy. Ash and Gary smiled warmly as the offspring of their close friends played together without a care in the world.

"There goes the next batch of great Pokemon trainers!" exclaimed Gary. "Wow! They must have the traits of their parents, right down to the last detail! Hey Ash, you think if they grow up and get married, they'll make a really great Pokemon trainer?"

"You're thinking way too far ahead for me, Gary!" replied Ash with a smile. Butch, Cassidy, James, and Jessie all smiled weakly, dreading what their friend had suggested.

"Oh, brother… They're barely three and already somebody wants to see them get married!"

"It's just a strange time for us all, Cass," shrugged Butch. She smiled at him, and leaned forward to give him an unexpected kiss.

"Not too strange, I hope."

"Naww!" The entire gang laughed out loud, and spent a few more minutes getting reacquainted with each other. It had been at least three months since any of them had seen each other--there was a longer time of separation from Jessie and James, of course--but it was still just like old times again as the entire group, aged ten years since the elimination of Team Rocket, got together to experience adventure and life once again. Ash, however, quickly noticed that there was a great big silent void in the gathering, one that had not been filled for over four years.

"Huh? What's wrong, Ash?" asked Misty, sensing her boyfriend's troubles. He sighed and frowned.

"Well… it just isn't the same without you-know-who. I mean, I'm overjoyed to see that our friends were able to make it here, but I still wish that everyone could've made it." Knowing just whom he was referring to, Misty placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"Ash… they're all very busy people. They have jobs and lives too, and even though they're our friends, we can't expect them to come to every event of our lives."

"……Yeah…"

"Arr! Don't'cha know anything, lad?! You can't keep a scallywag away for that long!!" Everyone smiled broadly as the familiar voice shouted out to them, and yelled happily as they saw the inspiring image of Captain Red Thatcher, standing there proudly in his button-down red coat, wild fiery hair, shining boyish eyes, black boots, and omnipresent corncob pipe. He grinned at them, knowing full well that his visit was unexpected, and extended his arms so that everyone could give him a hug. The poor old sea-dog, who had aged a bit since he had last ventured with his crew, still had the strength to laugh and fight merrily as he was bowled over by the group.

"D'arr!! Whoa! What a reception! May my timbers be shivered til' my spirit is claimed by the sea! Y'all must've missed me more than I miss the ocean when I'm on land too long! Great to see ya!"

"It's wonderful to see you too, Captain!" squealed Lenneth happily. "But how in the world did you make it here? We thought you were busy running dangerous errands for the government!" The burly old Captain laughed wildly, letting his body quiver as he growled merrily.

"Hahahahahaaaa!! What, do you people think I'm so disloyal and ungrateful to me own crew that I'd blow them off forever?! What manner of being do ya take me for!? I wouldn't miss this grand spectacle for all the treasures of the sea! Blimey, it's great seein' all yer smilin' faces again, specially yours, my dear Lenneth!" Lenneth smiled warmly and blushed slightly as Thatcher kissed her hand. Brock and Gary slapped his arms and asked the one question that everybody had been expecting.

"So where's Officer Jennifer and Nurse Joyleen?"

"Aww, they're off somewhere havin' fun," he replied, waving his hand in the air. Thatcher suddenly jumped out of his skin as he heard a female voice call out to him.

"Darling? Huh? Oh, there you are! I've been looking for you! You know, despite that big coat you always wear, you can hide really well when you need to!" Thatcher winced as if he had committed some crime and had been discovered of it as none other than Officer Jennifer rushed over to him, looking prettier than ever now that she had ten more years on her shoulders.

"Oh, there she is," pointed Brock. He waved fanatically, and Lenneth (who was far from jealous of her attention, unlike most other girls who would have been) waved at her as well. Jennifer smiled at Thatcher as she rejoined him, giving him a look somewhere between annoyance and happiness.

"You'll be the end of this police officer one of these days, darling."

"Jennifer! Not here!" he growled softly. Jessie tilted her head in confusion.

"Hm? What did she mean when she said 'darling'?"

"Uh, well, uh…"

"Oh, you mean he didn't tell you?" said the police officer (with poor Thatcher looking petrified for some reason). "Darred and I were married a few years ago. I don't know why he never told anyone…"

"MARRIED?!?!?!" Needless to say, the shock on everyone's face was a sight to see. James actually laughed.

"You mean to tell me that that great big barbaric loudmouth of a pirate actually convinced the beautiful and delicate Officer Jennifer to marry him?! And you accepted???!!!"

"Of course I did!" she piped. "He may not look like it, but Darred, or just Red as he likes to be called, is really a kind, handsome, noble, warmhearted, polite gentleman on the inside. He just likes to act like a wild man from time to time."

"Jennifer~!" wailed poor Thatcher. He rolled his eyes, his face not quite sure which emotion to express or which defense to utter. Jennifer only chuckled and patted his arm.

"What? Am I embarrassing you? Are you ashamed of your own wife?" Thatcher sighed miserably, hanging his head as if he really were ashamed.

"Jen… You… couldn't have come at a worse time…"

"So you two really got married, huh?!" squawked Ash, smiling brightly. Thatcher nodded his head and managed to smile.

"Well, you know… These things do happen… It does seem a little weird, especially since we've been working together for years, but… aw, well, I just couldn't bear it any longer. I loved this woman too much to do anything else. But don't'cha be gettin' the wrong idea here!" He glared and pointed at all of them, the fiery look back in his eye as he towered over him. "There ain't no woman alive that can tame me or keep me tied down! I ain't settled down with anyone, not now or ever! I'm gonna be a wild and free spirit until my body sinks to the sea and stays there!!"

"Hey, that doesn't sound very nice!" wailed James. "Officer, are you going to take all that just standing there?"

"Of course!" she replied, grinning. "Why else do you think I married him??" James froze in confusion, and for the life of him, he just couldn't understand.

"…Never mind. It's none of my business. Congratulations are in order, I guess…" The whole gang laughed--not because James was still a little bit pathetic, but because he was so loveably funny. Jessie gave him a tender hug and kissed his cheek.

"You're so sweet…"

"Aww, what a bunch of baloney!" scoffed Gary. He snorted and turned his back on the group, apparently heading towards the combatant's area. Ash called out to him and asked where he was going. "Well, duh! The match is about to begin! While you were out associating with our friends, time passed you by! If you don't hurry, you'll be late--as usual!" Ash smiled meekly as everyone broke out in laughter again.

"All right, all right. Be patient Gary, if you can. I have just one more thing to do before that." He then turned towards Misty, and took her small, delicate hands into his. She smiled at him, ready to offer any words of encouragement to her boyfriend before his big match--but what she received was something far more unexpected. "Misty… you're a precious part of my life. You always have been, and I want you to stay that way forever. We were close friends as kids, we grew together both in body and mind, and we shared so much happiness and joy. I found a true, strong love when I asked you out that one day so many years ago, and I've been the happiest man in the world ever since."

"Just what are you getting at, Ashley Ketchum?" she asked playfully. Ash swallowed, clasping her hands tighter, and knelt down on the floor.

"I'm getting at this, Misty of Cerulean City: will you continue to be a precious part of my life, and do me the happy honor of becoming my wife? Please?" Misty gasped in awe, so taken aback by the sudden question that she almost fell down on the floor. Of course, everyone else gasped along with her, and held their breath as they stared at the sudden scene of romance, anticipating her answer. It was worth their wait.

"Oh, Ash… Ash…! Of… of course I'll marry you! Of course! Oh, Ash, I thought you'd never ask! Yes!" She tumbled forward and grabbed his body in a viciously loving hug, holding him close as they kissed passionately and deeply, amidst the applause of dear friends. Their lips finally parted, their eyes warm and watery as they looked at each other, and met again once more as they sealed the long-overdue pact.

"I love you so much…" they whispered, though it was impossible to tell who said it first. Congratulations went all around, and as the couple stood up with so many people surrounding them and smiling at them, they kept their hands held tight and their eyes locked onto each other. Somewhere in the happy confusion, a ring had found its way to Misty's finger.

"Hey, you'd better go before the match starts without you," she reminded him. Ash chuckled happily and caressed her gorgeous face softly.

"Heheheh… you'll make a wonderful wife, Misty. I guess I'll see you after this is all over. Hey, dinner's on me, okay?"

"No way! The best man always buys!" shouted Brock. Ash laughed out loud and accepted the offer.

"Sure, sure! I didn't have all that money anyway!"

KER-PLOP!!! Everyone fell over flat on the ground, taken by surprise.

"Oh, Ash, you're such a knucklehead…" Misty groaned at her fiancé as she nursed a bump on her head, but he only smiled.

"Aww, you love me and you know it!" She snickered at him weakly, giving him a thumbs up and a blown kiss as he bade his friends farewell. When he joined a very impatient Gary at the main entrance, he found his rival and friend with a very peaceful smile.

"Hey Ash."

"Hmm?" Gary gave the younger boy a thumbs-up.

"Congratulations. She's a very lucky woman. I wish I had a girlfriend that great."

"Thanks. You know, Nurse Joyleen is still single!"

"Well, not for long!" he shouted happily. "Come on, Ash! Let's have some fun! Just you and me, the way it was meant to be! Loser buys lunch!"

"Okay, but I've been known to eat a lot!" Ash laughed as he followed his rival and friend up onto the main arena, just in time to hear hundreds of screaming fans welcoming their hometown heroes. Each boy produced a Pokeball, and smirked at each other as they waited for their long-awaited match to begin.

"Gentlemen, are you ready?!" shouted the announcer.

"YES!!"

"Then let this Pokemon Battle BEGIN!!! Ready, START!!!!"

"Pikachu, I choose you!"

"Nidoking, I choose you!"

"GOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!"

"Ah, just look at them down there," sighed Jessie nostalgically, her hand clasped with James'. He smiled and nodded his head.

"It's so wonderful to know that some things really don't change," he agreed. Misty, giving them both a fond smile as she rubbed her ring, had to disagree.

"I don't know, you guys. There are always those things that do change, and when they do, it's for the better." They smiled and agreed with her, knowing just what she was referring to. As the match became heated and intensified to a ferocious rush, Misty took in a deep breath and looked up into the blue sky, watching clouds pass by overhead as the future smiled down upon all of them, as bright and warm and happy as the afternoon summer sun, high up above.

THE END