Epilogue
As Ash watched his students training their pokemon, he felt a sense of pride in knowing that he was a part of their experience of growing up. After he had completed his journeys around the world, he had returned to his old home in Pallet Town, which had grown considerably in size since he left it. He was now the head trainer of the recently built Pallet Town Gym, but people came to Pallet Town more than to just train in his gym. In the long years, he had become a motivational speaker of world renown.
Smiling, he went into his office to check on his Pikachu's new family. During his travels, he and his friends had found a female Pikachu and just recently, it had given birth to fifteen babies.
He sat down at his desk and admired them. They were adorable little things, with their tiny, pink bodies. They had not yet opened their eyes and spent their every waking moment suckling their mother. As he watched the babies sleeping softly, he felt a sense of joy fill his heart.
"This is real happiness, isn't it?" he said, petting his Pikachu.
"Pika," it affirmed.
At that moment there came a soft knock at the door. He turned toward the door as one of his younger students entered.
"There's someone here to see you, Mr. Ketchum," he said.
"Do we have another student?" Ash asked as he rose to his feet.
"No," the student replied. "He says he's an old friend of yours."
Ash followed the student to the gym lobby, wondering who it was that had come to visit him. When he entered the room and saw his visitor, his jaw dropped. He stood their for a silent moment, unsure of what to say.
Sitting on the couch in the front of the room, was Mewtwo. Next to him, a young girl who looked about eight-years-old was leaning against him. She had fine, black hair that she was wearing two short ponytails. Her eyes were dark green and seemed endlessly alert as they moved about, absorbing everything around her.
"It's been a long time," Ash said finally.
"Yes," Mewtwo agreed. "Almost twenty years."
The flood of memories brought tears to his eyes as he took a seat in the chair next to him. He smiled and wiped them away.
"What brings you here?" he asked.
"I just wanted see you," Mewtwo replied. "It's been so long since that day, I wanted to talk to you."
There was a short silence.
"How have you been doing?" Ash asked.
Mewtwo shrugged. "I've been doing alright," he said. "In Shigure's will, he left everything to me and named one of the women of my home as a trustee to make it legal. I lived alone for a while, not knowing what to do with myself. Then one day, in a fit of depression, I sat down and started writing the thoughts and feelings that had been building up in me. Eight months later, at Ben's insistence, I published my first book."
"What Is Life?" Ash said, nodding. "I was surprised when I saw you're name on the cover. I've read all three of your books since then. When will you're next one be out?"
"It will still be a few months before it's completed," Mewtwo explained. "I'm writing it on family. The family is a priceless treasure. It's painful to see how many people forget how much joy it provides."
Ash nodded. "So true," he said. "I guess that's something you would know more about than most people, isn't it?"
Mewtwo nodded. "Since I've lived both with and without one, I know just how important a family really is."
At that moment, Pikachu entered the room. It squealed joyfully when it saw Mewtwo and rushed to him. Climbing up onto his lap, it noticed the young girl. It sniffed her curiously.
"Pikachu?" it inquired.
Ash laughed. "I'm sorry," he said. "I forgot to ask. Who is your friend?"
Mewtwo looked to the girl. She rose from the couch and bowed politely.
"My name is Megumi," she said. "It's nice to meet you Mr. Ketchum."
"It's nice to meet you too, Megumi," Ash said. "Please, just call me Ash."
Megumi nodded.
"Do you want to go play with the other children?" Mewtwo asked her.
"Can I?" she asked.
"Go right ahead," Ash replied.
The young girl bowed again and then ran off to the other room, Pikachu following her. Ash smiled as he watched her.
"She seems a little shy," Ash commented.
"Megumi's parents were abusive and she was taken from them when she only two," Mewtwo explained. "For four years after, she had been in seventeen different foster homes. I met her a year ago. She reminded me so much of Shigure, that I decided I would take her in."
Ash laughed. "A pokemon raising a human?" he commented. "That's something I'd never heard of before. How did you manage that?"
"There were some legal issues involved," Mewtwo agreed with a chuckle. "Officially, my trustee at my home is her foster parent and she's working on adopting her, but it is really myself who takes care of her. She's had a hard time getting along with human adults, but she and I came to understand each other quickly. She's like a daughter to me and I want to do for her what Shigure did for me.
"Children are the hope of the future. It is our sons and daughters who will be the greatest legacy we leave behind. If we can teach them honor and integrity, then perhaps they will grow up to create the world that Shigure wanted to see. A world where no one has to be alone and where compassion rules people's lives instead of greed."
"That's why I became a motivational speaker," Ash said. "Everywhere I go, I try to teach others the principles that it took me my whole life to learn. Children are always my favorite audience to talk to. Adults think that they already know everything that they need, but children want to learn. So, I teach them. That is how I repay Shigure for the sacrifice he made for me."
There was a long pause between them. The meeting had brought up so many memories that both of them found it hard to speak. There was so much to say, but what to say first was difficult to decide on.
The long silence was finally broken when Ash's cell phone rang. He apologized for the interruption and then answered it.
"Hello? I'm with an old friend at the moment. Why?" There was a short pause, then Ash's eyes went wide. "You want what? But the market isn't even on the way home."
Ash's expression changed to a worried look. "Please don't be that way. It's just . . . No of course I do."
Suddenly, Ash pulled the phone away from his ear, clenching his teeth. The volume of the person's voice on the other end made even Mewtwo wince.
"A-alright," he stammered. "I'll stop by the grocery store before I come home. Yes. I love you, too. Goodbye."
Ash turned off the phone and put it back on his belt. He sighed deeply, a look of utter bewilderment on his face.
"That was Misty," he explained.
"She sounded angry," Mewtwo noted.
Ash nodded. "She was angry. And sad. And happy. And every other emotion that humans can feel. We're out of pickles."
Mewtwo raised an eyebrow in confusion.
"She's six months pregnant now," Ash explained.
"Ah," Mewtwo said. "I'm happy for you."
Ash smiled. "It's absolutely crazy," he said with a wry chuckle. "But if I can survive just three more months, it will be our first child."
There was another short silence, then Mewtwo spoke up again.
"You know," he said, "I've heard that many people think that you are the world's greatest pokemon trainer."
Ash shrugged. "Some people say that," he said. "I don't know if it's true or not, but some people say that."
"Is it everything you wanted it to be?"
Ash thought about it for a moment. "It's not as great as I had always dreamed it would be. In fact, compared to many of my other accomplishments, it's really kind of empty. I've realized, though, that being the best was never something that I needed. I've had what was really important all along."
Mewtwo stayed for a few hours with Ash to reminisce. They told each other everything that had happened to them that seemed important. Ash also got to know Megumi and showed her the Pikachu babies. The two of them became very close and were like family by the end of the day.
During the time that Mewtwo was with Ash, Misty called several more times. She had much to say as well once she found out that Mewtwo was the one her husband was with. As the sun began to set, Misty began to call in and demand that Ash come home. Not wanting to get him in trouble, Mewtwo decided that it was time for him to go home as well.
They gathered outside the gym for a last goodbye before they parted.
"Let's not wait another twenty years before we meet again," Ash said. "Come by and visit anytime you want to. We'll always keep a room for you and Megumi at our home."
"Thank you," Mewtwo said. "The same goes for you. You should come to my home sometime. Phoebe really wants you to come and model for another picture."
Ash smiled. "I'll be sure and do that," he agreed. Then, to Megumi, he added, "When you get old enough to become a trainer, you come back and see me. I'll keep one of Pikachu's babies just for you."
"Thank you, Uncle Ash," Megumi said.
Lifting her up, he wrapped his arms around her and hugged her.
"Uncle Ash?" Mewtwo repeated. "I suppose that would make us brothers wouldn't it?"
Ash nodded. "I'd like to think of it that way," he agreed. "You're a part of our family. Remember, family is always there for you when you need them. If you ever have need for anything, we'll be ready to help in whatever way we can."
"Thank you," Mewtwo said. "Goodbye, brother."
"Goodbye, brother," Ash said.
As Ash watched Mewtwo and Megumi leave, a strong sense of happiness came over him. He truly had everything that a man could ask for. He had the love of his family, a sense of purpose in the world, and a new generation with which he could leave his legacy. What more did he need?
'The path of honor isn't always easy, he thought to himself as his phone began to ring again. But it is certainly worth the effort.'
As Ash watched his students training their pokemon, he felt a sense of pride in knowing that he was a part of their experience of growing up. After he had completed his journeys around the world, he had returned to his old home in Pallet Town, which had grown considerably in size since he left it. He was now the head trainer of the recently built Pallet Town Gym, but people came to Pallet Town more than to just train in his gym. In the long years, he had become a motivational speaker of world renown.
Smiling, he went into his office to check on his Pikachu's new family. During his travels, he and his friends had found a female Pikachu and just recently, it had given birth to fifteen babies.
He sat down at his desk and admired them. They were adorable little things, with their tiny, pink bodies. They had not yet opened their eyes and spent their every waking moment suckling their mother. As he watched the babies sleeping softly, he felt a sense of joy fill his heart.
"This is real happiness, isn't it?" he said, petting his Pikachu.
"Pika," it affirmed.
At that moment there came a soft knock at the door. He turned toward the door as one of his younger students entered.
"There's someone here to see you, Mr. Ketchum," he said.
"Do we have another student?" Ash asked as he rose to his feet.
"No," the student replied. "He says he's an old friend of yours."
Ash followed the student to the gym lobby, wondering who it was that had come to visit him. When he entered the room and saw his visitor, his jaw dropped. He stood their for a silent moment, unsure of what to say.
Sitting on the couch in the front of the room, was Mewtwo. Next to him, a young girl who looked about eight-years-old was leaning against him. She had fine, black hair that she was wearing two short ponytails. Her eyes were dark green and seemed endlessly alert as they moved about, absorbing everything around her.
"It's been a long time," Ash said finally.
"Yes," Mewtwo agreed. "Almost twenty years."
The flood of memories brought tears to his eyes as he took a seat in the chair next to him. He smiled and wiped them away.
"What brings you here?" he asked.
"I just wanted see you," Mewtwo replied. "It's been so long since that day, I wanted to talk to you."
There was a short silence.
"How have you been doing?" Ash asked.
Mewtwo shrugged. "I've been doing alright," he said. "In Shigure's will, he left everything to me and named one of the women of my home as a trustee to make it legal. I lived alone for a while, not knowing what to do with myself. Then one day, in a fit of depression, I sat down and started writing the thoughts and feelings that had been building up in me. Eight months later, at Ben's insistence, I published my first book."
"What Is Life?" Ash said, nodding. "I was surprised when I saw you're name on the cover. I've read all three of your books since then. When will you're next one be out?"
"It will still be a few months before it's completed," Mewtwo explained. "I'm writing it on family. The family is a priceless treasure. It's painful to see how many people forget how much joy it provides."
Ash nodded. "So true," he said. "I guess that's something you would know more about than most people, isn't it?"
Mewtwo nodded. "Since I've lived both with and without one, I know just how important a family really is."
At that moment, Pikachu entered the room. It squealed joyfully when it saw Mewtwo and rushed to him. Climbing up onto his lap, it noticed the young girl. It sniffed her curiously.
"Pikachu?" it inquired.
Ash laughed. "I'm sorry," he said. "I forgot to ask. Who is your friend?"
Mewtwo looked to the girl. She rose from the couch and bowed politely.
"My name is Megumi," she said. "It's nice to meet you Mr. Ketchum."
"It's nice to meet you too, Megumi," Ash said. "Please, just call me Ash."
Megumi nodded.
"Do you want to go play with the other children?" Mewtwo asked her.
"Can I?" she asked.
"Go right ahead," Ash replied.
The young girl bowed again and then ran off to the other room, Pikachu following her. Ash smiled as he watched her.
"She seems a little shy," Ash commented.
"Megumi's parents were abusive and she was taken from them when she only two," Mewtwo explained. "For four years after, she had been in seventeen different foster homes. I met her a year ago. She reminded me so much of Shigure, that I decided I would take her in."
Ash laughed. "A pokemon raising a human?" he commented. "That's something I'd never heard of before. How did you manage that?"
"There were some legal issues involved," Mewtwo agreed with a chuckle. "Officially, my trustee at my home is her foster parent and she's working on adopting her, but it is really myself who takes care of her. She's had a hard time getting along with human adults, but she and I came to understand each other quickly. She's like a daughter to me and I want to do for her what Shigure did for me.
"Children are the hope of the future. It is our sons and daughters who will be the greatest legacy we leave behind. If we can teach them honor and integrity, then perhaps they will grow up to create the world that Shigure wanted to see. A world where no one has to be alone and where compassion rules people's lives instead of greed."
"That's why I became a motivational speaker," Ash said. "Everywhere I go, I try to teach others the principles that it took me my whole life to learn. Children are always my favorite audience to talk to. Adults think that they already know everything that they need, but children want to learn. So, I teach them. That is how I repay Shigure for the sacrifice he made for me."
There was a long pause between them. The meeting had brought up so many memories that both of them found it hard to speak. There was so much to say, but what to say first was difficult to decide on.
The long silence was finally broken when Ash's cell phone rang. He apologized for the interruption and then answered it.
"Hello? I'm with an old friend at the moment. Why?" There was a short pause, then Ash's eyes went wide. "You want what? But the market isn't even on the way home."
Ash's expression changed to a worried look. "Please don't be that way. It's just . . . No of course I do."
Suddenly, Ash pulled the phone away from his ear, clenching his teeth. The volume of the person's voice on the other end made even Mewtwo wince.
"A-alright," he stammered. "I'll stop by the grocery store before I come home. Yes. I love you, too. Goodbye."
Ash turned off the phone and put it back on his belt. He sighed deeply, a look of utter bewilderment on his face.
"That was Misty," he explained.
"She sounded angry," Mewtwo noted.
Ash nodded. "She was angry. And sad. And happy. And every other emotion that humans can feel. We're out of pickles."
Mewtwo raised an eyebrow in confusion.
"She's six months pregnant now," Ash explained.
"Ah," Mewtwo said. "I'm happy for you."
Ash smiled. "It's absolutely crazy," he said with a wry chuckle. "But if I can survive just three more months, it will be our first child."
There was another short silence, then Mewtwo spoke up again.
"You know," he said, "I've heard that many people think that you are the world's greatest pokemon trainer."
Ash shrugged. "Some people say that," he said. "I don't know if it's true or not, but some people say that."
"Is it everything you wanted it to be?"
Ash thought about it for a moment. "It's not as great as I had always dreamed it would be. In fact, compared to many of my other accomplishments, it's really kind of empty. I've realized, though, that being the best was never something that I needed. I've had what was really important all along."
Mewtwo stayed for a few hours with Ash to reminisce. They told each other everything that had happened to them that seemed important. Ash also got to know Megumi and showed her the Pikachu babies. The two of them became very close and were like family by the end of the day.
During the time that Mewtwo was with Ash, Misty called several more times. She had much to say as well once she found out that Mewtwo was the one her husband was with. As the sun began to set, Misty began to call in and demand that Ash come home. Not wanting to get him in trouble, Mewtwo decided that it was time for him to go home as well.
They gathered outside the gym for a last goodbye before they parted.
"Let's not wait another twenty years before we meet again," Ash said. "Come by and visit anytime you want to. We'll always keep a room for you and Megumi at our home."
"Thank you," Mewtwo said. "The same goes for you. You should come to my home sometime. Phoebe really wants you to come and model for another picture."
Ash smiled. "I'll be sure and do that," he agreed. Then, to Megumi, he added, "When you get old enough to become a trainer, you come back and see me. I'll keep one of Pikachu's babies just for you."
"Thank you, Uncle Ash," Megumi said.
Lifting her up, he wrapped his arms around her and hugged her.
"Uncle Ash?" Mewtwo repeated. "I suppose that would make us brothers wouldn't it?"
Ash nodded. "I'd like to think of it that way," he agreed. "You're a part of our family. Remember, family is always there for you when you need them. If you ever have need for anything, we'll be ready to help in whatever way we can."
"Thank you," Mewtwo said. "Goodbye, brother."
"Goodbye, brother," Ash said.
As Ash watched Mewtwo and Megumi leave, a strong sense of happiness came over him. He truly had everything that a man could ask for. He had the love of his family, a sense of purpose in the world, and a new generation with which he could leave his legacy. What more did he need?
'The path of honor isn't always easy, he thought to himself as his phone began to ring again. But it is certainly worth the effort.'