Epilogue: Saying Goodbye
"Tell whoever's ringing the gong to knock it off," Lotus murmured as he sat up in bed, rubbing his sore shoulder. "Lilly?"
"I'm here, Grandfather," Lilly replied, taking his hand.
Lotus looked around for a moment, realizing that he was back at his cottage. He looked back to his granddaughter and smiled a puzzled smile. Lilly smiled back.
"Did I miss anything important?" the old man asked, scratching the back of his head.
Everyone laughed heartily, Lotus-after a few moments-loudest of all. The aged sorcerer pulled his blankets aside, letting his feet hang over the edge of his bed and stared at his granddaughter inquisitively. Absently plucking at the hairs on his chin, he listened intently as Lilly explained to him everything that had happened after he had passed out, Ash and Brock adding a few details where they felt it was needed.
Lotus stopped them only twice to quickly make sure he understood completely. When they had finished, the old man sat quietly, running over the story several times in his mind, considering the implications of everything, what it all meant.
"So," he said at last, "Jin'ei became an espeon?"
He burst out laughing, suddenly, surprising the others, who joined him quickly. After a moment, the old man put a hand over his eyes.
"Well," he stated, still chuckling slightly, "I wonder what the Conclave will have to say about this unexpected turn of events. I don't think anyone will find it worth the time to try and track him down now. And, it seems, we've save Amelia from having to make some pretty painful decisions. You've done well, Lilly. And all of you."
Lilly grinned with pride at her grandfather's compliment, but Lotus noticed a trace of concern in his granddaughter's mirthful expression. Looking her in the eye, he prompted her to speak her mind.
"Why did it happen?" she asked. "Jin'ei's transformation, I mean? And how long will the spell last."
Lotus leaned back slightly, putting a finger on his chin in thought, looking up at the ceiling. He hummed a happy tune as he considered Lilly's explanation of the spell's preparation. After a moment, he threw up his hands resignedly.
"I can't really say for sure," he explained. "I'd have to do a bit of research to find out exactly, but I believe it has something to do with your substitution. You have to be very careful when substituting spell components. Every time you do, there's a small chance that it will have unexpected side effects. Judging from how radical a result you ended up with, I'm guessing you must have put in a bit more than the proper amount."
Lilly blushed slightly, remembering how she had simply grabbed a tuft of hair from Dokoto without taking note of how much she was tossing in.
"To answer your second question," Lotus continued. "The main effect of the spell was to be permanent, so there's a high probability that the side effects will also be permanent. Jin'ei will simply have to learn to cope," the old man added with a chuckle. "It's almost certain that he'll spend the rest of his life walking around on four legs."
"I don't think that's very funny," remarked a subdued voice.
Surprised, Lotus turned around to see Lupus sitting in back corner of the room, his legs folded and head down. Lupus rose to his feet and walked pensively toward him. He kneeled down before the sorcerer, bowing low with his forehead to the floor.
"I'm sorry," he apologized, his voice passive and broken. "I have caused you great pain and have said many things which I cannot take back. I do not ask you to forgive me for what I have done; that would be far more than I deserve. For the evil I have done you, I will freely accept any punishment which you and your council see fit to inflict upon me."
Lotus's eyes narrowed as he looked upon the once powerful hunter, tapping his fingers against each other in thought. Taking a deep breath, he let it roll out slowly as he considered his choice. Pikachu squeaked in protest and Lilly put a defensive hand on her grandfather's shoulder, but Lotus held out his hand to silence them.
"Lupus," he declared. "You have unjustly attempted to take my life, you have attacked me without cause, you have threatened my family and those in my care, you have cursed my name and, most importantly," Lupus winced from the harshness of the sorcerer's tone, "you stopped Jin'ei from killing us all."
Lupus looked up at Lotus in confusion. The old man's angry expression melted away into a calm, understanding smile.
"I will forgive you," he said. "You acknowledge your mistakes and have apologized for them. That, my friend, is good enough for me. It would do me no good to bear a grudge against you."
Lupus's thoughts and emotions were in chaos. Part of him felt glad for Lotus's decision to forgive him, but at the same time, he felt confused. Why should this man, of all people, choose to forgive him, even call him friend? The old man saw the obvious turmoil on Lupus's face.
"I told you when we first met that I had no desire to harm you," Lotus explained. "My only enemy was the hunter and my goal was to free the two people he held hostage." Smiling at Misty, the sorcerer added, "Sometimes the simple innocence of a child can touch lives in greater ways than the words of those who believe they are wise. You are again free, free to choose the purpose of your existence. I can see that you wish to change your ways; it is evident in your voice and in your countenance. Furthermore, unlike many others that have been in similar circumstances, you are willing to accept the consequences of your actions, regardless of whatever they may be. As such, I do not believe that any punishment will be necessary. What you have gone through, and will still go through," he added with importance, "is punishment enough."
"The road to penitence is a long and difficult journey," the aged sorcerer continued. "You must follow that road to the very end if you are to have any hope of breaking your curse."
Lupus stared at him blankly for a moment. "Do you mean there's a way?"
Lotus nodded solemnly, his expression grave. "Regardless of the reason for which you were cursed," he told him, "this spell is fueled by hatred. Aside from the obvious effects, the Bestial Curse will remain effective for as long as its caster bears hatred against you. Since the one who cursed you is obviously deceased, the embodiment of his hatred remains with you in your physical form, but if you remove the reason for that hate, if you atone for your sins, then the spell will end and you will be free."
Lupus lowered his head in shame. "I'm such a fool," he muttered miserably. "If I hadn't been so consumed with my own hatred, I could have ended my torment centuries ago. Instead, I spent all those years adding to the burden I must atone for."
"Stop that now," Lotus ordered, startling Lupus. "Do not give in to despair. Despair is the enemy of hope and without hope, you will never succeed. You must believe that you can do this task, no matter how hopeless it may seem, and continue to work to correct your past mistakes. Then, and only then, will you be able to rejoin your family in the solace of death."
Lupus sat in quiet reflection for a long moment. Thousands of people had died by his hands. How long, he wondered, would it take him to make up for it all? After centuries of cold-blooded murder, he would have centuries of ceaseless labor ahead of him.
'But if that is the price of my mistakes,' he thought, 'then so be it.'
Lupus rose to his feet, bowing politely.
"I thank you for everything," he said, "but I feel it is time that I take my leave."
"Now, hold on a minute," Lilly protested. "You can't leave now."
"Three times yesterday you received injuries from Jin'ei that would have killed a normal person," Brock added.
"You should at least take a few days to rest," Ash agreed.
Lupus looked around at the others. Each of them nodded in affirmation, each asking him to stay. As he realized what it meant, Lupus felt something for the first time in over two thousand years. Freedom. Like a nightmare fleeing from the coming dawn, the hunter-the part of him that had been the hunter-slowly faded away into the darkness of oblivion. In appearance, he was still a monster, but that no longer mattered. Inside, in his heart, he was human.
---
Three days later, Lupus was prepared to begin his path to atonement and Ash and his friends were ready to continue their own journey to Blackthorn City and the tournament. Outside the small cottage, they all met for their final farewells.
Once again wrapped up in his bandages, Lupus kneeled down before Misty and removed his scarf, handing it to the young girl.
"Keep this," he said. "You saved me from a fate of endless self-loathing and showed me that there is always a chance to change your path. I want you to have this, so that wherever you go, a part of me will always be with you."
Misty accepted the gift silently, unable to get words past the lump in her throat. Holding back her tears in front of her friends, Misty allowed Lupus to embrace her for a moment, then pushed him back. He smiled, understanding her intention.
"Ash," he said, turning to the boy. "Give me Cerebral. It will be much safer in the hands of one who cannot be killed and you will be much safer if you aren't carrying it."
Ash hesitated, then drew the medallion from his pocket. As usual, it glowed softly and warmly, communicating its contentment in its usual fashion. Ash held it out and Lupus took it from him, hanging it around his neck and hiding it beneath his cowl.
"I noticed your sword is broken," Lotus noted.
Detaching Shimmerblade from his belt, he handed the sword to Lupus. Lupus shook his head.
"I don't want to hold a sword again," he replied.
"Do you think I wanted to wield it in the first place?" the old man asked. "Good heavens, no! In that situation, however, I didn't have any other choice if I was to help you. You'll find that you, too, will get into situations that leave you with no other options. If not for the sake of the Sentient, you'll find that there are people you wish to protect and for that, Shimmerblade will serve you. Use it only to defend that which is right in this world and never kill with it unless there is no other way."
Lupus took the magical sword with a solemn nod, shoving it into his sash. To the others, he bowed respectfully, then turned to leave.
"Wait," Misty asked. "Will I ever see you again?"
Lupus smiled at her. "I don't know," he admitted. "I have a lot of work to do, but I'm no longer the beast I once was. We may meet again someday."
"I hope so," Misty replied and all the others voiced their agreement.
With a final farewell, Lupus started off down the road, prepared to face whatever hardships would come on his journey to find forgiveness. He stopped partway down the path, turning back to them with a smile. Throwing his head back, he let out a howl. Not the same feral cry he had shown Jin'ei, but a howl of triumph, filled with hope and freedom. Dokoto and his pack joined in the chorus, coming at their master's call from all directions to form a circle. As Lupus ended his cry, he and the pack bolted off of trail and disappeared into the forest.
"Do you think he'll actually be able break his curse?" Lilly asked.
"That, my dear," Lotus answered, "is up to him. The blood of innocent people is not an easy thing to wash from your hands, but it can be done with hard work and a strong enough desire. It may take another two millennia, but I think he will. I truly believe he will."
Ash continued to stare off into the forest for a moment, thinking to himself. So much had happened that it seemed strange that only six days had passed since Pikachu had found the medallion. Now that it was over, he could finally go on to the tournament without fear. Clearing his throat, he started forward.
"Come on," he said to his friends. "Let's get going."
---
Ash and his friends chattered excitedly as they came out of the forest, Blackthorn City awaiting them not far in the distance, unaware of the amber-eyed, one-eared espeon that watched them from above.
Seated comfortably in a tree overlooking the path, Jin'ei looked down on the companions making their way to the tournament. His eyes narrowed angrily as he thought of the humiliation he had suffered. Extending his claws, he scratched the branch deeply to vent his frustration.
"You've won boy," he hissed. "For now. But don't think for a second that I've given up. I am not so easily beaten."
He hopped down from the tree and started back toward his home. He stopped before the city had disappeared from sight behind the trees and glanced over his shoulder.
"You haven't seen the last of Artemis Jin'ei," he promised. "Once I've learned to make use of this body and have shifted the odds in my favor, I'll be back for you. On that day, I will see to it that you regret the day you crossed me."
With an irate swish of his tail, he turned away from the city and continued through the forest, quickly beginning to wish he hadn't lost his ability to teleport. With such short legs, it was going to be a long walk home.
Of course, he realized, it did give him plenty of time to consider what he would to Ash and his friends, particularly Ash. When he returned home, he'd have Rogers contact his old acquaintance, Giovanni. The leader of Team Rocket owed him a favor and this would be a good way to repay him for his services.
Once he had decided on how his vengeance would be accomplished, he began to consider how his new form would affect his life. He certainly couldn't go back to work as he was now; couldn't risk having any more people know of his situation than already did. He would have to fake his death, easily enough done, and legally transfer everything he had to his butler. If he managed his wealth carefully, he'd be able to afford a smaller house, but what would happen when his fortune finally ran dry? Rogers would get a job to help with that. His butler had always been loyal to him.
Catherine, on the other hand, would probably leave him; not that it really mattered to him anyway, he realized with a chuckle. She was of no use to him anymore and could easily be discarded. Perhaps he would leave her with enough money to stand on. Then again, perhaps not. He shouldn't give her any kind of reward if she couldn't fulfill her purpose.
Jin'ei was so focused on his own thoughts that he didn't even notice that he'd been seen.
"Wow!" a shrill voice called out. "An espeon!"
Jin'ei's eyes widened and his jaw dropped in surprise. Twice now, he'd been caught of guard and within only a few days. Before he had any time to consider his uncharacteristically careless actions, however, he felt a small, round object strike his shoulder and then he disappeared in a flash of red light.
The pokeball, with Artemis Jin'ei trapped helplessly inside, fell to the ground. The young, red-haired boy retrieved it and placed it into his pack.
"I can't believe my luck," he beamed, marveling at his prize. "Catching such a rare pokemon like that." A broad grin stretched across his freckled face. "And on my first day out, too!"
