And here we are, at the final chapter. The story has changed quite a bit from when I originally wrote it. It's been a long road, but we've finally reached the end. Thank you for joining me.
---Kouji Tamino
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A Series of Events
Episode 13 - Final Episode: Return to Our Usual Routines!
"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!" Ash screamed, his electric Pokémon plowing through the legions of Team Aqua's water Pokémon blocking his way to Kaine. The insane leader of Team Aqua had strategically placed a human and Pokémon wall around himself to weaken his enemies. A whole army elite trainers is nothing if their Pokémon are weakened, right? "Damn it, this is getting us nowhere…" Bringing out another Pokéball, he let loose his Sceptile to help take out the water types.
"Heracross, Brick Break! Sceptile, use Giga Drain!" Brendan shouted, gasping as he heard May scream. "May, are you alright?" Running over to her, he noticed she was holding her hand. "What happened?"
"I broke a nail!" she shouted, causing nearby allies and enemies alike to face fault.
Smacking his forehead, he grabbed her hand. "Come on, let's not get left behind…"
"Marill, Brick Break! Scyther, use Aerial Ace!" Even Tracey was getting into the rush, showing that he was no slouch.
"Shuckle, use Toxic." Tube Queen Lucy said calmly, a scowl on her face. She smirked as several members of Team Aqua made futile attempts to take out her annoying high endurance Pokémon. Every time they did even a little damage to it, it would use Rest and bring it's health to full. And the Sandstorm it had kicked up wasn't helping matters, either.
Kaine looked around frantically as he watched his followers fall. Motioning for his Pokémon to follow him, he ran towards the machine. "If I can't go through with my plans, then I'll just blow the mountain up with everyone on it…" He muttered to himself. "I'll just de-activate the timer and set it to go off with the push of a button, and then boom!"
"Boom, what?" Ash replied as he stood in front of the machine, holding both the Sapphire Plate and the Ruby Plate. "Game over, Kaine."
"What the HELL?" Kaine shouted. "How did you get here?"
"I suddenly remembered that I had borrowed an Abra with Teleport from Brendan." Ash grinned, pocketing the colored plates.
"And where did you get those?" Kaine hissed, referring to the plates Ash had just put away.
"I got one from Maxie and the other from the machine, duh." the black haired young man stuck his tongue. "Gee Kaine, you sure are an idiot. I misjudged you."
"Shut up." Kaine snapped, clenching his teeth together. "You know nothing!"
"Actually, I know everything." Ash chuckled, taking out a Pokéball and tossing it up and down. Pikachu hopped down from the machine, it's cheeks sparking. "You were just a crazed lunatic with just enough sanity left to fool everyone into thinking you were the charismatic, noble, young new leader of Team Aqua."
"SHUT UP!" he screamed, unleashing all of his Pokémon. In his team was a Mightyena, a Sharpedo, and a Sneasel.
"Is that all?" Ash asked with a smirk. "I'm kinda disappointed." Bringing out a Pokéball, he unleashed a Dark-type Pokémon's worst nightmare. "Heracross, go! Pikachu, go help him with the part Water-types!"
As their Pokémon battled, Ash growled. "What the hell is your problem? Why are you doing all of this? Are you bored or just insane?"
"Joining Team Aqua was my dream!" Kaine screamed. "But then Archie had to wimp out and end it all… So then, gathering up the members who still harbored a love for the sea, I started the new Team Aqua!"
"So you're even worse than most!" Ash screamed. "I hate you even more now!"
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Wandering around Lostelle's house, Delia held her head, groaning in pain. Walking over to the stairs, she began to get dangerously dizzy. Images began to flash through her mind of a young, naïve, wild black haired boy leaving on a journey… "Oh god, my head!" Almost falling down the steps, she quickly grabs the railing, crying out as her brain is wracked by random memories returning to her.
"Ms. Delia!" the pink haired girl screamed fearfully, helping her down the stairs. "Are you okay?"
"I'm… I'm fine…" Delia replied, breathing heavily, sweating quite a bit. "Honestly…"
"Are you sure?" she asked, not quite convinced.
"Yes, yes… Just tell me where the Professor is and I'll be fine…" she said softly, moaning softly as her head stopped spinning.
"Oh, sure!" Lostelle replied, still a bit unsure. "He's out in the Berry Forest! He said he wanted to examine some of the Pokémon on our island…" Sweat dropping, she sighed. "I don't see why… The Pokémon on the first islands are exactly the same as the ones in Kanto."
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As they arrived in the forest a few minutes later, the Prof looked toward them, smiling. "Hello there, ladies! May I help you with something?"
"Professor…" she began, hands on her chest. "I need to ask you a favor…"
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Meanwhile, outside, the many battles were raging on. The good guys, of course, had the upper hand….
…Especially since Archie had managed to persuade an entire third of Team Aqua to give up. Team Aqua had been outnumbered, outmatched, and outwitted. "So, um…" one grunt began, shrugging. "Anyone wanna run away?"
"Sounds like a plan." another grunt replied in agreement. As they turned around, they found them selves face to face with several Officer Jenny's, with more arriving by helicopter. "Or not…"
"Team Aqua!" the leader shouted, taking out a pair of handcuffs. "You are under arrest for attempted terrorism, assault, vandalism, and disturbance of the peace!"
As the members of Team Aqua were lined up and arrested, last minute defectors included, Archie shouted to the latter members. "Don't worry, everyone! I'll try to get a good word in for you guys that helped out!"
Misty sighed in relief, glad that this was all over. She smiled as May walked over. "Hey May, it's been a while." Her head snapped to the side as she was slapped hard. Wincing, she glared angrily at the younger woman. "What the hell was that for!"
"What do you think!" May screamed, panting heavily. "That was for putting Ash through so much!" Sighing, her expression softened. "I'm sorry… I really needed to get that out of my system… But you do it again and I'll take him away from you!"
Brendan began to blubber pitifully, looking to Misty. "You see what she puts me through?"
"Oh, I'm so sorry, Brendan!" May shouted, hugging him. "I didn't know you were there!"
Everyone one else sweat dropped, staring at the screwed up couple. "Hey, where's Ash?" Misty asked, looking around in concern. A sudden feeling of dread fell over her. Kaine was gone, too. "Oh, no…" She did not trust those two together. They hated each other with a passion. She knew Ash, or at least the Ash she used to know, would never kill anyone he hated. But Kaine, on the other hand, was willing to do anything to get his way, even if it meant killing someone. She had first hand experience and had almost become a victim. She couldn't let Ash face that psycho alone. "I'm co-- Wha?" she looked up to see a helicopter drop off a familiar figure. "Mrs. Ketchum?" Sensing something ugly was about to commence, she hurried up the mountain. "I have to stop her! If she gets hurt…"
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Lying on the ground, exhausted, both Ash and Kaine laughed. "Y'know, you're a better trainer than I thought…" the Aqua leader admitted. "A good fighter too… I suppose first impressions are overrated."
"Same goes to you…" Ash replied, sitting up, his back to Kaine. After their Pokémon were unable to battle, the two men settled their differences in a fistfight. They were both beaten, bloody, and bruised. Needless to say, they were evenly matched at the moment.
Kaine sighed, beginning to reminisce about his childhood. "When I was a boy, I always enjoyed the trips to the beach my father took me on…" Sitting up, he secretly passed a Revive to his Mightyena. He silently hushed it as it awoke. "The sea always intrigued me, it always seemed so mysterious and beautiful… Call me a wimp if you will, but I always thought of the ocean as romantic…"
Ash burst out laughing. "Now I see how Misty could have fallen for someone like you… That's what she always said… Me, being an idiot, would always ignore her or act uninterested… I was such a little kid back then." Sighing, he smiled. "But sometimes, I wish we could go back to those simpler days…"
"Mightyena!" Kaine screamed. "USE CRUNCH ON THAT BASTARD!"
"What the--?" Ash screamed, standing up. He had no healing items, all his Pokémon had fainted, and the dark hyena was closing in on him fast. "Damn you, Kaine!" Showing no fear, he glared at his opponent. He glanced over at Pikachu, who was struggling to get up. He glanced back at the Mightyena, cursing Kaine under his breath.
"Ash!" Delia screamed, stepping in the way as the Mightyena leaped up, chomping into her arm instead of Ash. Blood splattered all over the woman and her horrified son's face. With it's very last bit of energy, Pikachu used a weak electric attack to paralyze the Mightyena. Screaming out in pain, her legs buckled out from under her in shock. Ash managed to catch her before she fell to the ground. Smiling weakly, she looked up at him. "Are you alright, sweetie?"
"Mom… You remember me?" Ash said with a sad smile, holding back tears.
"Of course I do…" Delia said softly, blood still seeping from her wound. "At first, I didn't. But I had to come. My memories slowly returning, I had this strange urge to see you. And when I saw you in trouble, something inside me told me to save you. Now my memories are all back. And I can finally remember my little boy…"
"Oh, mom…" Ash cried, hugging her tightly to him. Tearing a sleeve off of his jacket, he tied it around her arm. "Just hold on, we'll get you some help soon!" As his mother passed out from shock and blood loss, he gently set her down on the ground. "But first I have to take care of something." Staring at Kaine hatefully, he ran towards him, kicking him in the face. "You bastard!" Picking the man up by his collar, he proceeded to slug him in the face. "How could you?…" Ash asked, his voice cracking.
"Not my fault that the idiotic bitch got in the way." He smirked as he was hit again. "That story I told you was true, about my love of the sea and all… In fact, without, your mother's features, you would look just like my father…" Smiling cruelly, he began to laugh. "I wonder what that could mean? My father left when I was five, and I'm 6 years older than you… Didn't your father leave as well? I suppose we either have similar fathers, or--"
Ash punched Kaine again. And again. And again. "SHUT YOUR GODDAMN MOUTH!" Ash screamed, punching Kaine over and over again. "You're lying!"
"Ash!" Misty shouted, running towards them. "Ash, stop! If you kill him--"
"He could have killed me or my mom!" Ash cried out, holding an unconscious Kaine by the collar. He stared at the bloodied man. "I can't forgive him…"
"Damn it, Ash! I hate to be crude, but your mother is practically dying here!" Misty screamed, stomping her foot. "What's more important?" She was on the verge of tears now. She would hate to see the man she loved become a murderer. "Saving your mother or your 'revenge'? And I seriously hope you're not considering the latter!"
This sudden realization hit Ash like a ton of bricks. He could either make Kaine pay or save his mom's life. When he realized what he had almost done, he broke out into tears, crying out in shame. As he fell to his knees, Misty quickly ran to him, getting on her own knees and hugging him tightly as he cried into her chest. "Ssshhh… It's alright…" she said in a soft, comforting voice, her eyes closed. "It's going to be okay, Ash… Because I'm here for you now…" She couldn't help but cry herself, feeling partly responsible for his pain.
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And so, everyone went back to their homes and started to settle back down into their normal lives. Team Magma and the members of Team Aqua who defected were let off with 26 months of community service.
Back in Hoenn, Brendan happily greeted Professor Birch as he, May, Max and Norman returned home. "Hey, Dad! We're back!"
"Hm?" Professor Birch looked up from his studies, raising an eyebrow. "Oh! You're back!" His eyes slowly went down, catching Brendan and May with their hands intertwined. "Ah ha!" Grabbing his son in a headlock, he chuckled. "Finally bagged a girl, eh son? I was starting to get worried about you, head always in the books and all!"
"Aw, come on, Dad!" Brendan groaned, May giggling at him. As he escaped the grasp of his father, he sighed. "Come on, May… There's something I want to show you…"
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As they entered Brendan's room, May yawned. "What is it you wanted to show me?" she asked, tilting her head. Her expression quickly changed to one of annoyance. "It had better not be anything nerdy."
"Not this time!" Brendan said with a laugh. Opening a box, he took out a big pearl that was almost the size of his palm. "What do you think? I found it on the islands and saved it for you."
"Brendan, it's beautiful!" May shouted, covering her mouth with her hands. It was the biggest pearl she had ever seen. She didn't know that Brendan had such an eye for things like this. "Is it… for--"
"Yep…" Brendan replied with a smirk. "Oh, just one more thing I have to give you…" He said softly, grabbing her by the waist and pulling her towards him. Leaning in, he gave her deep, long kiss on the lips.
Eyes widening, May slowly gave into the kiss, closing her eyes. She was in heaven. It had always been her dream to end up in a romantic situation like this. The only thing that was really puzzling her at the moment, though, was where the hell did Brendan learn to be such a romantic?
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On the islands, Omi, Taylor and Lostelle waved goodbye to Gary, the last of the group to leave. "We'll try and visit you and the others, soon!" Omi shouted. People had begun to slowly return to the island after hearing the news that everything was safe. The three friends were glad that nothing had happened to the mountain. Last time it erupted, it had completely devastated the islands, causing major damage to places such as Cinnabar Island… 1/3 of the 7 island's population had been wiped out, Lostelle's father included. Fortunately, the people had been able to rebuild. Oddly enough, the Berry Forest had been completely untouched.
Lostelle, who had been trailing behind the couple, sighed as she watched them. Oh, how she wished that Taylor was hers. Her twitched as she heard groaning from behind a building. Running over, she gasped as she saw an injured Team Magma member. She glanced at him for a moment. She giggled as she realized who it was. "Oh, hey! You're Cip, that crazy Magma member, aren't you? Oh, but you're hurt!" Rushing to his side, she helped him up. "There, there… I'm going to get you some help…"
"Thank you…" Cip replied weakly, groaning. "You know… You're very beautiful. Has anyone ever told you that?"
Blushing, Lostelle got a mischievous look on her face. "Oh, a flatterer, are you? I might just keep you around a bit longer…"
Meanwhile, on Knot Island, Jessie, James, and Meowth were standing on the shores of Treasure Beach, staring at the sunset together. The red, pink, and orange filled sky made for quite the breathtaking setting. Jessie sighed. "And so, once again, we helped save the world…"
"But we was totally ignored during da' climax!" Meowth pouted.
"Now that it's all over, what's left for us now?" Jessie asked herself, turning away. "Where will we go?"
"I don't know, Jessie…" James said in a wistful voice. "But I do know one thing." He put a hand on her shoulder, an intense look on his face. "No matter where we go, no matter what happens… I want to face it with you…"
"Do you really mean it?" the dark red haired woman asked, turning around and looking into his eyes. What had suddenly gotten into her long time partner, she didn't know. But frankly, at this moment, she didn't care.
"I mean it." he replied, his expression softening. "Jessie…" he said softly, leaning in closer.
"James…" Jessie blushed, leaning in as well. As they prepared for a kiss, their romantic moment was abruptly stopped by a sudden stinging sensation on both of their faces. They grabbed their faces in pain, once again the victims of Meowth's claws.
"Quit screwing around you two!" Meowth screamed angrily. "Get a room! Oh that's right, you can't afford a room!" He began to run around frantically, waving his arms. "Wees gots no money, no place to stay, and no transportation!" He stopped running and began stomping his feet repeatedly. "We're broke, homeless, and hungry, and here you two are, getting lovey dovey!" He screamed in pain as he was suddenly booted by the duo.
"How dare you…" James began, breathing heavily.
"…ruin our moment!" Jessie concluded the sentence. They then continued kicking the cat around the beach in their rage.
"Help!" Meowth yelped, running away as they gave chase. "Pokémon abuse! Someone make a report!"
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On that same island, a still injured Brock was awkwardly getting assistance bathing from Daisy. "Um…" Brock began, his back to her. "Not that I mind or anything, but is this really appropriate?"
"It is if I say so…" Daisy said cheerfully. "Besides, I haven't been with a man in years…"
"Wha-wha?" Brock yelped, staring to shake nervously. "Um, well I--"
Daisy giggled, a hand on her mouth. "I was just joking!" Moving towards him, she hugged him from behind, smiling at his frantic reaction at something squishy on his back. "You're a naughty boy, Brock…"
"T-that's not true!" Brock shouted, stuttering awkwardly. "I'm a romantic at heart!"
"Oh?" Daisy tilted her head. "That's too bad…" she leaned in, whispering in his ear. "I feel like being bad…"
"Bad? You want bad?" Brock suddenly jumped up, raising his fists. "I'll show you bad!" He sighed as Daisy began giggling. "You got me again…"
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And so, three months passed… And what of our favorite couple?
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Having settled down into a house right outside Cerulean City that Ash had built with the help of his Pokémon, Misty sighed dreamily as she lay on the couch, legs hanging lazily over the edge, her long hair flowing freely. Dressed in a yellow tank top that showed off her belly button and a pair of jeans, she had been feeling like a newlywed ever since she moved into the house with Ash.
It was a nice, one story house. It had a bathroom, kitchen, bedroom, living room, ding room, and a room for the washer and dryer. Watching TV and switching through the channels rapidly, Misty laughed as she saw a commercial for a restaurant that Jessie, James, and Meowth had opened. "Ash, you have to see this!"
Hurrying into the living room, the black haired young man screeched to the halt. Wearing his usual black t-shirt and jeans with a pair of socks, he stared at the screen before letting his jaw drop in shock. "Well I'll be damned… They've certainly moved up in the world. Instead of getting bossed around, they get to boss other people around!"
"Speaking of bossing people around…" Misty replied with a grin. "Could you refill me glass for me? Lemonade, please…" She gave him a smug look, as if he was her slave. She couldn't wait to see what his reaction was. She gasped as Ash grabbed her by the waist, picked her up, and pushed her against the wall. A little surprised at his sudden aggressiveness, she instinctively began to worry. "Ash, what are you--" She squealed as Ash got on his knees, put his lips on her abs, and blew hard. Laughing as he gave her a raspberry on her tummy, she tried pushing him off to no avail. "S-stop, Ash! That tickles! God, you're killing me!"
"Oh, my… I hope I'm not interrupting anything!" Delia was in the doorway, her left arm in a sling. "Sorry for bursting in, but the door was open." She gave the couple a sly smile. "Misty, were you seducing my little boy?"
"M-mom!" Ash screamed. "Don't say things like that!" Sighing, he walked over and hugged her gently. "Hi, Mom… How is your arm?"
"Oh, it's getting better…" She replied, hugging him back with her good arm. "Doctor says I should be good in another 3-5 weeks."
Misty gave her lover's mother a kiss on the cheek. "Hi there, Delia! Would you like some tea?"
"Thank you, that would be nice." Mrs. Ketchum replied.
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As they sat in the kitchen, Ash stared into his cup an unsettled look on his face. "Mom…" he began, gritting his teeth. He had to know the truth and if anyone knew the answer to his question, she would know. "Did Dad ever mention any previous relationships?"
Mrs. Ketchum suddenly dropped her teacup in shock, gasping as it shattered on the floor. "Oh my god… I'm so sorry!"
"It's okay…" Misty said with a sigh. She sweat dropped. "These were a dollar each at a garage sale, anyway… I'll go get some napkins." She had a feeling she should leave them alone for a while.
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"Red, your father, was a wanderer. He never stayed in one place too long. Before me, he had another wife and child in his younger years." Delia replied sadly. She wiped her eyes, sniffling. She hadn't wanted to bring back the painful memories. "He was only 16 when his son Kaine was born."
"Kaine…" Ash clenched his fist at that familiar, despicable name. "Then I guess it's true. I wonder how he found out? The last name, maybe? I never found out his." He was still overwhelmed by this sudden revelation. To think that he was related to someone like that… It sent chills up his spine. "Thanks for telling me, Mom…"
Biting her lip, Ash's mother held back her tears. "He told me the night he left… The bastard. Lived with her for 5 years and didn't even…" She whined, crying into Ash's shoulder as he patted her on the back.
Misty, who was eavesdropping on the conversation, gasped. Kaine and Ash were…?
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A few hours later, Delia having left a while back, the couple sat on the couch, Ash resting his head on Misty's lap. Pikachu was sleeping peacefully on a small bed made especially for him. He was both confused and angry over everything he had been told today. "My father was a dick. I hate him for not loving us as much as his previous family, and I hate him even more for bringing that son-of-a-bitch Kaine into this world."
"Ash, he didn't know that Kaine would turn out the way he did…" Misty said softly, running a hand through his hair. "And maybe there was a reason he left?"
"Well, there's no use crying about it now." Ash replied, starting to sit up. He was ready to go back out in the world. There was no time to dwell on the past. "I wonder where I should go next? I think I'll go over to Gary's and ask--" He grunted as Misty pushed his head back into her lap. "Hey, wha--"
Misty smiled. This time, she wasn't letting him out of her sight. "Nuh uh. You're staying here with me." Gazing at him softly, she ran her hands along his face, a finger tracing over his scar. "You've been through a lot, lately. Don't you think you deserve a little more downtime?" She tilted her head, giggling. "Stay here. With me. Take a rest."
"Aw, but Misty…" Ash whined, a disappointed look on his face. He really needed to get out of the house. Sitting around and doing nothing when he could be out adventuring was just not his style. "The road is calling me! I need to get out there and discover new lands and Pokémon!"
Sighing in exasperation, Misty stared at him. "Oh, Ash… You're still such a big kid… Can't you think of anything but Pokémon?" Shaking her head, she smiled again. That was one of the things she loved about him.
And so, the Events end...
...but they may begin again...