(A/N: Alright, well here's the last chapter of the story. Well, at least I hope it will be. Guess you'll find out at the end.)

Chapter 17: Redemption

Chris, with the mixture of pain and sadness he was feeling, had passed out and now he was in total darkness, still in his Pokemon form. He didn't think he was dead, but right now, he wished he was. Mourning his mistakes, he then realized he wasn't alone as a familiar figure approached him. "What do you want?" he asked. "Are you here to boast about how I failed, how I failed everyone?"

"No," the Ninetales said. "I knew the events that were going to take place. It is time I reveal just who I am and what purpose I have doing here." There was then a flash of light, and where the Ninetales once stood was a Pikachu, but something was different about this one.

"Wait a minute," Chris said. "I know you. You're... Pikachu's clone. His brother."

The Pikachu smiled. "Indeed, I am. And please, just refer to me as Pikachu for the time being."

"Very well," Chris said. "But, why have you been in my dreams? Why are you here in the first place?"

"Because you and I are alike in many ways," Pikachu said. He then chuckled slightly. "Sorry that I didn't come clean in the beginning. Anyway, I was in the same situation you are in right now. Manipulation, for that what it was, made the good part of me become what I was when I was first created. The anger I had felt was fueled by the hate I was feeling, to just about everything. But then, once I met Pikachu, my brother, again, he made me remember that there really are still good people in the world. But of course, what I did came with a price and I finally understood in my last moments." Tears then came to his eyes as he looked away. "Thank you Pikachu, I just wish our meeting could've lasted longer." He then looked back to Chris. "But what is important now is what you are going to do? It's up to you."

"I have a choice?" Chris asked.

"Of course," Pikachu said. "It depends on what you want to do. You can keep feeling sorry for yourself and end up losing all you hold dear to you, or you can make up for what has been done and try to put a final end to the problem."

"Yes, that's what has to be done," Chris said, nodding. "I may not be forgiven for what I've done, but I can at least redeem myself for the actions I've committed. Thank you Pikachu. I know what you were trying to do this entire time. You tried to make me follow the right path and would guide me if I ever went off track."

"Yeah, something like that," Pikachu said, grinning.

"Then I better go back and do what needs to be done," Chris said. He was about to go but he then turned back to the Pokemon. "By the way, have you visited Pikachu at all recently?"

"From time to time," Pikachu said. "He misses his two good friends, you know."

"Yeah…I'm sure he does," Chris said.

Chris then woke up. He was still lying on the hard ground, out in Sunyshore. He was no longer feeling any pain, meaning the nanomachines must have done their work. He remembered right before he had passed out that a group of men came out of nowhere, close to where he was. They must've kidnapped Pikette! "Hold on Pikette," he said quietly. Whether she hated him or not, she was still his friend.

(A/N: Alright, this is gonna be a fun part. The song I have here is called "Chopperhead" by Two Steps From Hell.)

Two soldiers were keeping guard inside the locked gate to one of the main office buildings in the city. Gunshots had resumed nearby their location. "Before we know it, they'll be making their way over here," one of them said.

"Let's hope not," the other said. "As if we got enough trouble already."

All of a sudden, they heard a faint noise on the other side of the gate. "What's that?" the first soldier said as both of got their weapons at the ready.

"I don't know," the other whispered. "Whoever is there, show yourself or else we will fire!"

*That would be answered as a sudden explosion erupted, blowing the two soldiers backwards and ripping the gate to shreds. Out of the smoke and dust came Chris, carrying dual pistols. He had caught on to Pikette's scent and followed her here. He quickly took care of the two soldiers before they could fire back. An alarm then went off and more troopers came out of the building, firing straight at him.

Chris quickly dodged them, rolling to his left while unloading both clips into the advancing troops, taking them all out. Quickly reloading, he made his way to the building. Waiting a couple moments, he then broke down the door, guns raised. However, no one else appeared to be inside. Cautious, Chris went inside slowly. Pikette was around here somewhere, and he had to hurry. He looked to his left and saw an elevator and went towards. He looked at the list of floors and the one part said B – Laboratory. That was where Pikette had to be. He took the elevator down to the basement floor, and quickly went out once the doors opened.

He was on a balcony and looking down, he saw his friend strapped up against a backboard. "Pikette," he said. There was a stairway which led down which he took. He then went over to her, and saw that she was still knocked out. He tried to take off the clamps holding her, but they didn't budge. There must've been some sort of button or switch to push. He went to the main console and looked for what button to push.

"Stop right there," a voice then said. Chris quickly turned around, gun raised. There was a man, a scientist to be exact, standing next to Pikette with a gun right next to her head. "Make another move and the Pikachu dies!"

However, Chris didn't even hesitate and shot the man straight in the head, killing him. In a hostage situation, that is something you never do. But Chris knew the man was hesitating, probably never shot a gun before, and also knew if he was quick, the man would be too slow to react. Chris then got back to the console and found the button to release the clamps. Pikette then fell into his arms. She was in pretty bad shape and he had to find a place for her quickly. Keeping her close, Chris then left the lab, now looking for a place to hide.

After a couple hours, Pikette finally opened her eyes. She looked over to see an IV injected into her arm. She was still feeling a bit groggy and didn't recognize where she was, but she noticed Chris standing next to one of the windows. "...Chris?" she then said.

Chris turned around. He then smiled. "Nice to see you're awake," he said.

Pikette gasped slightly. Suddenly, her lips started quivering as tears came to her eyes. "Oh Chris!" she sobbed as the tears came streaming down her face. Chris went over to comfort her as he gently rubbed her back. "I was so stupid," she said. "I was worried about you so much, and with what happened, I just got some upset for something stupid."

"No," Chris said. "The fault is mine. I was told to keep everything secret, but I still should've mentioned something nonetheless." He then got up and looked back out the window. "Does SIP consider me a traitor?"

"Only Ortiz knows about what happened, other than me and Sadie of course," Pikette said.

"I guess that's good news," Chris said.

"So what are you going to do now?" Pikette asked.

"Do what needs to be done," Chris replied. "It's not something I'll enjoy doing, but it's for the best, and I can finally put an end to all this. My work here is practically complete." He was silent for a couple moments. "You know, I had been thinking."

"Hmm?" Pikette said.

"I've been debating what Sadie had told me," Chris said. "After this, I want to just live the old life, the life I used to live. I plan to try to live a life with Sadie, and see where all that goes."

"Will I be there?" Pikette asked amusedly.

"Maybe," Chris said, smiling a bit. "But I've also been thinking about something else. Maybe it would be time we see an old friend of ours."

"Dawn?" Pikette asked.

"Yes," Chris said. "I'm sure she'd be happy to see us. It's been three years after all. And I'm sure Pikachu misses you as well."

"Oh yeah, she definitely will," Pikette said, smiling. But once Pikachu was mentioned, she frowned slightly.

Chris sighed. "I guess it's time to finish this," he said.

"Wait, if you're going, then I'm coming with you," Pikette said.

"Oh no," Chris said. "You're staying here. This place was abandoned so it should be safe. Besides, you're in no shape for such a thing." He then stopped, feeling guilty now. "Um, listen. I'm sorry about… before and well… you know."

Pikette giggled slightly. "It's fine," she said. "I'm the one who should really be sorry. Somehow you managed to survive with all those broken bones."

"Yeah, I rather not talk about that," Chris said, placing a hand behind his head.

"Besides, I kind of kicked your ass, didn't I?" Pikette asked.

Chris laughed. "That you did, Pikette. That you did." However, his humor faded again. "I have to hurry. Last thing I need is to have both SIP and Zena on my ass."

"I understand," Pikette said. "Just promise me one thing."

"What's that?" Chris asked.

Pikette looked at him with a compassionate smile. "Just don't do any drastic. And… make sure to come back in one piece."

Chris smiled as he went over to her and planted a kiss on her forehead. "I'll make sure to do that."

(A/N: Okay, here is yet another song. The name of this song is "Avenger" by Immediate Music.)

*Once Chris went back downstairs, he got suited up. Chris then put on his Kevlar vest before putting on his uniform. Once he was done doing that, he took both pistols he had and put in full clips for both, as well as taking extra clips. Once he was done, he took a deep breath and went outside the door, towards his final destination.

It was a somewhat short distance to the lighthouse, but he remained cautious. Once he got near the place, he saw that there was no one outside, which could only mean that there were more inside. He took a glance through the window to see there were about six of them, but that wasn't what had him concerned now. This time, the security system appeared to be online. "Great, now I have to worry about turrets and lasers," Chris said to himself.

"I wouldn't worry about that."

"Pikachu, is that you?" Chris said, hearing the voice in his head.

"Yes," Pikachu said. "While you were unconscious, I slipped my consciousness into your thoughts."

"But why do that?" Chris asked.

He could hear the Pokemon sigh. "I have to be honest," he said. "I've settled my differences, but I thought, just maybe, I could get one last shot of payback against Zena, Sector 7, whoever. I'm doing what I believe to be right, because I feel they should pay for what they did to me."

(A/N: Okay, the next song here is called "Mercutio" by Immediate Music. Don't ask me why it's called that.)

*"Then let's make them pay together!" Chris declared. "Once all of this is done, everyone can finally rest in peace."

"Yes," Pikachu said. "I will be your second pair of eyes and ears. Let's do this Chris, together."

Chris nodded. He took a deep breath and with the sudden adrenaline rush he was feeling, he quickly barged through the door, weapons raised. He had to move quickly, or else those turrets would shred him to pieces. He quickly took out two of the guards, and continued running as fast as he could. "At your left!" Pikachu said. Without even looking, Chris quickly shot one of the remaining guards.

He was then clear of the turrets, but it wasn't over. "Here they come," Chris then said. The laser grid then activated and with quick speed, it launched to where Chris was. Preparing himself, he timed the jump he made, and launched himself sideways over the lasers and once getting to his feet, made a run for it. The lasers came back quickly, causing Chris to hit the ground flat. Getting to his feet again, Chris continued moving as he got closer to the door. However, there was one last final trick as the lasers came back in full force. Unfortunately, it was in such a case that Chris could not possibly pass it. Taking the once chance he could, he saw the switch, pulled out his gun, and fried the system. As he expected, the system shut off completely. Chris then let out a sigh of relief as he put his gun away. "Well, that wasn't too bad," Pikachu said.

"We're not done yet," Chris said. "Especially with what's coming up next."

(A/N: I know, we have a lot of songs here, but it's the ending chapter, so what would you expect? Anyway, the song I have here is called "Fate" by Brian Tyler. It's interesting how such a bad movie, Bangkok Dangerous, which this is from, has such an awesome soundtrack.)

*Chris went up to the door and the second it opened, he was blasted in the face with a large force of heat. He looked and saw that was the stairway was extremely hot and humid. The place was filled with microwaves. "I feared that this was going to happen," Chris said.

"What will you do now?" Pikachu asked.

"I have to get up there," Chris said. "One way or another."

"But you can't be serious!" Pikachu said loudly in his head. "With something this large, you'd only have-"

"I know, about two minutes," Chris said. "But it's a risk I'm willing to take."

"Then you have to be quick," Pikachu said. "It's not gonna be a short journey."

Chris took another deep breath and went inside. His body immediately felt the heat. Even a humid, hundred degree day was nothing compared to what he was feeling. He started walking up the stairs, already starting to feel dehydration. His body was being drained quickly, but Chris focused on getting to the top. Step after step he went up and with each step he was feeling more and more exhaustion. Finally, he was at about halfway up before he stumbled to the ground. He tried getting back up but for some reason could not. He was breathing heavily, only able to breath in hot air.

"Get up Chris!" Pikachu said urgently. "Please! You'll die if you just sit there! Come on Chris! For everyone you know!"

Chris struggled to get up. He couldn't stand, so he had to crawl the west of the way up. He was in pain, suffering from the burns he was feeling from his uniform. He didn't have much time left, he had to hurry. With a bit more desperation, Chris continued climbing up and up until finally he had reached the top. He slammed his hand against the button, opening the door. He flopped right onto the cold metal, breathing heavily. He then got up and laid his head and back against the wall. "If I had been in there any longer, I probably would've died," he said. "The nanomachines are what's keeping me alive right now."

"Can you stand up?" Pikachu asked.

"I just need a few moments," Chris said. Luckily, the nanomachines were also helping him regain his strength. Soon, he got to his feet, and the pushed the button to go up. The elevator lurched upwards and once it got to the next floor, the doors opened and Chris stumbled out.

"Dear Lord," James said, going up to him. Chris then collapsed onto his knees. "What happened to you?" His eyes then lit up in horror. "You didn't!?"

"I had to," Chris said, getting to his feet slowly. "There was no other way."

James then took something out of his pocket, which turned out to be another syringe. "Here," he said, injecting into Chris' neck. "This should help." Chris started feeling his stamina recover and he could now stand. "There, now you're starting to look better. I'm sorry that you had to do that. I feared SIP would find me and possibly try to kill me. I'm not even sure if they're willing to keep me alive anymore."

"Dad," Chris then said. "I'm sorry, but I have to turn you in. I know you mean well, but SIP isn't going to ignore what happened."

James sighed. "I figured you would come back to tell me this," he said. "However, I'm not gonna go in quietly you know."

"Huh?" Chris said.

"There's one last thing I need to ask you," James said. "It has been over twenty long years since I've seen you. I know what you're capable of. We will settle this now with a sparring match."

"What? But why?" Chris asked.

"Think of it this way," James said. "You're the good guy; I'm the bad guy. However, there are those who question your allegiance. Now, put two and two together, and what do you get?"

"I know that," Chris said. "But isn't there a simpler solution?"

"Yes," James said. He then smiled. "But I reckoned one more moment of my parenthood could take place before I do my time."

(A/N: Well, this is it. The Final Battle. I know it's not what you thought, but hey, I gotta keep James a somewhat good guy, remember? Anyway, this is a song I've wanted to use for awhile. The name of it is "Duel of the Fates (Techno Remix)." Yeah it's Star Wars, you got a problem with that!?)

*"Guess he has a point," Chris thought. "Alright," he said. "If it's that you want, then so be it." He then took off his uniform and got rid of his weapons and knife. "Just remember, I grew up learning CQC."

"Exactly, where do you think you inherited it from?" James said. He then came up near him. "Alright, let's see what you're made of."

"You're on!" Chris said. He went first, going straight up to James and with quick speed, managed to grab him and throw him to the ground.

"Well, that's not too bad," James said, getting to his feet. "But check this." He then launched forward with speed that matched Chris and before Chris knew it, he was laying straight on his back. "I was in your position at one point long ago."

"Perhaps, but my foster dad was a Marine," Chris said, jumping back to his feet. "I practically killed Summers with my bare hands."

"Did you now?" James asked. "Well, I guess you did me a favor then. Now, let's get serious about this!"

"Right," Chris said, nodding. He then charged forward and tried to go for another attack, but James blocked it and got him wrapped up. Chris proceeded by elbowing him in the ribs, breaking himself free. James, who quickly recovered, tried to attack when he had the chance, but Chris, who was aware, used James' momentum against him and caused him to hit the ground.

"Alright," James said. "That's good, but we aren't finished yet. To finish this off, let's see how far you've come adapting to your Pokemon form."

"Only too well," Chris said, changing form. "But just remember size doesn't always win."

"Of course," James said, now changing into his Ninetales form. He then charged forward, using Iron Tail. Chris countered using the same attack. Both met head on, hitting at the same time, causing both to slide backwards. "Well, I can see you've adapted well already."

"Oh yeah? Check this out," Chris said. He then began storing up energy and out of nowhere used Charge Beam, which hit James directly, sending him back.

"What power," James commented. "But I'm afraid that's nothing compared to what I can do." He then used Fire Blast, but before the attack could hit, Chris spun straight forward, going through the attack and then once again used Iron Tail, hitting and knocking down James.

Chris got to his feet but then all of a sudden, he was forced back on his knees as pain went throughout his body, but it was nothing like before, it was worse. "What is…?" Chris said, all of a sudden changed back to his human form. "What is happening?" He was feeling a numbing sensation, and realized with horror what was happening.

He looked to his father, who was in the same situation. He smiled slightly. "I appear to have made a mistake," he said. "You see, those syringes you've been taking were actually the ones destroying the nanomachines in your system."

"What!?" Chris said. "The whole time?"

"Yes," James said. "But, I had forgotten over the years that our bodies are just too damaged beyond recovery." He then gave a gasp and fell to the ground. "I'm sorry Chris." And those were his last words.

Chris then flipped over on his back. Was now his time? Was this really it? It was still too early in life for him, but then again, he had this coming. All of a sudden, the elevator doors opened and SIP soldiers came rushing into the room. "Chris!" Chris looked to see Pikette coming towards him. "Are you alright?"

"Not really," Chris said. This was not going to be easy to say.

"Well, just give it a couple moments," Pikette said. "Then you should be alright."

"No, unfortunately, I won't," Chris replied.

"What do you mean?" Pikette asked.

"Pikette, I'm dying," Chris said.

"Dying!?" Pikette almost yelled. She laughed hesitantly. "Chris, that's not funny."

"I'm being serious, Pikette," Chris said, who was all serious now. He then sighed. "The nanomachines are gone, but my body has deteriorated to the point where it can no longer function properly. I don't have much time."

"B-but Chris, you can't go," Pikette said, the tears starting to form in her eyes. "I can't go through all this without you. I need you."

"You don't need me," Chris said, smiling. He then winced slightly from the pain, and then put a hand up to her face, stroking her cheek. "My time is up, but you still have so much more to see in life, Pikette. No longer will you have to worry about evil corporations or anything related to them. You can live in a world of peace. I practically gave my life for it, but I have no regrets and I was willing to do it."

"Chris…" Pikette said, the tears streaming down her face.

Chris looked up to the ceiling as if in thought. "You remember when we first met, all those years ago?"

"How could I forget?" Pikette said, smiling slightly.

"I remember that was the day I met one of my closest friends," Chris said. He then looked back to her. "That's you, Pikette. And even now, I'm glad to say that I got to meet you that day."

Pikette started sobbing while giving him a hug. "I feel the same way!" she sobbed. "You're the best friend anyone could ever have!"

"Just remember one thing," Chris said. "Even as I leave, always remember I'll be looking down upon you." Chris then closed his eyes and let out one more sigh as his soul finally left him, leaving Pikette to sob and mourn for her friend's loss.

(A/N: Alright, this is going to be the last scene of the chapter. The song I have here is called "Here's To You" by Ennio Morricone.)

*Three Days Later…

It was a sad day for many, especially for SIP. Losing one of their finest men was definitely a blow to them, but the fact that it was he who finally put an end to all this made up for the fact. Out in the cemetery in Jubilife City, a very large group of people came for the funeral. Among them was Sadie, who was wearing a black dress, and Pikette, who was with her. The funeral went on for about forty-five minutes, with anyone close to Chris giving their final goodbyes. Once it was over, the troops fired five shots into the air as a final tribute.

Afterwards, Sadie and Pikette were both standing, away from the groups of people. Sadie then sighed. "It's just weird that he's gone," Sadie said.

"Yeah," Pikette said. "You just think it could be possible."

"It's sad, but, strangely, I'm not as sad as I probably thought I would be," Sadie said. "Maybe it's just because I know we'll see him again someday."

"Yes, we will," Pikette said. "For now, we just have to move on with our lives."

"Excuse me?" Both of them turned around to see a young woman wearing a similar black dress with sparkling blue hair. With her was another Pikachu.

"Dawn?" Pikette asked. "Pikachu?"

"Pikette?" Dawn answered back. She then smiled. "I figured that would be you." She then looked back to Sadie. "I'm sorry, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Dawn and this is Pikachu."

"Oh yes, you were friends with Chris," Sadie said, shaking her hand. "My name is Sadie."

"Sadie?" Dawn asked, a bit surprised. "As in the same Sadie Chris knew?"

"Yeah," Sadie said, laughing a bit. "It's kind of a long story."

"No matter," Dawn said. "It's a pleasure to meet you." She then looked to Pikachu. "Say, how about you and Pikette get reacquainted?" Pikachu nodded, and with a look to Pikette, he got off her shoulder, Pikette then followed him. Dawn then looked back to Sadie. "It's strange, to come to his funeral. I hadn't seen him in three years."

"Yeah," Sadie said. "But, Chris had always mentioned at some point that he would go see you again."

"Really?" Dawn asked. She then smiled. "Well, that's definitely nice to know."

Meanwhile, Pikachu and Pikette were standing near each other, both feeling awkward. "So," Pikachu said. "It's been awhile."

"Yeah," Pikette said. It was silent for a couple of moments before she said, "I've been looking after him since we had left."

"That's good," Pikachu said. He looked like he had to say something, but wasn't quite willing to express it. Finally, he couldn't take it any longer. "Pikette, I need to say something!"

"What is it?" Pikette asked.

Pikachu blushed slightly. "Well, I'm not going to lie. I've been missing you since the day you left. I had been hoping and praying each and every day that it would soon be all over and that you would come back, because even now, I still love you Pikette."

Pikette gasped. A smile came to her face as tears came to her eyes. "Oh Pikachu," she said, giving him a hug. "I've been missing you lately as well. And of course I still love you too." Pikachu lifted up her chin and placed his lips against hers, something he had wanted to do for so long. Once breaking the kiss, Pikachu then said, "Let's start over, from the beginning. That sound alright?"

"Yeah," Pikette said, smiling. "That's alright with me."

"Well, I can see the two of you have reacquainted real well," Dawn said as her and Sadie came over to them.

"Pikette, Dawn and I have been talking," Sadie said. "We both decided to have you stay with Dawn since you don't have a place to live at the moment."

"But what about you?" Pikette asked.

"I have a place for myself," Sadie said. "Besides, I'll be a bit busy the next couple of months."

"What do you mean?" Pikette asked.

"Well, the thing is," Sadie said, knowing she now had to tell her. "I'm pregnant."

"Pregnant!?" Pikette almost yelled.

"Yes," Sadie said, smiling. "I found out two days ago."

"So what do you say, Pikette?" Dawn asked. "Is that alright with you?"

Pikette looked from Pikachu, to Sadie, and then back to Dawn. "Alright," she said, smiling. "I'll do that."

"Well, guess I have to look after two Pikachu now," Dawn said, amused, as Pikette got onto her other shoulder. "But, we actually have to get going, unfortunately. I wish you luck and happiness in the future, Sadie."

"Thanks, same to you all," Sadie replied.

"Sadie," Pikette then said. "We'll make sure to keep in touch."

"I know we will," Sadie said with a wink.

Dawn and them then said their goodbyes, leaving Sadie by herself. "Well Chris, guess you got yourself out of this one," she said, laughing slightly. A slight wind picked up, tickling her slightly. "Hey, that's not funny," she said amusedly. She then sighed. "Don't worry though, whether it's a boy or girl, I'm sure they'll be just like their father in every way."

I'll always take to heart what Chris told me that day, to live my life to the fullest. Of course I'm still young and have a lot more to experience. I was happy for him, because he gave me what I wanted: a peaceful world. I'll always be thankful for that.

As for me, Pikachu and I finally got back together. I was living at Johanna's house along with her and Dawn. Ash, who Dawn was now dating, and Pikachu would come by each day to see us, and soon for the both of us it was like old times. As for Sadie, it just so happened that she actually lived in Solaceon Town, close to where Twinleaf Town was. I went to see her every so often. She was done with HIP, quitting the squad so that she could take care of her upcoming child. Ha, McFadden. Somehow I like that more than Johnson.

At one point, she told me she found out the child was a boy and then asked me something very important. When her son would become ten, Sadie knew he wanted to go out and become a Pokemon trainer. That was when she asked me if I could be his starter Pokemon. Like I said, I was still young and by ten years, I would be more mature. And besides, how could I say no?

As for everything else, Zena had finally learned it's lesson and stopped all the illegal practices it was committing and joined with BiCell to become Zena-BiCell Pharmaceutics. Not too bad, but if something happens again, you won't see me going in there again.

Even now as I think about all this, looking up at the stars in the night sky, I always wonder: what if? If things had been different in the past, would they be different now? If Zena hadn't done what it had done, would Chris still be in his old world? I can't say for sure, because there's always that saying that things happen for a reason. It doesn't matter, I guess. I'm happy again because things are almost back to the same, and even if Chris isn't with me right now, he always will be in spirit.

(A/N: Alright, and now here are the ending credits. The song here I have is called "Calling to the Night" by Natasha Farrow. Now don't think this is over yet, because it's not. There's one last thing to do, and you'll see what it is.)

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