Chapter 5

The Start of a New Life

(One month later)

After four weeks of preparation, Misty and I had finally finished all of our preparations to move to our new home in the Seafoam Islands. To our great luck, the number of other people looking to buy the house in the online auction was quite small, and the earnings I received from winning the title of Pokémon Master after beating Lance two years ago was great enough to allow me to purchase the house. Although all of the furniture was also prepaid for, the process of acquiring them had drained the life out of me; Misty had constantly hassled me to look online for furniture dealers in the Seafoam Islands, and to buy all kinds of things including cookware, electronics, a bed, tables, chairs and sofas, and even cribs and toys for the baby, when we have one. On top of all this, my unfamiliarity with computers had only added to the level of frustration and stress I experienced. But after everything was done and sorted, it felt as if the weight of the world itself had been taken off my shoulders, allowing me to look forward to living with Misty, the love of my life since my childhood.

As I looked up to see Mom's face after we had finished packing all our luggage on the front porch of the house, she looked neither happy nor sullen, albeit doing her best to manage a smile. It was clear that although she was glad that Misty and I would finally get to live with each other, seeing us go brought sadness to her heart.

"Mom…are you alright?" I asked.

She pulled out a handkerchief, wiping away a teardrop which had just formed in her right eye. "Yes, honey, I'm fine. Don't worry about me. It's just that…seeing you go after all these years is so hard for me to bear."

I immediately went over to her and gave her a hug to comfort her, as Misty did the same. Mom embraced us both tightly, her tears trickling down onto my hair.

"I love you, Mom," I whispered into her ear.

"Delia…" Misty whimpered. Though related to her only by our marriage, Misty had always looked up to my mom as if she was her own, after returning to take care of the Cerulean Gym. As a result, leaving Mom behind hurt her as much as it hurt me.

After we broke contact, Pikachu leapt into Mom's arms, rubbing his cheek against hers. "Pika…"

"I'll miss you too, dear," Mom replied tearfully.

My ears then twitched as I heard the humming of a car's engine – Professor Oak had arrived to take us to the pier. Alongside him was Brock with his luggage in the back –he had gladly offered to help sort out the house upon our arrival, after we invited him to come along to stay with us for a few days.

"Hey, guys. We're not late, are we?" Brock asked.

"Not at all, Brock. Just in time, actually," I said, turning around to face them.

"Well, I guess this is it," Misty sighed, looking at the car and then back again at Mom. "Goodbye, Delia, and thank you. You've been like a mother to me, these last few years."

"Don't mention it, Misty," Mom smiled, "And besides…it's not like you're not going to drop by every now and then to say hi!"

"I guess…" Misty smiled, "We'll be sure to visit you sometime after we've settled in!"

After looking and smiling at each other for a brief time, I instinctively looked at my wristwatch. The S.S. Anne would be departing for the Seafoam Islands in about half an hour. It had been replaced a few years ago by the newly-built S.S. Louisa, which now conducted the around-the-world trip for which the S.S. Anne was once famous for. The S.S. Anne now ran a one-way cruise along the southern oceans of Kanto, from Pallet Town to Fuchsia City, stopping at the Seafoam Islands along the way.

"Come on, Mist. We should get going now," I said sadly, "Bye, Mom. I promise we'll come back to visit sometime."

"Goodbye, dears," Mom replied as Misty and I made our way to the car, placing our luggage in the trunk and seating ourselves in the back seats. Pikachu and Marill hopped onto our laps, looking out the window with us. Tears started to well up in both our eyes, as we looked at her wave to us from the porch.

"Alright then, here we go," Professor Oak said, pressing his foot on the gas, "I'll be back in the afternoon, Delia!" Then, the car began to make its way to the pier, causing her figure to grow smaller and smaller until she was no longer visible.

It didn't take long for me to think of her again. Feeling extremely heavy-hearted, I looked down and closed my eyes, before opening them again as I felt Misty lay her head on my shoulder.

"Are you okay, Mist?" I asked.

"Yeah, Ash. I'm fine…I think. Just tired," she murmured.

"Oh, come on. It was just luggage, honey. And besides, you'd use to literally drag me across floors by my collar occasionally, when you were real mad at me," I grinned.

She smiled. "It's not that…it's…something else."

"Huh? What do you mean?" I said, stroking her hair which shined brilliantly against the sunlight.

"I don't know…I've just been feeling odd for the last few days. Physically, I mean."

"Hmm…well, tell me if anything else comes up. I'll look after you, Mist," I reassured her.

"Thanks, Ash," she smiled, closing her eyes and leaning against my shoulder.

"Oh yeah," I said, "You called your sisters before we left, right?"

"I did. All three of them said that they're happy for us…and jealous," she grinned.

(At the pier)

"Well, here we are!" Professor Oak said, "Now, let's get all your luggage out of the trunk, and set you on your way."

We all got out of the car and took out our respective bags out of the trunk and onto the ground, with help from the professor. After checking that everything was accounted for, we said our farewells to him and made our way aboard the ship, showing our tickets to the inspectors at the entrance.

"Wow, it sure has been a long time since we came on this ship," Brock said as we walked down the corridor to our room number. "Do you guys remember the last time we were in here?"

"Sure do," I said, "And I remember all the great food there was available!"

"Honey, you really need to get over your obsession with food," Misty groaned, "Just consider yourself lucky that you always got plenty of exercise – otherwise, who knows how you might've turned out?"

"Hey! Are you implying that I would've turned fat?" I raged.

"Well, I always tried to go with recipes that are relatively low in fat during our travels, so I'd say things turned out for the best!" Brock smiled.

Oh, brother…

"Ehh…but anyways," I changed the subject, "I just hope we don't run into them again while we're here."

"Who?" Misty said, before immediately realising just exactly who I was talking about. "Oh…them…"

"Y'know, I've always wondered…" Brock said, placing his hand on his chin in thought, "How did Team Rocket ever acquire those tickets that they gave us, anyway? Surely they couldn't have actually afforded them."

"Beats me," I said.

"Brock, they're from Team Rocket…how do you think they'd normally get their hands on such expensive tickets?" Misty said.

"Ohhh…right," Brock said in realisation.

"Huh? I'm afraid you lost me, Mist. What do you mean?" I asked.

She leaned her head in my direction, looking at me with a tired expression on her face as she spoke. "They pickpocketed them off some other people. Isn't that obvious?"

"Oh…" I said, rolling my eyes. "I'm such a dumbass…"

"Nah, I wouldn't say that you're 'stupid', honey," Misty said, "Just dense, that's all."

"…thanks a lot for reassuring me, Mist," I groaned.

After a while of walking, we finally came to our room and settled in, unpacking toiletries and a spare change of clothes we would wear the next day in the available wardrobes and dressers. Just as we fell back upon the nice comfy beds in our room, however, the P.A. system down the hallway rang out with an announcement.

"Attention all passengers, the S.S. Anne will now depart. Thank you for your patronage."

"Huh? We're leaving already? But I hardly even got to lie down!" I complained.

"Oh, stop being such a baby, Ash! Now come on – let's go and take a view!" Misty tugged my arm, before taking Marill in her arms. "Come on, Marill!"

"Marr!" he replied happily. Brock also got out of his bed and began to follow behind Misty.

"Ash! Come on!" she yelled at me.

"Alright~" I whined, reluctantly getting up. "Come on, Pikachu…"

"Pika!" he responded brightly, almost the complete reverse of how I was feeling.

"Boy…I got a feeling that he actually likes her more than he likes me," I said, looking on as Pikachu quickly ran after Misty.

As we ascended the stairs up to the deck, my eyes and head were still very sleepy. All I wanted right now was to go back to the comfy bed in our cabin…and grab something to eat while I'm at it. But everything then changed, after we stepped onto the deck, greeted by a brilliant ray of sunlight and the sight of the beautifully sparkling ocean.

"Whoa…" I exhaled, standing still and dumbfounded.

"Come on, Ash, let's take a closer view!" Misty smiled, leading me to the side rails where we peered down at the water. A couple of dolphins were leaping up and down from the water alongside the ship, giggling merrily.

"Wow! That's so cool! I haven't seen dolphins in a long ti- urrrf!" I said, before drawing away from the rails and sitting on the floor.

"What's the matter, honey? Are you alright?" Misty said worriedly, immediately coming away from the rails and crouching before me.

"…I think I'm getting seasick…" I groaned, holding my stomach.

"Ash, how on earth are you seasick? After riding on many water Pokémon like Lapras, one would hardly imagine that you'd get seasick at all!" Brock said.

"Yeah, but…Riding on top of a water Pokémon and being on the deck of a ship are very different for me, Brock," I replied, "After all, water Pokémon have a way of controlling their movements and staying steady while on the water, don't they?"

"Hmm…I guess you're right," he responded.

"Do you wanna go back to the cabin, Ash? I'll go with you," Misty said, placing her hand on my cheek.

"Nah. I'll just have to get used to it. Besides, I don't wanna ruin it for you, Mist."

"Ash, but-"

"I'll be fine, honey. The air's much fresher up here than back down in the cabin, anyway."

"Alright," she smiled, helping me up to my feet again. "But tell me if you're feeling sick again, okay?"

We made our way back to the rails again, and surprisingly, my seasickness seemed to vanish altogether as I regained my familiarity with being on the ocean. Although I hadn't been out at sea ever since my return to Kanto more than two years ago, I was quickly getting used to it again now.

"Hey, why don't we let out our Pokémon from their Pokéballs? They should get some fresh air," I suggested.

"That's a good idea, Ash!" Misty said, reaching for her belt. "Come on out, guys!"

With a flash of light, Politoed, Golduck and Corsola appeared in front of us on the deck. Misty then turned back to the railing, and released Seaking and Gyarados onto the surface of the ocean. Free from the confinement of their Pokéballs, Golduck, Politoed and Corsola began to enjoy the warm sunlight on the deck with Marill, while Seaking and Gyarados swam alongside the ship. Brock and I soon followed suit; Brock releasing Sudowoodo, Croagunk, Geodude and Crobat, while I released Heracross, Infernape, Sceptile, Bulbasaur and Staraptor. Pikachu, Bulbasaur, Geodude, Sudowoodo and Croagunk proceeded to run around and play with each other, until Bulbasaur became very surprised as he was lifted into the air by none other than Heracross, who immediately began to suck the sap of his bulb.

"Bulba, bulba…bulbasaur…" ("You just had to bring him along, didn't you…") he sighed at me, before being released as he softly tapped Heracross on the head with a Vine Whip.

"Hehehe…sorry, buddy," I grinned, holding the back of my head. Pikachu, Geodude, Sudowoodo and Croagunk began to giggle at Bulbasaur, who trudged back towards them, embarrassed.

"Sceptile~"

"Fer~" Sceptile and Infernape nodded to each other, before walking over to two vacant tanning chairs and lying down to take a nap.

"I swear, they must've picked that up from Snorlax while I was away…" I moaned.

"Well, you can at least be thankful that some of them are active, Ash," Brock said, pointing at Crobat and Staraptor, who were flying freely together in the sky.

"I wish I could've brought more, or even all of my Pokémon with me," I said, "I'm gonna miss them all, and it feels so unsatisfying to just have six at one time."

"Hmm…I know what you mean," Brock replied, "I wish that as well for my Pokémon, but then again, some of them have to stay behind at the gym, after all."

"And I really wanted to bring some of my other Pokémon, as well," Misty added. "My two Starmies, Horsea, Caserin, Dewgong, and…" she stopped.

"What's wrong, Mist?" I asked.

"I miss…" she began to weep tears, "I miss Togetic…"

"There, there," I whispered, embracing her in a warm hug, "I'm sure he's alright at the Mirage Kingdom."

"You were lucky, Ash…" she continued, "Pidgeot, Butterfree and Primeape returned to you, but…my Togetic…my darling Togetic…I'll probably never see him again…"

"Mist…I…" I stammered, confounded for words. Marill then walked up to Misty and held her left leg gently with both its tiny hands.

"I'm sorry," Misty said, wiping away her tears, "I should be happy right now. After all, it won't be long until we settle into our new life together, Ash."

Without saying any more, I smiled and kissed her on the lips, as she reciprocated my actions.

"Man…if only Sabrina could be here right now," Brock muttered, causing me and Misty to laugh softly.

(Somewhere, below the depths of Kanto's oceans)

(3rd-person narrative)

"…Hmm…Interesting…" said a man who was garbed completely in black. The features under his dark hood were almost completely invisible, save for two hellish eyes which glowed with a dark, bloody red aura. The crystal sphere held in the palm of his hand was surrounded by a ghostly haze, as it showed him the sight of Ash and Misty standing together on the deck of the S.S. Anne. "…so this is the 'Chosen One', and his beloved wife…hmph. He certainly doesn't look like much. What role could he possibly play in your grand design, master?"

A purplish haze then swirled around the chamber, which was near pitch-black. A tremendous power then filled the area, causing many of the corrupted shadow Pokémon within to cower in fear and pain.

"As pathetic and misguided as he may seem, young one, he is the Chosen One…you would do well not to underestimate him when the time comes, or his powers of aura. Although he foolishly chooses to neglect such great power and potential, if provoked, he may become a dangerous foe, indeed. You must always continue to observe his every move, for he could one day destroy us both, if we are not careful. Is that understood?" echoed a hoarse voice, reminiscent of the merciless hissing of death itself.

For a brief moment, the man felt as if he had been lost in time and space. Seeing the happy embrace of the two individuals within the vision of the crystal ball conjured up memories of his own past life…and of his long-lost wife who had died along with his daughter, many years ago. A single teardrop fell from his eye, which still burned with a hatred that was beyond even his own control. Then, without a second thought, his attention returned to the present. His loyalty to his master came before all else, as both his life and death was bound to his power and will – just as they were, since centuries past.

"…Yes, master…As you wish …"

(End Chapter 5)

A/N: Wow. I never expected that I'd actually have time to do another chapter in my spare time, even while my exams are coming up… :S . I'm seriously not gonna get time to put up another chapter for about two weeks, though. The next possible chapter upload I might make, may be between November 8-14, where I have a gap of about a week separating my second-last exam, with my final Japanese Second-Language exam which is on November 15. But after all that, I'll have a lot of free time available, which I'm going to split between writing this fanfic, and composing music, which I haven't had the chance to do in ages due to school work.

Just to give you prior notification, the chapter lengths in this story from this point onward might vary considerably, as I'm following the details of a plot document I made for this story, about 4 months before writing the first chapter. I've already finished the entire lot of plot/plan documents for this entire series, so the consequential books will be like that as well.

Anyways, please leave your reviews again! :)