Chapter 17
The Final Confrontation
"Depart this place, and never return, brother," Arceus warned his dark counterpart. "Or I will be forced to unleash my power upon you – even if it means destroying my own kin."
"Don't fool yourself, Arceus," Apothes mocked, "Your powers are pathetic at best, as you see the need to hold back, to refrain from incurring harm upon others who surround you. But unlike you, my brother, I am wise. I see power for what it truly is – a means of exerting one's domination upon another, and something which was not designed to be restrained by any means."
"I, and all the other guardians of the world, shall warn you again for the last time," Mewtwo declared. "Depart now, or face your own destruction. The Chosen One himself is present among us. Do you not know what that means?" Apothes looked at him in frustration. "It means that now, the will of mankind and Pokémon are able to unite through their common goal, and destroy you, once and for all. And in doing so, the Prophecy will be fulfilled."
"Hmph. Pathetic fool…you couldn't destroy me, even if you tried," Apothes puffed arrogantly. "You are all utterly exhausted, and even if you should mount one final desperate and pointless attempt at stopping me, how can you expect to stand up against the power of a god?"
"God or not, we will stop you, no matter what the cost," Lugia stated firmly.
Apothes looked visibly vexed as his eyes started to burn again with an intense fire. "No more words. This ends…now."
With no warning, Apothes unleashed another barrage of dark energy in all directions, as all our fliers dodged as best as they could. In the hopes of diverting Apothes' attention, Arceus charged directly at him in the air, switching quickly to his Spooky plate and thus changing his attributes to that of a Ghost type. The two creators of the world began to engage one another in a brutal melee with claws and talons. As soon as the Creation trio and all the others started to move to assist Arceus, Apothes broke away from Arceus before calling upon his dark magic to call forth what looked to be another swarm of Crobats. Charizard, eager for more battle, was the foremost Pokémon to soar towards them, firing an incinerating Fire Blast which hit several of the Crobat, dead center. We were shocked, however, to find out that the attack had very little, if any effect at all: although they appeared to have physical forms, when their bodies came into contact with our attacks, the hit area simply dissipated into black smoke, before regenerating again with a dark mist.
"Latias! We have to go and help Arceus bring him down! It's the only way!" I cried.
"Latia~~s!" she acknowledged, flying upwards and dodging the numerous ethereal Crobat on the way. They were now all around us, even causing problems for the Creation trio themselves. Team Rocket's fleet was also being assailed by several swarms of the newly-arising assailants.
"Foolish mortal.." Apothes grumbled, hurling a ball of shadow at us. Latias dodged instinctively, before being gripped by a vine-like talon which extended from Apothes' body. Shaking us violently in his inescapable grip, Apothes squeezed us with inhumane brutality, causing Latias to scream in pain before losing consciousness, as I barely managed to avoid doing the same. After Apothes finally flung us down towards the sea, I held tightly onto Latias' body, refusing to let her go. Closing my eyes, I waited for the moment when we would hit the surface of the sea, but it never came.
"I've got you, boy," Arceus' voice sounded, prompting me to open my eyes. He had caught the two of us on our back, and Latias was still in her Pokémon form. Repositioning myself in a seated position, I took care to not let her drop. Arceus then cast Refresh on her, bringing her back to her senses but not rendering her completely renewed: the fatigue she had experienced had taken its toll, as she struggled to keep her eyes open. "Change yourself into your human guise, young one," he instructed her. She nodded weakly, before doing as he commanded. The likeness of a sleeping Bianca was now resting in my arms, as I put her also in a seated position in front of me and secured her by placing my arm around the front of her waist. Latias leaned back onto me, placing her head on my shoulder and panting softly.
"It's okay, Latias," I whispered gently into her ear. "I won't let go of you."
She nodded and managed a weak smile, before losing consciousness again and letting her head fall against my neck. I bit my lower lip and prayed, hoping that Misty wasn't watching us…
Arceus re-entered the fray, firing a great number of Swift stars in all directions towards the Shadow Crobats, as he launched himself towards Apothes whilst taking care to ensure that we didn't lose our balance on his back. He attacked Apothes with another series of attacks using sharp claws, all the while dodging and weaving away from his brother's attacks which were directed towards me and Latias.
"It is futile, brother!" Apothes shouted, "Even the most powerful of Pokémon must fall victim to the merciless jaws of fatigue, and you are of no exception to that inevitability."
"Silence!" Arceus bellowed furiously, as if he decided that he had had enough. His eyes glowed red as he jutted his head towards the air, firing a titanic yellow beam into the clouds which signaled the coming of his Judgment attack. And soon enough, meteors rained from the sky, but unlike the last time I witnessed it, were all concentrated upon Apothes alone, skyrocketing downwards and exploding as they crashed against the barrier he had put up around him. After the barrage subsided, a thick cloud of grey smoke obscured our vision. I placed my hands over Latias' face and mine, to shield ourselves from the smoke.
"Is he…gone?" I asked Arceus, who remained silent and unmoving, but warier than ever. The sounds of battle were still raving around us, implying that his Judgment did not come to pass. "I guess it didn't work out after all…"
The overwhelming masses of smoke clouds dissipated after a minute or so, revealing Apothes' unscathed form. "Pathetic, brother," he puffed, "Your attacks hardly even left a dent on my barrier, let alone upon me. And if that pitiful assault is your best effort, I'm afraid it has been for naught. Now…allow me to demonstrate to you what is true power."
Apothes then looked up at the sky, his eyes glowing a sinister reddish-yellow as he unleashed a black beam in a similar manner to Arceus, into the clouds. Thunder roared and lightning struck within the darkness of the sky, calling forth torrential rains which caused great discomfort for Charizard and Moltres. Then, four titanic lightning bolts plummeted into Apothes, sending a surge of electricity into him. The electric energy seemed to be converting itself into pure Shadow energy inside Apothes' body, as his body began to brim with dark flames. What appeared to be reminiscent to a deadly black scythe then formed from the back of his head, as he swooped towards us. Without another moment's thought, Arceus dropped us off of his back with a strong force, just as Apothes swooped in and swung his head around, swiping the scythe across Arceus' body. Arceus let out a painful cry, bleeding as he began to fall through the air but managed to halt, albeit suffering from excruciating pain. Meanwhile, Latias and I fell rapidly through the sky, as I clutched onto her tightly. Just as we were about to hit the water, we were saved as Charizard swooped right under us and caught us on his back.
"Thanks…buddy…" I whimpered, collecting Latias in my arms again.
"Char…" he grunted with a small smile, before soaring back up into the sky, doing his best to resist the pain caused by the pouring rain which belted him and his vision.
"Arceus! Are you alright?" I cried, after seeing the massive gash on his side.
"Yes…I am…for the time being…" he groaned. "Listen to me, Chosen One…there is one final way to defeat my brother, but…" he stopped.
"What? What is it? Tell me!" I looked at him.
"The cost may be catastrophic."
"Huh? Wha-" I gasped, confounded for words. "What do you mean? I'd do anything to stop this madness right here, right now!"
"Even if it means…sacrificing your own life?" he peered at me. My eyes and mouth widened in disbelief: I was never told that it might come to something as serious as this. "In order to join our powers together and stop this chaos, we will be forced to merge spiritually with one another, by concentrating our energy and our hearts. You must empty your mind of all thoughts, save that of stopping Apothes. And should you undertake this task, you may lose your life, if your spirit is overwhelmed during the process. It will take a heavy toll on both your mind and soul, possibly shattering your connection to the mortal world."
I lowered my head, pondering awhile about what may come as a result of my actions if I decided to go through with this: Mom and Dad would most definitely be shattered, not to mention Misty who would be left a widow to take care of our child. But deep down inside, I knew that if I refused, then everything I love would be inevitably destroyed.
"I'll do it," I declared, drawing a concerned gaze from Arceus. "I'd give my life gladly, if it meant saving my friends, my loved ones…and Misty…"
"Very well," he nodded, "Let us begin. Calm yourself: relieve your mind of all emotions and thoughts, apart from that of delivering this world from the dark influence of Apothes."
I did as he said, as my Aura energy propelled my body upwards, causing me to start hovering in the air. My body was surrounded by white orbs which shined brightly, dissipating the darkness around me. Charizard looked surprised as he backed away with Latias resting on his back. Apothes, furiously attempting to prevent our merging, send waves of dark spheres hurtling at us, which were intercepted by Mewtwo, Lugia and Ho-oh. The three legendary Pokémon fought back desperately to protect us until the merging was complete, even though they were on the brink of total exhaustion. As Arceus and I gradually drew closer, the intensity of the light increased dramatically, until at last…
We were one.
An unbelievable amount of power seemed to course through my entire being, as I looked around my surroundings which were a blaze of white. After the eye-piercing light subsided, it was replaced by a golden glow: I looked down, to see that I was no longer in control of my own body, which was out of sight, but instead controlling a single entity, along with Arceus. Magnificent golden wings spread across either side of our body, which was now similar in appearance to a brilliant phoenix. The spectre-form Crobats were now completely banished by the light which even forced the clouds themselves to break, revealing a glorious full moon.
With an exasperated growl, Apothes launched himself at us again, hurling the three legendary Pokémon which protected us away with three giant lightning bolts. In the same manner as last time, he mercilessly brought down his overhead scythe down upon us, only to realize in horror that it shattered miserably as soon as it made contact. With a mighty blow of our right wing, Apothes was flung far off into the distance, shaking his head to recuperate his senses.
"So what, brother? You've merged with a pitifully weak mortal. Do you think that such an insignificant being will grant you the power to banish me?" he mocked.
"No, Apothes. I do not 'think' that it will," we both replied in unison, a loud and regal voice filling the air. "Rather, I know that you shall be banished forever, after this day."
Apothes' eyes displayed emotions of pure shock, before burning with a seething rage again as he fired another wave of dark energy spheres at us. The dark energy bombarded our body, but felt like nothing, as if we were being hit with mere drops of harmless rain: there wasn't even a need for any kind of barrier to protect us.
"What? How can this be?" Apothes jerked back.
"Your time is at an end, Apothes," we declared. "The time of your Judgment has finally come."
With a tremendous concentration of power, an unstoppable series of white beams shot out from every inch of our body, jutting towards the shocked Apothes. In a last-ditch attempt, he fired a dark ray of energy similar in appearance to a Hyper Beam, but it proved to be futile: our attack absorbed his corrupted energy and drove it back, before piercing through his body like a thousand arrows with power which was tenfold that of Apothes.
His physical form destroyed and utterly crushed, Apothes' voice could barely be heard in the distance, almost as if he was ascending into the skies. "Do not think that you have truly defeated me, Chosen One…I will return…sooner than you know it…"
And as I witnessed the last of Apothes' body dissipate, the resulting explosion overwhelmed me, as my vision and the world around me turned to white…
"Ash! Ash! Please, open your eyes!" I heard a familiar voice from amidst the white nothingness that surrounded me.
"Mi…Misty?" I whimpered. "I…I feel…so weak…"
"Please, Ash! Open your eyes for me!" her voice cried again, beginning to sob.
"I…can't, Misty…I'm all spent…"
"Ash! He's…he's not waking up! What am I to do? I…can't live without him…" she wept.
"Chosen One," another familiar voice called out. I looked around, but saw nothing but white, as my hope began to fade.
"Who…who's there?" I looked around, running out of breath.
"It is I. Julius," he replied. "You have restored me to the person who I once was, and rekindled me with my family. For that, I am ever grateful."
"What…what are you…why are you…here?"
"To save you. Your mind and soul are slowly passing into the afterlife, after the ordeal you had faced," Julius' figure came into my view as he walked over and crouched by my side. Behind him was a woman – presumably his wife – holding a small child as she stood alongside Julius' Pokémon in their restored forms.
"I'm…it's too late, Julius…" I sighed, "I'm starting to move on. There's no going back…"
"Do not lose hope, Chosen One," the woman responded. "My husband will soon heal you."
"Relax yourself, and take deep breaths," Julius told me. "I will heal you now."
With that, Julius pressed his hands against my forehead and heart, using his power to heal my body and spirit. All at once, I suddenly felt rejuvenated and full of life. I sat up, looking at my hands to see that the color had been restored to them, before turning my head to Julius.
"Go, now. Your beloved wife is waiting for you, and will be most delighted to see you alive," Julius smiled as he walked back to his wife and held her warmly.
"How…how did you do that?" I asked.
"I had used what was the last of the Aura energy lingering within my soul. With this, I can at last take peace in the afterlife, with no regrets as to what I could have done further in this world," he replied.
"But…right before I lost consciousness, Apothes said something…" I spoke. "He told me, that I shouldn't believe that we had 'truly defeated him', and that he would one day return."
Julius' expression darkened with concern. "He may be right, Chosen One. Apothes has the power to possess mortals, by locking within them a small fraction of his corruptive power. They may seem like normal people at first, but given time, the effects may prove to be devastating…"
"What can I do about it, then?"
"My heart breaks to say this to you," Julius looked down, "But you have little choice, other than to wait. Minions of Apothes act silently and discretely at first, rendering them nigh undetectable, until at last they gain the power and confidence to commit their terrible deeds on a much wider scale."
I sighed heavily. The last thing I wanted, was another chaotic event like the one which just passed. "Alright, Julius. I understand," I nodded. "Well, I wish you the best, and that you enjoy the peace you've just gained."
Julius smiled again, before fading away with his family.
"Ash…I'm begging you…" I could feel Misty's arms around me as she cried tears of sorrow which fell onto my face. "Please don't leave me alone…"
"…hi, Misty," I smiled weakly, opening my eyes.
"A-Ash?" she opened her eyes and looked at me with a surprised expression on her face. "You're…you're alive!" she smiled, wrapping her arms around my back.
"Heh. Calm down, Misty! This isn't Pokémon Tower! Everybody's probably watching us, y'know!" I chuckled.
"Pikapi!" Pikachu beamed, leaping onto my chest after Misty had drawn herself back.
"Hey there, buddy!" I smiled. "You didn't think that I had really gone, did ya?"
"Oh, honey, thank goodness you're awake!" Mom cried, hugging me and kissing my cheeks intensely. "I don't know what I would've done if you had…had…"
"Calm down, my love," Dad calmed her with a gentle hand on the shoulder. "He's pulled through, but you don't want to squeeze the life out of him!"
Mom smiled as she let go, before standing back up and holding hands with Dad. She then leaned in, as the two of them locked lips in a passionate kiss. Misty, overcome with joy, held my back as she kissed me deeply, her tears wetting my cheek.
"Do they really have to be like that right now?" Bugsy sighed.
"Well, you can't blame them," Brock smiled with crossed arms. "I mean, it's been two years since Ash and Misty saw each other, and for Ash's parents, more than 22 years!"
"…good point…" Bugsy commented.
"Daddy!" Ethan cried out from Sabrina's arms. Instinctively, I lifted Misty up and placed her on the ground on her feet, before rushing over to hold my baby again. Everyone looked at me holding Ethan, smiling. After holding him up in the air and spinning around, I caught sight of Team Rocket's fleet starting to fly away to the east.
"Hey! They're all leaving!" Brock pointed. "I thought they'd try to nab some Pokémon, now that it's all over!"
"They've probably taken too much damage themselves in the fight, to try anything," Sabrina guessed. "Not to mention the fact that all the Legendary Pokémon are gathered and would surely demolish them if they did."
"Goodbye…Gio…" Mom whispered, resting her head against Dad's chest.
Our attention was then turned to Arceus, who also reverted back into his original form, as he spoke to us.
"Chosen One," he said, "You have defeated Apothes, and thus saved this world from destruction. You have also fulfilled the Prophecy which I had passed on to my prophets, eons past. Your quest is now finished, and you may now go and live a life of peace."
"But Apothes…" I replied. "Apothes said that he'd be back! What would happen then?"
"Do not fear him any longer. His power is spent, and he is now cowering in the unknown. When the day arrives, you shall defeat him, Chosen One. I now leave everything…to you…"
'Well, that's very assuring,' I thought, before giving Arceus a confident nod.
"And now, I shall take my place, wandering through the realms of space as I have always done. I bid you farewell, Chosen One. But first…there are others who wish to say goodbye to you," Arceus said, turning his head to them. Mewtwo and Mew floated over to me; Mewtwo landing on his feet on the ground, while Mew chose to simply fly about playfully around me.
"I must go now, and follow Arceus into the depths of space. My purpose has been fulfilled, and…" Mewtwo stated. "I am no longer needed in Mt. Quena, for all of my clones have passed on."
"I understand, Mewtwo," I responded, laying a hand on his arm. "Take care."
Nodding, Mewtwo flew up into the air, taking his place beside Arceus and his guardians.
"Mew~" the cute little psychic Pokémon cooed as he rubbed his cheek again mine. He was shortly joined by the Celebi I had befriended, many years ago.
"I'll miss the two of you, as well," I smiled. "Goodbye."
Mew joined Mewtwo beside Arceus, while Celebi flew over to Professor Oak.
"Celebi…" he whimpered in sadness.
"I'll miss you too, my old friend," the Professor said softly. "I will miss you dearly, as well. Farewell, now," he held his hand up into the air, as Celebi released his soft hold on his hand, flying away to return to his forest, while the rest of the other Celebi returned to their rightful places in time.
Jirachi then came up to me and gave me a hug. "Goodbye, Jirachi. And why don't you maybe pay Max a visit before you go back? I'm sure he'd love to see you again," I smiled, as the small Pokémon flew away.
After bidding farewell to all the other legendary Pokémon I had befriended during my journey, it finally came down to the final one: Latias. Upon descending onto the ground, she changed into her human form, looking down in dejection as she began to cry.
"Latias…I…" I whispered, before she ran up to me and embraced me in another emotional hug. I could've sworn that I heard Misty's gasp…
After awhile, Latias broke our hug as she looked with teary eyes into mine. She moved her mouth to speak, but couldn't. I was too emotionally moved, that I couldn't even try to read her thoughts.
"It appears that she is much more attached to humans than the rest of us," Arceus observed, looking at Latias who slowly peered up at him sadly. Arceus then closed his eyes, before speaking again. "Very well, Latias. As you have shown your love for humankind, I shall grant you your most desired wish."
Arceus' forehead began to glow, as Latias' body began to levitate in midair, surrounded by a shining mist of energy. She looked surprised and fearful at first, but soon embraced the power which took over her. Then, descending onto the ground, she fell to her knees, whimpering before she looked up at me again. "A…Ash?" she said. She could speak…
"La…Latias? You can talk now?" I gasped. All of a sudden, she ran back towards me and hugged me, caressing my face.
"Ash, I…" she whispered. "…I love you. More than anything in this entire world; even more than Alto Mare, and Bianca and Lorenzo. Ever since you left, I missed you so much, and wanted to cry out to you that I love you with all my heart and soul, but…I just couldn't…" she cried into my shoulder.
"I understand, Latias," I replied, holding her by the shoulders and looking into her eyes, "I can tell exactly how much you love me, and you don't have to say it for me to know. But I've already told you, haven't I? I'm have a wife and child, and I can't abandon either of them…even if I wasn't married, I'm a human, and well…you're a Pokémon. It wouldn't have worked between us."
Latias looked utterly heartbroken as her brown eyes flooded with tears. Caressing my face gently, she whispered to me. "Kiss me, Ash…"
"What?"
"Kiss me…just once…" she asked, slowly leaning in. I looked behind me with concern at Misty, whose body froze with shock and disbelief, before she braved a reassuring smile. Nodding to her, I turned back to Latias, giving her the kiss she desired. Then, as we broke contact, Latias changed back into her Pokémon form, flying away back to Alto Mare, but not before giving me one last loving look with sadness.
"Goodbye…Latias…" I exhaled, as the wind seemed to carry my words to her.
"With this, we must also depart," Arceus said to me. "Goodbye, Chosen One. May our paths cross again, should fate require it."
I nodded and smiled, as Arceus took to the skies and disappeared beyond the clouds, followed by his guardians, as well as Mew and Mewtwo. Looking around, we could see the devastation and carnage of the battle that was, firsthand. Many Pokémon lay dead on both the beach and the water. My heart sank as I saw the bodies of all of my Tauros, save for the one which accompanied me to Julius' former lair. Gary also had a saddened look on his face, having lost his Fearow among a few others. Some of the trainers who had joined in the fight had even lost their lives, along with all of their Pokémon; their bodies were searched for and collected, and their families were soon to be given the grievous news that their loved ones were not coming back. Out of the over-10000 strong total force we initially had, less than half of that now remained.
"Well, I guess it's time to go now. Come on, guys – let's go home," Brock turned his back, taking Sabrina's hand after she had handed Ethan back to Misty. We began to walk back to Pallet Town together, with all our Pokémon either kept resting in their Pokéballs or following behind us. The members of the Elite Four and Gym Leaders of both Kanto and Johto went their own ways, except for Brock and Sabrina who came with us. I looked sideways at Misty, who had a sorrowful look on her face.
"Misty, I…" I trailed off, not knowing what to say.
"Don't worry, Ash…I know what you're gonna say…" Misty gave a small smile. "It's alright. Truly. We both know that Latias is a Pokémon, and after all, Pokémon can't fully understand human emotions, attachments and bonds."
"Pikachupi~~!" Pikachu held his paws against his sides in protest.
"Oh, not you, Pikachu! You're as good as one of us!" she joked, as we all grinned.
"Thanks, honey. I'm grateful that you understand," I smiled, as Misty gave me a peck on the cheek.
"Jess, I've been thinking…" James murmured, his head down as we continued to stroll down the track.
"Yeah? What is it, James?" she replied softly.
"I think I'll do it," he stopped walking, as did the rest of us.
"Do…what?" Jessie asked, holding his hand.
"I'm going to tell my parents that I want to marry you."
"You…you will?" Jessie stammered, her eyes widening with hope.
"Yes. I'm tired of running away, and never facing them. I want to look at them in the eyes and say to them, 'this is the woman whom I love, and want to spend the rest of my life with! I'm tired of running. I'm tired of turning my back on my fears. I don't care about Jessiebelle. I only care about Jessie, whom I'd happily spend the rest of my life with, regardless of whether it's filled with riches or poverty!'" he declared.
"You…you'll do that…for me?" Jessie touched his face with her bare hand, after removing her gloves.
"Yes," James replied, taking a knee and looking at her in the eyes. "I don't have a ring or anything at this point in time, but…Jessica Musashi…will you marry me?"
Jessie covered her mouth with her free left hand, peering down with disbelief at the man who was asking for her hand in marriage. Then, breaking down into tears, she fell to the ground to meet his eye level, wrapping her arms around him and placing her cheek on his. "Y…yes…I will…"
The rest of us smiled, happy for the two lovers as Meowth started to cry bucketloads of tears. "Meowth…dats…right…" he sobbed.
"So…what does this mean? If you two are gonna live with each other and settle down, then does that mean…you'll stop chasing after me and Pikachu?" I asked. Jessie looked at me and closed her eyes, smiling and chuckling whilst she shook her head. All at once, my hope died down and my heart sank, as she spoke again.
"Of course! You saved my life back there, didn't you, Ash?" she called me surprisingly by my name again. "It's the least we could do! And to tell you the truth, after we marry, I don't know if I even wanna be a Rocket anymore! And the very idea of trying to break into a married couple's house to steal their Pokémon is simply absurd and rude, even for us!"
"Really, Jess? You want to quit being part of Team Rocket?" James looked at her in surprise.
"Duh, James! Do you really think I'd be able to chase after people's Pokémon while I have a baby?" she winked.
"Huh? Baby?" James' face went blue.
"I told you several times over the last few years, didn't I?" Jessie smiled as she pinched his cheek. "I want to have a child! To be a mother!"
"Well, this is new," James murmured. "Looks like we'll really need the mansion now!"
We all laughed as we started walking again in pairs, save for Professor Oak, Gary and Tracey. "Hey Tracey, you're still single, right?" Misty asked him.
"Huh? Me?" Tracey shuddered, "Umm…I guess so…why?"
"You're not gonna stay single forever, are you?" she smiled.
"To be honest with you, Misty, I seriously don't know…" his voice faded away in thought.
"Oh, come on! I've seen the way you and Daisy look at each other when you come over to the gym! You'd be perfect for each other!" Misty elbowed him teasingly on the side. "My sister's still not even married!"
"Ahehehe….I…guess I could give her a call sometime," Tracey rubbed the back of his head.
I yawned, thinking of nothing else but lying down in a warm, soft bed, with-
'Ash! That's such a dirty thing to think about! I know that I've just come back and you've missed having me by your side, but…still!' Misty's voice berated me in my head.
"Huh? Mist?' I looked at her, confused. Misty had an angry frown on her face as she looked back at me, almost as if she knew exactly what I was thinking. Freaky…
'That's right, Mr. hormone-driven Pokémon Master, I can tell what you're thinking!" she cried again in my mind.
"Mist? How'd you…how can you…?' I shuddered.
'I don't know clearly for myself, Ash. Somehow…I've retained my powers of Aura,' she answered. 'And you know what that means! No more dirty thoughts, without me knowing about them!'
'Awww, but Mist! Come on – gimme a break! It's been what…two years since I saw you! You have no idea how much I missed you, and your-'
'Umm…pardon the intrusion, guys, but…' Sabrina cut into our mental conversation. 'Your thoughts are as unsubtle as Haunter's wild jokes, and…it's really hard to not notice…'
'Huh? Sabrina? You too?' I looked at her. Brock was clearly oblivious as to what was going on around him, as he continued to look forward.
"Err…never mind, actually,' she quickly looked forward again, laying her head on Brock's shoulder. 'Just…try not to go overboard with that imagination of yours, okay, Ash?'
'Gee, thanks a lot,' I answered, giving a sigh. 'First I'm not allowed to think of what I want in peace, and now I have to stop thinking altogether…"
"Is there a problem, honey?" Mom looked back at me from the front.
"Huh? Oh…no-nothing," I insisted. "I guess I'm just rather tired and uncomfortable, after today."
"Heh. You think you're uncomfortable?" Misty mocked, pulling at her black robes. "Try wearing this…thing that I'm wearing! I swear, I'm changing out of this the moment I have the chance, and then I'm gonna burn it!"
"Don't worry, Mist," I chuckled, "I'll give you a spare pair of jeans and a t-shirt when we get back home."
"That's reassuring," she sarcastically joked. "This might as well be the first time ever, that I wear your clothes, for a change!"
"First you're exchanging clothes, and what next?" Gary smirked. "I hope that the two of you aren't thinking about exchanging-"
"Gary!" we both yelled in unison, not wanting to hear the end of it.
"Honey?" Mom looked up at Dad, smiling.
"Yes, darling?" he kissed her forehead.
"I can't wait for you to come back home with me. It's been so long…"
"You've no idea how long I've waited to be reunited with you, Delia," Dad grinned. "Now we can finally live together, just as we promised each other as we left the Hoenn region, so many years ago."
"Yes, but first thing's first!" Mom smiled. "I'm going to give you a nice, hot bath, and-"
"A clean change of underwear. Yes, I know, my love," Dad chuckled, rubbing his nose against Mom's, as we all continued down towards Pallet Town.
(Later)
"Well, here we are! Come in, everyone!" Mom smiled, opening the door of our house with a key. She and Dad entered first, followed by the rest of us.
"Mime! Mr. Mime!" our house-tender cheerfully greeted us, overjoyed that we were all safe.
"Hi, Mimey!" Misty waved at him delicately with her fingers.
"Have a seat, and make yourselves comfortable," Mom led us into the living room. "I'll make everyone some tea. Oh, and you're welcome if you'd like to stay over for the night!"
"Wow! Dank you very much!" Meowth said, as Jessie and James sighed in relief and exhaustion. "Nyaaargh! It feels so good to be on a nice, comfy sofa again!" he sighed with pleasure, jumping sinking into the middle of the three-seater as Jessie and James sat on either side of him. Sabrina, Brock and Tracey sat on the opposite three-seater, while Professor Oak and Gary each sat on single sofa chairs which were facing opposite each other across the coffee table.
"Meowth! Watch your claws!" Jessie scolded him as he spread his arms out wide, unaware that he hadn't retracted his claws.
"Oops! My bad," he chuckled, drawing them in straight away.
"Honey, I'll be in the bathroom. Call me if you need me!" Dad called out to Mom as he prepared to ascend the stairs.
"Just hang on and don't lock the door, honey! I'll be right up after making tea!" Mom responded. Dad grinned and went up the stairs.
"You wanna go change now, Mist?" I asked her.
"Hell, yeah," she exhaled as I smiled.
"Mom, I'm gonna take Misty up to my room and give her a change of clothes. Is that alright?" I called out to her in the kitchen.
"Sure, honey!" she called back as we went into my room.
"I hope your clothes are comfortable, Ash," Misty grinned.
"Oh, they are," I chuckling. "But for you, I have no telling whether they will be, or not."
"…you're such an idiot…" she grinned, elbowing me softly on the side and kissing me on the cheek.
(Meanwhile…)
(Giovanni's POV)
Pathetic fools…they had forgot to bring the proper heavy equipment to capture all the Pokémon. But although the opportunity seemed to be golden, I knew that we would have been utterly destroyed by the combined powers of all the Legendary Pokémon, had we tried. As I departed in my flagship, never for one second did my eyes cease looking at the one woman whom I have always loved. My gaze narrowed and my heart began to boil as I saw her in the arms of my former friend and rival, whom I had falsely thought to have died a long time ago.
But I am, above all else, a rationalist and a realist. I cannot allow such thoughts of past events disturb me in my quest for power and influence. It is time to move on…
"We're settings course for HQ now, boss!" Domino informed me from the control room.
"Very good, Domino," I replied. "Alert the satellite department at HQ, and tell them to be on the lookout for any stray Pokémon which may wander around the vicinity, attempting to return to their own habitats. We may be able to catch some prey, yet."
"Got it," she nodded, heading back into the control room.
As I walked with my hands joined around my back to my private quarters, my mind grew more and more focused upon a single, feline Pokémon among the Legendaries. Something about him seemed so…familiar…as if he was a forgotten memory of mine. His psychic powers were phenomenal, allowing him to brush aside numerous enemies with the greatest of ease.
But I refuse to engage in such a redundant period of unnecessary thought. My only thoughts are future-bound. One day, when Team Rocket realizes its true potential, then shall my lifelong dreams of domination be fulfilled. And when the time comes, I shall pass it all down to my son, Silver.
Glory…power…untold wealth…
…Delia…
It will all be mine…
(Ash's POV)
We returned to the living room later; Misty wearing a pair of jeans and a white t-shirt that I lent her. After a few more minutes, Mom and Dad came down together, with Dad in a fresh change of clothes and his black hair groomed and neat again. We began to talk about what each of us would do from here, until we came back to the topic that had been at the back of all our minds…
"You know, I wonder how Dawn will take the news that…you know…" I sighed.
"Even if it'll break her heart to find out, I think we should tell her," Brock said.
"Go on, Ash. You're the only one who can tell her about it. It's better that you tell her now, rather than have her being nervous and fearful throughout the entire night," Sabrina added.
"You're right, guys," I nodded. "I'll go and give her a call right now."
I walked into the kitchen and dining area, where the video phone was located against a wall. My hand shaking nervously, I picked up the phone and dialed the number for the Goldenrod City Pokémon Center, after finding it in the directory list.
"Hello? Goldenrod Pokémon Center, here. Are you in need of any assistance?" a Nurse Joy's delicate voice replied as her face came up on the screen.
"Hi. I'm looking for a trainer called Dawn Hikari. Is she there?" I asked.
"Dawn Hikari? One moment, please," her eyes went down as she began to type in Dawn's name into the database. "Yes, indeed, she is! Would you like me to patch you through to her?"
"Yes, please. Thank you."
"Alright. One moment, please," Nurse Joy said as the screen went temporarily blank. After a few seconds of waiting, the screen flashed up again, showing Dawn's face. Her hair was down and untied, and she was not wearing her hat. Her eyes looked at me attentively and her figure seemed to shake, as she nervously spoke to me.
"Ash? Ash, is that you?" she whimpered with fear and concern.
"Yeah, Dawn, it's me," I managed a smile. "Are you alright?"
"Thank God you're alright, Ash…I heard that the attack took place so close to your home in the Seafoam Islands, as well as Pallet Town…" she exhaled. "Is everyone else alright?"
"Uhh…yeah," I answered unconfidently. "All of us are fine," I continued, as Dawn began to sit back with a slightly calmer look on her face. "Except…"
She tensed up again, placing her hand on the side of the screen. "Except what, Ash? What happened?"
"Paul…he's…uhh…"
Dawn collapsed into her chair, placing her right hand over her mouth and shaking her head constantly from side to side, her eyes welling up with tears.
"What's happened to him? Where is he?" she cried.
"…he's gone, Dawn. Paul's not coming back…" I broke it to her. Dawn's body completely froze in disbelief, in much the same way I did when I was told that Misty had gone missing while we were at sea, two years ago. Tears began to race down her eyes and onto the desk below, before she finally broke down sobbing into her hands, placing her head on the top of the desk.
"This can't be…Paul…I need him…he promised…to always be there, to protect me…" she sobbed. I looked at her with heartfelt sympathy, not knowing what to say.
"Dawn…I…" I murmured. "…is there…anything I can do?"
"I can't believe this…I'm going to be all alone, raising a child without a husband…"
"Ch…child?"
She raised her head from her hands, looking at me with tearful eyes of pure sorrow. "…I'm pregnant, Ash…I'm pregnant,with Paul's child…"
(End of Chapter 17)
A/N: Well, this is pretty much the end for Book II. The Epilogue chapter will basically act as a precursor to the events of Book III (and Book IV to a moderate degree). It'll be up in a flash as it's quite short, probably no more than 1000 words, seeing as all the action's finished.
Although Arceus' physiology doesn't really include any 'claws', after seeing on Bulbapedia that he can use moves like Dragon Claw, I thought that maybe he uses some kind of power to form claws with energy. :S
Latias will also play quite a major role in my subsequent Books, but I won't give any spoilers beyond that at this point in time.
Please leave your reviews. : )