Epilogue

(Ash's recount of the events which followed)

An hour or so after the battle ended, Julius' former lair submerged into the water, never to be seen again by man or Pokémon alike, beneath the sea floor. The joy gained from the knowledge that the world was now safe and free from the destructive ambitions of Apothes came at a great cost, with funerals for both Pokémon and trainers held all across Kanto and Johto.

After hearing from Dawn that she was pregnant with Paul's child, I promptly went over to the Goldenrod City Pokémon Center on Charizard and brought her back with me to Pallet Town. She just couldn't stop crying. As we arrived back, Mom immediately sought to comfort her, empathizing with her situation of having lost her fiancée. After an hour or so of consolation and support from Mom, Dawn finally managed to compose herself, and made a vow to raise Paul's child with love and care, and to let him or her know about her father when the time was right.

Professor Oak, Gary and Tracey returned to the lab with their Pokémon after supper, while Misty, Brock, Sabrina, Dawn, Team Rocket and I stayed at Mom's house; Dawn's initial suspicion and distrust for Team Rocket disappearing as I explained to her the new circumstances that they brought about with their life-changing decision. The next morning, a funeral service was held for all of our Pokémon who had died in the battle, as well as a memorial for Paul. Although I had caught many of them, my heart broke as I saw each and every one of my 29 Tauros who had lost their lives in the battle lowered in Pokémon coffins, buried near Professor Oak's lab. The single surviving Tauros which stood by me looked on in grief, saddened by the loss of his herd. Similar services were also held for Gary's Pokémon who had perished in the fight.

Afterwards, we all went our separate ways after parting with each other; Brock to Pewter Town to check on his family, Sabrina back to the Saffron and Team Rocket left for James' parents' mansion while Misty and I chose to stay with Mom and Dad. Ethan took a great liking to both my parents, and especially Mom. An emotional phone conversation followed, as Misty's sisters rang our house, to find out that Misty was alive and well. After spending two weeks in my parents' home, Misty and I departed to visit her sisters at Cerulean City, spending two weeks there also, before returning to our home in the Seafoam Islands, stopping by to visit Brock twice on the way.

Surprisingly, James' parents actually allowed him to go ahead with his marriage to Jessie: Jessiebelle, having being fed up of waiting for James to return, left for a faraway destination years ago, and quickly married a multi-millionaire corporate owner. As a result, Jessie, James and Meowth began to live a brand new life, hanging up their Team Rocket uniforms – and with it, their association to the criminal enterprise and their former boss Giovanni – for good. Jessie and James' private wedding ceremony was held two months later in the gardens of their estate, as Misty, Brock, Sabrina, Tracey, the Oaks, Mom and Dad and I were invited as guests and witnesses. During the wedding ceremony, however, Misty felt her stomach in an eerie manner, drawing my attention. Hours later, after an ultrasound, we found out that she was pregnant again, this time a girl.

The month that followed after Jessie and James' wedding was an eventful one: the two had announced to us that Jessie was now pregnant with twins, and Sabrina had finally decided to move in with Brock in Pewter City, leaving the leadership of the Saffron City Gym to Tate. Tate, now fully trained to act as a separate Gym Leader from his twin sister Liza, became the full-time Gym Leader of Saffron after moving from the Hoenn region, and soon developed a reputation for being a psychic trainer who was as powerful as Sabrina.

Sabrina quickly became a dearly beloved, and loving sister figure to all of Brock's siblings, and a joy around the house for Flint and Lola. Haunter was now having the time of his life playing with Ludicolo and entertaining the children of the household, along with her Alakazam. It wasn't long before Brock decided to pop the question to her, to which she emphatically and joyfully accepted as she wrapped her arms around him.

Meanwhile, from the Hoenn region, we heard from May that Drew had finally proposed to her, presenting her with a beautiful diamond ring, and of course, a trademark red rose. She gladly accepted his proposal with teary eyes, and the two later moved together into a house in Lilycove City, taking part in so many Contests to the point where I've seriously lost count. Mom, overjoyed for May, gave her and Drew her heartfelt congratulations. It wasn't before too by her personal habit and her love for the Pokémon she saw often during her journey throughout Hoenn with Dad, that Mom enthusiastically asked May whether or not she had caught a Zigzagoon.

Another six months passed before Dawn finally gave birth to a baby boy, whom she named Henry, in Twinleaf Town. With the coming of the New Year, Misty also gave birth to our second child whom we named Claire, after the kind-hearted Nurse Joy who had nursed Pikachu back to health after my title-winning battle against Lance, years ago. May sent us numerous gifts of baby clothes for Claire along with a card from her and Drew, as well as a mysterious Pokéball which was wrapped in purple gift wrapping. Upon unwrapping it and releasing the Pokémon inside, we were pleasantly surprised to see a cute baby Zigzagoon, which Misty and I gave to Mom. Two weeks later, Jessie gave birth to twins; a boy and a girl, whom she and James named Demetry and Belle. Sabrina was also one-month pregnant now, with her and Brock's wedding scheduled for the coming month. All our families were now closer than ever, as we paid each other visits numerous times over the year.

However, our thoughts still remained with Dawn, who would now be undertaking one of the most difficult hardships there is to face: being a single mother. Driven with the determination to do the best she could to raise her child, she would continue living with her mother, Johanna, for several more years, until the time came when she decided it was time for her to move out.

We could only hope that her emotional scars would heal themselves, in the years that followed…

(The day after the great battle, at dusk)

(3rd-person narrative)

The waves rolled gently into the sandy beach of Vermillion City, splashing against the exhausted and wounded body of a trainer who could barely stand as he crawled his way onto the sand. Right behind him were a Torterra and an Ursaring, who had risked life and limb to escape the uncompromising battlefield with their trainer, doing their utmost best to swim despite their types. Further behind him followed the rest of his Pokémon, similarly physically spent as they trudged onto the beach after him.

Summoning up all of the remaining energy that he had, Paul stood up with much fragility, his knees shaking and threatening to buckle due to fatigue. He had no idea how on earth he survived such an explosion: he was in the thick of battle alongside his Pokémon for a moment, and the very next instance, he had lost all consciousness as the explosion engulfed his surroundings.

But he continued on. He wanted nothing else than to be with his beloved fiancée again, and to care for her for the rest of their days.

"Wait… just a little…longer, Dawn…I shall return to you…soon…" he hoarsely exhaled, limping in the direction of the Pokémon Center which stood about a hundred feet away.

"Tor~?" his first and most loyal Pokémon looked up at him, asking if he was alright.

"I'm fine, Torterra," Paul smiled weakly, "It's nothing."

He continued to walk for a couple more steps, before a piercing pain in his chest caused him to wince and collapse onto his knees, clutching his body. After a few excruciating seconds, the pain subsided, and deciding that it was just the post-battle stress taking effect on his body, Paul got back on to his feet and continued on to the Pokémon Center. Little did he know, that he was now the new host of a sinister and dark being.

"You are a fool, Chosen One…did you really think that I'd perish so easily? Your meager power was not enough for you to sense that I had been watching from afar, observing you as you battled against my former underling, Julius. During that time, I had secretly sealed a dormant portion of my soul and power within your friend, who shall in time, become your greatest nemesis. I thought I would not be mistaken when I believed that he would survive his encounter with Julius' servants, and indeed, I was right in my judgment. Cherish all that is important to you in your life now, Chosen One. For when my glorious power is eventually restored to me, then shall I unleash my wrath on you, and all those who opposed me. And when that day arrives, everything you've known…everything you've fought to protect…everything you love...will be lost..."

(End of Book II)

A/N: I re-edited this chapter on Thursday, 17 February 2011, with just a few minor changes in words here and there. I'm currently focused on Book III.

Book III will be heavily focused on Team Rocket (the organization, not the trio, although Jessie, James and Meowth will have much more prominent roles), and Giovanni in particular.

Any reviews you give much appreciated. :)