Chapter 14

Closure

The sun was warm on her crusty face. The tears had stopped, but the pain was still there. Below her, dozens of police swarmed the arena. No one knew what had happened. They probably never would. No records could be found linking the pulverized man to anyone. He was simply a lonely man that had suddenly appeared, dead.

It would probably be better that way. She was receiving enough questions from Jenny because of her mother. It was a strange phenomenon that they couldn't reason, and Ella was fine with that. She knew. There wasn't really anything else needed.

A few footsteps fell behind her. Aura came up beside her. "I know how you feel," she said. "Loosing a mother is very hard."

Ella slouched further forward. "I really don't want to talk about it."

"It's much easier if you do. I probably wouldn't have gotten over my mother if Lucario hadn't been with me every step of the way."

She really didn't want to, but maybe if she did, then the girl would just leave her alone. "I don't think I'll ever understand her," she began. "One day she's mad as hell with me because of what I chose to do and then she's proud of me for sticking to it."

Aura became silent for a moment and sat down next to Ella, letting her legs drop over the edge of the roof. "Sometimes…we can't understand. That's just the way it is. But I'm sure she knew what she was doing. And that whatever it was, it was for you."

Surprisingly, she laughed. "She said the exact same thing." She watched the sun rise for a few seconds before, "I'll never be able to make it up to her."

"Sure you can. You still have your whole life. And as long as she lives in your memory, you can still do anything you can to honor her. But then…if you're family, you really shouldn't need to. Part of that bond is being able to forgive, regardless of the circumstances."

"Did you come up with all of that yourself?" Ella asked, finally looking over at her.

She smiled. "No. It's exactly what Lucario told me when I needed it." They shared another moment of silence. With a stretch, Aura stood. "I'm the one that caused all of this to you. I'd like to make it up. Anything you need, I'll do."

Ella remained seated, contemplating everything. The past few months seemed to blur by in the morning light. She remembered her mother and all the times they shared when she was much younger, the awkward moments between her first battles, the day she came and helped her train. It all brought a smile to her face.

She stood up beside Aura and gave her a pat on the shoulder. "You already have."

Ella then left Aura on the roof and went down through the building. She passed the police in the arena and forced her way through the reporters outside, all swarming to ask her questions. They eventually let her be.

She continued walking all the way through the city and out into the nearby fields, going through the woods and over a small creek, all the way to her private training field, which was bathed in bright golden light.

She stopped on the edge and sat down against a tree, letting her body relax. Could Aura be right? She really hated that she had caused her mother so much pain. And yet she had forgiven her, in a sense.

Her eyes moved up to the moving clouds. One cloud shifted above her, forming the face of a smiling woman. Ella swore she saw her mother's features. She smiled.

The calm serenity overcame her, giving her soul a sense of peace for the first time in a long while, allowing her to, for but a moment, forget the trouble in her heart.

----------(Several Days Later)

"Sarah Adams was many things to many people. To trainers, she was both a rival and the ultimate goal. For those at her clinic, she was one of the most brilliant minds in the field of Pokemon. And for others, she was the best friend we could have ever known.

"I'm probably the only person who can know her as all of these things and even more. While she was sort of a rival to me, she was also my mother.

"Mom probably did several things that I really didn't appreciate or like. But everything she did, she did because she thought it was best for me…or at least, that's what she told me.

"But even when I went against her wishes, which I did on more than one occasion, she was always willing to forgive and forget.

"She was caring, thoughtful, always willing to go out of her way to help someone. Mom was…" Ella had to stop as the tears finally got to her. She stifled a cry, partially embarrassed that she was breaking down in front of so many people.

The chapel was nearly full to bursting. Everyone, from distant relatives to long-time clients, had come for Sarah's funeral service. Even Pokemon were here, including Lars, Ivysaur, and Nina.

After a few seconds, Ella composed herself enough. "Mom will be missed." She walked from around the podium and took her seat in the front row. Luke leaned over his daughter and wrapped her in a hug, his own tears gently falling on her shoulder.

Others started to come up and say some words about Sarah. But Ella didn't pay much attention.

Not a second after she lifted her head from her father's shoulder, another consciousness brushed her mind. She recognized the touch. It was Aura. But why would she be trying to touch her? She made a mental sweep of the chapel. Aura wasn't here. It was not an ability she could do before, but since her strange transformation that horrible night, she'd found little quirks that she guessed were the start of her microshifting abilities.

She opened her mind just enough for the other girl to hear her thoughts. "Can't it wait, Aura?"

"No. I have to see you. NOW!"

"I can't leave during my mother's funeral. See me later."

"But…"

Ella cut her off, forcing the girl from her mind, and returned her attention to the service. As much as it hurt, she'd go through it.

Unseen by all, a shadow at an upper window jumped away.

----------

Twenty minutes later, part of the congregation was in the middle of a forest close to Pallet Town. Most had left after the funeral service, leaving Sarah's closest ring of friends and family for the actual burial.

Ella and Luke stood closest to the site, now a hole in the middle of a glade Sarah would frequent as a child. Along with the mourners, Ella could sense several Pokemon secretly watching from the trees.

Sarah's body was slowly lowered into the ground. No casket, as was her wish. All that covered her was her was a simple silver gown.

The daughter at first wondered if she would cry. But most of the mourning had already been done. This was more or less the final act to seal it all.

Or it was for the rest. She still had something in her heart that needed to be settled.

She waited after the ceremony for the others to leave. Luke stayed a little longer than most but eventually left like the others, leaving Ella alone with her mother. Taking a step closer to the hole, Ella knelt to her knees and clasped her hands in front of her and breathed deeply, focusing her mind. To anyone passing, it would almost look like she was in prayer. In a strange sense, she almost was.

"Mother, I'm sorry. I've caused you so much pain. You should not wish to speak to me again, but I need you to speak to me one last time."

A gentle wind blew through Ella's hair. A sense of pressure and peace came over her. In her mind, an image of her mother appeared. Not the image of her on that night; it was her face from long ago, before Ella's teenage years had put stress in her face. "I could never cease talking with you, Ella."

"Mom, I must know. Why did you change your opinion of me? Why did you go from despising me for my actions to being proud of me? I don't understand."

"I did not despise you, Ella. I would not be a mother if I did. I was displeased with your choices. For a time, I was blinded by that. But I came to realize something. You made your choices and they were yours to make. It was not my place to force you along a path that was not your own. I have reconciled with myself on that fact. I may still not be pleased with them, but you did not falter when assaulted to do otherwise. Do you understand?"

Ella paused. "I think so. So does that mean I can still run the Underground League?"

Her mother's face grew stern. "I hope you won't. But as I have said, I will not stop you. It's not like I can anyway."

Ella laughed. "It is alright, Mom. I won't do that to you."

Sarah smiled. "I am glad to hear that."

The image of Sarah reached out an arm towards Ella. Ella mentally reached back. There was just enough distance so that their fingertips just touched. Slowly, Sarah faded from Ella's mind.

She opened her eyes to realize her arm was outstretched. She embarrassingly pulled it down. She stood, paused one moment longer, and left.

Just as she entered the tree line, a paw shot from behind a tree and grabbed her. It pulled her into a group of bushes before she could react. She instinctively pulled away, but turned to look at her attacker.

Before her crouched a very strange creature. It looked remarkably like a Lucario, but its face was not nearly as elongated as she remembered Aura's being. Its paws also featured what looked like short fingers. Overall, it looked incredibly human to be a Pokemon. She started to get back when it spoke. "Ella, please. It's me."

But she froze as she recognized the voice.

"Aura?"

I got you all AGAIN! Just when you think it's over, I pull you right back in.

This concludes Part 2. We will now be taking another short break while I finish the final part of the story.

At this time, I would like everyone to write a full review of the story so far. The third and final part of Gift of Family follows an entirely different plot, as I'm sure you've figured out by the last few paragraphs of this chapter, so it's sort of like its own story. It's included with the rest of Gift of Family because there are several elements that tie them together. But I can't really say much on that because of spoilers and such. So please just leave a full review now and then you may review the rest of it when the story has come to its full conclusion.

Thanks for the support, everyone!