Then Ash shuddered and started to breathe again. His gasping slowly eased to a wheeze and then returned to a normal rate. His fever dropped and after a few more seconds, his eyes fluttered open. He sat up slightly and Shaymin was gently thrown off. Shaymin landed on its feet and scurried around to face Ash. "Ash?" it began nervously. Ash blinked again and looked down at the Shaymin and smiled tiredly. Although Shaymin had healed him, he was still exhausted from the ordeal. "Thanks Shaymin," he croaked and cleared his throat and took in all the eyes watching him. Brad and Brock were across the fire watching him carefully. Serena was sitting beside him, blinking away the tears that had begun to form in her eyes. Pikachu was by his side calling softly to him as it buried its face into his leg. It had been terrified and had to let that pent up emotion out. Ho-oh and Hoopa were standing just behind him, quietly watching the scene. Then he spotted the Team Rocket woman glaring murderously at him. She was outraged that her plan hadn't worked. Before he could say anything to reassure them that he was indeed alright, his stomach growled. Brock smiled in relief. Serena laughed softly and wiped a loose tear away. Brad was still watching Ash carefully. Brad wasn't sure if Ash had heard what the woman had said. Brad wanted to know if Ash knew that Brad was his future son but how could he ask that question?

Brock served up the stew that was ready to eat now. He gave a bowl each to Ho-oh, Hoopa, Shaymin and Pikachu. He handed a bowl to Serena and Ash. Ash devoured his meal hungrily. Nearly dying had made him ravenous. Brock handed a bowl to Brad and kept one for himself. They ignored the woman screaming into the socks to be released. Once they had had their fill, they sat in silence thinking what to do next. Ho-oh had flown away after finishing its meal, thanking Brock first and wishing them all well. Shaymin had told Brock it preferred pancakes and returned through its portal created by Hoopa. Hoopa had offered to stay around for a while and treat them all to anything they wanted through the portals. Ash had laughed and told Hoopa that they were fine, nothing they wanted could be given to them. Hoopa wished Ash luck in becoming a "Pokémon mister" and flew off through a portal before Ash could correct it.

"So, Brad… how many of those devices are there?" Ash asked, breaking the silence. Brad started at Ash's question. "Er… um I think there's only two," Brad stuttered, nervously. Ash nodded and then got up and walked over to the woman, who had been quiet for a long time. He reached into her pocket, careful to stay out of reach of a head butt. She glared angrily at him. He pulled out her device and studied it briefly before slamming it on the ground in front of her and stomped his foot on it. She cried out in alarm. He then knelt down in front of her and gave a fairly good impression of her sickeningly sweet smile. "I'm guessing that was your way home?" he whispered while she glared at him. He turned to Brad. "You should take her back to your time and get Officer Jenny to arrest her. If you can't convince her that you're telling the truth come back to now and we'll tell her everything," Ash told Brad. Brad nodded slowly, still shocked that Ash had destroyed the device now in pieces on the ground.

Brad nodded and got up to his feet. Ash held out his hand. Brad looked at it in wonder and took it and they shook hands. "Thanks for everything Brad. This should be the last time I see you until you're born," Ash remarked. Brad stared at Ash. "You heard her?" he whispered. Ash nodded and scratched the back of his neck embarrassed. "Yeah, I blacked out after she said that you were my son. It's a bit weird to think about to be honest," Ash revealed sheepishly. Brad smiled. "It's weird for me too. I mean seeing my dad as a kid. It was weird seeing your past too because I'd heard the stories and now I've seen them," Brad confided. Serena and Brock watched the exchange silently. It wasn't their place to get involved. "Once you get back to your time and she's arrested. Destroy your device too. It's too dangerous to leave lying around," Ash ordered Brad as he walked over to the woman. Brad nodded and calibrated the device and with one final wave, he pressed the final button and vanished.

Ash smiled at the place his son had disappeared from and returned to his seat by the fire. Serena and Brock turned to him. "I wanted to know more about the future," Serena informed him with slight annoyance. "Yeah, like if I ever meet a Nurse Joy or an Officer Jenny that likes me," Brock added. Ash laughed as Pikachu settled on his lap. "Come on guys. Wouldn't you prefer to find that all out when it happens? What fun would it be if you knew everything that was going to happen?" Ash contradicted. Serena raised an eyebrow at him. "Are you saying that you wouldn't change anything that has happened to you if you could?" Serena asked him sceptically. Ash shook his head. "Not a thing," Ash replied seriously. "What about knowing if you ever become a Pokémon master?" Brock inquired. Ash thought about it for a moment but shook his head. "If I knew that then it wouldn't make my journey as fun as it is. I mean if I knew that I did, then I'd just get frustrated that it hadn't happened yet. And if I knew that I didn't, then I'd probably get upset and angry and go on a journey just to prove the future wrong, rather than going to meet new people or Pokémon," Ash answered. Serena and Brock nodded in understanding and they sat watching the fire dwindle before continuing onto Pallet Town immersed in their thoughts of what the future could hold.

They arrived in Pallet Town two days later. Brock stayed the night before travelling back to his studies, passing through Pewter City along the way. Ash and Serena and Pikachu were alone once again. Serena had learned a lot about Ash. She had already known that he was an incredibly brave and caring trainer but she hadn't realised how understanding he was until now. He was much smarter than people gave him credit for, he was still prone to doing or saying stupid things or not understanding that someone had a crush on him. But he was smarter than people thought. Serena watched Ash greet his Pokémon at Professor Oak's research lab. She couldn't help but smile and wonder who the lucky woman he was going to settle down with was. Who was Brad's mother? She shook the thoughts out of her head. It was like Ash had said, what was the fun in knowing? She ran over to join Ash, knowing that he would be setting off on another journey before long. A journey she hoped to be a part of.

So that's it. A bit of a limp ending I feel but I couldn't think of a better one.

So please let me know what you thought of the story.

I'd like to thank anyone that stuck with it and read the entire thing.

It was my first fanfic and I feel that I did a good job but any feedback would be welcome.

Not sure if I'm going to write another fanfic, only time will tell.

So just for old times' sake… until the next chapter.

But there really isn't another.