Epilogue: Part 3
March 6, 2033
The following day was the biggest yet, for it was the second to last day of the Conference.
Nolan, Lexi, and the kids were back at the Pokémon Center, picking up their Pokémon, and June, after their pre-battle checkups.
"How was it?" Takeshi asked as June came into view, a Nurse Joy, Blissey, Chansey, and Wigglytuff by her side.
"It is so cool back there!" she said happily. "This Pokémon Center has a lot of neat equipment, stuff that the other smaller PCs don't have yet. And they have Blissey, Chansey, and Wigglytuff help treat the patients, just like Delia does. And not all the nurses her are Joys!"
"It's true. There are all kinds of nurses and doctors work here. Male and female, and many of them don't look anything like me or my relatives," said Nurse Joy.
"So now you know you can work wherever you want if you still want to be a nurse. And it doesn't matter that you don't look anything like Nurse Joy," said Takeshi.
"Even if all nurses were Joys, it wouldn't make a difference. No one could stop you. As long as you could pass the tests and prove yourself, there is no reason why you would not be allowed to work at a Pokémon Center."
June bowed and handed Joy a thank-you card. "Thank you so much for everything."
Joy giggled. "Anytime. Good luck today!"
Everyone picked up their Pokéballs and released their Pokémon.
"Whose Pokéball is this?" Anika asked, holding up a Master Ball that was left on the cart.
"That's mine!" Amber and Jay exclaimed together. They both reached forward at the same time to grab it. Jay let Amber take it.
"What's in there?" Soledad asked. "I don't remember you having a Master Ball. And why did you both say it was yours?"
"It's our secret weapon. We'll show ya later," Amber responded.
"Yeah, what she said," said Jay.
"Whatever," Soledad sighed. The others just looked at one another and shrugged.
"How come you're starting with Meganium?" Tamaki asked Jay. "Togekiss has fought in every battle of the Conference so far with you and has brought you excellent luck."
"Togekiss is amazing, but I want to give him a break. That is why I'll start off with Meganium. I will only use Togekiss if I really need to and for the finals. Togekiss will just be my backup for now."
"So, you're confident we'll make it all the way to the final round," said Amber. "Good."
"Pikapi," Pip agreed as he fist-bumped Jay.
"And I'm doing the same thing," said Soledad. "Using my other Pokémon while my MVPs Chary and Wigglytuff take a little break."
"I want to use my Beedril, who I got as a Weedle, and Vileplume, who I raised since he was an Oddish," said Takeshi. "But we need three each, and I'm not sure who else to start out with. I gave Nurse Joy ten of my Pokémon to take care of, but I still haven't decided who to use."
"See what everyone else is using, then decide," Nolan suggested. "This way you can create a balance of types, items, and moves."
"I want to use my Julip," said Anika. "Water and ice-type. I haven't figured the rest out."
"There are eighteen different types, six of you, and you each need to pick three Pokémon. You can look to see what Pokémon the other team has. Of course, you won't be able to know which Pokémon they will actually decide to use, but you can try to guess. For example, it might be good to know that if they have a lot of powerful water types, then you should go for fewer of your fire and ground-types and use more of your electric and grass-types."
"I see what you mean. That is great advice. Thanks, Nolan," said Soledad. "Let's write this down."
The group gathered at a table in the lobby of the Pokémon Center. June got some paper and a pen from the Nurse Joy standing at the welcome desk and then returned to her friends. Jay already had his laptop out and was researching their opponents' Pokémon.
"Anika and Soledad have the strongest steel types, Metagross and Magnezone, level one-hundred," said Jay. "List them under steel. Their team only has one steel-type, and they might not even use it."
Amber, Tamaki, and Takeshi looked over Jay's shoulder.
"I want to use Vileplume," Takeshi decided. "He's my strongest grass-type and has a lot of good poison-type attacks."
"Same with Meganium," said Jay. "And she's got a normal-type move and Light Screen. I'm choosing her."
"There, we already have four Pokémon," June announced as she wrote down the names.
"While you all work this out, Nolan and I are going to the Pokémon Park," said Lexi. "My family wants to spend some time with me in the village."
"Call us if you need any help," said Nolan. "Good luck."
"Bye!"
"Bye!"
"See ya."
"Thank you!"
"Np," Lexi and Nolan each responded before they left the building.
The kids spent the next two hours trying to figure out which Pokémon to use and in which order to introduce them. Jay and Amber also revealed their 'secret weapon' to the group, and the others agreed to keep it a secret to their non-competing friends and families.
They did all of this while Lexi, Nolan, and a handful of their Pokémon left to get some fresh air.
"I was expecting this place to be more crowded," Lexi remarked as they entered the park.
Lexi's Vibrava, Salamence, and Pidgeot soared across the sky, and when they spotted her and Nolan, they descended and landed near them. Her Vileplume, Venasaur, and Wartortle, who were drinking and playing in a small nearby pond, noticed Lexi and also came up to them. Lexi's mother and little brother Will followed the Pokémon and greeted the teens with a hug.
"Where are all your Pokémon?" Will asked Nolan. "I want to see them."
"I didn't bring a full team because I knew I wouldn't have much time to spend with them," he explained. "But my parents are coming with Nadia in an hour or so, and they are going to bring Blastoise, Abra, and Cactnea. But I have some new Pokémon with me. Wanna see?"
"Yes, please!"
Nolan reached into his back pocket and took out three Pokéballs. He tossed them out one by one.
Will scanned each one of Nolan's Pokémon with his Pokédex.
"I never saw an Alakazam live before, only in magazines and in videogames and on TV! And I never got to touch a Sheller," Will said in awe.
"Now's your chance," Nolan replied.
Will stuck the Pokédex back into his tiny backpack and poked Sheller's shell. Then he laughed.
"Mom, why did Professor Oak give him a Pokédex? Is he going to travel soon?" Lexi inquired. "I can't imagine shy little Will leaving home to travel."
"He won't be traveling for a while, but he enjoys learning about Pokémon," Lexi's mother replied. "Professor Oak kindly offered him a spare dex."
"It's really fun to use," Will told them. "I already have over 300 Pokémon registered in here."
"Wow. That's a lot," she noted. "How'd you do that?"
"The internet," Will and his mother responded together.
"But eighty-three of them were in-person," Will assured them.
"Do you want to go find Benny and Jocelyn?" Lexi asked. "I bet they'd love to see you. I don't remember if you even met Benny."
Will blushed and shook his head 'no'.
"Let's hang out here then," Nolan suggested. "We can play with the Pokémon."
Will smiled proudly. He loved how Nolan was almost always with Lexi—he knew just what to say.
"How are they doing?" Lexi's mother asked as Will ran off with Lexi and Will's Pokémon.
"Nervous, but otherwise fantastic," said Lexi.
"They are all very prepared, and they have many different Pokémon too," Nolan added. "Not all of them are Kanto Pokémon, either, which will give them an advantage. Most trainers here, especially the younger ones, only train Pokémon from the region in which the tournament is being held."
"Tell them I wish them luck. Hopefully, all their hard work will pay off," she responded.
"It will; I can feel it."
XO
After spending hours trying to reach a decision, they decided which eighteen of them they were going to use. Once again, they were dubbed the 'blue team', and the other side was dubbed the 'red team'.
"They look evil," Amber remarked as she squinted at their opponents.
Jay followed her eyes. There was a pale, chubby boy with green hair who looked to be about ten years old, a tall Japanese girl with hot pink and purple hair who looked like she was fourteen or fifteen, a black girl with long dark hair who also looked about ten, two really tan boys with blue hair who looked like they were siblings, maybe twelve and fourteen years old, and the last kid they noticed was unmistakably Jezz.
"No one can 'look evil'," June chided.
She looked to see what Jay and Amber were staring at and noticed Jezz.
"That boy was on the other team. He had the Vileplume!" said Jay.
"That's definitely the same person," said June. "But how? I thought you could only be on one team."
"According to the official rules, you can be on as many teams as you want, but no two teams can share more than one person," said Soledad. "I didn't mention it before, because I didn't think it was important, but I did see Jezz on two other teams. He was with a completely different group of kids at least twice before."
"I guess that is a good idea for people who need a sixth person. Maybe he is a nice guy helping people out," Jay mused. "You know, like five friends show up and they need a sixth person, so he steps in."
"Or maybe not," Amber replied. "Maybe he just keeps ditching his real friends so that he can reach the top without them."
"Whoa, chill, Amb."
"It doesn't matter. We still know what Pokémon they are probably going to use, so this doesn't invalidate our research," Anika reminded them.
"It's just weird. The Jocelyn-Jay kid seems to pop up everywhere," said Takeshi.
"Please don't call him that!" Jay groaned. "He doesn't look like Jocelyn or me that much!"
Jay continued to stare at Jezz, and a smile formed on his face. Amber noticed this and started to get nervous, but before she had a chance to say anything, the announcer began the introductions.
Because the blue side had earned fewer points than the red side, they were disadvantaged because the red side could lose up to three quarters of their Pokémon before the blue side was declared the winner, but the blue side would have to retain almost all of their Pokémon if they wanted to earn enough points to make it to the absolute final round. The pressure was on.
The first opponent, Melissa, chose a Vanilluxe. Soledad stepped up with Magnezone.
"You got this," her teammates whispered to her as she got ready to fight.
"I'll do my best," she promised.
Perhaps it was because this was the first round of single battles since the events began, but Soledad was shaking as she got up onto the platform. Her mind retreated to her past failures, those times she didn't get the badge when everyone else had. She tried to let go of her negative thoughts and released her Pokémon, the ball nearly slipping out of her hand as she let her go.
"Vanilluxe, use Blizzard!" Melissa ordered.
"Magnezone, counter it with Sonic Boom!" Soledad cried out.
"She has the advantage," said Anika. "She should do well with this."
Her friends, families, acquaintances, and even strangers cheered for her.
"Go Soledad!"
"Think of how far you've come!"
"You can do it. Magnezone!"
Magnezone smashed Vanilluxe against the side of the arena. Everyone in the audience cheered louder as Vanilluxe got up and shot ice at Magnezone. Magnezone used Thunderbolt to paralyze and weaken the ice-type. Soledad and Melissa's friends kept on cheering them on, and soon both sides were just screaming at one another. Soledad could also hear her parents and friends who were sitting in the audience, and the pressure increased.
"Thunderbolt, one more time!" Soledad instructed.
"Harden and Icicle Spear!" Melissa yelled.
This time the Thunderbolt missed her opponent. The Icicle Spear hit Magnezone directly, and the Pokémon fainted.
"No way!" Amber yelled. "Steel-types aren't supposed to be weak to ice-types!"
"Type advantage doesn't guarantee a victory," said Takeshi.
"Hasn't your dad ever told you that?" Jay asked.
"He has…I just never saw it on this level before," Amber replied. "And Jaybird: Jezz won't love you if you're rude, so kill it and chill."
Jay pouted and crossed his arms.
"She still has a two Pokémon to use," said June. "She can make a comeback."
"Come on out, Parasect," Soledad said as she threw her next Pokéball.
Everyone looked at one another anxiously. They knew Soledad had Parasect on her, but they didn't think she would try to use it against Vanilluxe. Melissa smirked and laughed a little, as did some of the other members of the red team.
"Go Soledad and Parasect you can do it!" Jocelyn screamed.
"Flaafy Flaafy Flaaaaa!"
"Soledad should know better than to use a bug and grass-type against a powerful ice-type," Michio whispered to Annastasia.
"She must have a plan," Annastasia whispered back. "Soledad isn't an average eleven-year-old. She is the daughter of two champion trainers and an excellent student of their work."
'She also messes up under pressure,' Michio thought to himself.
"Vanilluxe, Ice Beam!" Melissa commanded.
"Parasect, combination five," Soledad responded.
Parasect used Double Team. While Vanilluxe was trying to figure out which Pokémon to attack, Parasect snuck up on her opponent and used Hammer Arm. The audience was stunned.
"Look at that! That Parasect knows some unusual tricks!" the announcer shouted in amazement.
Melissa let out a frustrated sigh. "Vanilluxe, don't let it distract you. Blizzard!"
Parasect shot paralyzing and poisoning spores at Vanilluxe. Vanilluxe retreated.
"Great job, Parasect. Now try combination three," Soledad instructed.
"Blizzard!" Melissa yelled.
Parasect rolled into a ball and headed straight for Vanilluxe. The Blizzard attack missed and Vanilluxe was knocked out.
"And unless my eyes deceive me, I'd say that Parasect just knocked out that Vanilluxe with Roll-out. Amazing!" said the announcer.
"Vanilluxe is unable to battle!" the official declared.
"They did it. Go, Parasect!" June cheered.
"Flaaaaaaaaa Feeeee!"
The others joined her in whistling and cheering. Soledad's confidence increased.
"Parasect is more powerful than I thought," said Amber.
"I had no idea. It's awesome though," said Takeshi.
"I choose Electabuzz!" Melissa announced as she threw out her second Pokéball.
Soledad returned Parasect and released Donphan.
"Now, that's a good choice," said Michio. "Even though that Parasect was…well…a badass. That Donphan's fucking ginormous."
"She got that Donphan in Hoenn when she was doing a Geo-catching project for Professor Birch. She told me about it, but this is my first time seeing it," Annastasia replied. "It's near twice the weight of the average weight and several feet taller than most Donphan. Definitely an amazing fighter."
"Go, Donphan and Soledad!" Jocelyn and Benny yelled.
"Feee Flaa feee!"
"Argh. Thunder Punch Electabuzz!" Melissa instructed irritably. She clearly was not expecting a Donphan.
As anticipated, Thunder Punch had little effect.
"Use that Roll-out!" Soledad instructed.
"Double Team," said Melissa.
Donphan missed her target. Soledad had her try Earthquake. It shook the whole ground, even the audience in the bleachers.
"That is some attack," June said as she and the others grabbed something to hold on to.
"I gotta get me one of those," said Amb.
Earthquake injured Electabuzz. Melissa decided to return it and decided to reveal her third Pokémon, a Tangela.
"Vine Whip," she instructed.
"Harden," Soledad countered.
Even though Harden had weakened the effect of the Vine Whip, it still clearly affected Donphan. Soledad had her use Tackle next. Tangela used Constrict, which trapped Donphan before she could attack. Soledad was unsure of what to do next and had Donphan try Rapid Spin. It worked, as the enormous Donphan was too much for the Tangela.
Tangela was declared unable to battle. Soledad smiled up at the audience, making brief eye contact with everyone in her party.
"Yes!" Nolan cheered. "That's our Soledad."
"One more Pokémon to go and she will win the first sub-round for her team," Lexi explained to the younger members of their party.
"She did a smart thing, leaving us for a bit to follow her heart. She wouldn't probably wouldn't have gotten all those Pokémon, or that confidence if she hadn't done that."
"I was sad when she left, but it led to something good in the end," said Jocelyn.
"Flaa feee."
Melissa reintroduced Electabuzz. Soledad kept Donphan out.
"She planned this," said Takeshi.
"Electabuzz, give it your most powerful Electro Ball!" Melissa commanded.
"Donphan, Double Team then Roll-out," Soledad instructed.
Double Team was not a typical move set for a heavy Pokémon like Donphan, but it was like her father had told her: if she trained hard enough, almost any Pokémon could learn almost any move. This caught Electrabuzz off-guard, weakening it as Donphan evaded its electric-type moves. One final Tackle and Electabuzz was unable to battle.
"We did it!" Soledad cheered.
Soledad felt so relieved. Now she didn't have to worry about screwing things up unless they made it to the very last round. If they won that, then they would be champions. But at least for now, her only task was to cheer on her friends.
"Great job! You did it! We knew you'd give us a great show," said Anika. "You're a great battler—an all-around Poké-pioneer."
"Thanks," Soledad said as she hugged Anika. "Coulda never done it without you."
"Wow, Soledad, that was great," said Jay. "I hope I can do that well."
"Just stay calm and be yourself," she responded. "You can do this, Jay. I believe in you; I bet you'll end up getting the most points out of all of us."
"I'm so glad you think that much of me!"
"Stay focused, and you'll kill it out there," said Amber. "The two-minute grace period is almost up, so get moving."
The official called Jay and his opponent to the trainer's platform. As he expected, he was faced with Jezz. He had spent so much time looking at his opponent's Pokémon, that he didn't bother to view his profile picture or name. Jezz smiled at him.
"You look familiar," Jezz said in his slight southern drawl. At least it sounded southern to Jay. He also thought it sounded somewhat fancy like it was partly British or something.
"Yeah…um…Ditto," Jay coughed.
"I choose Delcatty," Jezz announced.
"Um…I choose…um Bayleef—uh, I mean, Meganium!" Jay responded, tossing out Meganium's Pokéball. It practically fell to the ground, and Meganium had a hard time getting out of it.
"Why is Jay all distracted? He should be focused!" Jocelyn grumbled. "Come on Jay! Get it together!"
"Flaaaafy!"
"This is gonna be a disaster," Amb mumbled. 'A gay disaster.'
"Jess, does that boy look familiar to you?" James asked.
Jessie focused on Jezz, particularly his hair and eyes.
"No, not at all," she responded after a few seconds.
James, Meowth, Lucy, Lily, Logan, Rumika, Annastasia, and Michio groaned.
"Yer outta yer mind!" said Meowth. "Dat boy looks like Jocelyn and Jay smushed inta one kid. I didn't say nuthin de last time weeze saw him, cuz weeze did have good seats but now I see it clear as day! Yous gotta be dumb as glass ta not see it!"
"So, if Jay dyes his hair again and wears colored contacts then he'd have a look alike, but so what?" Jessie responded. "They aren't that similar. Jay is obviously much more handsome than that brat."
"Jay doesn't seem to think that he's too bad looking though," Lily snickered. "He has that look in his eyes. You know, that look. You better find out if they are related, and soon."
Everyone sighed. They decided to ignore Lily for now, though as they watched the rest of the match, they paid extra attention to Jay's expressions. Meanwhile, Jay was winning—but just barely. His Meganium had knocked out Delcatty after just a few moves. Jezz chose a Furfrou next.
"Okay, Meganium. We should be able to handle this one too," Jay said as he tried to ground himself. "Furfrou tend to use close-combat moves, so avoid getting too close. Use Razor Leaf and Stun Spore, Poison Powder if you'd prefer that."
Furfrou used Bite, which got Meganium, who was too distracted by Jay's slow instructions to dodge.
"Razor Leaf, hurry!" Jay exclaimed.
Jay felt distracted, confused, and dizzy, and that was before one of Meganium's spores hit him in the face.
"Well, he's winning so far, even though he's frantic af," said Soledad. "And stunned—literally. Could it be that Jezz is going easy on him?"
"Doubt it," said Amb. "I'm suspicious of that accent. I bet he's no good. Besides, Jay's so great at battling, he can probably pass out and still win."
"Looks like that's a strong possibility," said Takeshi.
Furfrou eventually succeeded in landing a critical hit on Meganium. Meganium looked ready to topple and Jay looked like he had no idea what he was doing.
"What is up with him? Is he sick?" asked June. "He didn't tell us earlier."
"I don't think he's sick," said Soledad knowingly.
"Oh, he's sick alright," Amber replied angrily. "Lovesick, that is…Hey, Jay!"
Jay spun around at the sound of Amber's voice. June, Takeshi, Anika, and Soledad tried to quiet her so that she didn't distract Jay further, but it didn't work.
"Stop daydreaming and focus! We don't have time for this now!" she screamed.
Jay blushed and then returned to the battle. He returned Meganium and released one of his Tauros.
"Amber knows how to get Jay back on track," June commented. "Why are you yelling at him though? I thought yelling at him when he's nervous make him more nervous."
"He isn't that nervous about the actually battling," Amber responded. "He has a crush on his opponent."
"It's true. That's Jay's crush face. You live too far away to know about it," said Soledad. "But Amber and I know it well. Very, very, well."
"I hope he doesn't lose because of it," said June anxiously.
"Me neither. Yell at him some more," Takeshi suggested.
"I will if he keeps making that face. You can count on it," Amber assured them. 'Stupid Jezz.'
Jay's Tauros managed to defeat Furfrou, much to his friends and family's delight. Jay felt uncharacteristically guilty as his opponent returned his fallen Pokémon and released what he knew would be his last battler, the Vileplume.
"Dere's dat Vileplume. I don't like dis," Meowth commented. "Cuz yous all know who else like Vileplume."
"I don't like this either. I'm going to do a little bit of research on this Jezz," Rumika said as she pulled out her laptop. "Lucy, wanna lend a paw?"
"Yep," the Purrloin replied. "But later. I wanna see how this ends."
Jay returned Tauros and released Togekiss.
"Sorry, Togekiss, I wanted to give you a break, but you are the only Pokémon I have who knows some really good psychic and flying moves," he told his partner.
"Leech Seed!" Jezz commanded.
"Togekiss, use combination two," said Jay.
Togekiss glided across the area, avoiding the Leech Seed attack by just a foot. Togekiss used Hypnosis on Vileplume as it flew around gracefully, but Jezz couldn't tell. Togekiss then returned to Jay and perched next to him.
"Perfect, he is right there. Now, Vileplume, Stun Spore," Jezz instructed.
Vileplume yawned and sat down. It picked at the arena's soft green grass and hummed to itself. Jezz appeared devastated.
"Vileplume, what are you doing!" Jezz cried. "You never did anything like this before!"
"If Vileplume doesn't listen to his trainer, then it will be disqualified," the official reminded Jezz and the audience.
"Vileplume, please!" Jezz pleaded.
Vileplume yawned again. The Conference had a 'two-minute rule'. With the exception of sanctioned breaks, no Pokémon could retreat or refuse to battle for more than two minutes during an official match. If a Pokémon refused to battle, it has to be returned and replaced with another one who would, or that trainer's Pokémon was disqualified. Jezz was out of options, and his two minutes were up.
"Vileplume refuses to battle. Jay Morgan and his Togekiss are the winners!" the official announced.
"Jay did it. I don't know how exactly, but he did it!" Takeshi cheered.
"Togekiss' used Hypnosis on that Vileplume, that's how," Soledad happily explained. "It was a very clever thing to do. Togekiss is a great addition to anyone's team."
"Yeah, it's a good thing Togekiss was there," said Amber.
She noticed Jay was walking over them from the trainers' platform a little too slowly, and he kept looking back at Jezz as he did so. It bothered Amber more than she cared to admit.
"I'm next," said June "Wish me luck."
"Good luck!" the five of them responded in harmony.
"Thank you—I'll do my best."
Everyone clapped and cheered for June as the announcer called out her and her opponent's name. She was up against a boy named Kane. He revealed a Purrloin. June picked Raticate.
"I wonder if this Purrloin has more moves that you, Logan. It should, since you have zero," Lily sniggered.
"I wonder if this Purrloin has more moves that you, Logan. It should, since you have zero," Lily sniggered.
"Your only skills are being able to talk people to death and be able to eat four times as much food as a normal Meowth before you puke," he retorted.
Lily stuck her tongue out at him childishly and Logan copied.
Out on the battlefield, Kane's Purrloin and June's Raticate were fighting in close-combat, with Fury Swipes and Takedown being the moves of choice.
"Cat versus rat and the rat is bigger than the cat," said Anika. "I'm surprised Purrloin isn't using any dark-type moves."
Immediately after Anika had spoken, the Purrloin leaped backward and used Brutal Swing on Raticate. Raticate dodged each attempt.
"Keep going, Raticate! You're the fastest Pokémon I know! You can do it!" she encouraged him. "Now, combination six!"
Raticate avoided all Purrloin's attacks. Then it knocked Purrloin out with a single hit.
"June! You did it! Who says normal-types can't rule?!" Takeshi cheered.
Kane released a Graveler next. June returned Raticate and released Seaking. The enormous fish flopped straight into the small pond that was located underneath the trainer's platform.
"This is the first time any of our kids have used a pure water-type," Misty commented. "I had a feeling June was going to use that enormous Seaking sooner or later. It's very powerful, stronger than some of mine even."
"I've been looking forward to this too. It is the only one of June's Pokémon I haven't seen in battle," Iris responded.
Kane was rethinking his choice, but according to the official League rules, after a trainer releases a Pokémon, it must issue at least two attacks before that trainer returns it. He had no choice but to try it out, and dodging didn't count.
"Waterfall!" June commanded.
"Dodge it, Graveler, then use Stone Edge," Kane nervously instructed.
Seaking landed a direct hit. Graveler fell into the pond before it could issue its first attack. June won the round.
"Almost halfway done and so far, so good," said Lexi. "I'm so proud."
"Ditto," said Rita. "They've grown a lot from when I started training with them. June was always so nervous. Not anymore."
"I always knew they would do well, but I honestly didn't think they would make it this far. Good for them," Annastasia added.
June's opponent chose a Dragonite as his last Pokémon. June looked nervous, but not surprised.
"He obviously saved the best for last. That was something I always did too," said Nolan.
"Same," Michio replied.
"We don't know how high of a level that Dragonite is at. After all, that kid doesn't look much older than June. He looks like he is thirteen or fourteen at most," said Lexi. "June knows dragon-types."
Meanwhile, the adults in their party—namely the Morgans—were still trying to make sense of Jezz.
"Any update on dat Jezz kid, Rumika?" Meowth asked.
"Ooh whatcha find?" Lily prodded. She climbed over Jessie, James, and Meowth in order to look over her shoulder and into her laptop.
"Nothing. This kid seems to have come out of nowhere," Rumika answered. She shut her laptop. "Oh, well."
"You're giving up?" Lily, Logan, and Meowth asked incredulously.
"Nah, I'll still look. I will just wait until later when I have all my stuff with me. Besides, I'm here to watch the kids."
Everyone looked back at June. Her Seaking had dodged almost every single one of Dragonite's attacks, and it seemed rather unaffected by the ones that did hit it. Dragonite was looking tired and weak. Seaking had managed to jump out of the water several times to body slam it, and the Dragonite took a lot of damage.
"I knew that Seaking was special the moment I caught it. I don't regret trading it with June," said Amber.
"That's nice," Jay responded.
Jay still seemed distracted, and Amber noticed he kept sneaking glances at one particular person sitting on the red team's bench, just passed the spot where June was battling.
"Dragonite is out of the match! This round goes to June Gaulle and Seaking of the blue team!" the official declared.
June returned her Pokémon and was smiling as brightly as possible as she skipped over to meet up with the rest of her teammates. They all chatted and congratulated one another while the announcer gave the half-time commentary.
Now they were going to take a ten-minute break before doing the next three matches.
"Soledad, Jay, and June, you three were great. I really hope that Takeshi, Amber and I uphold your legacy," Anika announced. "Because that was awesome."
"It was so nerve-racking. I thought I had gotten over those pre-match jitters and the fear by now, but it still came back," Soledad confessed. "But then I remembered all the times I didn't fail, and that motivated me."
"I thought of some worse-case scenarios," said June. "I realized that if I lost, it would never be as bad as some of the worse possible things that could happen to me. And that made me feel better for some reason. I also just pretended that I was back at home, playing with my mom and all her dragon-types."
"I…I don't know what I was thinking," Jay replied, sounding uncharacteristically shy.
"But we all know what you were thinking," said Amber. "You were thinking about Jezz."
Jay turned red and pushed Amber away childishly.
"No, I wasn't," he mumbled. All the girls giggled, and soon Jay joined in. "Well, maybe just a little bit…"
"Well, don't. Not yet anyway. Jezz keeps on team hopping. He might be on the team that we face in the finals, and we need you focused," said Amber.
"Amber, don't get jealous. Jay still did a good job. Besides, there is a greater chance that Jezz won't be on the final team. I mean, he just lost in a way that was sorta embarrassing. I doubt anyone would want to choose him as their sixth person unless they were really desperate. Also, teams that make it all the way to the top probably are composed of six people who know each other."
"I'm not jealous," Amber mumbled as if it was that was the only thing she got out of that conversation.
"Jezz might know a lot of people and that's why he's on so many teams," said Jay. "Wait, did I really humiliate him?!"
"Kinda," June responded. "I mean, we aren't the kind of people who make fun of other kids, but it's embarrassing when a Pokémon flat out ignores its trainer during an important battle. And that Hypnosis was discreet; I think most of the audience didn't even see you do it. Jezz surely missed it."
"Oh no, this is horrible! I haven't even talked to him yet and I have already messed this up!"
Amber patted Jay on the back. "There's much better fish in the sea."
"Chill. You'll be over this crush in a week, like usual. Don't worry about it," said Soledad.
"Maybe," Jay mumbled, though he didn't really believe it.
All their parents and siblings and a few friends came down to visit them while they waited on the bench. None of them wanted to leave the bench, worried that they might not get back in time. If not, all members were present, then that team was automatically disqualified. Jay tried to slip by, but Amber and Soledad caught him and forced him to stay put.
"Jay, we're so proud," Annastasia said as she handed him Rose.
"The babies were watching you too," said Jocelyn. "You did really good. Even though you were making the love-love faces at that other kid the whole time."
Jay once again blushed with embarrassment. Annastasia silently scolded Jocelyn for embarrassing Jay.
"You still did a good job, even if you were, um, handicapped," Annastasia giggled. "Seriously, everyone in the crowd was impressed."
"Thanks, A," Jay replied as he gave Annastasia a side-hug.
There was a camera flash and a click.
"Got it," said Lily.
"That was a perfect photo," Logan commented as he looked at her camera.
"Yes. Take another," Maya requested.
"Maya, crawl up on that rock so that you are next to Jay," Lily instructed.
Maya did as she asked. Lily snapped more pictures.
"Can I see?" asked Jay.
"Later, when I have them printed out," Lily responded.
She and Maya left to go take more pictures of all the kids. Everyone's parents gushed compliments at their children, even the children who had yet to battle. Then the official gave them a two-minute warning, and everyone rushed back to their seats.
"Next up is Anika Miller battling for the blue team and Kai Tunub battling for the red team," the announcer declared. "Trainers please enter the area and step onto the trainers' platforms."
For the second half of the matches, it was the blue team's turn to introduce their Pokémon first. Anika started with Julip. Her opponent Kai chose a Dugtrio.
"Julip, use Blizzard!" Anika commanded.
Kai's Dugtrio had it use Mud Shot. Anika was impressed at how fast the Dugtrio could fire those shots, and also how the snow from the Blizzard attack didn't seem to bother it nearly as much as she thought it would.
"Don't let it get in your eyes," Anika told Julip.
It was too late. Even though Julip's speed stat was hyper-trained, Dugtrio still managed to get a direct hit. Julip was blinded.
"Jump in the water! It will get the mud off," said Anika.
"Throw mud in the water!" Kai instructed.
Dugtrio dumped sand and mud into the pond, making it impossible for Julip to see.
"Oh no!" Anika cried. "Another Ice Beam! More Blizzard!"
None of the ice attacks seemed to be working, and Julip's vision was not good enough for an effective Quick Attack or Tackle. The Dugtrio was too big for those moves anyway.
"Poor Julip!" cried Jocelyn. "Don't give up!"
"Flaaaaa!"
"Don't worry Anika, just stay focused!" Soledad called.
"That Dugtrio must be trained to handle ice attacks," said Amber. "My dad always trains his Pokémon to be effective against their natural weaknesses. He says it is one of the best ways to train Pokémon."
Julip eventually fell and was declared unable to battle. Things for the blue team went downhill from there. Anika managed to defeat Dugtrio with her Dragonite, only to have her Dragonite defeated by Kai's Lucario. Kai's Lucario also defeated her final Pokémon, her beloved Garchomp, which was not only one of her very first Pokémon, but also the only one she had that could mega evolve. Everyone in the audience was shocked when they lost. Anika was on the verge of tears.
"It's okay," June said as she returned to the bench. "You had the toughest opponent yet."
"I feel bad for letting you down," Anika replied. "I was one of the biggest advocates for this team method, and here I go and almost screw it all up. You all have been friends forever and I just met you and I just feel so bad."
Takeshi had no choice but to leave to take his turn, but everyone else continued to try to comfort Anika.
"You just had the hardest opponent. It's like picking the short straw," Amber reasoned. "You defeated at least one of his Pokémon, so we didn't lose that many points. We might still be able to make a comeback. I still have my secret weapon, remember?"
"It's our secret weapon," Jay asserted. "Please don't be sad, Anika. Even if this does make us lose, don't beat yourself up over it. We promised we wouldn't do that to ourselves."
"Yeah," said Anika. "Let's cheer for Takeshi."
She wiped a few escaped teardrops from her cheeks and looked towards the trainers' platform. The presenter had finished announcing the competitors' names, and Takeshi released Beedril. His opponent released a Charizard.
"This isn't good," Anika sighed.
"Takeshi's Beedril's at level sixty. Maybe this'll be good," said June.
Jacklyn's Charizard defeated Beedril in just two moves. Takeshi made a small comeback with Squirt Gun, who defeated the Charizard after a long fifteen-minute stretch. After that Takeshi returned Squirt Gun to Lily and Logan and decided to use his Vileplume, giving the tiny water type a well-earned break. Jacklyn chose an Arcanine.
"Flamethrower!" she commanded.
"Stun Spore, Vileplume! And watch out for that Flamethrower!" Takeshi instructed.
Vileplume's spores hit Arcanine, but the effect was minor. Takeshi noticed this and figured if he kept hitting Arcanine with Stun Spore, eventually, it would work in his favor.
"I bet he saw something we didn't, because that Stun Spore had almost no effect, and dodging all the time is just going to tire Vileplume out," said Anika.
"I know he thought of something. I really believe in him," June replied.
"Arcanine, use Heatwave; ignore the spores," Jacklyn advised.
Arcanine did as her trainer instructed. Not very many people in the audience understood what Takeshi was doing.
"Add in some Razor Leaf," Takeshi suggested.
Takeshi's Vileplume had spent months building resistance to fire by practicing with Typhlosion, even before it had evolved. Vileplume never stopped the Stun Spore attack, and eventually, it got to be too much for Arcanine, just as Takeshi had hoped. The enormous fire-dog collapsed and was declared unable to battle.
"Go, Dusclops!" Jacklyn announced, releasing the first ghost type of the day. "Rock Slide!"
"Razor Leaf," Takeshi instructed.
Takeshi felt unsure of what to do. He wasn't very familiar with Dusclops. All he knew was that it was a ghost-type. The Razor Leaf went right through it, having almost no effect.
"That girl looks like she's only ten! I wonder how she got a Dusclops. They are nowhere around here," Amber complained.
"Maybe her family travels a lot, or maybe it was a gift. After all, collectively about a third of our Pokémon are not Kanto natives," June sighed. "Poor Vileplume doesn't stand a chance."
"Okay Vileplume, try Poison Jab!" Takeshi advised. His voice was nervous and shaky.
"Dusclops, Rock Slide again," Jacklyn instructed.
Rock Slide left Vileplume greatly injured, and Takeshi was wondering if he should return him. He decided to have Vileplume try one more attack, a rare one he practiced a few times and thought might work.
"Dark Void!" Takeshi yelled.
Nearly everyone in the stadium gaped.
"Is he serious?" Brock whispered to Autumn. "Did he really teach Vileplume a rare and difficult dark-type move, or did he just mess up?"
"We're about to find out," she replied.
Vileplume stood tall and used Dark Void. Jacklyn didn't know how to respond, and before she could react, Vileplume's attack had put her Pokémon into a deep sleep. The HP dwindled; a sinister effect of the uncommon attack.
"No, no, no! You can't sleep now! Get up and battle!" she yelled at Dusclops.
The Pokémon didn't budge. Jacklyn glanced at her watch anxiously, no doubt remembering the two-minute rule.
"That is so smart, teaching a move like that to Vileplume," said Soledad. "It is super impressive. I have to do more of that with my Pokémon."
"Takeshi taught many of his Pokémon untraditional moves," June bragged. "It's a special talent of his."
"Takeshi, you're doing great!" Jocelyn screamed. "Go, Oniisan!"
"Flaaa!"
The official disqualified Dusclops and Takeshi won that round. He returned to his friends.
"Sorry I lost Beedril. I didn't want to put more pressure on you," he told Amber.
"It's cool. You made a great comeback. That was awesome," Amber responded. "And I'm not nervous; I'm excited."
Amber left to go to the trainers' platform as the official announced her name. Her opponent name was Josh, and Amber already knew which Pokémon to expect.
"I'm so nervous for them," said Annastasia. "They are so close to that trophy, and on their first trip to the Indigo Plateau. That in itself is an amazing accomplishment."
"We have to remind them of that in case they don't make it," said Ash. "I know what it's like to feel so close but to not make it. But they have such a great chance."
"They wouldn't have gotten this far if that wasn't the case," Brock added.
"Alright, Talonflame, I choose you!" Amber declared.
"I choose Croconaw!" Josh announced.
"Combination twelve, now."
Talonflame used Brave Bird, Roost, and Fire Fang with a Quick Claw before Josh could even speak his first instruction.
"Drill Peck," Amber instructed. "And that should finish it."
"Talo," the Pokémon agreed.
"Hydro Pump!" Josh commanded
Talonflame hated the water, but it had gotten somewhat accustomed to it, as Amber often had it battle with her mother's water-types so that it could get stronger. As Amber anticipated, Drill Peck forced Croconaw out of the match, and Talonflame only lost ten HP for the entire match.
"Yay, Amber!" Jocelyn screamed.
"Flaafy!"
"She did it," Jay breathed. "Amb, you did it!"
"One down, two to go!" Soledad shouted.
Amber bowed as her team, friends, and families kept cheering. Josh released a Persian.
"Flying Press," Amber instructed.
"Persian, use Confusion!" Josh yelled.
Flying Press was a tricky move for Talonflame, and before the Pokémon could complete the attack, it was hit with Persian's Confusion. The bewildered bird fired flames in the wrong directions. Amber was unprepared for something like this, and she knew the only way to counter a strong Confusion attack was to wait it out and hope that it wouldn't last two minutes. It did, and Talonflame was disqualified.
"That's too bad. I hate when an opponent uses Confusion. It is a very frustrating move," Ash commented.
"I hate dem Persian in general. Look at it. It tinks it's so purrfect," Meowth pouted.
Maya observed Meowth and then pulled Lily aside to whisper. "Why doesn't your dad like Persian?"
"It's a long story. He doesn't hate them really," she replied. "He's jealous because he doesn't know how to evolve."
"Are you ever going to evolve then?" Maya questioned.
"Maybe. If you want to. I know my dad will like Persians then. Let's talk about this some other time. We only have one chance to watch a match like this."
Amber's next Pokémon was her and Jay's secret weapon. All the kids, and Misty got very excited when they saw her take out the Master Ball.
"Go, Gyarados!" Amber yelled, releasing the fusion.
"Garrrrrrrr!" the Pokémon roared, its voice echoing throughout the arena and causing the stands to vibrate.
"So, that's the 'secret weapon'," Jocelyn said to Benny. "Sweet. But Aunt Misty, I thought they weren't allowed to use the Gyarados because it was out of control."
"That is what I thought too," said Annastasia. "Are fusions even allowed? The kids did say it was a fusion and not a regular Gyarados, right?"
"The Gyarados has been trained and tamed. Ash and I worked with it a lot, and when Amber came to Cerulean City, she trained with it too. Jay also worked with it. It was very responsive to the kids and has become very attached to Amber. We did explain to the president of the Pokémon League that it was a fusion, and he said there were no rules against using fusion Pokémon in these kinds of competitions. He also said there have already been a few cases of fusions being used to battle at the Indigo Plateau, in the past, before it was a common thing," Misty explained. "And the other team knows it's a fusion too, as it was registered as one."
"How is it a fusion?" Tamaki inquired. "It looks like a regular Gyarados."
"I can't tell what it is fused with," said Benny.
"Some fusions aren't physically fused with other Pokémon," said Misty. "They instead look like normal Pokémon but might have all the moves of a different type. This particular Gyarados knows a library of psychic, ghost, dark, dragon, fire, electric, grass, fairy, steel, poison, ice, rock, flying, water, and ground-type moves. Even a very hard working Gyarados cannot achieve all that, which is how we suspected it was a fusion in the first place."
"Wow!"
"That's amazing," said Tamaki. "Amb and Jay are gonna win, no doubt."
"We'll see," Misty replied.
Josh returned Persian and released a mega-evolved Salamence.
"Gyarados, use Reflect, then, Hydro Pump, then Light Screen!" Amber commanded.
"Salamence, Dragon Tail!" Josh ordered.
The Reflect rendered the Dragon Tail ineffective. After Hydro Pump nearly missed Salamence by a hair and the Light Screen reduced damage from Salamence's sneaky Hidden Power, Amber instructed Gyarados to use Hyperbeam.
"The fusion looks so good. The last time we saw it, it was out of control," Soledad told Anika. "It was scarier than any Pokémon we came across while we were traveling together."
"I know I was afraid of it," Takeshi commented.
"So was I," said June.
"Combination four, now!" Amber ordered.
"Draco Meter!" Josh responded.
Gyarados used a Moonblast followed by Hydro Pump. Salamence's Draco Meter missed Gyarados. The dragon-type fainted.
"Yes! Even a Mega Salamence couldn't handle our secret weapon!" Jay exclaimed. "Yay, Amb! You're a champ!"
'I'm glad he is finally paying attention to me instead of Jezz,' Amber thought to herself.
"This is great. There's no way his Persian could defeat Gyarados. We already won," said Takeshi.
"Hypnosis," Josh told Persian.
"Avoid looking that Persian in the eyes at all costs," Amber told Gyarados. "Now, use Focus Blast!"
Persian gracefully avoided the super-effective fighting-type move. Amber had Gyarados try Hydro Pump, but the Persian used Double Team to avoid it. Persian was harder to defeat than she anticipated, but she knew it couldn't just rely on defense moves. It had to attack eventually, and she doubted it had enough combat power to take down her and Jay's fusion.
"Use Shadow Claw!" Josh commanded.
"Perrrrrar," Persian growled, boldly lunging at the Gyarados.
Shadow Claw pierced Gyarados through the scales, causing the enormous water-type to lose two-thirds of its HP within seconds. It had a tough time shaking the Persian off, due to the fact that it couldn't look Persian in the eyes and risk getting hypnotized. Persian also clung to the Gyarados with its long, sharp claws, causing it tremendous pain.
"Go under the water. Persians hate water," Amber suggested anxiously.
Gyarados dove into the arena's pool. As expected, Persian eventually let go, though it held on longer than anyone anticipated. Afterwar,d it was declared unable to battle.
"The final round goes to Amber Ketchum and her fusion Gyarados!" The official announced.
"What a match!" the commenter started. "For the first time in twenty years, we have a fusion Pokémon defeat two opponents in the semifinals. But will did the blue team earn enough points to continue to the finals?"
Amber returned Gyarados and then joined her friends on the bench.
"That was amazing, Amb. I hope we make it. If you competed as an individual, you would have definitely made it to the finals. I hope I didn't drag you down," said Anika.
"No worries," said Amber. "I think that battle made me famous now, so I'm covered."
Amber had an almost perfect score, and it could possibly be just enough to let them move on. Now they just had to wait a few more seconds and minutes for the numbers to appear on the screen, and then they would know if they were going to the next round.
"I'm so anxious. Amber really did well. She won her round. I really hope her team gets to move forward," said Misty.
"But they all looked like they had fun. Even though Amber wants to make history, she can still do it next year," Ash responded.
"Jay did well too. He should get to move on," Jessie pouted. "It isn't fair if he doesn't."
"Jay won't mind," James responded. "And he did agree to the group method—he's culpable."
"Papa's right, besides, Jay will recover finely from a loss," said Annastasia. "I think he has other things on his mind anyway."
Her eyes drifted to Jezz, who was seated with the rest of his team not far from their kids.
"Mmmhhmm," Lucy, Meowth, and Rumika hummed in response.
Jessie pouted even more; she decided she didn't like Jezz.
The giant TV monitor in the center of the arena flashed red and blue. The announcer called for everyone's attention.
"The team moving on the next round is…. the red team! Congratulations!" the announcer declared. "Let us all give a hand to Josh Jagoe, Kane Tunub, Kai Tunub, Melissa Lenhardt, Jacklyn Meyer, and Jezz Tonaka!"
Anika, Soledad, Jay, Amber, June, and Takeshi clapped for the red team, bummed that even though they had ultimately won the long hard battle against the red side, they still hadn't obtained enough points to make it all the way to the finals. Their parents, friends, and other relatives seemed to feel the same way, though Jay noticed his parents, Rumika, Lucy, and Meowth seemed unnerved by something else.
"Did you all hear what I just heard?" Rumika said to Jessie and James. As usual, Meowth and Lucy butted in, as it sounded like she had something interesting to say. "You know, the last name."
"Coincidence probably," Jessie replied.
"There are just too many coincidences for my liking."
"What are you all whispering about?" Annastasia inquired. She handed Silver to her mother. "We should head out to go pick up the kids now, not just sit here."
"Right," said Jessie. She adjusted Silver's hat then arranged him in the car seat that attached to his stroller. "Let's go."
"I'll take Rosie," Michio offered.
He was still holding the baby and noticed that James was occupied with two overstuffed diaper bags. Jessie smirked, making him blush, grumble, then look away.
"Thanks," Annastasia told Michio.
"Yeeeep," Rose said as she reached towards him.
Michio smiled and gave Rose his thumb. "Yeah…Um, whatever gets us out of here faster."
Once everyone was ready to go, they made their way through the crowd and towards the kids. Lucy and Jessie kept bickering over Jezz, as the Purrloin had hitched a ride on the redhead's shoulder and was right in her ear. Soon Lily caught on to their contentious conversation and inevitably joined in. Michio and Annastasia overheard.
"I didn't know your maiden name was Tonaka," Annastasia commented.
"Argh. Don't say that word," Jessie complained.
"Tonaka'?"
"No, 'maiden'. I hate that word."
"Whatever. That means Jezz may be related to us. We should talk to his family before Jay asks him out on a date."
"Yes, asap," James pleaded. "Jay really doesn't need to embarrassed like that."
"Is that something Jay would do?" Michio asked Annastasia.
"Absolutely," she replied.
"Rumika, now that you know his last name, you should be able to get more info…so where is it?"
"I'm getting there," Rumika mumbled. "And by the way, my facial recognition system is much more accurate than researching last names. It just seems like Jezz is off the radar for some reason. Sometimes people can have their identifications protected, but usually, only the superrich or former criminals do that."
Everyone quickened their pace at her words, confusing Michio, but he just went along with it. He had learned that with this family, you learn as you go along—perhaps they had experience with the superrich or criminals that they forgot to mention.
Meanwhile, Amber, Takeshi, June, Anika, and Soledad reunited with their families, then with each other.
"Where's Jay?" Misty asked as she looked over the crowd.
"Jay went to go talk to Jezz," Amber said dismissively.
"You're suddenly okay with that?" Soledad asked.
Amber shrugged. Now that the competition was over, she didn't care how infatuated Jay became with Jezz. She figured his crush would last a few weeks at most like they normally did.
"But we need to find him," said James. "Where did he say he was going?"
"Call his cellphone!" Meowth urged. "Dummies."
"Right," said Jessie and James together.
Jay picked up at the second ring. James had to put it on speaker just so that he could hear his voice over the crowd.
"Sorry I left the meeting spot," said Jay. "I-I-I umm...had something super important that I needed to do…I'm coming back now."
"Jay sounds all weird," Jocelyn noted after he hung up. "Like he's all nervous even after the competition over."
"Flaa."
"Jay has a crush," said Amber.
"Not again!" Jocelyn moaned. "He's so annoying when he's in love."
"Flaafeee…"
"We know," Lily, Logan, Amber, and Soledad responded in unison.
Three minutes later, Jay came strolling back to the group.
"Great, now we can leave," Jessie said as she grabbed his hand.
"Hold on," said James. James looked Jay in the eyes. "You did such a good job. We know that you would have made it to all the top if you competed as an individual, and we are so happy for you."
"Thanks," Jay replied.
"You were so good. You and Togekiss were the bestest!" said Jocelyn.
"Flaa flaa!"
"We have a cake to celebrate your victory too," Annastasia announced. "We invited everyone to go back to the apartment to share it."
"We really did get a cake!" Jocelyn exclaimed excitedly. "Mmm. This is the best day ever!"
"Flaafy Flaafy flaa!"
"I prefer cake to the ribbons and trophies anyway," Jay replied.
"Ditto," said Amber.
"Let's go back then," said Logan. "I want cake too!"
As they made their way to the cars, the kids peeled off until Jay was alone with his immediate family and Michio. Jay stopped several yards before the convertibles.
"Can I invite someone to join us?" Jay asked shyly.
Annastasia, Rumika, Jessie, James, Meowth, and Lucy looked at one another briefly.
"Okay, who?" Jessie asked, pretending not to know.
"Um, this kid I met that I like," he answered. "Uh, he is um staying nearby, and he um was um…on the red team. His name is Jezz."
"Oh…Jezz. Sure..."
Meowth elbowed Jessie in the ribs while Jay was blissfully staring at his cellphone.
"What?" she replied in an irritated whisper.
"Sos Jay, did ya know dat Jezz might be yer cousin?" Meowth asked.
Jay's attention turned to Meowth immediately. "W-what?" he asked, clearly horrified. "Why d-do you say something like that?"
"Meowthhhh," Jessie groaned.
"Meowth is kinda right. Um, you see, your mom's last name was Tonaka, and Jezz's last name is Tonaka, and he looks very much like Jocelyn and someone else I used to um…know very well," James explained.
"I think you understand where this is going," said Annastasia.
Jay knew about certain relatives just as well as she did, but he didn't want to even think about that.
"We kinda wanted to let you know, just because…well just because," James concluded.
"Oh," Jay sighed, his heart sinking. "Thanks for letting me know."
There was an awkward pause of silence.
"Aren't you going to text him?" Lucy asked Jay.
"Oh, um, maybe I shouldn't invite him, if he's related to ah…them, you know. I mean I guess he is related to us too, but he must be closer to them," Jay replied.
"Don't be like that," said Annastasia. "You like him. It's probably just a better idea to not like him like that. Besides, he might be nothing like them. He might not even know them, and it's possible that we aren't related to him at all."
"That's true. Ask his family to come too," James suggested.
"Okay," Jay responded.
Jay texted Jezz while almost everyone else in their group cringed.
"What's going on?" Michio asked.
Annastasia leaned in and whispered a few words in his ear, reminding him of a story she had told him a while ago.
"Oh," he mumbled. "Fuck."
XO
Back at the apartment, everyone took pictures and chatted as they waited for everyone else to arrive. Michio and Annastasia discovered the Sandshrew in their bedroom playing cards with Peruva, Lickilicky, Golem, Lunala, and Venomoth, all of whom Michio had left behind. The pair of them were surprised at how civil the Sandshrew was behaving.
"Are you going to come down and eat cake?" Annastasia asked it.
"Cake? Like for birthdays?" it questioned.
"This one is a cake to celebrate the kid's accomplishments at the Indigo Plateau. They didn't earn enough points to continue, so this was their last day competing. The cake is enormous. We have enough for all the Pokémon to have some, but not all Pokémon like cake. You refused to participate the last time we served cake, so you never had it before," Annastasia explained.
"I shall refuse again," it responded. "I will take a walk instead."
"Good," Michio muttered.
The Sandshrew left the room. Peruva and several other of Michio's Pokémon decided to stay behind.
"How do you feel?" Annastasia asked. She knew that spending the entire day in an overpopulated trainers' village was extremely stressful for someone with crowd anxiety.
"I'm fine," he responded.
"How'd you compete as a champion if you hate crowds?"
"Whiskey and Adderall."
"I should 've known…that combination kills people, you know. How old were you, like ten?"
"Ten, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, and sixteen. I should just have found myself a fucking Altaria. It would have saved me a lot of time and money."
"And your lifespan."
"Tarrrria tar tar."
"Chimecho are also great for that," Annastasia said as she patted the bird. "Maybe we'll get one someday. Let's go downstairs and meet Jezz's family if they are in town and decided to come over. Maybe they're interesting people."
"Do I have to meet them?"
"No…but it'll make me happy if you do."
"Okay, I'll go down, briefly."
Annastasia and Michio first noticed Jay talking to Jezz and Amber—hard to tell if the crush had yet to evaporate. Annastasia then noticed two unfamiliar adults talking to her parents. She joined them.
"Annastasia, these are Jezz's guardians," said James.
"My name's Hauana," the woman said as she offered her hand.
She wasn't what Annastasia expected. With curly black hair, hazel eyes, and brown skin, she looked nothing like Jezz.
"I'm Annastasia," she replied. "Nice to meet you."
"Nice to mee you too," Hauana replied. "Are you Michio?"
"Yeah," Michio hesitantly responded.
"Jessie told me you are also from Alola."
"I am."
"His name is Michio Kapule, and he is from Maikaʻi City," Annastasia said when he didn't speak further.
"Oh, a Kapule. I thought the name 'Michio' was familiar—there aren't many Japanese Kapules," Hauana responded.
Michio nearly argued that he was not Japanese, but just given a Japanese name for some reason he did not know, and that other than him, there weren't Japanese Kapules. They just didn't exist. 'The only thing Japanese about Michio is his name' his mother would insist to disapproving family relations, business partners, and neighbors. But Annastasia's presence reminded him that none of that mattered, especially now.
"I'm Perry," Hauana's partner said as he shook Anastasia's hand. "Your family is famous in Alola. I was born not far from Maikaʻi."
Like Hauana, Perry had dark hair, eyes, and skin; nothing in his appearance suggested any relations to Jezz or the Morgans.
"We were talking about whether or not our families are connected," James told Anastasia and Michio.
"We don't know any of Jezz's blood relatives," said Hauana. "Or where he's originally from, or anything really. He's a wanderer."
"How do you mean?"
"Even though he's been living with us in Alola for about a year, he is from somewhere in Kanto. His social workers told us children that are wards of the state in Kanto are sometimes transferred to less populated regions like Alola, which is where Perry and I still live. The agency we went through didn't give us much information on Jezz—not even his age. All we know is that he's been transferred at least ten times to various houses and shelters in multiple regions. We had asked multiple times for more information, but the agency told us that everything is confidential, according to his birth parents. Jezz doesn't even know who his parents, or if they're alive."
"Does he have any other family members? Siblings or even a distant aunt or any older relatives?" Jessie inquired. "Perhaps in prison…?"
Annastasia prudently let her mother know that was an inappropriate response as Hauana went on to explain more:
"Jezz's paperwork is scarce. We were told that Jezz lived with an older relative for the first year of his life, then was sent to an orphanage in Kanto. They put in their will that they needed their identity and his parents' identities to be secure from everyone, even Jezz himself, however, Jezz's name was never changed for some reason—we think. From then on, he floated—that's all they can tell us and we don't even think that is accurate."
"Why don't you think it's accurate?" Annastasia asked.
"Because Jezz knows things, things most other kids don't know and talking about anything relating to his past unnerves him. We don't talk about it unless he brings it up, and he rarely brings it up."
"That's too bad," James replied.
"Then he probably shouldn't be talking to Amber," said Annastasia. "She can be abrasive."
"Oh, it's not like that…" said Perry. "We want him to make friends."
"That's what we think he needs most of all," said Hauana.
"Jay texted me earlier and said that Jezz would like to visit Pallet," said Annastasia. "He's welcome to do that."
"We told Jezz he can go wherever his heart desires."
"More time in Kanto would be good for Jezz. He loves the Alola atmosphere, but he doesn't like the other children there. The other kids give him a hard time because of his fair skin and accent," said Perry.
"Sometimes the native children are cruel to the non-natives," Michio said knowingly. 'Not saying I was one of them…'
"I think it is especially good if Jezz stays with you for a while, makes some new friends and visits the famous Oak Lab. Other than traveling to a few cities, he hasn't spent much time with Kanto natives, and the only reason he got to compete at the Indigo Plateau was because he took that brutal Pokémon League entrance exam and somehow managed to pass. He is brilliant, but he can surely use more social experience."
Jezz, Amber, and Jay walk by just in time to hear the six adults discussing this.
"You mean I really get to go with them?" Jezz asked.
The kids looked at Jessie and James.
"I don't see why not," James said cautiously. "We own a hotel. We are going to open it back up to guests the moment we get back, but there will be plenty of room for Jezz."
Jezz turned to Perry and Hauana. "Can I go? Pllllleeeassse? Just for a few days at least?"
Hauana and Perry seemed surprised—but glad—that he had asked.
"As long as it is okay with them," said Hauana.
"It's fine with us. You can stay for as long as you want," said James.
"Yeah, that's fine," said Jessie.
"Yes!" Jay exclaimed.
"Thank you so much," Jezz bowed.
"Let's tell the others," said Amber.
Amber dragged the two boys towards Tamaki, Soledad, June, Takeshi, and a collection of their Pokémon.
"This really will be good for him, meeting new friends and staying with them," said Hauana.
"It's a big deal to him, really," said Perry.
"It's no skin off of our noses," Jessie responded.
"Uh, what noses?" Meowth inquired.
"No one's talking to you."
"Really, we don't mind hosting Jezz," said James.
"Just don't keep him too long," said Perry. "We haven't had as much time with him yet as we've wanted."
"Then that's exactly what'll happen."
XO
After the closing ceremonies, everyone decided to meet back at the Pallet House for one final celebration. All the kids (except Jocelyn) received a new bicycle, an updated Pokédex, and a new case to store all their items as a special gift from their parents, adult friends, and relatives. Even the group members who didn't compete, namely Tamaki, Benny, Jocelyn, Lily, and Logan got something. Also, two old friends of Ash's returned. Misty greeted them when they showed up at the party.
"Hey Todd, Casey. I had no idea you were near Pallet! Amber, Ash and I missed you!"
"We were invited," Casey responded. "And we weren't that far away. We saw the kids at the Indigo Plateau."
"When Jessie saw me, she asked to photograph the kids today, even though I explained to her that I only really want to photograph wild Pokémon," Todd explained.
Later the adults forced everyone to gather for a group photo. Everyone had to smush together in front of the Oak Lab with their starter.
"Just in case you are wondering, the reason we are taking this picture is because before we left for the journey, we all took one with our starters. I like the idea of a before and after," Annastasia told Jezz.
"Oh, yes, that makes sense," he responded.
Annastasia flipped through the photos on her phone and stopped when she got to a certain recent photo. He handed the phone to Jezz.
"Look here," she said. "What do you see?"
"I see everyone standing in front of the Oak Lab," said Jezz. "You look the same, except some of the younger kids do not. Jay has his hair purple and spikey instead of light blue and straight, and he has a Togetic with him instead of a Togekiss. Amber has a Pichu instead of a Pikachu, and Takeshi has a Cyndaquil instead of a Typhlosion. June has a Bulbasaur instead a Venasaur, and Soledad has a Charmander instead of a Charizard. Squirt Gun and Logan both look really nervous, and Lily looks like a regular shiny Meowth, not one with dyed fur. Jocelyn and Flaafy both look pretty anxious to get started, and Michio looks really pissed off. He also has a sassy-looking Pikachu with him. Nolan and Lexi, look like they are ready for anything. I don't see Maya, or Rita, Anika, Tamaki, or Benny in this photo."
"That was because our team evolved a lot over time."
"That's nice. I don't have a team, other than my Pokémon. I usually just…wander."
"You can join our team," Takeshi said as he and the other kids walked into their conversation.
"Yeah, we want to always be together, be we can always be friends and help each other out," June added. "And none of us have definite plans for next season or anything immediately after that."
"And we like doing all kinds of things and have many interests we'd like to pursue," said Soledad. "Battling, Geo-catching, contests, performances, photography, research…"
"You would not mind having me intrude?" Jezz asked.
"We invited you, so it's rude if you decide not to at least consider it," said Amber.
"Oh, well, I would not want to be rude. It just seems so nice. What I mean is, I would very much appreciate joining you on your next journey."
Michio overheard all this and relayed it back to Annastasia. After jokingly accusing him of spying—and he insisted that it was accidental—Annastasia called for them to gather for a group photo. Amber and Jay dragged Jezz into the tight spot between them. Lily and Maya, Soledad and Anika, Jocelyn and Benny, Nolan and Lexi, June and Takeshi, all linked arms. Tamaki, Squirt Gun, and Logan dabbed. Annastasia took Silver and Michio took Rose, and Minun and Plusle climbed onto the teens' shoulders. Rita gave Michio bunny ears as Sandshrew watched in confusion. Once everyone was in position, the camera snapped, keeping them in place forever.
"Now the best part," said Amber.
"Food!" Logan exclaimed.
"Dancing!" Jocelyn squealed.
"Flaaafy!"
"Music!" said Jay. "I just gotta find out where I put that guitar…"
"I was gonna say pranks," Amber replied. "But that other stuff you said sounds good too."
XO
"This turned out to be great. I'm glad the kids had their chance in the sun," Annastasia said as she and Michio tuned their guitars, alone in Professor Oak's terrarium. "The kids are going to die when they hear you sing."
"I don't sing and never will," Michio retorted. "But I'll play. I'm not bad at this mini-guitar shit."
Their firefly Pokémon friends watched them laugh and tease, and it seemed they weren't leaving anytime soon, at least not while Annastasia and Michio kept visiting them.
"Do you really think the kids are going to travel like this again?" Michio asked. "If they go will you go too?"
"They probably will, and if they do, I'll go along as long as I feel healthy enough for another trip," Annastasia responded.
"Good."
"Are you implying that you enjoy traveling in a group with children?"
"Well, they're sorta a fun group."
They heard a crash and ran to the terrarium window. A herd of wild Tauros, Rattata, and Raticate were chasing a bunch of their kids down the street. They noticed a little bit of smoke too, and soon it became clear that a fire was chasing them as well. Annastasia and Michio grabbed their Pokeballs and ran outside.
"Sometimes I truly believe that we need them," Annastasia told Michio as they headed towards the chaos. "Just as much as they need us, apparently."
AN: There you have it, the epilogue that ties up all the loose ends (I think). Of course, I had to add Jezz…I hope you liked this. The last chapter is just final notes, a few things some of you might be interested in reading. This chapter was updated on June 15, 2019.
A special thanks to Julie Togepi, BriannaBuzzanco (now 'It's-Bri-Again'), Pokemonfanthings, Iamsomething, and UMBREON (now DarkUmbreon19) for all your reviews and PMs. Also, to my friends who do not have accounts on this site but still read my stuff for me. Please review one last time and let me know those final thoughts:)