Epilogue: The Song of Lightning & Fire
Roxas walked through the forests of Poni Island. He decided to come alone, without any of his Pokémon so he would not appear hostile to Tapu Fini. The raven-haired teen noticed the fog getting thicker the deeper he ventured. I must be close, Roxas thought to himself.
It was quiet, too quiet. He heard Tapu Fini would trap travelers in its fog if they wandered in too deep through Poni Island. He was going to discover if Tapu Fini could help him with this. The multiverse had been saved, Omega was defeated, and Roxas continued to live his life by traveling the world of Pokémon, but he felt he had unfinished business. He had put off this task for far too long.
"Seek out Tapu Fini, if that's what you need" Roxas remembered what Hapu suggested when he arrived on Poni Island, she was alluding to the reason he came to Alola. Auro, Nate, and Rosa asked him if he was prepared to embark on this journey. Roxas insisted that he was, it was the last journey he needed to get closure and move on to the next chapter of his life.
No turning back now, Roxas admitted to himself that he was a bit nervous as he walked down the lonely forest road. When he arrived in Alola, he was surprised by how many people still remembered his father, but he could hardly blame them. Ash was the first Alola League Champion after all. They even had a monument erected in his honor after his passing. During his journey in Alola, he learned more about his family and Ash's connection to Guardian Deities and how he saved the islands from numerous threats. Ash's heroism did not surprise Roxas in the slightest. The sapphire-eyed trainer had no regrets about coming.
As he took a few more steps, he felt the sudden presence of an aura. The trainer froze where he stood. He hadn't sensed anyone's aura for miles except his own. Roxas knew this part of the island was far too remote for almost anyone to come to. The aura signatures he sensed were all too similar. He felt goosebumps and he was shaking quite a bit. Could it be? Roxas thought to himself anxiously. His moment of truth had arrived. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. He held his breath for a few seconds and then exhaled. The trainer turned around and opened his eyes. What he saw confirmed the rumors about Tapu Fini's mystical power. There amidst the fog, he saw them.
"Red," May said when she saw her son. She flashed the warmest smile a mother could give. She wore a red tank top with black bike shirts. Unlike the May from the past, Roxas's mother sported a red and white headpiece that was tied almost like a ribbon around her hair rather than a bandana covering the top of her head.
"Look how you've grown, you're taller than me now," Ash joked when he saw their boy. His father dressed almost exactly as he did based on pictures from his time journeying in the Kalos region. Roxas always liked that outfit.
"Pika!" Pikachu revealed itself when it hopped on Ash's shoulder. Greeting the son of his best friend. The mouse had passed some years after Ash and May, but Roxas missed him just as much.
"But I'm still the oldest," Sapphire teased, she winked at her brother when she greeted him. Sapphire wore a blue version of the outfit that May from the past wore when she first started on her journey. Even Sapphire's bandana was blue, and she looked like a spitting image of the May that Roxas had met in the past because of her outfit. Sapphire ran up to Roxas and they had their first hug in years.
Roxas embraced his sister, feeling her warmth on his chest. He felt his parents and Pikachu hug him as well. For the first time in a decade, they all had a group hug. Roxas's parents knew of his success in the past and were more than relieved to see that their son had been doing wonderfully since. They were proud of him. Tapu Fini watched from afar, smiling joyfully at the reunited family. Then it flew into the distance of the Alolan twilight sky.
"Let's see…Mom, Dad, Delia, Professor Oak, Gary, Drew, Tracey, Paul, Cilan, Hilbert, Clemont, Professor Kukui, Professor Burnet, Gladion, Sophocles, Kiawe, Goh…oh c'mon May there are so many people here. I already went through the list twice," Max pleaded with his older sister as he went through the list.
"Well since you like to act like such a brainiac, I figured you wouldn't mind," May sassed him for his whining.
"Can I at least scratch off your bridesmaids? They're obviously all here!" Max gestured at May's bridesmaids, who happened to be in the room, and giggled at his antics.
May rolled her eyes, "Fine." Max sighed with relief, scratching off Misty, Dawn, Iris, Hilda, Bonnie, Serena, Lana, Mallow, Lillie, and Chloe from the guest list. "Now go get into your tux, you're the only person who isn't ready yet," May scolded him.
"Right, after I get all the bridesmaids paired up with their groomsmen," Max sighed. Bonnie warned him that he be ready in time since he was her groomsman. May's little brother laughed nervously as he escorted the girls out of the room, but Misty, Dawn, Serena, and Iris stayed behind. Hilda volunteered to give Max a hand since he clearly needed help with the final stages.
"Take it easy May," Misty tried to calm May down for scolding Max.
"Yeah, I think you might be going a little too hard on Max," Iris advised her friend.
May exhaled with a sense of nervousness, "I know, it's just we have such a big wedding and I want to make sure everything goes right."
"We get that but relax. We'll lend Max a hand too, so everything goes smoothly," Dawn placed her hand on May's shoulder for reassurance.
"You worry about getting yourself prepped for the moment. You look beautiful May," Serena praised her fellow coordinator. Dawn, Misty, and Iris hopped in on the praise. They all admired the beautiful white dress May had on. The brunette had picked it out after seeing Professor Burnet wear a similar dress for her wedding with Professor Kukui back in Alola.
"Thanks guys," May blushed as she turned around to look in the mirror. In addition to the white dress, she wore a pair of long white-sleeve gloves that reached her elbows. She looked gorgeous.
Suddenly, Brock entered the room. The Pokémon Doctor looked stunning in a suit, "May!" Brock shouted.
"Whoa Brock, you didn't scare off any of the hired waitresses, did you?" Misty interrupted him before he could say anything. The other girls giggled while May looked at him with concern.
"No Misty," the friend blushed, straightening his tie.
"What's wrong Brock?" May raised an eyebrow at him. She grabbed a glass of water to ease her thirst.
Brock sighed, hoping this wouldn't get him killed. "Ash isn't here yet," Brock reported.
"I'll kill him," May faked a smile when she heard that, nearly cracking her glass.
"What a kid," Iris sighed.
"Do you think he got held up by fans on the way here? It's really hard to go anywhere with him ever since he became a Monarch a few years ago," Serena noted with dismay.
May could light her dress on fire with her fiery aura, but she closed her eyes and took another deep breath. She opened her sapphire eyes again, speaking calmly "We'll keep going as planned." The girls and Brock nodded. Arceus, help me, May thought about where her man could be.
On a mountaintop a raven-haired trainer wore a tuxedo similar to the one he wore at the Wallace Cup, but without the hat. His first Pokémon rested on his shoulder. Ash and Pikachu sat next to the nest of a Swablu egg. Ash smiled as he saw the pair of Altaria adjust the nest to make the egg more comfortable. "Pika?" Pikachu asked Ash if he was sure they had time to watch the Swablu hatch, knowing that they had a wedding to go to.
"We've got time buddy. According to Professor Oak, they should be hatching before the sun sets," Ash focused his gaze on the Altaria and their little egg. Pikachu sighed; the mouse hoped May would understand that nothing would ever take away from Ash's love for Pokémon.
The pair of Altaria began to make themselves comfortable when a giant mechanical arm suddenly reached for the egg. "What the?!" Ash and Pikachu gasped as the arm retracted away with the egg. The Altaria were chirping in a panic. Ash and Pikachu immediately noticed a Meowth Balloon in the air.
"Prepare for trouble!" Jessie, James, and Meowth began their classic motto.
"Make it double!"
"To protect the world from devastation!"
"To unite all peoples within our nation!"
"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"
"To extend our reach to the stars above!"
"Jessie!"
"James!"
"Team Rocket, blast off at the speed of light!"
"Surrender now or prepare to fight!"
"Meowth! Dat's right!" Meowth received the Swablu egg from the mechanical arm.
"Team Rocket! I haven't seen you in a while. Can't say I missed this," Ash frowned at them.
"Pi pikachu!" Pikachu glared at them, seeing that they were still up to their old shenanigans.
"Long time no see twerp, we actually took over Team Rocket for our boss after he decided to retire in case you were wondering," James stated pridefully.
"Top of the food chain baby," Jessie added with the same level of pride.
"But when wez found out it was nuttin but a bunch of paypawerk, it got old fast," Meowth lamented with Jessie and James faking tears.
"So, we asked for our old jobs back and now we're here!" James announced excitedly.
"We're going to take this little Swablu and Pikachu today. It'll make for a great catch!" Jessie cheered.
"What's wit the getup twerp?" Meowth realized out of nowhere.
Ash rolled his eyes, "I have a wedding to get to, so let's make this quick."
"A wedding, where's my invite?!" Jessie shouted without even knowing whose wedding it was, but it was her typical self-centered reaction.
"Mine actually, so if you don't mind, give back the Swablu egg and go about your day," Ash smiled confidently, crossing his arms.
"The twerp is getting married to the Hoenn twerpette, who would've guessed," James was surprised.
"Guess da twerps aren't twerps anymore. I always tot she'd end up dumping him for the green-haired fella doe," Meowth noted.
Ash became annoyed with Meowth's comment, "Give back the Swablu or we'll do this the hard way!" The Altaria were also preparing to attack the Rockets.
"Wait, so how'd you propose?" Jessie asked, allowing the revelation to distract them. The Team Rocket trio felt an existential crisis creep up on them when they thought about how time had passed. They were embarrassed to realize it had been 12 years since they first started chasing the twerp and Pikachu and experienced zero success.
"I really don't have time to explain all that, maybe another time," Ash sighed.
"You're right, let's catch Pikachu!" James got back to the task at hand and prepared to fire the mechanical arm at Pikachu.
The Altaria prepared to lunge at Team Rocket until Ash stopped them, "Hold on you two, let us handle them and we'll get your egg back. I promise!" The Altaria looked at Ash for a few seconds then nodded.
"Let her rip, Jimmy!" Meowth laughed diabolically.
James fired the mechanical arm, and it came straight for Pikachu. "Pikachu, use Iron Tail!" Ash easily countered.
Pikachu leaped off his shoulder and flipped over the arm. "Piiikaa!" Pikachu applied its force. The mouse's tail smacked the arm with enough power to destroy it. Meowth's jaw dropped at the turn of events.
"I thought this arm was Iron Tail-proof?!" Jessie screamed at James.
"Well ever since we got our old jobs back, we've been on a budget," James grinned sheepishly.
"Forget it, we got da Swablu egg. Let's scram!" Meowth declared.
"No, you don't. Pikachu get the egg!" Ash commanded. Pikachu slapped his red cheeks and fired a Thunderbolt to push itself off the ground with enough force to reach the Meowth Balloon.
James, Jessie, and Meowth's eyes widened when they saw the Pokémon come straight for them. Pikachu landed in front of them with a cocky grin. The Electric-type used Iron Tail to trip Meowth and snatched the egg. "Hey come back, that's our Swablu!" Jessie shouted, but Pikachu had already jumped off the balloon.
"Got ya," Ash ran and caught both Pikachu and the egg. "Let's finish this buddy," Ash smiled at his pal after he took the egg.
"Pika!" Pikachu nodded. The electric mouse leaped into the air once more as it charged up power.
"Uh-oh," The Rocket Trio said at the same time.
"Piiikaachuuuuu!" Pikachu fired Thunderbolt, shocking the Rockets, and making their balloon explode.
Jessie, James, and Meowth were covered in dust as they began to fly into the air. "If the twerp and twerpette are getting married, do you think it's time for a career change?" James rubbed his chin as they blasted in the air.
"I didn't even get invited!" Jessie complained about her lack of an invitation.
"Sumtings neva change," Meowth grieved over their defeat.
"We're blasting off again!" Team Rocket shouted one final time as they disappeared in the distance.
Ash chuckled as they flew off. Pikachu landed in front of Ash and looked at the Swablu egg. Suddenly, the egg began to glow white. Ash, Pikachu, and the Altaria became surprised when the egg started to transform. It quickly sprouted wings and once it stopped glowing, Swablu spread its wings. "Blu!" Swablu greeted the world. Luckily for Ash, the first thing it saw was the pair of Altaria, or else it would've thought he was its parent.
"Awesome, right Pikachu?" Ash smiled widely as the Swablu flew over to the Altaria.
"Pika!" Pikachu cheered as it saw the family of three fly around happily in the air.
Ash looked at the cloud-like birds and thought of Roxas and Sapphire for a moment. He hoped his son was happy in the future. The Altaria and Swablu cooed at Ash and Pikachu, thanking them for protecting it.
"You're welcome!" Ash laughed and Pikachu smiled. With that done, the Altaria and Swablu flew into the distance. "Time to go buddy," Ash noticed the sun was setting, but he remained calm.
"Pi," Pikachu acknowledged, laughing nervously at the thought of what May would say.
Serena was helping May add the final touches of makeup on her as the sun began to set. To distract herself from Ash's tardiness, May chatted it up with Serena. "You know Serena, I owe a lot to everyone here, but I think I owe you a lot for helping me and Ash stay together when we had to do a long-distance relationship," the brunette said to her.
Serena was slightly surprised, "How so May?"
"Well, I know it wasn't easy for you to see Ash and me together, but we worked through our differences. Then every time I had my doubts about Ash and me, you gave me the motivation to hang onto it. It was especially hard when he was off participating in the World Coronation Series and being a Research Fellow with Goh. The fact that he had to travel all over the world while I still needed to focus on contests was easily one of the hardest things I ever experienced," May recalled the long journey that led them here.
Serena was still a bit surprised about May's confession but then she smiled warmly at her. For Serena, it wasn't easy to see that the boy she long harbored a crush on had already found love. The only thing she could do then was support him and make sure he was happy. In doing so, she befriended one of the most incredible girls she ever met and had no regrets about it. In surrendering her former love for Ash, she gained a lifetime friendship. She remembered how she watched Ash's final match against Leon with May and Max. May felt bad she could not be there for Ash's final, but Serena had comforted her and assured her that Ash would understand. She recalled squeezing May's hand when they weren't sure if Pikachu would pull through and the girls celebrated with Max afterward. It was one of her best memories with May.
Serena placed her hand on her shoulder, "Nothing makes me happier right now than the idea of you and Ash getting married. He's a great guy and you deserve the absolute best. I couldn't be happier for you May."
May smiled with a tear falling down her face. The brunette hugged Serena and the Kalos girl returned her embrace just as warmly. The door opened wide again, "Guys, he's here!" Goh had alerted them to Ash's arrival.
"Thanks Goh," May smiled at him. Goh nodded and dashed off to catch up with the others.
May stood up after Serena finished applying her makeup. "Ready?" Serena held her hand out to her.
"Let's," May nodded and grabbed her hand.
May walked down the alley with Norman holding onto her. The wedding music made her heart beat at a rapid pace. Sometimes she couldn't believe this was really happening. She saw all the friends they made across their journey. It made her smile to know they had all come. All of them were here because they cared about Ash and her and they supported their love. She saw Delia, Drew, and Caroline among the crowd, who winked at her. She saw Ash's Pokémon and her Pokémon cheer as well, watching them with complete glee. She also spotted a certain Victini hiding in the Pokémon crowd, clapping its hands joyfully. Good thing Professor Oak allows weddings on the ranch, the brunette giggled. All of their male friends stood handsomely as they admired their best friend's future wife. May smiled when she saw Brock and Cilan look especially thrilled, she could've sworn Brock was tearing up until Clemont passed him a napkin. When she continued to walk down, she saw her squad of bridesmaids. My bridesmaids look gorgeous, May noticed all the girls fangirling over her outfit. She was grateful for the group of friends they created over the years. They couldn't have asked for better traveling companions.
The sunset shined on her skin as the ocean waves gently roared. Lastly, at the end of the alley, Ash stood there by the cliff with Professor Oak officiating. She thought he looked as handsome as ever. Pikachu stood by his feet. She would still like to strangle Ash for nearly being late though. When they reached the end, Norman handed his daughter's hand to him.
She's so beautiful, Ash admired how amazing May looked. For a moment he spaced out while he looked at her. He couldn't believe this was the girl he was marrying. He knew he was a piece of work, but she put up with him since the day they met. She was the one.
"You made it," May whispered with a sly grin.
"A Swablu was about to hatch," Ash murmured his apology, smiling nervously.
May sighed and giggled. Oh Ash, she thought about his infinite love for Pokémon.
"We are gathered here today…" Professor Oak began the officiation. As he began to talk, the coordinator and trainer looked into each other eyes. Ash remembered May's words the night before they battled Omega, May pressed her chest against him and held his hands, "Ash, even when the road gets hard, I'll go anywhere if I'm with you." It felt like a lifetime ago, but those words always stuck with him. To Ash, the only thing better than becoming May's husband was the journey that led to it, and he was excited to begin the next part of their journey together.
I would never leave your side, May thought of Ash as the most important person in life. No rain or shine would break through them. As she pierced into his soul, she thought of Roxas and Sapphire. The children she bore with Ash in the future never left her mind since the day they defeated Omega. While they were personally some years away from becoming parents, she always thought about it. If anybody could make a great dad, it would be Ash, and she felt fortunate to be the one marrying him. This was only the beginning of their forever.
"Ash, do you take May to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, in good times and woe, for richer or poorer keeping yourself unto her for as long as you both shall live?" Professor Oak reached the declarations of intent.
"I do," Ash smiled, squeezing May's hands.
"May, do you take Ash to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, in good times and woe, for richer or poorer keeping yourself unto him for as long as you both shall live?" Professor asked the brunette.
"I do," May flashed the largest smile of her life.
"Then by the power invested in me, I now declare you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride," Professor Oak announced.
May lunged into Ash's arms. Ash held her tight as they locked lips. They sealed forever with a passionate kiss that received cheers, whistles, and applauses from all their friends and family. The Pokémon released attacks in the air to celebrate, although Pikachu made sure they were careful not to destroy anything. As Ash and May held each other with the sunset behind them, Ho-oh flew past their wedding. The Rainbow Pokémon saw the everlasting love and smiled, disappearing into the clouds.
The End. If you have any questions or thoughts about the story feel free to leave a review! I wrote the final chapters as a love letter to the Pokemon games (Yes, even Pokemon GO), the anime, and many of the characters. I elaborate a little more on this profile, but I hope you enjoyed everything. My apologies for the long wait, but I hope some of that wait was worth it!
