At around 4:00 in the morning, the Varpathion stopped, and survivors began rowing toward the ship. For the next 4 and a half hours, the crew of the Varpathion brought survivors on board and began collecting lifeboats. Blankets and coffee were provided for the survivors, who began lying down on the ship's top decks. A couple of the Vapathion's crewmen began collecting names to track who survived.
Ash and Serena lay down, napping on the floor of the forward deck, huddled together and sharing a blanket. Ash used a rolled-up blanket as a pillow while Serena laid her head on his chest. When Serena woke up past noon, she sat up and looked around with her and Ash's blanket covering half their body. Notably, most survivors resting on Varpathion's forward deck were third class passengers and Titanic staff members. They were also resting on the floor or huddled together, comforting each other for their losses. Maids passed by handing out drinks, and sailors had created a large pile of lifebelts. A couple of Titanic's firemen were standing at the starboard side smoking cigarettes that Varpathion's crew gave to help them keep warm. Some of the officers were still collecting names, and a couple of women had come up to them asking if they had their husbands' names on their list, begging them to say they were on the ship.
As Serena watched the women speak to the officers, she noticed someone coming down the steps to the forward deck from Varpathion's Bridge Deck, and her face became pale. Mivashkama was looking around with an ashen face and a long tear on the sleeve of his jacket. She overheard an officer coming to him, suggesting he didn't look around because no one in his class was there, but Mivashkama paid no mind.
Serena looked between Mivashkama and Ash before pulling her and Ash's blanket over them. She held onto Ash, praying Mivashkama would pass by. After a minute, Serena lifted the side of the blanket and saw Mivashkama's shoes as he passed them. Just then, Ash woke up, and he sat up to stretch. Serena tackled him back to a lying position and covered their bodies with the blanket again.
"Hey, what are you -?" Ash began before Serena covered his mouth.
"Be quiet and stay still. Mivashkama is here looking for us," Serena hissed.
Ash's eyes widened and froze in place, hoping Mivashkama didn't hear him. Serena lifted the blanket again, and her heart sank at seeing Mivashkama's feet pointing in their direction. Mivashkama slowly walked toward Ash and Serena, feeling sure that he recognized Ash's voice. Serena tightened her hold on Ash and prayed her ex-fiancee wouldn't find them. Mivashkama may not have Morfious, but there was still no telling how he would use his power as Lord of Hammerlocke to try to separate Ash and Serena again. Mivashkama stopped when he was about a foot away from the couple and took a knee. Ash and Serena shut their eyes and prepared for the worst as Mivashkama reached out for their blanket.
"MURDERER! MURDERER!"
Ash and Serena's eyes opened and they saw Mivashkama stand up and turn around. They couldn't see who was shouting, but they immediately recognized the voice.
"Chloe?" Ash whispered.
Serena lifted the blanket more to see everyone at the forward deck turn to Chloe. She was pointing at Mivashkama and looking daggers at him with tears in her eyes. She stormed toward Mivashkama, and two sailors held her back, thinking she was going to attack him.
"This man is a murderer!" Chloe screamed. "My husband and our friend just wanted to get into his boat just so they could survive!"
"Madame, please, control yourself," one of the sailors holding Chloe said.
"He beat our friend to death with an oar and then pushed my husband back! If he had found it in his heart to save them, my Goh would still be alive! Instead, he pushed him away, sending him to be crushed by a funnel. This man is a murderer!"
Ash's heart broke upon hearing that his best friend had died. He covered his mouth, trying to resist crying while he and Serena hid. Chloe tried to break free from the sailors' hold, but they kept her restrained. Mivashkama stared at Chloe for a moment, then scoffed condescendingly.
"This woman is delusional," he said. "Clearly, what happened last night has affected her state of mind. Understandable, really. Not like she has any proof anyway."
"I"m not delusional! I know exactly what I saw!" Chloe screamed. "You are a selfish, murdering dastard! The blood of Goh Walker and Gary Oak are in your hands!"
"Madame, please control yourself. You're speaking to the Lord of Hammerlocke," one of the sailors said.
"I don't care what he is! I will never stop until justice is done! Murderer! Murderer! Murderer!" Chloe screamed.
Mivashkama scoffed again, confounded that Chloe was so persistent. She was causing unwanted attention, and if she kept it up, rumors could spread that Mivashkama was a killer. She had no witnesses to back her up, but Mivashkama didn't want to take a chance when he knew that Gary Oak's blood was on his hands. Without a word, he returned to the Bridge Deck to go back to where the other first class passengers were resting.
Chloe continued shouting, "Murderer," even when Mivashkama was out of sight. The sailors continued to hold her back, thinking she would chase Mivashkama. Ash and Serena waited about 20 seconds to ensure the coast was clear before moving their blanket away and standing up.
"Chloe!" Ash called out.
Chloe turned to Ash and Serena and immediately stopped struggling. She went from surprise to joy, then to grief again, seeing the pain in Ash's eyes. Figuring Chloe wasn't going after Mivashkama anymore, the sailors let her go just as she ran toward Ash and Serena. Ash, Serena, and Chloe wrapped their arms around each other in a group hug, with Chloe crying on Ash's shoulder. Ash tried to control his emotions, but it wasn't long before he began weeping for Goh. Serena held Ash and Chloe tight, trying to comfort them while tears also ran down her face.
As she hugged Ash and Chloe, Serena's eyes opened slightly and then widened at the sight of Aunt Sonia walking down the steps to the forward deck. Aunt Sonia looked around with a desperate look until two elderly third class women, who were on Lifeboat 9, came up to her and expressed their gratitude for helping them get out of the ship. Aunt Sonia smiled and said they were welcome, but her eyes were away from the women.
"Sonia!" Serena called out.
Ash and Chloe broke the hug and turned to see Aunt Sonia looking at them in tears and with her hands on her mouth. She raced toward Ash, Serena, and Chloe, and they all joined together in a group hug. When they broke the hug, Aunt Sonia put her hands on Ash and Serena's shoulders.
"Thank God you're all alright. I thought I wouldn't find you," she said.
"Sonia, where's Molly? Did you get her into a boat?" Serena asked.
"Yes. She's on the other side of the ship with your stepmother, Rose, and many of the other first class passengers," Aunt Sonia said. "When your stepmother found her, she made sure that she stayed beside her. Molly secretly asked me to look for you. I can only imagine how relieved she'll be to discover that you didn't go down with the ship."
Serena smiled, relieved that Aunt Sonia had fulfilled her promise and that Molly would soon find out she was okay. Aunt Sonia looked around the deck again and grew uneasy.
"Speaking of which, is there any chance any of you have seen Timothy?" she asked.
Ash and Serena's smiles disappeared, and they looked away, unable to look Aunt Sonia in the eye.
"Mr. Durbin stayed behind," Ash said. "We saw him on the way to the stern, and… he gave us instructions on how we could survive and gave Serena his lifebelt. He was too shaken up to try to save himself."
Aunt Sonia looked at Ash, crushed. Deep down, she figured Timothy would not have made it, but she still hoped that he found a way to survive - perhaps found a lifeboat to get on. Aunt Sonia began to tear up again, heartbroken that her best friend had perished broken and unaware that she got into a lifeboat. Serena pulled Aunt Sonia to a side hug and rubbed her back as she wept. Eventually, Aunt Sonia wiped her tears, looked up at Chloe, and noticed that Goh wasn't with her.
"G-G-G-Goh didn't make it either. Did he?" Aunt Sonia whimpered.
"No. No, he didn't," Chloe said, sniffling. "And Mivashkama murdered Gary."
"He did what?!" Aunt Sonia shouted. "You saw this happen?"
"Yes, Gary and Goh were trying to get on his boat, and he killed Gary with his oar," Chloe said. "He was here a few minutes ago, and I called him out on killing him."
"Well, that explains why I saw him on the way here," Aunt Sonia said. "Did anyone else see this happen?
"No. Just me, as far as I know," Chloe said.
Aunt Sonia furrowed her brow.
"Well, that's going to make things difficult, but if you saw this happen, then I'll do everything I can to help you make your case," she said before turning to Ash. "Meantime, I'll see if I can find somebody to get those handcuffs off you."
"That would be great, but how will you convince them I'm not a criminal?" Ash asked.
"It's going to be tough, but I think we have the advantage of all of us testifying that you're innocent and, so long as Mivashkama and Oleana don't know you're alive, they should have no reason to throw you in jail just because you have cuffs when there's no one to accuse you and take you to trial. Worst comes to worst, I still have friends over at first class who have also survived and could make sure the crew sees it that way. Though honestly, I'm more concerned about where you three will go when we get to Wyndon."
"I wouldn't worry about that," Serena said confidently, reaching into her pocket. "We should have more than enough money to last us a while with -"
Serena's face fell, and she looked down at her coat pocket, feeling nothing there. She tried her other pocket, but there was nothing inside either. Ash grew concerned as Serena kept frantically searching through her pockets before turning to him in shock.
"It's gone. The Gieldanstone is gone," she said.
"What? But it was in your pocket," Ash said. "How can it not be there?"
"It must have gotten out of my pocket when we were in the water," Serena said. "We were being sucked down, there was an explosion underwater, we were swimming and trying to get out of the water; it could have slipped out of my pocket from any of those things."
Ash looked at his wife in disbelief and hung his head.
"Then we have nothing to sell to help us get started in our new life," he said, letting out a light chuckle. "I guess they really have no reason to throw me in jail when we don't even have the necklace I was accused of stealing. What cruel irony that Morfious was sent to kill us for nothing."
"Hold on. Mivashkama sent his manservant to kill you for that necklace?" Aunt Sonia asked.
"Yeah, we had to fight him to escape," Serena said.
"Is that why your cheek is purple?" Chloe asked.
Serena touched her cheek and winced in pain, forgetting that Morfious had punched her.
"I'll take that as a yes," Chloe said. "In any case, what are we going to do? We have no money, no necklace to sell, and everything we owned was on the ship."
Ash and Serena looked at each other in melancholy, unable how to answer. Aunt Sonia looked at her friends and the other third class survivors. Many, if not all, were in the same situation of not having any money, particularly those who had lost husbands and fathers. She wished she was a millionaire who could give every survivor all the money they needed to start their new lives in the Galar region as opposed to only being able to help some of them escape the sinking.
Suddenly, something clicked in Aunt Sonia's mind, and she snapped her fingers, smiling.
"I think I have another idea of how to use my connections with the first class folk."
The Varpathion sailed to Wyndon with the survivors for the next three days. Ash, Serena, and Chloe stayed in the forward deck while Aunt Sonia visited, regularly checking up on her friends and helping the crew bring meals to the third class passengers. Molly was overjoyed that Serena had made it with Ash. The women could not see each other without Oleana knowing, but knowing the other was alive comforted them.
Eventually, Varpathion's master-at-arms broke the cuffs off of Ash's hands. He was suspicious of being tricked into freeing a criminal, but for good measure, Aunt Sonia and Serena made up a name for the person who falsely accused Ash of theft. With no one in the list of survivors having that name, the Gieldanstone not in Ash's possession, and Titanic's master-at-arms and his men having perished in the sinking, there was no one to make a case against Ash. So, while not having the key, the master-of-arms figured out a way to break the cuffs, freeing Ash, but kept an eye on him for the rest of the voyage.
On the evening of April 18th, 1912, Varpathion arrived at Wyndon. Survivors at the forward deck went to the bow to look at the city as the ship grew closer. Many who had never been to Galar were awed by how beautiful the city looked at night, while others were just eager to get to land. Chloe smiled at how Wyndon was as grand as she, Goh, and Ash heard, but her heart broke at the sight of Wyndon's grand Ferris wheel that Goh said he'd take her to whenever she wanted.
The Varpathion reached the port, and survivors surrounded the gate while the dock workers set up a gangplank. When Aunt Sonia helped the crew bring dinner for the third class people earlier, she left Ash, Serena, and Chloe with instructions to stay out of sight until everyone else was off the ship. Ash, Serena, and Chloe were confused but decided to trust Aunt Sonia, figuring it might have something to do with Mivashkama and Oleana. They stayed on the ship's port side with their heads down while the other survivors got off the ship on the starboard side. Their confusion grew as they heard sounds of gratitude and the occasional cry of joy from the other side.
As more people got off the ship, Ash, Serena, and Chloe could see Aunt Sonia standing beside the gate to the way off the ship, handing out money to survivors getting off accompanied by Duchess Diantha, Iris, and several other first class passengers. An old couple was embracing, and a man hugging his two children, all crying in relief before they got off the ship. Duchess Diantha, Iris, and several other first class passengers handing out the money to the people getting off the ship, smiling and wished their fellow passengers the best of luck.
Eventually, everyone but Ash, Serena, Chloe, Aunt Sonia, and her group were still on the ship. Thinking there was no one left, Iris, Duchess Diantha, and the other remaining first class passengers shook hands with Aunt Sonia and wished each other luck before they got off the ship. Aunt Sonia waited until they were out of sight before she turned in the direction where her friends were hiding.
"Okay, guys, the coast is clear!" Aunt Sonia called out.
Ash, Serena, and Chloe hesitated before leaving their hiding spot and walking toward Aunt Sonia. Aunt Sonia gestured to them to go down the gangplank after her, and they all got off the Varpathion, with Aunt Sonia getting off last. They walked down the dock for a minute before Chloe stopped in front of everyone and turned to Aunt Sonia.
"Are you sure Mivashkama and Oleana are gone?" Chloe asked.
"Mivashkama was one of the first people getting off the ship, and Oleana got off with Chairman Rose and Molly shortly after Rose donated," Aunt Sonia assured.
"Donated? For what?" Ash asked.
Aunt Sonia smirked and pointed at herself with her thumb.
"Well, you're looking at the chairwoman of the Survivor's Committee," she said.
"The Survivor's Committee?" Ash, Serena, and Chloe asked simultaneously.
"Yup. I talked with Chairman Rose and some of my fellow passengers in first class, and we established the committee in which they elected me to be the chair," Aunt Sonia said. "We've been spending the rest of the voyage donating money for non-first class passengers and reuniting families. We raised almost 10 grand for our fellow passengers."
Ash, Serena, and Chloe couldn't believe their ears. In today's money, $10,000 back in the 1910s amounts to about $200,000. To say it was amazing that so many first class passengers donated some of their wealth to help those of the lower class on top of helping them reunite with their loved ones is an understatement. Whenever Ash, Serena, and Chloe looked back on that evening at the dock, they were thankful that, despite the social differences, there were people in first class who showed kindness and compassion to the less fortunate in such horrible times.
"Sonia, I don't know how to thank you on behalf of people like us," Ash said.
"Oh, don't worry about it, Ash. I'm grateful for the support I got to make all of this possible," Aunt Sonia said. "Although, I wanted to catch you guys after we made land because I have a proposition with you all."
"What's that?" Serena asked.
Aunt Sonia's smile grew, and she said, "Well, I was sailing home to go show my findings with my grandmother and her team in Wedgehurst. I lost all of my documents in the sinking, but my team back in Kanto has backup copies of my papers and photos. And friends? Friends are invaluable. So, I sent a telegram to my grandmother, who accepted my idea that we let you stay at our house in Wedgehurst.
"Oh, we couldn't do that," Ash said. "I don't feel comfortable with the idea of just staying at someone's house."
"I'm not saying you guys will be staying with me for free," Aunt Sonia said. "The archeological world is full of mysteries yet to be discovered, and I want to discover them all. That's why I was in Kanto to begin with. So, I was thinking that if you work with me we can stay together exploring ruins and uncovering artifacts. Maybe we'll make another big discovery like Pokémopolis. Heck, maybe you can make money out of drawings you make on our expeditions, Ash. I'm not guaranteeing this will turn out to be the new life you guys are looking for here in Galar, but if you stay with me we'll all be together and you'll have time to pick yourself up and figure out where to go from there."
For about half a minute or so, Ash, Serena, and Chloe didn't say anything. Aunt Sonia's smile began to fade as she was certain they were going to say yes right away. Ash and Serena looked at each other and smiled sadly before turning back to Aunt Sonia with Ash's arm around Serena's shoulder.
"Sonia, we appreciate your offer from the bottom of our hearts, but I'm afraid Serena and I have to say no," he said.
"The thing is, we already planned to live our new life together, traveling and having no idea what tomorrow brings like Ash has been doing for most of his life," Serena said. "We do not have my necklace to sell, but we still made it here in a region we have never set foot in."
"You can still do that with me. There's plenty of expeditions yet to go on here in Galar," Aunt Sonia said.
"I'm sure there is, but we got married planning to face the unknown on our own terms," Serena said.
Aunt Sonia frowned in disappointment. She wished she didn't have to be apart from her new friends again mere days after surviving a deadly disaster. And yet, it was fitting to Aunt Sonia that the newlyweds would stick to their plan with Ash being the poor man he was and how much Serena had changed since the night they met. Aunt Sonia sighed and gave her friends a sad smile.
"Well, you guys have a knack of facing terrible odds on your own, and you survived when so many people sadly have not, so I certainly hope you can keep it up," she said. "What about you, Chloe? You gonna join Ash and Serena in their new life together?"
"No. I'm going to take you up on your offer, Sonia," Chloe said.
"What? But why?" Ash asked. "We've been traveling together for years. Don't you want to travel the region with Serena and me?"
"I've traveled from place to place with you because Goh was with us. With me," Chloe said. "Like you, Serena, I knew what I was getting into when I married my husband. I was all too willing to live a poor life away from home because that's how much I love Goh. Now that I lost him, I have no reason to live that life anymore, even if it means being away from you two. The way I see it, it's your turn to live your married life going from place to place for better or worse. Me? Goh and I got on that ship hoping for a better life here, and even if Goh's not with me, I think he'd agree that going to Wedgehurst and working for Sonia would be a good way to start, if nothing else."
Ash stared at Chloe, taken aback that she had made her decision so quickly. Just as Aunt Sonia didn't want to be separated from her friends, it seemed cruel that he'd no longer be traveling with either of his longtime companions, even when one of them was still alive. Serena put her hand on his shoulder and gave him an encouraging smile, assuring him that it was okay. Ash hesitated before he smiled back and turned to Chloe.
"Well, if you're sure Goh would've wanted you to do this, then best of luck," he said. "Sonia, you better take good care of her."
"Hey, your wife trusted me to get her maid to safety, and I made sure it was done. I'll make sure Chole is as safe and supported as possible," Aunt Sonia declared. "Speaking of support, I want you two to have something."
Aunt Sonia reached into her pocket and took out $35, which today would have the purchasing power of over $1,000. She put the money in Ash's hand and closed his hand with a smile.
"This is the last of the donated money," Aunt Sonia said. "I know it's hardly what you would've gotten if you sold the necklace, but I'd rather you start with something. You'll need new clothes and a place to stay for a while. Plus, I believe you two still need to get your wedding rings. I only wish I could give you more."
"It's more than enough to last us a little while, Sonia," Ash said. "I know how to use what little money I have carefully."
"Yeah, when you don't go betting everything in a poker game," Chloe remarked.
Ash chuckled and scratched the back of his head sheepishly. Serena giggled and took the money from Ash's hand.
"Perhaps I'll manage our money just to be on the safe side," she said. "I may have been rich, but I still knew how to spend my money during my travels."
"I guess I have no choice when you say it like that," Ash said.
Serena and Aunt Sonia chuckled while Chloe smirked in approval. With the matters settled, they walked to Wyndon's train station just in time to discover that the last train of the evening going south to Wedgehurst was departing in about 15 minutes. Wanting to get home sooner, Aunt Sonia and Chloe decided to buy tickets, and then they, Ash, and Serena found a bench to sit on and wait until the train began boarding. Ash and Chloe embraced, tearing up before they switched, hugging Aunt Sonia and Serena, respectively. When they finished hugging goodbye, Aunt Sonia put her hands on Ash and Serena's shoulders again and smiled with tears still in her eyes.
"If you ever find yourself in Wedgehurst, my grandmother's house is east of the town, just around the lake. You can't miss it. Even if Chloe and I are out on an expedition, my grandmother will always be there. Just don't take too long to come visit," Aunt Sonia said.
"We won't. Promise," Ash said.
"I'm counting on you to take good care of Ash, Serena," Chloe said.
"I will. Lord be with you both," Serena said.
"And you as well," Chloe said.
With that, Aunt Sonia and Chloe got on the train, and shortly afterward, the train began to depart. Aunt Sonia and Chloe opened a window to wave at Ash and Serena, and Ash and Serena waved back until the train was out of sight. Ash wiped a tear from his eye before he turned to his wife.
"So, here's what I'm thinking; we find the cheapest hotel to spend the night. In the morning, we'll get our rings, I'll get a new sketchbook and drawing equipment, and then we'll buy a newspaper and see if there's a theater holding auditions for dancers," Ash said.
"I imagine a cheap hotel room won't be the most comfortable place in the world," Serena said.
"In my experience, we'll be lucky if the bed is as comfortable as the bunk beds were on the ship," Ash said.
"Well, it's a good thing I have a husband to cuddle with, so it's not so bad," Serena said with a coquettish smile.
Ash chuckled with a toothy grin while scratching under his nose.
"I guess anything doesn't sound so bad when you say it like that," he said. "So, ready to live a life of uncertainty with me?"
Serena's flirtatious look melted into a look of unfeigned love, and she connected her lips with Ash's. Ash didn't hesitate to kiss her back and squeeze her. The couple kissed fervidly and held the last kiss, with Serena letting out a moan of pleasure. When they parted, Serena held on to Ash with her arms wrapped around his neck and her right hand playing with his hair.
"More than anything," Serena said.
Ash grinned and pulled Serena in for one more kiss. They exited the train station with Serena holding Ash's arm and resting her head on his shoulder. Walking down the street, they looked around Wyndon's massive buildings and imagined the possibilities in Galar's capital. They were in God's hands with what was in store, and as long as they had each other, there was no other place they'd rather be.