Normal POV
It was only a couple hours or so after departure from the now-destroyed Team Rocket base before Charizard arrived back in Sootopolis City with Ash, Michelle, and Pikachu. But to his passengers, and especially to Michelle, it might as well have been an entire year. And indeed, no sooner had Charizard landed when Michelle hurriedly jumped off and onto the solid wood of the Sootopolis Harbor dock, panting and gasping as she worked to regain her breath. Ash, meanwhile, got himself off more slowly with his Pikachu on his shoulder, still feeling slightly winded and in need of rest, from his fight with Paul. But even so, he was just steady enough on his feet to stand tall as he placed a hand on Charizard's head.
"Thanks, Charizard." he said appreciatively. "You really did great today. Take a long rest, you've earned it. I'll make sure that you get some extra good food for your dinner tonight."
Charizard grumbled, nodding his head as if to say, "you're welcome". Ash chuckled and placed his right hand upon a nearby dock post for balance before drawing out Charizard's Pokeball with his left hand and returning his mighty Pokemon.
Michelle, meanwhile, got back to her feet and rushed over to Ash, a frantic look on her face as she was close to tears.
"Is Adam okay?!" she screamed. "Did the Legendary Pokemon that you summoned rescue him in time?!"
Ash gritted his teeth, not entirely sure how best to answer Michelle just yet...and then his eyes widened at the sound of a particularly distinctive Pokemon call from the sky that he would have recognized anywhere. With a nod of his head and a slight chuckle of relief, he pointed towards the sky in the direction that the noise had come from.
In a flash, Michelle turned her head, eyes widened before then softening in relief at the sight of none other than Latias flying down towards her, Ash, and Pikachu, with Adam visibly safe and sound on her back.
Oh, thank Arceus. she thought to herself as Latias slowly descended down to a stop upon the pier.
Clearly, Latias had been the Legendary Pokemon that Ash had summoned in his last ditch effort at saving Adam. And considering how this was the same Latias that Ash had befriended in Altomare, plus the fact that she was both big enough to carry Adam and fast enough to swiftly rocket through the Team Rocket base and back out to sea within seconds before the island's explosive destruction, it only made sense that she was the one that Ash had summoned for this task. Latias then landed and Adam hopped off her back as she assumed her human form.
The sight of Adam returning safely was all that Michelle needed as she rushed over towards him and gave him a very swift punch on his right shoulder. Adam grunted, wincing from the pain of the blow as he reflexively placed his left hand on his shoulder.
"You crazy head! You trying to give us all a heart attack or something?! Nearly getting yourself killed all over again?! And after I'd promised Amber and Megan to prevent you from doing exactly that?!" Michelle screamed.
Adam let out a nervous chuckle and said, "Uh...sorry?"
Michelle shook her head in resignation, muttering, "One of these days, I swear..."
She then wrapped her arms around Adam in a relieved and grateful hug, which Adam quickly returned, while also giving her a reassuring pat on the back of her head.
Latias, meanwhile, had walked over to Ash in her human form. At that moment, Ash had fallen to his knees despite his best efforts at using the dock post to keep himself standing. Latias was more than willing to help him back to his feet.
"Don't worry, I've got you." she said as she slipped her pale-skinned right arm under Ash's left arm and around his shoulders to allow herself to help Ash back up. She then slowly got herself and Ash back up to full height, even allowing Ash to lean on her physically. She had a strong feeling that he'd need to lean on her in an emotional fashion as well.
"Thanks, I'll be okay. And thank you for rescuing Adam." Ash said in a grateful tone.
Latias smiled, a warm look on her pale-skinned and amber-eyed face as she nodded her head, her human form's scarlet-red hair billowing gently in the Sootopolis harbor breeze, giving her an alluring image.
"I would gladly do anything to help you and your family."
And she would. Even Ash, as in love with Dawn as he was, and would always be, would not forget just how deep Latias's own feelings for him were. It would only be fair for Latias to manifest her care for him by doing everything in her power to protect him and his family.
But then Ash glanced over to where Michelle and Adam were splitting out of their hug. His eyes narrowed irritably and a firm glare came on his face.
"Think you can try to let me stand on my own for a little bit?" he asked Latias. "I've got a few...words that I'd like to say my son."
Latias nodded and stepped aside, allowing Ash to once again stand without aid. And while his legs briefly wobbled, he gritted his teeth and soldiered on to where Adam and Michelle were positioned.
"Adam?" he growled.
Adam winced, clearly realizing from his dad's tone that he was in trouble.
"Yes...Dad?"
"Care to explain what you were thinking back on Team Rocket's island? When you disobeyed my orders to get to safety and nearly got yourself killed...again?"
Adam sighed and explained, "I had to at least try, Dad." He then pointed his finger at Ash in an almost accusatory fashion. "You'd have done the same thing for your friends if you'd been in my shoes! You and Mom have told me all about the times you did exactly that when you were my age!"
"And yet you could have easily let me help you." Ash said, a noticeable edge creeping into his voice. He pointed his own finger at Adam in a similarly accusatory fashion. "Need I remind you of how I told you to get out with Michelle so that you could evacuate with Antonio after you'd already chosen to not leave on the sub with Brittany and your friends like you were originally supposed to? I even offered to step in and get Trevor out for you, and how did you respond?! There's a fine line between being a hero and being selfish. And throwing my offer to help you in my face like you did? That was definitely a case of the latter! And don't think that I won't make sure that your Mom is made aware of that little stunt!"
"Oh, like you would have behaved any differently? Dad, if I'm to take your position as Pokemon Master in the future, I need to prove to you and myself that I'm strong enough to protect my friends with my own power and strength without any help! Just like you do, Dad!"
"And if you'd successfully gotten Trevor out and made it out alive, that would be one thing. But answer me this: Do you see Trevor anywhere around us right now? Because I sure don't!"
Adam gritted his teeth, his fists clenched at the bitter reminder of how he'd ultimately failed to get Trevor out in time.
Ash continued, "And what's worse, since I only ended up continuing to be worried about you as a result of you refusing my offer to help, I ended up caught off-guard by Paul and ended up losing any chance I could have had to get Trevor safely extracted for you, as a result of my attention being forced to switch over to Paul in the time that I could have spent summoning Latias, or any Legendary Pokemon to come swooping in to his rescue. Which meant that not only did you fail to find Trevor, but you also forced me to fail to save him by virtue of me being forced to not even try!"
Adam sighed in defeat. "Okay, fine. I screwed up, okay?! Don't you think that I feel bad enough already?!"
"Well, think about how the rest of us would have felt if you'd died!" Ash yelled. "Really think about it, Adam! Don't you think that your mother's already had it bad enough in the years that you and her spent together without me?!"
Adam winced, closing his eyes and gritting his teeth at the reminder of when his father had been forcibly absent from his and his mom's lives because of Team Rocket. Seeing this, Ash pressed his advantage.
"And better yet, all your talk about proving yourself? It hardly would have amounted to anything meaningful if you'd died in that explosion! Even if, by some miracle. you'd successfully gotten him out, you'd have hardly been able to really enjoy your success if you died! You'd have essentially died for nothing! And that's hardly the mark of a future Pokemon Master, isn't it? Your sentiments are admirable, but needlessly killing yourself when there are safer options available won't save anyone, let alone your friends. And it certainly won't prove your worth as a trainer."
Adam sighed, his body slumping over in exhaustion as his rage left him. He then asked, "Then how are you able to do it without help, Dad? Please tell me. What am I missing that you have?"
"Well, before I answer that," Ash stated, pointing meaningfully at his Pikachu, "Tell me this: Does using your Pokemon count as not having help?"
Adam's eyes widened, realizing how his talk about "not having help" could easily be misconstrued.
"Technically, it does. I'm referring to help from other PEOPLE. Your Pokemon help you, yes. And mine help me. But as a person, you're able to do it alone with them."
Ash sighed in relief at his son's answer and thought, Thank Arceus he isn't becoming like Paul. If he was going to go so far as to refuse help even from his Pokemon, we would have had an even more serious problem.
"I've also gotten old enough and wise enough to know that there are times when it's sometimes better to accept help." Ash explained. "I'm sure you've probably already been told about this, but I was insanely lucky when I was your age. And Team Rocket? Back then, I largely only had to deal with Jessie and James, and we all know how defeating them usually wasn't a particularly high bar to clear. And even in the times that I did encounter an enemy who was willing to try and kill me, those enemies never actually succeeded."
"I understand that Team Rocket wasn't as dangerous back then." Adam said, then narrowed his eyes in confusion. "Wait a minute...are you saying...that I'm not as lucky as you were when you were young, Dad?"
"Not entirely. But I AM saying that Team Rocket, and the world in general these days, is no longer in a position where you and I can afford to be as insanely reckless as I was back when all I had to primarily worry about were Jessie and James's incompetent antics. Let me put it this way: You're still plenty lucky, but I just want you to not be too reliant on your luck alone. I still remember how I refused to call for help on the day that I got taken away by Team Rocket. I thought that my Pokemon were strong enough to fight off anything...and look where that decision got me."
"Yeah...I remember. That was the worst day of my life, and Mom's."
Adam then thought to himself, now fully processing everything that his dad had told him. Then he winced as it fully hit him about just how close he'd come to suffering what truly would have been a meaningless death. Now that he really thought about it, since Trevor had already vanished from the area entirely by the time he'd arrived at the hangar where he'd heard Trevor battling against Michael, then Adam truly would have died for nothing if his dad hadn't gotten Latias to him in time. And as he had this thought, he also took note of just how swiftly Latias had swooped in and gotten him out. It had seemed that between her arrival and subsequent departure, only about five or ten seconds had passed. That was far less time than he himself had taken to rush over to the entrance to the hangar, after his dad had seemingly accepted his decision to stay and continue his effort at rescuing Trevor without any further comment...something that he now bitterly realized had much more likely been the result of Paul interrupting and drawing his dad's attention. Adam hung his head, now realizing even further the truth in his dad's statements.
All that time that I spent running to the hangar and subsequently searching it in disbelief...I could have been getting out of the base and aboard one of the boats or helicopters during that time. The fact that it only took five or ten seconds for Latias to extract me before the base exploded? She'd have been able to do the same for Trevor with even more time to spare before the base's explosion if I'd allowed Dad the chance to summon her then. Heck, even if I'd just agreed with Dad and left with my friends. My dad's right, I did almost die for nothing. And worse, I failed to get him out myself...and ensured that my dad failed to get him out as well, by robbing him of the chance to even try.
"You're right, Dad. I was being too selfless. Selfless enough to being selfish instead. And I almost died for nothing. I'm...so sorry." Adam admitted, nearly crying.
Ash nodded, placing his hands on Adam's shoulders in reassurance, and calmly stated, "Just accept this as a learning experience. You don't have to stop trying your hardest to save your friends when they need it. Just try to get a better idea of how to pick your battles. Sometimes it truly is better to let someone else assist you, or retreat to live to fight another day."
A sudden sound of a large object rising out of the water caused Ash and Adam to turn their heads in the direction of the ocean, with Michelle and the transformed Latias doing the same, just in time for them all to catch sight of the submarine rising out of the water not too far from where they were currently positioned. The entrance to the sub then opened up and Jason climbed out first while helping pull Brittany up.
"I know that I said it didn't look good," Jason said while looking down towards the inside of the submarine, "But I'm still willing to hope that Adam's alive and well. Even if for Brittany's sake."
"I'm sure he's alive." Brittany said, also looking down in the same direction. "So long as no explicit confirmation is made to indicate otherwise, I'm willing to believe that he made it out somehow and survived. It's what Aunt Dawn would do."
Jason fully exited the sub and jumped down onto the pier, taking Brittany with him. Then Megan's head showed up at the top of the ladder leading into the submarine.
"Well, don't get your hopes too high." Megan stated, a resigned stoic quality to her voice as she clambered out of the sub and joined Jason and Brittany on the pier.
"Yeah." Amber grumbled as she began to climb out of the sub, her own face looking noticeably numb and her eyes looking red, as if she'd spent an hour or two crying. "Like Jason said, his chances aren't looking good."
This was all that Adam needed to hear, and he stepped in the sub's direction right as Amber came to a landing on the pier after letting herself slide down the side of the sub.
"Hey, guys!" he yelled, making absolutely certain that his voice was as loud as he could manage, to ensure that his friends would hear him. "Looking for me?"
Eyes widening, Jason and the girls turned their heads just in time to see Adam standing not too far ahead of them, alongside Michelle, Ash, and a redheaded woman that they didn't remember having seen before. But in that moment, all of their focus was on the fact that Adam was present, alive and well.
"See? I told you that he was alive." Brittany stated happily while smiling.
Megan let out a slight gasp of relief, small tears of joy starting to form in her eyes at the sight of Adam alive. Amber, however, rushed right at Adam as tears began swiftly pouring down her face as she directed her focus at the boy that she'd spent the last hour or two believing to be dead.
Michelle and Ash, eyes widening at the sight of this, quietly stepped aside, having a strong feeling of what would soon unfold. Adam winced, his earlier relieved smile turning into a nervous half-grimace as he realized how Amber would likely act upon reaching him.
Amber swiftly came to a stop right in front of Adam...and promptly slapped him across his left cheek with her right palm. Adam yelped in pain, his eyes widening in shock and teeth gritting in discomfort as he felt the slightly burning sting of the slap. Amber grabbed his shirt, her teeth gritted and tears still pouring down her cheeks.
"You...idiot..." she hissed, anger and sadness in her voice as she looked him straight in the eyes. "I thought that you were dead!"
Adam winced, a clear look of regret on his face as he remembered the promise he'd made to Amber and Megan prior to heading back into the base with Michelle, one that Michelle herself had promised she'd do everything in her power to make sure he honored.
"I'm sorry..." he managed to weakly say.
Amber sniffled, her legs almost shaking as she maintained her hold on Adam's shirt. Then she started lightly pounding her fists against his chest while hanging her head down and still crying.
"You idiot... You idiot... You idiot..." Amber kept repeating softly.
Then she completely broke down, wrapping her arms around Adam's neck and lowering her head onto his shoulder while sobbing her eyes out, her blonde hair messily draped over her shoulders as she did so. Adam briefly stood completely still, too stunned to quite fully process Amber's reaction. He eventually let a guilty look come over his face and wrapped his arms around her while also lowering his head so that it rested against her own.
"It's alright, Amber." he said quietly into her ear just loud enough for her to hear. "I'm okay."
The sound of footsteps slowly heading towards him and Amber caused him to look back up just in time to see Jason and Megan coming to a stop nearby with Brittany. Jason had an awkward half-smile on his face, Brittany had an amused smirk on her face, and Megan had a half-relieved and half-slightly-jealous look on her face because of Amber's actions.
"There they are!"
Eyes widening, Ash and the kids, Amber included, all turned their heads in time to see none other than Ashlyn, Nikki, Skye, and Christina rushing into the harbor and down the pier, clearly very eager to reunite with them, now that they'd all made it back safely.
At the sight of the four girls who'd stayed behind in Sootopolis City rushing over, Adam parted from Amber's embrace and stepped back towards his father, with Jason and Brittany doing the same. Right now, it seemed prudent to let all of the coordinator girls properly reunite together.
Sure enough, within seconds, all of the girls were giving each other hugs of joy and relief, some of them even crying tears of joy as they all expressed their happiness at seeing each other again. Even Amber was starting to look noticeably happier, even though she was still crying, with the joy of reuniting with her friends combining with her relief at Adam being alive.
But then Nikki took a brief glance in the direction where Adam, Jason, and Brittany were positioned...and her eyes widened, face turning pale in horror as she realized how a certain other important person wasn't there.
"Trevor?" she asked, a noticeable hushed tone to her voice as she fully processed the absence of her brother. She looked around, eyes becoming increasingly panicked as she saw no sign of Trevor and all too many signs of her friends starting to look guilty and saddened. "Where is he? Where's my brother?"
All eyes looked at Adam, who stepped forward with a regretful nod.
"I'm sorry, Nikki. I couldn't save him." Adam said. "We'd all gotten back to the sub with Brittany before he informed us that he was planning to stay behind, due to having found Hunter Michael, and decided to try battling him. Michelle and I went back in to try to get him out, and I heard the sounds of a battle going on between him and Michael in one of the hangars. But by the time I got to the hangar that the noises were coming from, the battle was over, and there was no sign of Trevor or Michael. And considering how the base blew up only thirty seconds or so after it finally sunk in that he was nowhere to be found..." He shook his head and sighed in regret. "I'm really sorry. I tried to find him and I stayed until the last minute, not giving up...but I couldn't."
Nikki stepped back, her face full of sorrow and disbelief.
"No..." she whimpered, clearly struggling to accept what was clearly being implied. "No...no..." And then, in the blink of an eye, she completely shattered. "NOOOOOOOOO!" she howled, eyes snapped shut and bursting with tears as she slammed her hands atop her head and clenched her fingers into her hair before she turned and ran back up the pier, crying her eyes out and screaming at the top of her lungs.
Seeing her pain, Michelle and the rest of the girls all moved as if to go running after her, all of them clearly feeling the need to try and comfort their friend. But then Ash extended his arm as if to block them off. Surprised, they all looked to him as he shook his head.
"No." Ash said. He directed a look of pity in the direction that Nikki was currently running. "Let her have a little time on her own to grieve first. Trust me, she'll need it."
All the girls looked at each other, then towards where Nikki had run off, then back at Ash.
"If you say so." Megan said, nodding.
Amber nodded as well, sighing in resignation while also feeling slightly guilty at how she herself had been grieving over the assumed death of Adam.
"Understood. Just don't keep us away from her for too long. She'll need shoulders to cry on sooner or later." Michelle added.
"Michelle! Over here!"
Hearing the sound of Robyn's voice, Michelle turned her head in time to see Misty, Ross, and Robyn standing at the area where Nikki, Ashlyn, Skye, and Christina had been positioned earlier.
Giggling with joy, Robyn went rushing over to Michelle, practically charging like a Tauros in her eagerness to reunite with her adoptive big sister. She snapped her arms around Michelle's waist in a tight Beartic hug.
"I knew you'd make it back alive!" she squealed in delight, tightening her embrace even more in the process.
Michelle chuckled, a warm smile on her face as she affectionately patted her adoptive little sister on the head.
Misty and Ross, meanwhile, made their way over at a comparatively slower pace than Robyn, with Misty temporarily breaking away from Ross as he continued towards Michelle and Robyn, so she herself could go and personally welcome Ash back. She and Ash shared a warm hug.
"I'm glad that you made it back alive yet again." Misty stated.
She then directed a meaningful look towards Latias, a warm smile of gratitude forming on her face as she recognized the current human form that she'd taken, thanks to Ash telling her and the rest of his companions about this particular form she'd taken during their visit to Altomare the previous year.
Then the sound of spinning helicopter rotors and honking boat horns split the air. Everyone on the pier turned their heads to see the helicopters and boats returning from the island. Before long, the vehicles all began landing and docking, with the agents disembarking and removing the wounded. It was around this same time that those who'd already been in the harbor prior to this arrival heard the sound of ambulance sirens going off as these ambulances finally arrived. The sight of this caused Ash to smile, now knowing that the wounded members of the assault team would be in good hands.
Then a particularly distinctive-looking helicopter landed, and none other than Antonio, Annie, Oakley, and Darien stepped out.
The sight of her father caused Brittany's eyes to widen with joy as she shouted, "DAD!"
Darien's eyes widened in brief surprise before softening with relief as he turned his head to see Brittany, with a warm smile of relief forming on his face as he caught sight of his joyfully grinning daughter waving at him.
"Brittany... Oh, thank Arceus."
He made his way over to Brittany, who eagerly rushed over to join up with her dad. Within seconds, the two were hugging.
"I'm alright, Dad." Brittany reassured him. "Adam and his friends got me out."
At the same time, Antonio successfully reached Amber, with Annie and Oakley close behind him. Amber hugged her father in relief.
"Good to see that you made it back, Dad." said Amber.
"Same to you." he said.
Darien and Brittany soon ended their embrace and Darien stood up and drew out a Pokeball.
"I believe that I have someone else who'd greatly appreciate seeing you again." he said as he handed the Pokeball to Brittany.
Brittany, eyes wide with joy, eagerly claimed the Pokeball before tossing it into the sky. It opened up to reveal none other than her Glaceon, landing comfortably in Brittany's arms.
"I'm so glad that you're okay!" Brittany squealed in delight as she hugged Glaceon as tightly as she could without hurting her, who purred appreciatively while rubbing her head against Brittany's cheek in joyful relief at being reunited.
"We found her Pokeball outside the contest hall. You dropped it when you were captured." Darien explained. "And I think we'd all be glad to know how you first got taken by Team Rocket after the Wallace Cup, and if you know what they did to you while in their custody...if you can, and if you feel comfortable talking about it, of course."
"I remember making it out the front door of the contest hall." Brittany began. "I'd managed to make it there ahead of Megan, Adam, and their friends. I'd just taken a seat at the base of a nearby tree when I was suddenly grabbed by the wrist from behind. I remember grabbing onto Glaceon's Pokeball in a panic, but someone else knocked the ball out of my hand before the one who first grabbed my wrist slapped their other hand over my mouth. I remember getting carried off into a nearby alleyway, where they tied me up and taped my mouth shut before stuffing me into a sack and carrying me off. I was able to struggle for a while, and I remember them loosening the sack at one point to allow my head to pop out for some air while we were on a helicopter. But that was also when I found myself face-to-face with a Gengar just in time for it to use Hypnosis on me and put me to sleep. As far as I can recall, that was the last event that I was awake for, before I woke up in some operating room with Megan and Adam looking down at me, not to mention no longer being tied up and with the tape no longer on my mouth."
"You certainly weren't tied up or gagged when we found you." Adam said. "We found you asleep in the operating room that you just mentioned."
"She had some sort of odd helmet machine on her head. Not entirely sure what it was, but I was able to reasonably guess that it was perhaps something designed to alter her memories or cause havoc on her mind. Thankfully, it wasn't hard to deactivate, and we were able to quickly get her to wake up afterwards." Megan added.
"A mind alteration helmet?" Darien muttered in disgust. "I remember my father having several of those in production during my time working for him."
"Are you sure that you didn't hear anything while you were asleep?" Megan asked.
Brittany thought to herself for a moment, then said, "Well, I might have heard a couple of muted voices once or twice. But they sounded far away, nowhere near close enough for me to make out what was being said. But I feel fine, so I'm guessing that whatever it was that they tried to do to my mind with that helmet must have failed, right?"
"We can certainly hope so. I mean, you don't seem to have undergone any major changes in your personality, and I'm currently willing to believe that none of your most important memories have been significantly altered. Granted, depending on just how long it was on you, the helmet may have still managed to manipulate your mind and memories in more subtle ways that wouldn't be easy to notice at first glance. But for the time being, I'm sure that we can safely assume that nothing too extreme has happened to you." Darien reassured her.
"I hope you're right." said Brittany.
She then looked over at Adam, an unexpectedly sad look starting to form on her face before she then hung her head.
Adam curiously raised his eyebrow and asked, "Is something wrong, Brittany?"
Brittany sighed and explained, "Remember what you told me before leaving Pallet Town to go on your Hoenn journey? About me joining you on your next journey after this one? I'm not sure that I want to anymore."
"What? Why?"
"Team Rocket's already captured me twice now. They obviously think I'm worth having in their custody for some reason, thanks to my dad's past with them, so they'll no doubt try to capture me again. If I travel with you and your friends, I'll only be putting you all in danger."
"You mean they'll come after us? The same thing they've already been doing for the last few years?" Jason asked.
"As much as I'd like to believe that Jason could have been less blunt about it, he has a point." said Megan. "Team Rocket? They already had reasons to go after your cousin, well before they set their sights on you. They'll be going after him and his friends whether you travel with them or not."
"They're right, Brittany." Adam agreed. "Team Rocket was already going after me and my friends before I even knew that you existed. And they're not just gonna suddenly stop if you don't come with me. But at least with us, you'll have allies on your side nearby to protect you. Besides, I was in your shoes earlier in my Hoenn journey. And ultimately, my friends were able to convince me to see reason and understand that traveling on my own without them to help me would be far worse than letting them suffer the danger alongside me. I won't force you to go with me if you really don't want to, but don't expect me to just automatically let you go off on your own or stay at home during my next journey, either. Because believe me, the only difference you'll make by not coming with me is your likelihood of having someone to help and protect you the next time Team Rocket comes after you."
"Well, I suppose you all have a valid point, but let me have some time to think it over a little more." said Brittany.
"Take however long you need." Adam said.
Amber nodded in agreement with Adam, then looked back to her dad's group. Now was starting to seem like a good time for her to ask about something that had been weighing heavily on her mind in recent times.
"Oakley?" Amber asked, then took a deep breath. "I noticed that you went out of your way to help me on the island twice. And forgive me if I sound not trusting and faithless, but I couldn't help but wonder if you were only doing so because my dad told you to."
"I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that that thought crossed your mind." she stated. "Honestly, considering the kind of person that I was back in your grandfather's time, I'm surprised that I'm the one that your father fell for. After all, considering how I was the more ruthless one compared to Annie, there was a time where I figured that she'd be the one your father would go for. Or for that matter, remember how you mentioned to me a couple of nights ago how Master Ketchum's son apparently thought that Domino was the one that your father had chosen? I honestly wouldn't have been surprised myself if she had been the one he'd picked instead. After all, her loyalty to your grandfather could have easily translated into love for your father, not to mention that she looked the most like your mother, judging by pictures I've seen of her.
"But when your father told me how my ability to hold my own and get results in missions without major assistance, not to mention how fiercely I could fight to defend myself and those that I care about? That's when I truly accepted that I was the woman that he wanted in his life. But I was also determined to prove my worth to you as well, Amber. I may not be your biological mother, but I'd truly love nothing more than to consider you my daughter, regardless. And I especially wanted to prove to you that I could truly genuinely love you in that way and prove that I wouldn't only be accepting you as my daughter out of obligation from marrying your father.
"In particular, not only was I in the audience to watch your performances in the Wallace Cup, but I also made sure to spend time with you in the city during appropriate times in which you weren't busy at the contest hall, have multiple conversations with you, and even sit outside to watch the stars with you on the night immediately before the day of the finals and semifinals."
"I had a feeling that that would be an especially wise activity of yours for her to take part in, alongside you." Antonio stated while looking at Amber. "After all, your mother used to sit outside at night and watch the stars with you on her lap a lot before she died."
Amber's eyes widened as she belatedly remembered her father having told her about this detail before. Then a warm smile came onto her face as it fully settled in just how much it truly mattered to Oakley that Amber accept and love her like a mother, which was something that she couldn't help but now feel that she'd unwittingly been taking for granted. She looked at Oakley, privately holding back tears of joy, then abruptly hugged her.
Oakley, who, up until that moment had sported an awkward half-smile of uncertainty, widened her eyes in surprise at this unexpected act of blatant affection from Amber. But then she heard Amber's next words, just barely loud enough for her to hear.
"I love you. And now I know the true reason why my dad also loves you. And if the day comes where he proposes to you, I'd be happy to call you my mom, and Annie as my new aunt." Amber whispered in a heartfelt tone.
For what felt like an eternity, Oakley remained stunned and speechless. But then her eyes narrowed as she struggled to not cry and she tightened her own arms around Amber to return her embrace.
"Thank you." she finally managed to say in a whisper. "You have no idea how much it means to me to hear you finally say that."
Antonio and Annie stepped into position to add their own embraces into the mixture. As this group hug unfolded, everyone else in the area couldn't help but smile warmly, though not without some of them awkwardly wondering if they should leave the area, due to the whole business feeling like something that really ought to have been a private family moment. But the group hug soon ended and a noticeably serious look came back onto Antonio's face.
"Sorry to cut this all short, Amber." he said calmly. "But I'm afraid that I must ask Master Ketchum some important questions."
"Wait, can I say something to my mom first? It's something that I know she needs to hear." Michelle requested.
"I suppose there's no harm. But try not to take too long with it."
Michelle nodded and turned to Misty, saying, "Paul's dead."
Hearing this, the eyes of all of her friends widened in surprise, completely unaware that she'd encountered her father on the island. And of course, the fact that she was referring to him on a first-name basis as opposed to calling him "dad" was a serious indication of how she currently felt about him. Misty's eyes also briefly widened in mild shock, but then she nodded her head, a stoic look of acceptance and regret slowly coming onto her face.
"How did he die?" Misty asked.
"He was blown up in the self-destruction of Team Rocket's Hoenn base. His Electivire sacrificed himself to ensure that Paul would meet that very fate."
"And why did Electivire do this?"
"He and Paul's other Pokemon with him at the time got covertly let out of their Pokeballs while he and I were fighting each other." Ash stated, cutting into the conversation. "They managed to overhear him say some rather unkind words that proved enough to turn them against him. Not to mention that Electivire chose to intervene right when Paul managed to get me in a particularly bad state."
Michelle nodded her head and continued, "Those words that Ash mentioned weren't the only things that Paul managed to say before he died. Once I'd entered the room that they were in, he made it clear how he felt about me turning out the way that I did, under your care."
Michelle then gritted her teeth and clenched her fists, eyes burning with rage, as well as a hint of sadness as she revealed, "He said that I'd have been a more 'proper' trainer and known to associate with...'better people' if he'd taken me with him when he left you that day. And to top it all off, he tried to insult me for the ideals I inherited from Uncle Reggie. And to think, I already had enough distaste for him after our meeting in Johto."
"I completely understand what you mean, Michelle." Misty said before sighing and shaking her head in dismay. "I'll admit, a tiny part of me does feel regretful that Paul ultimately died a villain instead of living as the good man that he had the potential to be, and that I briefly got to see. But I suppose, at the end of the day, it's also a relief that he's dead and can no longer harm anyone ever again."
Misty then looked at Ross, her earlier warm smile returning as she added, "And it certainly helps that I have a much better man in my life now."
And with that, with smiles all around, another group hug ensued, this one between Misty, Ross, and their daughters, with the two adults even going so far as to share a loving kiss.
When this second group hug finally ended, Michelle nodded her head at the sight of Antonio still waiting patiently for his turn. Michelle then drew out five Pokeballs and let out what turned out to be Paul's five surviving Pokemon from his battle with Ash at Lake Acuity and his subsequent final stand at the Team Rocket Hoenn base. The sight of these Pokemon was enough to make Misty make a silent 'oh' as she recognized them as being among Paul's Pokemon, while wincing in horror and sadness at the visibly battered and borderline tortured state they'd been reduced to.
"I really am sorry about what happened to Electivire." Michelle said to the Pokemon. "If there had been any way to get him out safely with you and still ensure my father's demise the way that Electivire wanted, I'm certain that Ash and I would have done it."
All five of her father's surviving Pokemon vocalized in unison, nodding their heads with a shared look on their face that seemed to indicate that it was alright, and that they didn't blame her. Then they all hung their heads, clearly indicating that, even though they didn't blame Michelle for it, Electivire's death had still broken their hearts.
"But for what it's worth, now that you guys at least are free from my father's tyranny and abuse, I'm willing to send you over to Uncle Reggie. I know that he'd take great care of you. And you'd have all of the other Pokemon that my father had in his roster to keep you company." Michelle said, trying to cheer them up.
Ash and Adam nodded their heads, well aware of how Reggie had always treated his brother's Pokemon very kindly whenever they were placed under his care. The fact that Michelle was offering the surviving Pokemon the opportunity to spend the rest of their lives in comfort under Reggie's care truly showed just how kind she was, and how she wasn't going to hold any enmity against her father's Pokemon for his sins.
Paul's Pokemon all nodded their heads, as if to thank Michelle...only to then look at Pikachu and talk to him in their languages. Michelle raised her eyebrow. What were her father's Pokemon saying? And she wasn't the only one who had that question on their mind. Seeing the situation, Antonio quickly released his talking Meowth and told him to listen to the conversation.
"What did they say?" Michelle asked as the Pokemon finished talking. Everyone else present looked to Meowth as well, clearly wondering the same thing.
"They said that they appreciate your offer to send them to Reggie. But apparently, they wish to go out into the wild and live their own lives instead." Meowth explained.
Michelle was understandably surprised and she turned her head to face her father's Pokemon once more.
"Are you sure?" she asked. "I mean, not that living in the wild would necessarily be a bad thing. But with Uncle Reggie, you wouldn't have to suffer. You wouldn't want for anything. And you'd be with your surviving friends on my father's team that were still living under Uncle Reggie's care when my father first left my mom."
The five Pokemon all vocalized in unison while nodding their heads as Meowth translated again.
"They said that they're aware of the benefits you've mentioned, and they reiterate that they're thankful for your willingness to offer them a life of comfort under his care. But they also said that they feel like they're in need of going off and doing some soul searching, and that life in the wild feels like the only way that they can properly do so."
Michelle nodded, a look of sad acceptance on her face as she said, "I truly am sorry, if that's how you feel. But if that's what you want, I won't stop you. But answer me this: Would you still like to live in Sinnoh? The same region that you called home when my father first caught you? Because I'm sure that a transport to there could be arranged for you. Not to mention that you'd know where to find Reggie, in the event that you decide that that's where you'd like to live if you feel like you've done enough soul searching."
Another round of vocalizations and translations later...
"They say that living in Sinnoh would give them too many painful memories of Electivire." said Meowth. "And they currently feel that, in order for their soul searching to be truly effective, they'll need to distance themselves from Sinnoh and live truly wild in a more comparatively unfamiliar land."
"If you say so." said Michelle. "In that case, I'll set you free in Kanto sometime after I return home. Your younger pre-evolved forms are native to Kanto and Johto, so you should be able to fit in."
Her father's Pokemon all nodded their heads once more to indicate their agreement and thanks. And with a nod of her own head, Michelle returned them back to their Pokeballs, privately taking note to remember to let them out for feeding as needed, over the course of the time that it would take to get back to Kanto and subsequently release them into the wild as she'd promised.
With Michelle now finished, Antonio nodded and turned his gaze to Ash, saying, "First things first. Is there anything important that happened in the base that the International Police and I should know about?"
Ash thought to himself, then his eyes narrowed as a frown came onto his face.
"I had Jacob cornered and dead to rights." he growled, an uncharacteristically bitter edge to his voice as his right hand clenched into a fist. "If it hadn't been for Paul barging in and taking away my attention, Jacob wouldn't have had the chance to escape and blow up the base. We could have brought Jacob to justice today and successfully subjected Team Rocket to its second disbanding. But no! Instead, thanks to that son of a Houndour Paul, Jacob's still out there. And I bet that he'll inevitably come back with a brand new world-threatening scheme!"
"Easy, Dad. Calm down." Adam said. "No one's blaming you for failing to capture Jacob. Especially since Paul's the one who threw a wrench into the whole business by getting in your way as you were about to get Jacob out of the picture. You did everything you could. Be thankful for that much."
Ash took a deep breath, exhaling heavily, then nodded his head before directing a mildly amused glance at Adam, saying, "I remember your mom saying something similar to me last year."
Ash then said, "For what it's worth, I did manage to get a full confirmation of Paul's motives. His primary goal, as it had always been before he even joined Team Rocket, was to claim my title of Pokemon Master for himself, partially out of a desire to be the strongest trainer in the world. But over the years, he'd also come to view me as too weak-at-heart and cowardly to enact a more permanent solution against the likes of Team Rocket. So when Kenny suggested that the two of them join Team Rocket as Pokemon hunters, he chose to take Kenny up on the offer so that he'd have the opportunity to first use Team Rocket's power and resources to kill me, then destroy the organization from within once he no longer had any further use for them, with his ultimate end goal being to pass my death off as an accident and claim my title for himself by default while also using his status as the one who finally destroyed Team Rocket for good to allow himself be viewed to the world as even more of a hero than I'd ever been."
"I suppose I can kinda see where he's coming from on some matters." Adam stated. "Still, it doesn't change the fact that he had a rather warped worldview."
"No kidding. I mean, seriously? Where did he get the idea that it was the Pokemon Master's duty to act as judge, jury, and executioner?" Jason added.
"Well, regardless, he can trouble us no longer." Antonio said, then looked at Ash once more. "Is there anything else?"
"There's one last thing that Jacob mentioned. Before Paul interrupted me, I told Jacob that Team Rocket would be over for good once I had him brought to justice. But from what Jacob said in response, it sounds like there's some unknown third party keeping the organization alive and supplied."
Hearing this, wary looks came onto Antonio, Annie, and Oakley's faces.
"Did he say who this third party was?" Antonio asked.
"No. He refused to reveal who 'they' were. Do you have any idea who 'they' could be?"
"No. If my father knew about this group, he didn't tell me about it."
"Annie and I have no clue who this anonymous group behind Team Rocket is, either." said Oakley.
"He did say one other thing that could be related, though." Ash stated. "He said that my friends have a dark side to their lives, and apparently aren't as innocent as they seem."
Everyone started looking awkwardly at each other when they heard this, with Misty in particular getting especially wary looks directed her way, due to Ash having known her far longer than anyone else there.
Ash himself had far stronger suspicions now involving some of his travel companions that both weren't immediately present, and hadn't interacted with him very often in recent years. And of the companions that fit that category, the ones he was currently feeling the strongest suspicions against were Serena, Iris, and Brock. He briefly winced at that last thought, for while Serena and Iris were both people that Ash knew had motives that could easily contribute to them getting involved with Team Rocket in some fashion or other, Brock had been a friend of his for almost as long as Misty, and had even traveled alongside him throughout the entirety of his journeys through Kanto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh, not to mention that he had never shown any sign of motives or personality traits that would explain him hypothetically throwing his lot in with Team Rocket. But at the same time, there were certain elements from recent times that he couldn't deny made Brock seem very uncomfortably viable as a suspect nonetheless.
Eventually, the entire group shook their heads, putting the unpleasant revelation from Jacob out of their minds for the time being.
"So what now?" Ash asked.
Misty nodded her head, a visibly relieved look on her face at the change of topic and cessation of wary looks getting directed her way.
"My family and I will be heading back to Cerulean City tomorrow." Misty said. "We've got a lot of work to do, after all."
Everyone else couldn't help but let warm smiles return to their faces. For while Misty would have some business to do in resuming her duties as Cerulean City's gym leader, she was obviously also referring to the wedding planning that she and Ross would be getting up to, now that they were officially engaged to be married.
"But know this much: Once we've got a date decided, you'll all be receiving invitations!" she added.
"I'll be bringing Brittany back to Sinnoh." Darien said. "After what's happened, she could use some time with her grandma and I. Especially considering that my mother's probably still worried sick about Brittany right now."
"I'll be heading back home to Pallet Town once I've had sufficient time to finish recovering from my injuries." Ash stated. "I'll make sure to visit Dawn and my mom and tell them the good news about Brittany."
"We'll head back there with you, Dad." said Adam.
"Why?"
Jason and Adam then drew out their Hoenn badge cases, with Megan drawing out all her ribbon case.
"Adam and I have already gotten all of our badges for the Hoenn Pokemon League." said Jason. "And Megan's gotten all of the ribbons that she needs for the Hoenn Grand Festival. But since the Grand Festival isn't happening for another month from now, we might as well spend the extended time off taking a break at home with our families."
Megan nodded her head in agreement and added, "I'd like to head home as well. I mean, in the event that they weren't watching the Wallace Cup on TV, I'll need to inform my family that I've qualified for the Grand Festival. Not to mention that it's probably about high time that I see my new baby brother again, especially since I had hardly any time with him the last time that I was at home."
"We'll all meet up again in Slateport City." said Adam. "A couple of days or so before the Grand Festival. Maybe an entire week beforehand."
"Works for me." Megan agreed.
"I'd...like to go to Pallet Town as well." Michelle interjected. "There's something that I need to tell Dawn, and it can only be done in person. Is that okay with you, Mom? I promise to head straight back to Cerulean City afterwards."
"Shouldn't be a problem. Just be careful." Misty said with an assuring smile.
"Will you be able to come back and watch the Grand Festival?" Amber asked.
"That will probably depend on whether my family's schedule will allow me to do so." she admitted. "But if scheduling allows for such, I should be able to be in the audience to watch. And even if I can't watch you in person, I'll definitely make sure to watch it on TV."
"And I trust that the rest of us will all meet up again at the Grand Festival?" Megan asked the other girls.
Amber, Ashlyn, Skye, and Christina all nodded in confirmation. But then...Amber and Skye looked at each other, slightly nervous smiles on their faces.
"Hopefully the both of us will have gotten our 5th ribbons by then." said Skye.
"We've still got time left, Skye." Amber said, in an effort to reassure herself and her friend.
"I'll stay here and handle the cleanup and aftermath of the operation." said Antonio. "Annie and Oakley will be helping me with that, and so will the other agents not currently in need of hospitalization. So the rest of you can all go now."
The rest of the group nodded their heads in acknowledgement. At that moment, Megan and Amber both surreptitiously directed a side glance towards Adam, wondering if now was a good time to tell him about their feelings for him. But then they both shook their heads in unison. It was definitely not the best time, and they both knew it.
"Hey, Ash?" Michelle suddenly asked. "Do you think that we've given Nikki enough time on her own to grieve?"
"Yes, I think that she's had enough time to be alone with her grief. Now's probably a good time to let her have some emotional support from her friends."
"Jason and I will help get dad to the nearest hospital. Go see if you can find Nikki and comfort her." said Adam.
"Then come on, girls." Michelle said to her friends. "Let's find Nikki."
Meanwhile, Nikki was in her hotel room, sobbing her eyes out on her bed with her face lying upon her pillow. At that moment, it felt as if the whole world was against her. After all, she'd been subjected to a truly inhumane experience at the hands of the truly psychotic and nightmarish Pokemon Hunter Michael, who had previously inflicted the exact same experience upon her brother's dear childhood friend Valerie before subsequently murdering her in cold blood. And now, thanks to that exact same hunter, her brother was missing, presumed dead.
"What did I do to deserve this?" she whimpered under her breath. "Why do I have to be the one to suffer like this? And what am I going to say to Mom and Dad when I get home?"
For what felt like hours, she continued weeping into her pillow alone in her hotel room. So low had she sunk in her grief, she didn't even hear the sound of her hotel room door unexpectedly opening.
"Are you okay?" Michelle asked.
Eyes widening in shock, Nikki lifted her head from her pillow, visibly caught off-guard at the sight of a concerned Michelle, plus an equally concerned and sad-looking Amber, Megan, Ashlyn, Skye, and Christina.
"What? When did you all get here?" Nikki asked.
"About a minute or two ago." said Amber.
"Master Ketchum felt that we'd left you alone with your grief long enough." Ashlyn explained.
"This is a good time to come and comfort you...right?" Skye asked nervously.
Nikki sighed, then nodded her head. Wiping her hand across her eyes to try and dry away her remaining tears, she got up into a sitting position on her bed, beckoning her friends to come and join her. They did so, with Amber and Michelle sitting to her left and right, Skye and Ashlyn sat cross-legged on the floor directly in front of them, and Christina laid down on the floor in between Skye and Ashlyn with her chin on her hands and her legs bent, so that her feet were up in the air.
Nikki sighed again, hanging her head in sadness. Then she looked to Michelle, remembering how Adam had said that she'd gone with him in the failed effort at getting Trevor back out of the base.
"How did my brother die?" Nikki asked.
Christina raised an eyebrow and inquired, "You're absolutely certain that he's dead?"
"Yeah." Skye said, wincing immediately afterwards. "I mean, not to be insensitive, but all we know for certain from what Adam said is that he and Michael weren't in the hanger anymore."
"It's better to assume that he's dead." Nikki interrupted, then winced, realizing how doing so had probably been rather rude. "I mean, for one thing, the fact that he and Michael weren't in the hangar that their apparent battle was coming from doesn't mean that they weren't somewhere else in the base when it blew up. They had no time to get far enough away from the explosion."
"She's right." said Amber, nodding her head in understanding. "And besides, Megan and I? We may have not been directly in the area when the blast went off. But we did feel the current that the resulting shockwave unleashed into the ocean waters in the sub at the time. And judging by just how strong of a current was produced, it's entirely likely that the blast was strong enough to blow up the rest of the island, alongside the base. So even if Trevor had gotten out of the building itself, there was still a high chance that he'd have either still been caught in the explosion or died in the ocean not long after the blast went off. And considering how the only other fate for him to have potentially suffered that could reasonably allow for him to be still alive at this point is him being in Michael's custody..."
She shuddered, now no longer even wanting to continue even thinking about the mere idea of Michael holding Trevor prisoner. That would be a fate even worse than death.
"Yeah. Like I said, it's better to assume that he's dead, for that reason."
"If you say so..." Ashlyn muttered.
"To be honest, I can't really give you any details that Adam didn't already give you back at the harbor. I mean, I know that he and I went back into the base together after we learned about Trevor still being in there, but Adam had us split up not long after that, to increase our chances of finding him via covering more ground. And in the time that Adam was rushing through the base, subsequently hurrying to the hangar and eventually searching it, I'd gotten held up in the room that I ended up finding my father and Master Ketchum in, after mistaking the sounds of their own fight for a battle between Trevor and Michael. So as far as I'm aware, the best that we can assume is that Trevor was either killed in the blast, or killed by Michael."
"I see..." Nikki managed to say before shaking her head sadly.
"I really am sorry, Nikki. Adam and I really tried our best to find him and get him to safety."
"I know. For what it's worth, I don't blame you or Adam for whatever it is that ultimately ended up happening to Trevor. I believe that you both did everything that you could. And considering just how uncomfortably eager Trevor seemed to be to potentially go down rather dark paths for the sake of avenging what happened to Valerie and I, ensuring that Hunter Michael would never hurt anyone else, I suppose I'd be lying if I were to say that I hadn't suspected that Trevor would pull this kind of reckless behavior. And besides, you and Adam getting yourselves killed wouldn't have made things any better, regardless of whether or not you'd managed to get Trevor out to safety beforehand."
Nikki then took a brief look out of her hotel room window in the direction of the ocean as she finished with, "At the very least, assuming that he is indeed dead, I can take solace in the fact that he's hopefully found peace with his inner demons and reunited with Valerie in paradise."
The other girls nodded their heads with sad and hopeful looks coming onto their own faces to match Nikki's.
Several hours later, in the Sootopolis City hospital, Ash was lying in a bed in one of the patient bedrooms. The punishing ordeal he'd been put through had left him in serious need of a long rest, with multiple bruises and scrapes all over his body. But thankfully, luck had always generally seemed to be on his side. And sure enough, the doctor who'd tended to him had determined that he'd likely be perfectly fine after two days of rest and recuperation.
Ash felt very relaxed and very relieved that the world was safe once more. Not to mention that his family and friends were still safe, even if the unpleasant possibility of at least one of them potentially hiding a dark secret or two from him had now been planted into his mind.
"You absolutely certain that everything's alright?"
Ash turned his head to see none other than Latias, still in her human form, sitting in a chair that she'd positioned next to his bed.
"I see that you're still here with me." he stated, amused and implicitly curious as to why she hadn't left.
"I didn't want you to be stuck here in bed all alone, so I decided to keep you company. And besides, you still haven't dismissed me with the Mark of Arceus yet. So I have the perfect excuse to not try to leave." she explained.
Ash chuckled and said, "You're right. Well, I'll let you stay for now." He then reached over and took her hand in his own, a warm smile of companionship forming on his face. "And besides, I enjoy your company."
Latias nodded, a warm smile of companionship and regretful longing forming on her transformed face. While she knew all too well that the full extent of her feelings for him amounted to something that Ash would ultimately never be able to reciprocate, she would nonetheless continue to remain loyal to him for the rest of his life. And as had been demonstrated on this very day, it would be no problem for her to allow that same loyalty to be shared with his family, especially to his son, even if Ash's own love and faith for Dawn - plus the fact that he was a human and Latias was a Pokemon who could only pretend to be a human - would forever ensure that nothing stronger than friendship would ever be able to exist between them for the rest of their lives.
Author's Note: Adam and his friends have reunited with their families, and with each other, in the aftermath of Team Rocket's base being destroyed. Amber finally accepts Annie and Oakley into her heart, and as a part of her life, while Michelle and Misty have made their peace with Paul's death. Meanwhile, Nikki will have to learn how to move on without her brother.
Now it's time for Adam, Jason, and Megan to head home and recuperate before assembling for the Grand Festival in a month's time. Michelle is also joining the boys, with something important to ask Dawn.
We'll find out what that "something" is, back in Pallet Town in the next chapter of Pokemon NG!