Chapter 36:II. Epilogue: Father and son
„I want my dad back from the dead."
Ash didn't even have to think twice about what he wanted. Power, money, fame, all of those things are useless to him. The only thing he wants is to be happy once again. To be home. Home, where his family is whole and happy again.
So many things could be wished for instead. Like regenerating his hand. Or wiping all traces of the encounter with Team Rocket from his memory, and his body. Wishing for his nightmares to disappear. Then there are things like power. Wishing to be a Psychic atop of being Aura Guardian. Or a completely new power-up. So many possibilities, yet, there was only one right answer.
Though he feels a little bad. This reward is just for him, and not his Pokemon. He is selfish, and he knows that. But after years of taking hits for others, not getting any compensation or thanks for what he did, for once he felt like he is justified in being selfish. He just hopes his Pokemon don't mind his selfishness. They would go through unimaginable lengths just for him, and he is wasting a wish from a god on one person they don't even know. They proved they would even die for him. Wait, MEWTWO!
„I see..." said Arceus closing his eyes. It was an unexpecting answer for sure. Though, he should have expected this answer.
„Wait! Before you will decide, I have one question for Dialga." Ash quickly spat out, when he remembered the horrible state Mewtwo is in right now. Arceus, Palkia and Giratina all would lift their eyebrows if they had some.
„Speak then, Chosen One." Dialga smiled, knowing full well which question will come.
„Will Mewtwo make full recovery from the encounter with Team Rocket?" Ash asked and the team of Pokemon behind him smiled.
„Yes, even without sacrificing your wish, he will make full recovery, Chosen One." Dialga calmly replied to Chosen One's worries.
Ash let out a big sigh of relief. Seems like he can be selfish this time. He turned to his Pokemon, trying to somehow justify his wish. Seeing them all lined up, ready for anything, even the battle against these four deities, the sight makes him proud.
„Guys, I hope you can all forgive me my selfish nature right now, but after all the things that happened to me, I... I just wa-" Ash choked on his last words, but thankfully, Pikachu stepped in.
„I will stop you right there." Pikachu stepped out of the crowd of Pokemon and he was standing right in front of his trainer, looking upon his face. His expression was at lost, not knowing how to justify what he wished for. For Pikachu, Ash is an open book, never able to hide his true feelings from his best pal.
„Even though this is OUR victory, I don't think any of us wants to stop you from bringing your dad back from the dead. We all saw how troubled you were inside the Haven during those last months. How at lost you were, not knowing what to do, or should I say how scared were you to take the next step. You looked like you were about to break at any moment. This is the first time I am seeing you being selfish, and thinking about your own happiness more, than about ours, or any other stranger's. I say you earned whatever you wanted from Arceus. We don't need a reward. We have you, and that's more than enough." Pikachu spoke, sincerely, from the bottom of his heart.
„A trainer with such a big heart, that he saved many of us when others gave up on us. Charizard from death. Bulbasaur from his distrust of humans. Infernape from Paul. Metang from his clumsiness. Even me from my hate of humans. It's about damn time for you to get what you always wanted, without looking at us for what we want. And if you want to know what we want, we want you to be happy again." Pikachu said with all of the Pokemon behind him, nodding and huffing in agreement.
Ash lifted his head, so he was looking at his Pokemon. All of them smiling brightly at him, encouraging him to be selfish for once in his life. They shouldn't be OK with this. But somehow, they are. And Ash doesn't know why, failing to realize, that the kindness he showed his Pokemon all this time, is being reciprocated.
„Let's meet the man that gave us the best trainer we could have asked for!" Pikachu raised his right paw high in the air, for his standards, closed his eyes and shouted from the top of his small lungs. His proclamation was followed by loud roars and cheers from the other Pokemon behind him.
Tears began welling up in Ash's eyes, but he didn't let them fall. He raised his hand and wiped the tears into the sleeve of his coat. „I don't deserve you guys."
„Shut up. I don't deserve you. I nearly killed you. Several times." Charizard roared from the crowd. And even a tough guy like Charizard had troubles to keep his tears at bay.
„I nearly killed him too." Infernape sheepishly scratched the back of his head in the crowd.
„Can I join your 'Nearly killed Ash' club?" Pikachu turned to his friends with a snicker. Upon Pikachu's comment, the crowd began laughing and chuckling. And even Ash joined with a light chuckle, accepting what Pikachu told him. Though, he will not forget this moment. He owes them a lot, and he intends to pay his debt.
„I guess it's decided then," Arceus stated, overlooking the moment between Ash and his Pokemon. Arceus actually intended to deny Ash's request about his dad, because raising a human from the dead requires a lot of his power. And last time he used such power didn't end well for him. But the scolding he received from the orange dragon resonated within him. He deserved whatever he wanted.
Ash, with his Pokemon, turned to Arceus, waiting for him to do his magic. Walking to Ash and his Pokemon, he summoned the 18 crystal plates around him. Every crystal plate has its own unique color with thin white lines shining on the plates. Ash has already seen those plates once.
Ash watched as the plates stopped rotating around Arceus and three of them flew forward. The orange one, the light green one and the light blue one were now creating a new rotating circle. The yellow plate joined the three in front of Arceus shortly after, but he was placed in the center of the rotating plates, creating an electric field around them. Then, a fifth one flew towards them. The purple crystal plate joined the four and as soon as it touched the yellow plate, the rotating plates began shining in white color. The plates merged together and were slowly transformed into an orb of white light.
What emerged was a mystic orb red in the center, slowly transcending into dark green color and eventually to bright yellow at the edges. Bolts of lighting permeated the colors in the orb.
„I believe you know this item." Arceus's formed orb flew to Ash and dropped into Ash's awaiting hands.
„Jewel of Life. Arceus, is this how you plan to bring my dad back?" Ash curiously looked at the orb that held the power of the god.
„It is the only option."
„Don't you need this to be able to watch over the world?" Ash lifted his head and asked the tall llama god.
„Yes. But as I said, if it's within my power, I will grant you your wish." Arceus's omnipotent voice echoing in his throne room, as he stood tall before Ash and his Pokemon.
Palkia and Giratina were both surprised at how easily their father was swayed into such a request, knowing full well how hesitant he is to give his power to anyone after the first intention of helping someone didn't go well. Dialga on the other hand, watched with interest as his visions were becoming reality. Visions of a happy ending. For now at least.
„Thank you, Arceus," Ash said politely, making a small bow before the god Pokemon.
„This is how you thank someone. Take notes 'God'" Charizard scoffed towards Arceus, resulting in an angry groan from Arceus.
„Alright, we have held you up long enough. Put the Jewel of Life where your father's heart is, and he will be raised back from the dead. With memories intact, and looking the same as the day he was killed. Take care, Chosen One." Arceus tried to remain calm and finally get this whole meeting over with. Arceus teleported all of the visitors back to the Haven and when that was done, he released a big sigh of relief. Finally that orange dragon is gone. He really considered attacking him. It was unheard of for a low-key Pokemon to talk to Arceus with such disrespect.
„Tickled your nerves, didn't he, father?" Dialga teasingly asked and approached her father and walked to his side.
„You have no idea how much..."
Late at night, when the moon is at the highest and darkness fills the world, one man was soaring through the skies on his Charizard, with a yellow mouse on his shoulder, and a glowing orb, in his dark green coat. Flight from the Haven to Viridian City is a long one, so there was a lot of time to think. And he indeed was thinking.
Will his father even recognize him? Probably not. Will he be happy to see him? Possibly. And what is even his father like? He knew him as a kid when he was around 4 years old, and he remembered him as a man who was always kind to him, and to Pokemon. Teaching him the ways on how to connect with them. And he was the man that talked him into being the Pokemon Master. Despite him not knowing, what that title of Pokemon Master means or how to acquire it.
„Nervous?" Charizard flapped his wings and glanced behind him, at his trainer.
„Yeah. How do you know?" Ash sighed and asked his friend on top of he is flying on with his long black hair flowing in the air.
„You are shaking." Charizard calmly said, he glanced back again and made a small nod to Ash's trembling hand, with whom he was holding Charizard's back.
„You have nothing to be afraid of." Pikachu petted Ash's back from his shoulder and tried to calm his best pal.
„Yeah." Ash quietly said. He didn't know what to say. Ash is both, nervous and excited. Seeing his father after all this time, it's a lot to take in. Both Pokemon traveling with him didn't ask him further, knowing full well, he needs time to sort his thoughts.
And it took the whole trip to Viridian City, to sort his thoughts. Seeing the cemetery, Charizard flapped his wings and slowly descended from the night sky, back to the ground, with his tail being the only source of light.
„Ash, where to exactly?" asked Charizard, trying to sound welcoming and friendly, although this is far from his personality, even a blind Pokemon could see his trainer is in distress and that he doesn't need his hot-headed roars to add to the table.
„Huh?" Ash blinked a few times. „Oh. Ummm... there." Ash snapped out of his thoughts and pointed at the north side of the cemetery. Charizard looked in the direction, flapped his wings and flew towards their destination, not comment on his trainer spacing out again.
The trio descended to the ground of the cemetery. Jumping off the Charizard, Ash, with Pikachu on his shoulder and Charizard by his side, walked around the cemetery. It was a long time ago since he was here, so they were looking for some time for his father's grave. Ash eventually, after minutes of walking between dozens of tombstones with flowers on them, found the tombstone he was looking for.
Here lies Richard Ketchum, loving husband, father and former Champion of Kanto region.
And for a champion, the tombstone was very modest. Nothing extravagant with a statue or something like that. Why is that when he was Champion? Well, being a Champion only one week gets forgotten easily. Kings who ruled only for a few weeks are not even mentioned in history books, and this is a similar scenario.
Standing before the grave, Ash gave his two Pokemon a nod, and both of them began digging the place where his father rests. Ash joined them seconds after. „Should have brought Infernape for this..." Ash was mentally bashing himself for not thinking of it. He left his Pokemon back at the Haven, so he doesn't have to carry dozens of pokeballs with him on the trip. OF course he promised his Pokemon to get back with his father so they could meet him too.
Digging the hole below the tombstone, Charizard's claw scratched a wooden surface. And all three of them knew, they found the coffin. After some more digging around, Charizard pulled the coffin up and placed it on the cemetery grass.
Ash was again lost in thoughts as he was looking at his father's coffin. This is it. „Do it, Charizard." Ash quietly said.
Charizard smirked and with his claws, he grabbed the edges of the simplistic rectangular chestnut-colored coffin. He opened the coffin, revealing yellowish bedding, and a decaying smelly corpse of Ash's father. Though Pikachu and Charizard pinched their noses when they smelled the corpse, Ash stood still, looking at his father. His clothes were worn out nearly decayed too. Blue jeans tattered all over and red jacket with sleeves already missing. Black undershirt underneath, with holes already on it. The color of those clothes faded already.
„That smells terrible!" both Pokemon thought.
With Charizard's tail illuminating the scene, Ash saw small blood stains near his father's head. The bullet that took his father's life. Ignoring the unpleasant sight at his father and the smell created by the decaying flesh, Ash knelt down and pulled the shining orb out of his cloak.
„Charizard, I need you to make a slash where my father's heart is and open it up so I can place the Jewel of Life in there," Ash said, calmly. Though, he was anything but calm on the inside. He is getting ready to defile the corpse of his father by this. If this will not work, Arceus will have to explain himself to him.
Charizards hand that was not pinching his nose was placed upon Richard's chest. He looked at Ash unsurely. Ash nodded. With one claw, he cut an opening for Ash to reach Richard's heart. Thankfully, there was no blood gushing out. Unfortunately for Charizard, the dirty work did not stop there.
„Charizard, the ribs too," Ash added when he saw the obstacle to his father's heart.
Charizard groaned unpleasantly. Pikachu watched the whole operation from further away, be thankful he doesn't have to do this. Charizard made a quick slash with his claw and cut the ribs.
Now being in the clear, Ash pulled the greenish, yellowish, reddish orb out of his cloak, and looked at the item of immense power on last time. „Please, let this work." Ash prayed.
And with that, he pressed the Jewel of Life into the place where his father's heart was. Ash with his two Pokemon curiously watched if Ash's father will raise from the dead. And watching the jewel, they saw that it was slowly melting inside Ash's father. The orb melted, creating a pool of green and yellow liquid, with some red in it. The liquid was electrifying the decaying flash. And the electricity from the liquid caused the color to return to the flesh. The life-giving liquid spread through the body, with a small pool staying at his father's heart, pumping it to the rest of the body.
Ash, with his Pokemon, watched in awe as the muscles were strengthened and formed, as eyes were forming again, and as the opening to heart was slowly closing by muscles and skin is formed. Slowly but surely, the reincarnation was completed. Once the decaying body was now a body of a healthy human being. He looked just like he remembered him.
Then his father opened his eyes. His brown eyes shot open, he sat up and he immediately coughed up some blood and the liquid from the jewel of life mixed in it.
„What the hell is this stuff, it tastes like dirt!" he yelled between coughs.
Richard wiped his mouth after he caught up the last remnants of blood from his lungs. After he caught up the stuff, his eyes were swayed to the only source of light in the night, that being Charizard's tail. He immediately smiled upon seeing Charizard. But the smile didn't remain long on his face.
This Charizard is different from his own. He could tell his partner away from any Charizard ever. This one has too large of a tail, and he is slightly smaller than his own. Thus this one is still very big on Charizard standards.
His eyes then looked around more. And he saw a man with Pikachu on his shoulder. Long black beard, long black hair and a dark green cloak. Inspecting the man, he wondered who he was. But then, he spotted his eyes and he needed explanation no longer.
„Well, seems like Aura Guardians found me. What do you want from me?" Richard asked.
The man before him stood still. For several minutes, like he was awestruck. „I want you back home." He said. Voice deep, but it lacked intimidation as his words were shaky.
„Home? I am not going back to a castle just to bow to the so-called Queen." Richard scoffed. Going back to the Kingdom of Rota. Yeah, like that is ever gonna happen. And this guy isn't very convincing, he seemed more afraid than determined to drag him back to his birthplace.
„Not there. In Pallet Town." the man before him added.
„What are you... talking... about." Richard's talking stammered when he saw the tombstones around. A cemetery. He then realized he was sitting in something. And looking down, he knew this was a coffin. And when he looked around more, he saw his OWN tombstone.
Memories began flooding his brain once again. Remembering what happened last time. He was shot in the head by Giovanni. What is happening? How is this even possible?! He should be dead! He WAS DEAD!
„You died. You were dead for more than ten years now, father." The man before him said quietly.
Richard's eyes widened when he heard the last word. Father. He now carefully looked at the man before him. There was no resemblance to him, but that was to be expected. He isn't trained Aura Guardian, and this guy certainly seems like one. But there was no denying that. He looked just like his own father. His own father who was trained in the ways of Aura and who resembled the man before him greatly. The genes are certainly there.
„It's me dad. It's Ash." the man before him shakily said with tears slowly dropping on the grass.
Ash. Was this real? Being dead for ten years, and then waking up to this? His own son, digging his grave and by some miracle resurrecting him? And Ash being an Aura Guardian to top it all of?
„No, no this is not happening. I must be dreaming."
„You have been dreaming for 11 years dad. This is real." The man before him said, barely able to form words.
Richard again examined his supposedly, son. He didn't catch it at first, but there was nasty eye scar across his eye. Other than that, his hairy face looked normal. But then another thing caught his eye. He had no left hand.
Richard slowly raised from the coffin to be face to face with Ash. He grabbed his arm with a missing hand. „What happened to you?" Is this what his son had to go through when he wasn't here? What happened when he was gone?!
Ash looked at his hand and then back at his father. „I finished, what you started. Giovanni is behind bars, dad."
Richard frowned. „He did this to you?!" asked Richard angrily. He can watch past the fact that Giovanni wanted his life. But laying a hand on his family, that's going too far.
„I am alright, dad," Ash reassured his dad with a smile. That smile. That big grin Richard was so familiar with was the last nail in the coffin that was needed for him to believe this is his son. „What happened, Ash? Why am I here?" Richard asked.
Upon hearing his name, Ash hugged his dad like his life depended on it. Tightly he hold his father, fearing he would disappear in a moment he would let go. Richard only hugged Ash back with a smile on his face. He must have missed a lot of things. "You are back…" Ash mumbled into his father's torn jacket and shirt.
"It seems so." Richard answered, still not knowing if this is real. Holding his son, he realized they are both equally tall. "He really is an exact copy of me. Or was at least..."
Ash with tears rolling down his cheeks eventually broke the hug. „Dad, I will tell you everything.." And then, Ash told his father everything. They sat under a tree at the cemetery, with Charizard and Pikachu admiring the family reunion, as Ash began his story. Richard, knowing he needs to know as much as possible on what happened during those eleven years, haven't protested.
Father and son were sitting on the cemetery for hours, as Ash narrated his journey from the day he lost his father, till now. The father was listening to his son stories till the morning when the sun was rising up and the tale of a hero from the frozen mountain came to an end.