So, here it is. Chapter 13. Is this the end of the story? Yes. Is this the end completely? Probably not. Yes, the Shadow War is over, but crime never rests. Therefore, neither can S.I.P., but let us let our heroes take some time to relax and recuperate. Enjoy!

Chapter 13: The Party

On the plane at night, where we last left our heroes (well, not geographically)…

Thomas was looking down at Simon and Jeanette, who were asleep in each other's arms with a blanket provided by the airline draped over their bodies from their chests downward. They looked so content, so peaceful, so comfortable, and oh so adorable. He looked over at Hannah, who was also asleep. Beyond her, in the row adjacent to them, Alvin and Brittany were sleeping the same way Simon and Jeanette were. Summer was sleeping. Ben, however, was just as wide awake as Thomas was. So were Ben's Ukulele Pichu and Thomas' Vileplume. They both were horrible sleepers. Plus, they were so excited that it was near impossible to get tired. They had saved the world and were going to throw a party over it.

A few rows behind them, Edd was also awake. Even for him, it was both hard and relieving to take in the fact that the war that they had been fighting for over half a decade, the conflict that had become a major part of their daily lives, was over. Did this really mean that there would be no more spontaneous ninja attacks, kidnappings, and heart throbbing conflicts anymore? Well, destiny was holding all the cards, so only time would tell. Eddy and Ed were on either side of him, and they both were sound asleep as Cheyenne and Fred slept on his lap. Ed, in his sleep, placed an arm on Edd's head, forcing the capped teenager to get a whiff of his underarm. Edd pinched his nose shut and moved Ed's arm.

In another row, Gaby was wide awake, sitting next to Alex. Carrie the snow white chinchilla (who was oh so fond of the color periwinkle) slept on her lap. Before, she was sleeping in a seat, but she could not get comfortable. So, she and her boyfriend, Chad, had relocated onto Gaby's lap. Gaby was listening to an Arcade Fire song and thinking about how she had made so many friends in such a short time (about four months to that date). She had witnessed a near apocalypse and its prevention. One of her new best friends was a shy, talking, bespectacled chinchilla named Carrie. And she 'created' a taste in music for Alex, claiming he had none until they met. She was infused with a tiger, while she ironically was not a cat person. All in all, it was probably the most exciting time of her life.

Ash stared out the window, wondering what would come next. Everyone, asleep or awake, wondered that. So much had happened within the past few years of their lives. What was to come?

At the base, hours later, during the day…

"Okay, now let's get planning," Summer suggested to her friends. "We want this to be a festive and carefree party because everyone needs time to relax and a moment to just have fun."

"Music, dancing, maybe a live performance…" Ben thought aloud and winked at Alvin.

"I think we can do something like that," Alvin smiled.

"Now hold on!" Misty cut in. "You little chipmunks sing all the time! At least give someone else a number."

"Five!" Alvin exclaimed. Brittany facepalmed.

"You want to sing?" Hannah asked and received a nod.

"Well, I was just making a point, but…"

"If you want to, you can."

Elsewhere in the base, with Dawn and Lucas…

Dawn was lying on a bed in the infirmary, and Lucas sat at the foot of the bed. Dawn asked, "How did you become Horus?"

"Well, somehow, I awoke from my coma and sensed you were in danger. And then it just…happened," Lucas explained. "I guess it came from my deep desire to…to protect you."

"Aww! You're sweet!" Dawn smiled. Her body mildly ached. However, she could not help but smile. "Thank you, Lucas."

"You're welcome, Dawn," Lucas smiled.

"You know…it was you that gave me the strength to keep fighting."

"Me?"

"Yeah. You."

"Wow. I suddenly feel important," Lucas laughed, which caused Dawn to laugh. When they stopped laughing, he said, "You know you mean a lot to me."

"I know. Thanks. It makes me feel so…special inside."

Without another word, they kissed; glad to finally be together again. They didn't have to have increased worries about losing each other anymore. They no longer needed to worry about preserving their own lives just to keep the other from mourning. They could cheer for each other without worry. Piplup walked in with a tray. On that tray was a sandwich for Dawn. Upon seeing the couple, Piplup almost dropped the tray, but caught it and held it up proudly.

Dawn felt that her cat ears and tail had emerged and shrieked with embarrassment. Lucas said, "It's alright, Dawn. I actually think that it makes you look really cute."

"Do you really?" Dawn asked.

"Yes. I do."

Meanwhile, back with the party planners…

"What are everyday-balloons?!" Summer demanded.

"Well, they're typical everyday balloons that people carry around everyday," Thomas explained. "I thought it spoke for itself."

"No one carries balloons around everyday!" she snapped at him. "Can't you be serious?!"

"It varies."

"I installed a garbage disposal in the showers," Ben reported.

"Why?" Hannah asked.

"So we can make meals in the shower," Ben explained. "It was a heck of a time putting it in. Now, who wants to make a salad with me?"

"Ben, that's creepy," Hannah said to him.

"And possibly illegal," Thomas added.

"I'm only making food in the shower!" Ben protested.

"I meant inviting people to come with you."

"Oh."

"I'll go!" Alvin volunteered. Brittany facepalmed again.

When Ben and Alvin left the room, everyone else got back to planning. Simon held Jeanette close to him, comforted by her warm and loving presence. Eddy came tearing in, saying, "I woke up in a sack!"

"Elaborate," Summer requested.

"I fell asleep on a couch, and the next thing I know, I'm in a sack in some river!" Eddy explained. "It was good thing I had my Gyarados."

"Even after the war, our lives are still weird," Brittany commented.

"It's not fun any other way," Hannah said to the Chipette.

Meanwhile…

Nema was in the base's lab with Theodore and Eleanor. She said, "I know you guys are probably kind of jealous because your siblings have their own Pokémon and you don't. So, I took the liberty to catch some for you. Unfortunately, my efforts were…fruitless."

"Oh, that's okay!" Theodore smiled and squeaked.

"We know you tried!" Eleanor added.

Then, they heard the sound of water, like a shower. Then, they heard some shredding noise. Nema guessed, "It must be the garbage disposal."

"Garbage disposal?" Theodore echoed.

"Yeah. Ben asked me to help him install a garbage disposal in all of the showers," Nema explained. "It was actually kind of fun. I got to install something. Giving the elbow grease felt pretty good."

Later…

Ben and Alvin approached their friends and Ben was holding a rose-looking object. Alvin's fur was wet, as well as Ben's hair. Alvin squeaked, "We made a radish rose!"

"In the shower?" Summer asked. Brittany facepalmed yet again. Alvin tried to give her a hug, but she pushed him away, disgusted that he was making food as he was in the shower.

"Let's burn everything they made and pretend this never happened," Thomas suggested. No one objected to this.

"Vileplume!" Vileplume agreed. Translation: Do it!

"What is wrong with you people?" Chris asked as he walked by.

"You think he'd know the answer by now," Thomas shook his head.

Simon looked around, hoping he'd see something that would give him an idea as to how to change the subject. But as soon as he laid eyes on Jeanette, he stopped thinking and could not help but smile. She saw his smile and she smiled back. Simon took her paw in his. They silently agreed that they loved each other very much. It was a very cute, heartwarming moment when no hatred could ever penetrate their bubble of love and nothing could tear them apart.

At the party, a few days later…

Misty, who was a big Victoria Justice fan, had just finished her debut with 'Make It in America'. Ash had been her guitarist and Brock had been her pianist. Pikachu, of all beings, had played bass, and for the drums, they had put on Sudowoodo. Some people were telling them what a good job they had done. Dawn and Lucas hid away from the crowd in a storage closet and made out. Everyone was laughing and having fun, basking in the warm glow of their victory. The exulted, feeling free and pleased they could take some time to relax. Saving the world was not as easy as it sounded, so try saving the Multi-Verse.

Just outside of the briefing room, where the party was held, Lance, the Kanto/Johto League Champion, was speaking with Cynthia, the Sinnoh League Champion. In a red velvet box, Lance had a special ring.

Flashback…

Lance was showing a ring to Cynthia. It was a gold ring shaped like a dragon's head and neck. At the top of the head was a Dragon Gem. He said to her, "It was my grandmother's ring. It was at the Dragon Shrine in the Dragon's Den where he proposed to her. Some called it the most blessed wedding engagement in Blackthorn City history."

"Really?" Cynthia asked. "She left it to you?"

"Yes. I might do something along the lines of what my grandfather did."

"Well, maybe I'll be wearing it one day," Cynthia giggled and said jokingly.

End of flashback…

"Cynthia," Lance was saying, "remember when I showed you my grandmother's ring?"

"Yeah," Cynthia nodded.

"Well," Lance got down on one knee and opened the box, revealing the ring, "there is something I need to ask. Sure, we are both Champions, but you being a Space-Time Warrior, and of Arceus no less, is pretty incredible. Surely, I am out of your league, but I'll ask anyways. Will you marry me?"

Cynthia smiled, overjoyed. "Yes! Yes, I will!"

"You will?"

"Yes!"

Lance was so happy that he hadn't any word fitting enough for his joy. He slid the dragon ring on his new fiancée's finger. They smiled as it was a perfect fit.

Meanwhile, Simon and Jeanette were dancing. Actually, they cuddled more than they danced. On the contrary, Alvin and Brittany did more dancing than cuddling. Everyone seemed to be having fun. Simon said to Jeanette, "It certainly has been a crazy past few months."

"Yep. It sure has. But…I'm glad that I got to…spend all of this time with you," Jeanette agreed, and then claimed shyly.

"Really, Jeanette?" Simon asked and received a nod from the Chipette. He held her tighter and more lovingly. "You know I'm…in love…with you, right?"

"Of course, I know," Jeanette nodded. She then wondered something. "When did we become so open about our feelings?"

"That's a very good question," Simon agreed.

"Scalpel incident," Cheyenne, who had been near, faked a cough to answer their question.

Ben was walking around, offering the radish rose to random S.I.P. agents. Everyone he asked declined when he brought up the garbage disposal. Alvin leapt onto his shoulder and said, "Cheer up, dude. They have no taste in multitask-made food."

"Pichu…" Pichu facepalmed as if it were Brittany. Translation: Oh, boy…

"Pikachu, Pika, Pika?" Pikachu asked. Translation: Why a garbage disposal?

"Pi, Pichu," Pichu shook its head. Translation: I don't know.