When the helicopter picked us up, I fell asleep immediately. They said I slept for 16 hours straight, including on the stretcher to the ER after the helicopter landed.

At this point, the death of Professor Oak had consumed the nation in grief. After I left, it took a few days for anyone to notice that Professor Oak was dead. Of course, everyone I told assumed the police already knew, so they did nothing. This only led to more questioning for me when the trial of Professor Oak's murder came, but I was quickly found not guilty since the rest of my story rang true. I was also tried for the attack on Team Rocket of course, but self-defense was a pretty good defense in the court room. As for anything else, the courts mostly forgave me. I assume they were thankful that I took down Team Rocket because the government wouldn't take them down.

Rebecca didn't forgive me as easily as the courts did. When I woke up, she was at my bedside, but she didn't say much. After I was released from the hospital, we walked out together, and she told me everything she had been thinking about since she called me a monster.

"I'm sorry for calling you a monster," she said. as we walked away from the hospital. We were heading to the Pokémon Center to see Raichu and Charizard.

"It's alright," I said after a moment. It took me some time to stop thinking about that after Giovanni had just called me the same word.

"What happened down there?" she asked.

"Gengar got me past the guards," I said. "We found Charizard right away in the middle of some torture device that was probably going to mutate him. Gliscor and Primeape made diversions for us to continue down to find the rest of the Pokémon in storage, but Pikachu wasn't there. We went the rest of the way down and found Raichu hooked up to some machine that was fueling him with electricity and then taking it back to power the base. He was supposed to evolve into some kind of super-Pokémon. Giovanni called it Raimā. Giovanni, Jesse, James, and Meowth were all there waiting for us, and they tranquilized Charizard and Lapras right away. They were about to shoot me, but Primeape busted in and saved me. I killed Giovanni. I got Raichu out and ran up and out."

She was quiet for a moment. "How many people did you kill, Ash?"

"Just one other guy, and then Giovanni," I said.

She didn't respond.

"What?" I asked.

"I just didn't know you were capable of killing people that easily," she said.

I was about to respond about how it wasn't that easy and I thought about it a lot afterward. I stopped when I realized what she was saying. It wasn't that I killed, but that I was a killer. That was all I was to her now. "I didn't have a choice."

"There were other options," she said.

"I didn't see any," I said.

"You could have let the police take care of it," she said.

"I couldn't leave my Pokémon there," I said, staying calm. "I couldn't wait while my Pokémon were sold and mistreated. I couldn't wait while Charizard was being tortured." I was tearing up now. "I couldn't wait while Raichu was mutated and enslaved."

She didn't respond for a while. "I just–"

She stopped. I waited, but she never finished.

We walked into the Pokémon Center. I dazed through some chatter with Nurse Joy. Raichu and Charizard were both fine. She gave me a Pokéball with Charizard inside and told me to make sure he ate and got plenty of rest until he was fully recovered. She said the same for Raichu as she placed him sleeping in my arms. Rebecca and I sat down at a booth as Chansey brought us sandwiches.

"I'm sorry for leaving you up there," I said. "I just didn't want you to get hurt."

She stayed silent for a little. "I can understand that. I would've slowed you down."

"No, it's not–" she cut me off.

"No," she said. "It's true. You wanted revenge, and you didn't have time to wait for me. I couldn't have been any help down there anyways."

I opened my mouth to disagree, but I didn't say anything.

"I just wish you would have told me," she said. "I was so paranoid, waiting for when we supposed to go down or if we were going to get shot. I needed to know!"

I nodded. "I'm sorry. That wasn't fair to you."

"Do you think you're going to go to jail?" she asked. The trial hadn't begun yet.

"I don't know," I said. "I'll do what I deserve, but I know I did the right thing."

She stares at me for a while. "No." She stands up and walks away for a second, then comes back. "No, Ash. I can't accept that you did the right thing. You murdered two people, and sent your Pokémon to murder hundreds of people, not even thinking of whether or not your friends would make it out okay. How can you possibly say that you did the right thing?"

I stared right back.

"How many people would you kill with your own hands, Ash?" she said. "How many people would you kill just to protect your Pokémon?"

"As many as it takes," I said. I didn't blink.

She sighed in defeat. "I can't live with that. A life is a life, Ash. Killing is wrong no matter how you look at it, and there is always a way around it. You killed for revenge, and you say that you did the right thing."

I didn't respond as she looked at me. Her face softened more and more.

She walked away. I finished eating my sandwich and said thank you to Nurse Joy. I left the Pokémon Center, and I never saw Rebecca again.

It's been one year since Raichu evolved. We haven't had the chance to do much as far as training, but I have seen how incredibly strong he is now. Charizard has also gotten much more powerful. I keep my Pokémon with Professor Elm now since Professor Oak's lab has been turned into a memorial and museum. It raises money to support the education of aspiring Pokémon Professors.

The trial has finally ended. I have to admit that I feel as if I got off a little easy. I did some pretty serious violations of vigilante crime-fighting, and I sent my Pokémon to kill humans, not always out of self-defense. I'm not asking for a different result though.

I'm traveling to travel the Sinnoh region again. It's always had my favorite site-seeing. There isn't much point in trying for the Pokémon League. I'm not emotionally prepared to embark on that kind of adventure right now, and I would only have four months if I were to attempt it.

Raichu and I are walking along Route 209 to Solaceon Town after having arrived in Hearthome City. The sky is blue in the midday, and the scenery is very plain. A dirt road beneath us and grass everywhere else. There a re a few Pokémon going around the area, but none look confrontational.

I can only think about what is going to happen now. I couldn't go back to Pokémon Leagues. That's for very young people. I need a destiny. I need a purpose.

"How have you been, Ash?" a woman's voice says from a jeep driving by.

"Oh hi, Cynthia," I say surprised. She hops out of the jeep and embraces me with a warm hug. She sweeps her hair out of her face and smiles.

"I heard about you in the news," she says. "I'm glad to see you're alright."

"Thanks," I say. "How have you been?"

"I'm alright, but anyways," she says with her hand on my shoulder, "what are you doing in Sinnoh?"

I shrug. "Site-seeing."

"Where are you heading?" she asks.

"We're going to stop in Celestic Town," I say. "Then we'l head to Lake Valor."

"What are you hoping to accomplish at Lake Valor?" she asks as if she's accusing me of something.

I look away. "I just thought it'd bring back memories."

"Are you looking for Azelf?" she says very seriously.

I nod.

"Ash," she starts. "Ash, you can't just go to Lake Valor and hope that Azelf will appear to inspire you or give you advice."

I look down.

"It's not healthy," she says. She smiles suddenly. "Besides, I can give you as much advice as you need."

I can't stop myself from smiling back. She waits for me to say something.

"Chu!" Raichu says.

"Is this your new little Raichu?" she says, leaning down to pet him and rub the spots on his cheeks. "He couldn't look much healthier. I can tell from here how strong he is."

She looks up at me. I stop smiling as I realize that she has.

"What are you really looking for, Ash?" she says.

I don't respond right away. She stands up, taller than me still. I look to the side and sigh. "I guess," I say, "I'm looking for the reason I'm here."

"That's a noble quest," she says, "but many people never complete it."

I nod, not making eye contact.

"Are you frustrated that you have never become a Pokémon Master as you dreamed since you were young?"

"Yeah," I say.

"What frustrates you more?" she says.

I sigh again. I wasn't prepared for these questions. "I've been thinking Cynthia."

"Go ahead," she says.

"I've seen so many Legendary Pokémon," I start. "Most people are lucky to see even one in their entire life, and I've seen an incredible amount. That alone makes me feel like I'm supposed to do something."

"Continue," she says.

I didn't know I had more to say, but I decide to try, "Uh, well, I didn't think all of these things would happen. Pikachu evolved against his will. I'm still trying to cope with that even though he has fully."

"What have all of these things taught you about yourself?" she asks.

I take a moment with my chin resting between my thumb and forefinger. "I love Pokémon. I want to protect them, especially my friends."

"I can give you that chance, Ash," she says.

"What do you mean?" I ask with my head cocked.

"How would you feel about joining me?" she says. "I know that you have enough talent and conviction to accomplish any task. I think that your place in the world is to protect Pokémon everywhere."

"What do you want me to do?" I ask.

"I will be joining with Lance of the Pokémon G-Men to destroy the ripple-effect of Team Rocket's work," she says. "I'm sure you know of Giovanni's plan to mutate Pokémon."

"Yes," I say somewhat confused that she knows what happened.

"He loved his monologues too much," she says, laughing. "Well, on a serious note, a new crime organization has taken over Giovanni's goal to mutate Pokémon. This could change the world for the worst. We don't know much about them, but we have to put a stop to them immediately."

"Thank you, Cynthia," I say, but she interrupts me before I can turn her down.

"Dawn will be with us," she says. I think she winked at me, but it's hard to tell with Cynthia.

I think for a while. She smiles at me.

"Rai! Raichu!" my buddy shouts.

I laugh quietly and let the smile fill my face. I don't say yes or no as I climb into the jeep's passenger seat. The smile doesn't leave me the entire time.

Maybe, this is the destiny I've been looking for. Dawn is there. I can save the Pokémon. That might be ideal.

"I thought you'd show up," she says with a definite wink.

I look out at the sky with Raichu on my shoulder.