Author's Note:

Quick author's note since the next one will be long. I apologize for the confusion in the last chapter. I didn't mean for the time skip to be so confusing. Seemed like it was a love it or hate it kind of thing, but I think it could have been less confusing. The flash back to the battle is in this chapter. Made sense in my head, but perhaps didn't work out as well. Anyways, I hope you enjoy. This is the final chapter of GCTO.

Chapter 85: The Hearts of People and Pokemon

As Ash sat down at the large dinner table that had been set up in Professor Oak's lab, he started to feel very awkward. He was happy and grateful that so many of his friends had come over to Pallet Town for this, but he couldn't help but think it was a bit much. Did his accomplishments matter that much to everyone?

"What's wrong?" Serena asked, nudging Ash with her elbow as she made herself comfortable in the seat next to him. Ash glanced over to her, surprised that she'd seemed to notice, although he realized he should have known at this point that she could read him like that. She looked back with concern, looking like she was getting worried about something. "Do you not like how the food smells?"

Ash laughed at that and then inhaled deeply through his nose. The smell of the food was far from bad. The fact that it smelled so good was part of what made him feel awkward, though. All this trouble, just for him. "It's all great, Serena. Everything looks, smells and sounds awesome." He paused and looked at her, noticing her eyes were narrowed suspiciously as she waited for his next words. "I just don't get why you all did this for me."

Serena rolled her eyes and playfully punched Ash in the shoulder. "Don't talk like that," she said, mock anger in her voice. "You deserve this. Look at how hard you worked. It's finally paying off. You won the Kalos League! You beat Diantha!"

Ash looked away uncomfortably, still not used to being known as the trainer who beat Diantha. "It was an unofficial match, remember that."

"Was it really just an unofficial match to you?" Ash jumped at the sound of the voice behind him, and whipped his head around, shocked to see who was standing there. He was so stunned by Diantha's arrival, that he just stared at her, eyes wide. Diantha smiled in amusement, and then proceeded to sit down, taking the seat next to Ash. "Professor Oak invited me for your party," she explained, as the still surprised Ash and Serena looked at her. "I hope that's alright. I thought it would be nice to have a little vacation and this seemed like the perfect place to come."

"Um...yeah," Ash croaked, before shaking his head to try to get back to his senses. "Yeah, of course it's alright," he said more enthusiastically. "It's awesome, actually."

"Good," Diantha said, smiling happily at his answer. "Now, about what you were talking to Serena about. I apologize for eavesdropping, but I'm curious. What did you really think of our battle?"

"I...well it was amazing," Ash answered truthfully. "Each battle was a tougher challenge, but it just seemed to get more and more fun as we went along."

Diantha nodded, and then glanced down towards her key stone on her necklace. "So it wasn't really an unofficial battle to you?" she asked, after a couple of moments.

"It couldn't have been," Serena said quickly, looking seriously at Ash. "Look at what you proved."

Ash closed his eyes in thought for a moment. All the emotions he'd felt during that battle seemed to come back to him. The satisfaction of taking the early lead, the frustration when Diantha battled back, the confidence of taking her to the edge of defeat, the fear when Greninja had been defeated and...the exhilaration when Pikachu had downed the mighty Gardevoir.

As the smoke began to clear in front of him, Ash could almost sense what had happened. As Pikachu was straining against Gardevoir's Shadow Ball, Ash could feel his partner Pokemon's raw determination. No matter what, Pikachu was never going to let Gardevoir win. Both Ash and Pikachu knew that to come this far and lose would have been far more of a disappointment than any of their other losses. It didn't matter if it was official or not.

Despite feeling it in his gut that the result was favourable, Ash couldn't help but stare in shock at the scene in front of him. Both Pikachu and Gardevoir were standing, but it was clear, despite both being battered and bruised, who was in rougher shape. Gardevoir stood still, now in her regular form. Her body was shaking, and smoke seemed to be billowing up from her body. She looked disappointed, but not angry. Gardevoir stared at Pikachu, and Ash noticed a small smile on her face, before her eyes shut tight, and she fell forward, not moving once she hit the ground.

The crowd began cheering, and the referee made the call, but Ash didn't hear any of it. He stared, dumbfounded at Gardevoir's immobile form. Pikachu was no different. The electric mouse could have been mistaken for a statue, if not for his heavy breathing. Finally, after a few more moments, Ash's eyes moved to Pikachu and the latter turned his head at the same moment.

That was when Ash could finally accept it. He saw Pikachu's eyes light up, despite the exhaustion that was still evident in them. Ash then smiled widely and took a step forward. He didn't know if he was walking slowly, or if it was just that everything seemed to be moving slowly around him. It didn't matter, though, as he continued to look at Pikachu, and finally made his way over.

It was obvious that Pikachu was too exhausted to move, so Ash just knelt down and then picked him up. "You did it, buddy," Ash said happily. "You really did it."

Pikachu continued smiling, but gave a tired shake of his head. "Pika," he said, slowly raising up a paw and placing it on Ash's chest, before bringing it back to himself. "Chaaa," he squeaked tiredly.

Ash nodded and his eyes moved up to the stands, where Serena and the others could be seen excitedly cheering. "Whatever you say, buddy," Ash whispered. "We did it."

He suddenly heard footsteps in front of him, and looked up to see Diantha, holding up Gardevoir as they slowly made their way over. "That was quite the battle, Ash," she said, a huge smile on her face. There was no bitterness about her defeat. "I'm already looking forward to the next one we have."

Ash nodded in agreement, still soaking in the moment, unable to form words. He glanced down at Pikachu in his arms, and saw the electric mouse smiling back. For a moment, they just looked at each other, as though trying to figure out if it was a dream or not, but when nothing happened to snap them out of where they were, they both knew it was real.

Ash finally looked back up at Diantha, who was looking back in amusement. "Thank you, Diantha," he finally said, voice heavy with emotion. "I honestly didn't know if you would keep your promise. I didn't even know if I'd be able to keep my end, really."

"I admit, at first it was an amusing declaration from you," Diantha answered, glancing at Gardevoir. "However, you did show me on that first day we met, how much you cared for your Pokemon and how much they cared for you. I knew you were a special trainer, so part of me knew it was a deal worth making."

"It was a great battle," Ash said, shaking his head a bit as he did his best to keep from getting lost in his thoughts. "I'll never forget it, even if our next battle is for the title."

Ash finally opened his eyes, and turned his gaze to Diantha, who was looking expectantly at him. She was still waiting for his answer to her question. "It was definitely more than just an unofficial battle." He looked down to Pikachu, who was standing on the floor, looking up at the three trainers. "It was our dream, right Pikachu?"

"Pika!" Pikachu said happily, nodding his agreement.

"Then enjoy this celebration," Serena whispered, gently placing her hand on Ash's shoulder. He immediately felt warmth where her hand was, and felt the urge to give her his gift right away. Of course, Professor Oak was tending to Poliwhirl quickly before dinner, as Ash had slipped him the pokeball before going inside. So, unfortunately that would have to wait till later.

"Yeah, you're right. But you know what?" Ash said, looking at Diantha, and then Serena, both of them looking at him quizzically. "It should be a celebration of all of us. Everyone helped me get here, and I won't forget that."

"Sounds like Ash is being humble now," Brock announced, entering the room with a platter of food. "Would've been nice to have this Ash when you were just starting out. You used to get cocky if you beat someone with a Rattata." He laughed as he put the food on the table.

Delia and Clemont were entering the room now as well, also carrying food. Within a few moments, the room was quickly filling up. Misty, Tracey, Gary, Dawn, Clemont, Bonnie, Trevor, Tierno and Cilan all sat down on one side. Iris, May, the recently arrived Max, Sawyer, Shauna , Brock, Professor Oak and Delia all joined the side Ash was on. Some of the smaller Pokemon were inside, around the table, while others hovered out front. Ash was disappointed Alain and Mairin hadn't been able to come, but understood their desire to keep going on their journey. They were probably researching mega evolution with Professor Sycamore at this very moment. Regardless, he knew they, and all those here, supported him, and he couldn't be more grateful.

Before Oak sat down, he had managed to slip Poliwhirl's pokeball into Ash's hand without Serena seeing. When he sat, he gave a quick wink to Ash, signalling all was good. He then held up a glass and tapped a spoon against it, getting the attention of the room. "Well everyone," he said happily, standing up again, "as you all know, we're celebrating a big moment in the life of a very dear friend of ours."

Oak was quickly interrupted as Gary started a round of applause. "Let's hear it for Ashy boy!" he yelled, standing and clapping loudly, quickly joined by the rest of the group.

When everyone finally settled down, Oak was able to continue. "I remember Ash's first day as a Pokemon trainer. I tell you, I wasn't impressed at all. He arrived late, he came dressed in pyjamas, he couldn't control Pikachu and he didn't catch a Pokemon on his first day. I thought he'd never make it as a trainer."

Ash blushed, feeling pretty embarrassed about all that, although he did remember the early talks he'd had with Professor Oak when he'd started his journey. The Pokemon researcher had definitely been tough on him. He'd mentioned his doubts multiple times and had never missed a chance to explain that Gary, or even the other trainers from Pallet Town, had beaten him to the punch on everything. It had been tough, but it had definitely motivated Ash.

Ash glanced back to Oak, who quickly continued his speech. "I was wrong when it came to Ash. He proved himself to be a far better trainer than I myself could have ever been. Whether he has fully accomplished his dream yet or not, I consider Ash to be a Pokemon Master. He may not be a Champion...yet," he smirked at Diantha as he said that, "but he will be soon. And, Ash understands the bond between humans and Pokemon better than anyone. No one deserves to accomplish the dream of being a Pokemon Master more than Ash."

As everyone clapped and cheered, while Oak sat down, Ash suddenly felt very small. He didn't have anything to say that could show how grateful he was to Professor Oak for saying that. He didn't have anything to say to any of the people here, really. He wanted to show them, somehow, how much they all meant to him.

He was saved from trying to figure something out right away, though. Serena had clearly noticed his uneasiness and quickly picked up some food off a platter in front of her. "I think the Pokemon Master needs to eat before we do anything else," she said sweetly. Everyone laughed at that, and Ash gave Serena a grateful look.

It wasn't long before Ash's plate was piled high with food. It was definitely good, with mixtures of foods from all the regions that the chefs were experts of. Brock and Delia made Ash's favourite Kanto foods, along with some Hoenn recipes Brock had. Cilan had made some Unova and Johto dishes, as he had spent some time in Johto after travelling with Ash in Unova. And, Clemont had prepared some Kalos foods, which Ash had had plenty of in recent months, but still thoroughly enjoyed.

Everything was great, really. And surprisingly, the food wasn't even near the top of Ash's list. The company was everything. Plenty of stories were told of his best and worst moments by all of his old travelling companions. He shared some of the others as well. The Pokemon were in on the fun as well, with Pikachu's ketchup addiction mocked, causing joking threats of a Thunderbolt all around. Something that nobody really wanted to risk, considering what that Thunderbolt had shown to be capable of.

As the night went on, Ash forgot all about his awkwardness. He just enjoyed laughing and talking with his friends. Nothing could have been better. He'd worked so hard for so long that it was nice to just relax for a bit. And, relaxing because of what he'd achieved, well that just made it all that much better.

When it was time for dessert, Ash thought he was falling further in love with Serena. He wasn't too worried that he was stuffing an unhealthy amount of desserts in his face. Serena, despite being happy that Ash was enjoying what she'd made, attempted, unsuccessfully, to stop him multiple times.

"If you didn't want me to eat so much, you shouldn't have made it all so good," Ash pointed out finally, which seemed to end any further arguing from Serena, who blushed after that and moved on to giving the Pokemon their pokepuffs.

Ash was quick to get up to help her, ignoring the thought that perhaps this was Serena's way of getting him to stop eating. They made their way outside, followed by the Pokemon that had been inside with them, carrying large baskets filled with pokepuffs. Ash immediately noticed Snorlax coming over, and was amazed as Serena slipped back inside and came out with a giant pokepuff which she quickly gave to the always hungry Pokemon.

"Snorrrlaxxx!" Snorlax exclaimed happily. Ash was stunned, as for the first time in all the time he'd ever known Snorlax, he actually savoured the food he was eating. He took small nibbles of the pokepuff and seemed to want to drag out his time with it as long as possible.

"I think that's the best compliment you're ever going to get for your pokepuffs," Ash told Serena, as they watched Snorlax in amusement. "Snorlax never eats slowly."

"Really?" Serena asked happily. "Wow, I'm so glad! I'll make you some more, Snorlax. If you keep working hard for Ash, you can have as much as you want."

Snorlax looked like he was in some kind of paradise hearing that, and stared at Serena almost as lovingly as Ash might. And it wasn't long before the other Pokemon were looking at Serena in the same way. Everyone was savouring every last bite, as though they'd never get another taste, despite Serena's promises to make more. She was almost more popular among Ash's Pokemon than he was. Bayleef was no longer jealous of her, instead jumping up on her the way she always did with Ash. Serena was a hit with them all, instantly getting their stamp of approval for being their trainer's girlfriend. Even though Ash had done a lot of introducing already, it was really the first time Serena had gotten to spend a lot of time with Ash's Pokemon as a group and it was obviously going perfectly.

When they were giving the pokepuffs to Ash's Butterfree and his family, Ash couldn't help but feel a bit sad. Butterfree had wanted to come with back here to Pallet Town, but Ash knew that soon he and the other two would have to go back to their group. It wasn't exactly an exciting thought.

Somehow, Serena seemed to know what Ash was thinking, as she handed Butterfree's mater her pokepuff. "Ash, don't forget that you'll be able to see Butterfree every year in Coumarine City if you want. That is where you found him, right?"

Ash nodded, remembering that day quite well. It wasn't exactly a great day, that day, but Ash had been reunited with his second oldest Pokemon then, so it hadn't been all bad. Butterfree had been a difference maker in the battle later on, as well, as he'd massively bolstered their numbers with his Butterfree army. "Yeah, we'll have to visit him every time he goes back."

"I'm already looking forward to it," Serena said happily.

"Bwee-ee-ee!" Butterfree exclaimed in agreement, hovering around Ash happily.

"Pi-pikachu!" Pikachu added, also happy to know he'd still be able to see his old friend.

Ash smiled and realized he felt much more comfortable about the whole situation now. He'd have to say goodbye to a lot of his friends in the coming days and weeks, but it would never be it. He'd see them all again and always keep in touch. As he continued handing out pokepuffs with Serena, he let himself get back to his relaxed state. He had no reason to he gloomy. Not when he was with Serena, and not when he was about to give her her surprise.

Finally, Ash and Serena had managed to deliver all of the pokepuffs to all of the eager Pokemon, and Serena looked down into her basket, confusion on her face. "What's wrong?" Ash asked, having a suspicion of what it was.

Serena took a look around at all the Pokemon, most of them still savouring their pokepuffs. "I have one left. I made enough for all of the Pokemon you said would be here, but I've got an extra. I'm sure I didn't miss anyone."

Ash smirked, his hand sliding to his pocket, ensuring the pokeball was still there. "Interesting," he said, trying to keep his voice calm, "I know I told you the right amount."

"I guess I just made an extra one by mistake. That's really weird, though. I carefully measured everything out." She looked around at all the Pokemon again. "It's one for a water type. All of them have gotten theirs. Maybe Misty still has one with her inside?"

Ash shook his head, amusement now forcing its way into his look. Serena looked suspiciously at him, making him glance away. "Sorry, it's just that I don't get why this is bugging you so much."

"I don't want to miss anyone," Serena explained, sounding a bit frustrated. "I made these all carefully for each type of Pokemon. I don't get what happened."

Ash couldn't take it anymore, and knew he had to end his game. "I think you made the perfect amount," he said, taking a step towards her, hand moving around the pokeball in his pocket. Serena looked confused as Ash walked up to her, eyeing him like he was losing it. When he reached her, he took one of her hands with his free one, and then pulled the pokeball out of his pocket. "I think there's someone you should meet."

Serena stared at Ash's hand with the pokeball, her eyes showing she still wasn't sure what was going on. When Ash put the pokeball in her hand, she glanced up at him, confusion still on her face. "Who is this?" she asked.

"An old friend," Ash answered with a wink. "An old friend we both know."

Serena finally smiled, a bit of excitement coming to her eyes. "What are you up to?" she asked jokingly. "Did you catch a new Pokemon?" Her jaw then dropped and she quickly turned her head, looking down the hill from the lab and towards the forest. "Old friend..." she whispered slowly. Her head slowly turned back to Ash, and he was glad to see her eyes shining with happiness. "That's what you were doing?"

Ash nodded, a huge smile on his face. "Like I said, 'gotta catch that one' right?" He turned his gaze to the pokeball in Serena's hand. "How about we say hi?"

Serena nodded excitedly and held up the pokeball. She clicked it open, and a bright flash of light shone in the nighttime darkness. A moment later, the Pokemon that had brought Ash and Serena together, was standing in front of them. It glanced at Ash once, who nodded encouragingly, and then it looked at Serena, its eyes showing recognition. "Poliwhirl," it said in its deep voice.

"Oh wow, you've grown big since you were a Poliwag!" Serena said excitedly, kneeling down in front of Poliwhirl and looking it in the eyes. "It's so nice to see you again Poliwhirl. Hi, I'm Serena." She quickly pulled her basket forward and reached into it, pulling out a pokepuff. She held it up and extended her arm out towards Poliwhirl. "I made this for you."

Poliwhirl looked at the pokepuff for a moment, and then slowly reached out with its boxing glove like hand, and took it. "Poliwhirl!" it said happily, eyes lighting up as it looked at the pokepuff.

"I was thinking," Ash said, as he watched Poliwhirl sit down and examine its pokepuff, "Poliwhirl might make a good performer. What do you think?"

The answer came in a tackle that came so fast, that Ash was knocked to the ground by Serena, who fell on him, arms wrapped tightly around him. "You're the greatest boyfriend in the world!" she squeaked gleefully, before leaning forward and pressing her lips against his.

Ash assumed that was a yes.

Serena had been getting used to Pallet Town the last couple of weeks. It wasn't really much different from Vaniville Town, so it was definitely quite easy for her. The small town vibe seemed to have that calming effect on her, and it seemed like it did with the majority of Pallet Town's citizens.

"I don't ever wanna leave," Bonnie whispered to Serena, as the two girls walked ahead, Ash and Clemont lagging behind, Ash only doing so to be kind to the exhausted Clemont. The four of them had accompanied Brock and Misty out of town, and were now on their way back. Clemont, not having walked much lately, was exhausted.

Serena glanced at Bonnie's bag, seeing Squishy and Bluey poking their heads out. Serena had a feeling they were why Bonnie wanted to stay, as she would then have an excuse not to take them home to Terminus Cave. Serena wouldn't mention that now, though, as they still had plenty of time before that became necessary. Instead, she settled on her honest opinion of Pallet Town. "It's like another home, I think."

"Do you remember it well from your summer camp?" Bonnie asked, looking at Serena curiously.

"Yeah, I do. Each day I seem to remember more and more." Serena took a deep breath, inhaling the smells of the trees and grass around her. She even caught a whiff of a fishy smell from the river nearby, sparking another memory. "I think we went fishing nearby here once. We only caught Magikarp, but I remember it was a lot if fun."

"Oh!" Bonnie shouted excitedly. "We should fish now! Clemont has those fishing rods we got from the aquarium." Before Serena could answer, Bonnie was turning around and running up to Clemont and Ash. "Guys, can we go fishing? Please! Serena said there's a spot here."

"Oh yeah, I remember that," Ash said, glancing up and looking off to his right. "Just over there is a pretty good spot actually. It's where Gary and I got that pokeball. I've gone back a few times since camp."

"A break would be nice," Clemont said hopefully. "Why not? Maybe we'll get to see a rare Pokemon."

"I like the idea," Ash said, nodding. He looked up to Serena, who was now walking back towards them. "How about you, Serena? It'll be another old camp adventure for us."

"Sure," Serena answered with a smile at a very excited Bonnie. "I'd love to see that spot again." She and Ash had actually been going to a lot of old camp spots, reliving their past. It had resulted in a lot of awkward moments for their Pokemon, but for them, it had been the best moments of their time as a couple. With no stress lately, Serena was feeling like she and Ash were truly beginning their romantic relationship, and it had been the best time of her life.

"Alright, it's settled then," Ash said, looking up on his shoulder and giving Pikachu a wink. He then reached down to his belt and plucked off the pokeballs that were there. Five flashes of light later, and Talonflame, Hawlucha, Noivern, Goodra and Greninja were all there. Goodra was still set to return to the Wetlands, but Keanan had insisted there was no rush, as Florges had been taking good care of everyone there.

A few minutes later, and the group was at the river. Clemont and Serena quickly called out their Pokemon once there, and immediately, Bonnie, Dedenne, Squishy, Bluey, Poliwhirl, Goodra and Greninja were in the water, while the rest sat or lay down at the edge, just enjoying the sights and relaxing atmosphere of the river.

Bonnie had clearly already forgotten about fishing, but nobody seemed to mind. Their seemed to be silent agreement that they would just lounge here at the river awhile. In fact, it was more preferable that way to Serena, especially since Clemont was leaving her and Ash alone while he went to ensure Bonnie didn't overdo it.

"This remind you of anything?" Ash asked suddenly. Serena glanced at him in confusion, seeing him watching all the Pokemon and the Lumiose siblings lounging or playing. He then looked at Serena, clearly noticing that she had no idea what he was talking about. "It's like that spot we found on our way to Glorio City. Right before Team Rocket interrupted and I got split up from you guys."

Serena nodded, quickly realizing the same thing. They seemed to have that same, relaxed vibe about them now that they did back then. However, she knew that this time, there truly was nothing to worry about. Team Rocket wasn't hunting them anymore, Team Flare was no issue and there was no looming Masterclass or gym battle. They were really and truly able to relax.

"I feel like something is gonna happen," Ash whispered, although it wasn't a fearful whisper. He actually sounded kind of excited.

"Like what?" Serena asked, looking at him in amusement. It wasn't like Ash was Olympia and could tell the future.

"It's just a gut feeling," Ash answered with a shrug. "It's weird. It's like a warmth throughout my body and it's growing as the day goes on. Nothing bad. Actually, it makes me feel excited. It's something good. I know it is."

"Maybe it's just because we're together," Serena joked, giving Ash a wink.

Ash laughed, eyes shining from the sunlight. "Yeah, that's probably it."

The two of them decided to find a shady spot under a tree at the side of the river. It was within view of the bridge that Ash had mentioned, where he and Gary had found an old pokeball once. It was a peaceful spot, without too much heat and the only noise coming from the Pokemon in the river with Bonnie.

As Serena sat there, watching Poliwhirl spraying Bonnie with a gentle Water Gun, she realized how hard it was going to be to leave Pallet Town. She knew it was probably going to be much harder on Ash. "Ash?" she whispered quietly.

"Yeah?" He looked over at her, and clearly noticed her somewhat worried look. He took her hand in his and gave her a reassuring smile. "You worried about something?"

Serena sighed and continued watching the playing Pokemon. "I'm just thinking...if, no when, you beat Diantha, you'll become Champion of the Kalos region, right?" Ash looked a little awkward hearing that, but nodded. "So...what about Pallet Town? Won't you miss home?"

"Of course I'll miss Pallet Town," Ash said, glancing around at his surroundings as though seeing all his past moments in Pallet Town. "But, I'll still be able to visit. I hope you'll want to as well?"

"Yeah, of course I'll want to," Serena answered quickly. "I'm just worried that you'll miss home too much if you live in Kalos."

"Home is wherever you are," Ash said seriously, looking Serena in the eyes. "If Kalos is where you are, then that's my home."

Serena was suddenly feeling her heart beat a lot faster. She felt a bit light headed as well. It wasn't a bad feeling, though. In fact, she couldn't have felt better. She didn't need to worry about anything. She and Ash would be together from now on, she knew that. Perhaps tough times would be ahead, as with any relationship, but they would always work through it. She knew it in her furiously beating heart. "Ash, I...I..."

"I love you too," he whispered, giving her hand a comforting squeeze. "From Kanto, to Kalos and wherever else we go."

They each leaned their heads forward, slowly closing their eyes. Just before they kissed, though, an excited yell came from the river. Serena awkwardly pulled her head back and looked over, seeing Bonnie excitedly pointing up to the sky. "Look! Look! It's a golden Pokemon! It's so pretty!"

"I knew it," Ash whispered, excitement in his voice. Serena glanced at him, noticing he was looking up at where Bonnie was pointing. She followed his gaze, and what she saw made her jaw drop.

Slowly, descending from the sky down towards them, was, as Bonnie had described, a Pokemon covered in a golden light. However, as it approached, Serena noticed that within the gold light, the Pokemon flying towards them seemed to actually be coloured red. It was almost like a fire within golden sunlight. It was perhaps the most beautiful sight she'd ever seen. The very sight filled her heart with warmth. It was a feeling like she had been freezing before, but was now feeling the comfort of warm clothes and a fireplace. She instantly knew that whatever this Pokemon was, it was special.

"What...what is that?" Serena asked quietly, while the Pokemon's features became clearer as it got closer. It was a phoenix-like Pokemon, with bright orange/red feathers on its body and wings. On the tips of the wings were a few green and white feathers, while its tail feathers were bright gold. The closer and closer it came, the brighter and brighter it got. Finally, it arrived, hovering in front of the river, before gracefully landing. Its old, mystical eyes surveyed the area, before finally resting on Ash.

"It's an old friend," Ash explained quietly, slowly starting to get up. "It's Ho-Oh."

7 Years Later:

While Ash waited outside of the Lumiose City gym, he remembered his first time here. It wasn't exactly the best introduction to a gym he'd ever had, but it had resulted in him meeting the two siblings who would be emerging from it quite soon. And without that meeting, perhaps he would have never had to go back to Sycamore's lab with Froakie. Team Rocket may never have caused Garchomp to go on a rampage. His actions on Prism Tower may have never happened. Serena may have never seen him on TV. His journey may have turned out very differently.

It was best not to think about a different world like that, though. To Ash, this one was perfect. Despite being the Kalos Champion for the past five years, and being married to the Kalos Queen, life had never been more peaceful. He and Serena both had their various duties, but they always had time for each other, and had built a reasonably quiet life in Vaniville Town. When not performing, battling or doing whatever formalities they needed to do, they would stay at home, taking care of their Pokemon and help Serena's mother with the Rhyhorn racing camp she'd started.

Vaniville Town had become the perfect home for Ash and Serena. It had the small town comforts that they preferred, along with the convenience of being close to Lumiose City, which made travel to visit friends much easier, along with being convenient for friends to visit them as well. They were close to the Wetlands to visit Goodra and they were close to Coumarine City to visit Butterfree on his annual trip there. They'd even made the trip over to Terminus Cave a few times to visit Squishy and Bluey. Vaniville was another Pallet Town to Ash, and as he'd told Serena on that special day that they'd met Ho-Oh, wherever she was, he considered home.

The thought of their meeting with Ho-Oh brought a smile to Ash's face. The phoenix Pokemon had sort of been a lasting symbol of Ash's journey, so the day when it finally approached him was one Ash would never forget. It had been somewhat out of nowhere, but that day, Ash had felt the presence of the legendary bird Pokemon before its arrival. And, when it had landed, Ash felt no nerves in approaching it.

Ho-Oh had been so calm and so still as Ash had approached. Once they were within arm's reach of each other, Ash had stopped, waiting out of respect for the legendary Pokemon. They had locked eyes for a moment, and then Ho-Oh's eyes somehow seemed to grow gentler than they had already been, and it lowered its head slowly.

When Ash had placed his hand gently on Ho-Oh's beak, it was alarming at first. He felt like pure fire had rushed through his body. It wasn't painful, though. No, it was just the presence of pure love. A Pokemon that had so much of it, and had searched for it throughout the world.

Ash had known in that instant that Ho-Oh had kept an eye on him throughout his journey. It had been waiting for Ash to prove what it had sensed in the young trainer. A glance from Ho-Oh to Pikachu, Greninja and then the others, had shown that Ho-Oh had believed it had found what it had been searching for. An old friend of Ash's, Morty, had once theorized that Ho-Oh would return once Pokemon's and people's hearts were one. Ash had seen it in Ho-Oh's eyes that it believed he and his Pokemon had accomplished that feat.

But Ho-Oh's visit had been short. In its eyes, there was still sadness. Its wish had not come true for the world as of yet. Ash's case was unique, and Ho-Oh was trying to convey that work still had to be done. Its eyes then flashed like fire, and Ash felt hope rise within him.

Ho-Oh had asked him a favour. Continue the dream of becoming a Pokemon Master. Continue the dream of befriending all Pokemon. Help make the world truly one where Pokemon and people could live as one. Help bring about the day when Ho-Oh could truly return.

Ash had been fighting hard for that dream ever since. It was tough. Some days, it was harder than his most challenging Pokemon battles. However, as Ash always did, he never gave up. He continued to work hard, and always did his best to bring people and Pokemon together. The rainbows he saw after the most trying of days were more than enough motivation to continue. Ho-Oh's signs that his work was making a difference.

And today, Ash could see another rainbow, conveniently seeming to connect Lumiose City and Vaniville Town. Ash hadn't done anything special today, and knew that it was an acknowledgement of Ho-Oh of a very special day for Ash. "Thank you, Ho-Oh," Ash whispered, smiling at the rainbow, which seemed to grow brighter at his words.

Ash continued to watch the rainbow for another couple of minutes, and then movement at the base of Prism Tower caught his eye. A blonde girl was running excitedly towards him, a Dedenne on her head. "Ash! Ash!" she yelled, ignoring her brother who was coming now also coming out of the gym.

"Bonnie!" Ash exclaimed happily, hugging her as she ran up to him. "Long time no see. When did you get back from Sinnoh?"

"A couple of days ago," she answered, backing up and looking a little upset. "I only made it to the Top Sixteen in the Sinnoh League."

"We watched the whole thing," Ash said happily. "Don't worry about the result. You did a great job. When Dedenne beat that Rhyperior in the first round, Pikachu and I were jumping around like crazy."

"Really?" Bonnie asked, eyes lighting up. "So you don't think I did badly?"

Ash shook his head, and looked her in the eyes. "You did your best, and you learned more about yourself and your Pokemon. You should be proud." Bonnie looked gratefully at him and looked like she was about to say something, until Clemont came up behind her, panting heavily. "Hey Clemont, how's it going?"

"Pretty good," Clemont said after taking a deep breath. "I've been pretty busy lately with the gym, and since Bonnie's been back, we've been getting to spend some time together. You know, Dedenne might be able to give Pikachu a run for his money pretty soon," Clemont said jokingly.

Bonnie giggled excitedly at that and looked happily at Dedenne up on her head. She then looked quizzically at Ash. "Wait, where is Pikachu?" she asked.

"Well, you do know what we're doing, right?" Ash asked, smiling mischievously. "Pikachu didn't want to leave Sylveon by herself, so he's back home still."

"Oh yeah, that makes sense," Bonnie said with a nod, giggling a little. She always seemed to find it amusing when Pikachu acted that way. "So are we going to go, then?"

"Yeah, if you guys are ready?" Ash looked at the two siblings who both nodded excitedly. He then nodded and turned around, leading them away from their gym. They followed him down the street, past a few of the stores and restaurants near the gym. The smells were tempting him to stop a few times, but he continued. After about five minutes, they finally reached his car, and the trio got in, Clemont sitting in front with Ash, and Bonnie going in the back.

"I still find it funny seeing you behind the wheel of a car," Clemont laughed, staring at Ash in amusement as he started the car.

"I'm less reckless with this than anything else," Ash assured him, chuckling a little. "Maybe you can tell Serena that when we get there."

The drive back to Vaniville was about an hour long. Bonnie told stories of her travels through Sinnoh, excitedly telling Ash about how she had met up with Dawn at the Wallace Cup, where Dawn was entering for the big contest. Bonnie hadn't entered, but she'd had a battle with Dawn, and was proud of the victory she had earned over the coordinator's Quilava. "She's strong for a coordinator, but Dedenne got the win!" Bonnie happily exclaimed.

Clemont also had some interesting stories to tell about how his gym was running. He'd apparently been getting a lot more challengers, as the Lumiose gym was becoming well known as one of the toughest gyms in not only Kalos, but the world. "It's been tiring, but definitely entertaining. Some of the challengers think pretty highly of themselves when perhaps they should be a bit more humble," Clemont explained, clearly not impressed with those trainers, but trying to be nice about it. "And there are definitely some really good trainers as well. Actually, Ash, there was one I had about a month ago, after your last visit. You'll never believe who it was."

"I know them?" Ash asked, having no idea who it could have possibly been.

"Yeah," Clemont said excitedly. "It was a pretty good battle I had with him, since he used an Electivire. Does that mean anything to you?"

"You battled Paul?" Ash almost shouted. "I had no idea he was in Kalos. I haven't talked to him since he called me to congratulate me on beating Diantha after the Champion's League. He said he was going to train hard to beat me one day.

"Well," Clemont said slowly, "maybe that's his plan. Clearly he plans on challenging the Kalos League."

"Yeah," Ash nodded, feeling his heart beat faster with excitement. "Wow, that'd be really fun. I'll have to make sure Infernape trains hard. We'll need to be ready for that one."

"You have to be ready for my challenge, too!" Bonnie quipped. "I'm coming for you, Ash."

"Looking forward to it, Bonnie," Ash said honestly. He couldn't wait for more tough challengers, and he knew that when Bonnie and Paul were ready, and he was sure they would be soon enough, that they'd both give him worthy challenges.

The rest of the drive was just idle chitchat. Ash told the Lumiose siblings about Serena's last performance, where she and Aria had partnered up as an opening act for a big Anistar City showcase. They were both happy to hear that Serena's performances were, as usual, the best in the world. They were particularly excited to hear about Poliwhirl's exceptional part in the performance, which had received the most cheers of anyone.

When Vaniville Town was in sight, Ash could quickly sense Bonnie's excitement. "So it's expected to hatch tonight?" she asked suddenly, as they drove down the road towards the entrance to the town.

"Yeah," Ash said, feeling his own excitement increasing. "It might have hatched already, but we'll at least get to see a new, baby Pokemon."

"I can't wait!" Bonnie shouted. "Is it going to be a Pichu or an Eevee?"

"I believe it'd be an Eevee," Clemont informed them, as they turned onto the street that Ash and Serena lived on, the house in sight up ahead, a few of Ash's Pokemon waiting out front. "It'd have to be the same Pokemon as its mother's first evolution state."

It didn't seem to really matter to either of them. At least, that was what Ash seemed to think, because Bonnie, and even Clemont, were opening their doors before he'd even parked. He was quick to get out as well, and within a few seconds, they were all getting greeted by his Pokemon, and then making their way to the door. As they approached, the door quickly opened, and Serena appeared, her eyes lighting up excitedly.

"It's hatching now!" she squeaked. "Come on! You got here just in time!"

Ash and the Lumiose siblings quickly followed Serena inside, and made their way into the living room. Serena quickly rushed over to the middle of the room, where Pikachu, Greninja, Delphox, Poliwhirl and Sylveon were all around something that was glowing. Ash locked eyes with the smiling Pikachu, and could see that his partner Pokemon was happier than he'd ever been.

Ash quickly went over and knelt down next to Serena, Bonnie and Clemont following. The four of them, along with the Pokemon, all waited patiently as the egg continued to glow. It went on for a few more moments, getting brighter and brighter. Then, the light dimmed, and finally, in front of them was something that was definitely no longer an egg.

It was a little, brown Pokemon, with fluffy white fur around its neck and a bushy tail with a white tip. Its ears were pointed, and were continuously twitching as it adjusted them. It glanced around with wide, curious eyes. Its gaze eventually rested on Sylveon, who slowly went forward, reaching out her ribbon-like feelers and brushing them along the little Eevee's face.

"Syl-sylveon!" Sylveon squeaked happily, crouching lower towards Eevee, and gently nuzzling it. She turned back to Pikachu, who then stepped forward slowly.

"Pika," the electric mouse said quietly, blinking happily at Sylveon, before crouching down and looking Eevee in the eyes.

"Ee?" Eevee squeaked, looking at Pikachu with wide eyes. It glanced at Sylveon who nodded encouragingly, and then it looked back at Pikachu. It leaned its head forward and sniffed Pikachu's cheek, which luckily didn't spark, although Ash noticed a twitch. Eevee seemed to decide Pikachu was definitely no threat, and nuzzled him happily.

"It's sooo cuuute!" Bonnie whispered excitedly.

"Eevee's gonna be an awesome battler one day," Ash said confidently. "Just like its dad, right Pikachu?"

"Pi?" Pikachu looked a little embarrassed, glancing at Serena and then Sylveon, rightfully thinking that they wouldn't agree with Ash's statement.

"Maybe Eevee wants to be like its mom," Serena argued. "Maybe Eevee will be a Sylveon one day."

"Nah," Ash said, laughing, "Eevee's gonna be a Jolteon. That way Pikachu can teach it all the best electric attacks. We've gotta get a thunder stone."

Eevee was glancing at the couple like they were crazy, clearly having no idea what they were talking about. It instantly shuffled over to sit between Pikachu and Sylveon, looking a little nervous. "Ee-eevee," it squeaked nervously.

"Ash, shouldn't you know better than anyone that sometimes a Pokemon won't want to evolve with an evolution stone?" Serena asked, eyes twinkling.

"Uh...yeah, I guess you're right about that," Ash answered, nodding and then looking at Pikachu who smiled back. "We'll see how it goes I guess."

"See how it goes...sure," Serena muttered, narrowing her eyes in suspicion. "Don't go sneaking Eevee off into your secret training sessions." She shook her head in exasperation. "I hope you're more responsible a few months from now."

"Why?" Bonnie suddenly asked. "What's coming in a few months?"

"Uh..." Ash felt his cheeks heating up, and noticed Serena's were turning red in a blush as well. Neither of them had meant for that to slip out this early. "Well...you see..." He looked at Serena and shrugged. Might as well tell them now, his look seemed to tell her.

Serena nodded, and then she turned her gaze to Clemont and Bonnie. "Let's just say that Pikachu and Sylveon aren't going to be the only new parents in Vaniville Town." She bit her lip nervously as she watched Clemont and Bonnie, who stared back at her with their mouths open in shock. Ash felt like he was gonna pass out right then and there from the awkwardness of the moment. It was still really weird to hear Serena say something like that, despite having known for about two weeks.

Finally, Bonnie jumped up and down, screaming excitedly. "AHHH! YES!" She ran forward towards Serena and grabbed her in a big hug, before jumping back, concern in her eyes. "Oh, sorry, I should be more careful."

Serena just laughed. "It's ok, I think it'll be ok. Remember, it's Ash's baby." She looked over to Ash, who could almost feel the steam coming from his ears. It was more awkward by the moment.

"This is amazing!" Clemont finally said, head moving back and forth between Serena and Ash. "Congratulations, you two! I'm really happy for you."

"Is it a boy or a girl?" Bonnie asked, looking at Ash like he would know.

Ash didn't really know, but he had one of his gut feelings about it. "I think it's a boy. Ash Junior."

"I think it's a girl, actually," Serena said, amusement in her eyes. "Serena Junior."

"What about Bonnie Junior?" Bonnie argued, giggling from the little naming game.

"Clemont's a pretty good name, too," Clemont suggested quietly.

"Whether we have a he or a she, I know they'll be awesome," Ash assured everyone. "A future star in whatever they want to do."

Ash's eyes quickly went to Serena, who looked back with her clear, blue ones. He knew his words were true, and so did she. They would raise their child to know the value of never giving up till the end. They would raise them in a loving home, where Pokemon would play a major role in their life. And maybe one day, this baby would grow up to live in a world, where Ho-Oh's dream, Ash's dream and Serena's dream would be a reality. A world where the hearts of people and Pokemon were one.

As Ash looked into Serena's eyes, he could just see them reflecting the image of the rainbow that was outside. They would never give up until the very end.

La Fin

Author's Note:

So, a somewhat predictable sappy ending. I think the Ho-Oh thing was unique at least. The married with a baby on the way thing...well I love the sappy stuff, so I couldn't help myself. I'm a dude who loves me some romance. Hopefully you all thought it was a fitting ending. And quick thing on Pokemon baby logic. I believe Greninja and Delphox are not compatible breeding partners, but Pikachu and Sylveon are, so that was the reasoning there.

So, there we have it. Gotta Catch That One, after about 6 months, is finally over. Mixed emotions for sure. I'm sad to end it, of course. I don't know when I've had this much fun doing something. So many hours went into this. It became an obsession. It was a huge part of my summer. It's made me absolutely love writing. Ending it is like saying goodbye to one of my best friends. However, it had to end at some point. It might have even gone on too long. 85 chapters is ridiculous. Like I said, it made me love writing, so now I'm getting into these other projects, like my Bonnie story and my Lumiose University story. I can't wait to update those regularly. GCTO will always be my first story, but I know that it won't be my best. Now that it's done, I think I can really become a much better writer.

Now, for the thank yous. As you may have noticed, there are over 700 reviews at this point. I couldn't keep up with all the names, but believe me, I read every single one of your reviews and messages. I want to thank you all individually, but it would take up about a page, and I'd prefer to just get more emotion into one thank you.

I LOVE YOU ALL. I started this, 100% sure I would fail. I procrastinate way too much, and I give up on things I start all the time. At least, that was the old me. GCTO has changed that. Not the story, though. No, it was YOU. All of your support. The reviews, follows, favs, views. I never expected anywhere near that kind of support. When it all started coming in, I knew I couldn't stop writing. I was never going to let you all down like that. You committed so much time to reading this story. I know that. And I am more grateful than you could imagine. And there have been those reviews that set me off, but let's all just forget about that, because I've decided I love those reviews as well. You motivated me if you loved me, hated me, or just posted anything with thoughts or suggestions. I apologize for any lashing out I did. I'm grateful to anyone who put time into reading this and sharing their thoughts. You are all amazing.

And with that, it is time to end GCTO. There are other stories I'm doing, so don't think I'm done forever. Pokemon – Generation Bonnie – Hoenn Alone is going to be updated tomorrow and it's about to get heated up. Lumiose University: A Degree in Pokemon is also getting updated soon. Should be Thursday. I'm not ending my FanFiction writing career any time soon. How could I end something that I absolutely love? I've got a lot left in me.

So with that, I say thank you all one last time. And, farewell. I'll see you in Hoenn or in Lumiose University, or maybe even both. Who knows, maybe something else as well at some point?

Au revoir!

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P.S. Kind of a short story, huh?