Chapter 11/Final: BeWITCHed Love

The morning rose around Elyon's castle. Pikachu spent the night with the queen after the devastating battle against her elder brother, Prince Phobos. Elyon woke first to find the rising Meridian sun, the snoozing Pikachu snuggled to her chest and in her arms. Feeling movement and well rested, the Electric Mouse Pokémon awoke to find Elyon stirring with some bedhead hair. She smiled down to him. "Good morning, Pikachu," she welcomed.

("Good morning, highness,") he returned. Elyon giggled to the reply. In her eyes, the sight of Pikachu's pre-evolved version, Pichu, appeared. She soon hugged Pikachu but not too tight in risk of a Thunderbolt strike.

"I wish I could have a Pichu to call my own." Pikachu knew Elyon remembered the PokéDex entry during Ash's lesson. It still bothered her about how close they came to losing Ash when Phobos turned him to stone. "Then again, I would've wished to have Ash as my own… if it meant giving up his dream." Pikachu blinked before realizing the meaning.

("You love Ash as well?") Elyon nodded, thoughts she understood the mouse. Meanwhile in another room, Ash and Irma slept with their arms around each other as heart-shape bubbles filled the room. After reviving from being a statue, the two youths cemented themselves to being a couple. Miss Lair first awakened and saw Ash, his chest bare of cloth. Still fresh in love and in some pajamas, Irma wasn't sure if she's conscious. The bubbles popped as her awakening.

'Is this a dream?' she thought. 'Please, don't let it be a dream! I wanna know if I'm awake!' She reached for her cheek and pinched it. Quickly, she felt pain… and comfort. 'Ow! Okay, I'm not dreaming! It's real! I'm really sleeping with him!' For awhile, she admired the sleeping trainer who came to her life. 'I can't believe we made a complete set: All five of us guardians with boyfriends! I guess it's okay for him to face the day. Can't have him sleeping to the evening.' She caressed his cheek, his smiling and sleeping face to react. "Oh, Ash, time to wake up." Ash continued to sleep, his innocent snore asking to be teased more. "Come on, sweetie… Open those eyes I love." Ash briefly opened his eyes to command but for a brief moment before closing them back up. To Irma, Ash became the teaser. "Oh…? You wanna play this game, do ya? Alright, you asked for it!" Irma initiated a kissing barrage all over Ash's face: his eyelids, his nose, his forehead, his chin, his cheeks, his zigzag marks. "Come on, Ashy-dear… I'm not stopping until I see your sweet chocolate eyes." She resumed her barrage until she connected lips. She held them for several seconds and Ash finally opened his eyes.

"Been wondering when you'd get me there," he teased with a smile. To Irma, he wanted his lips to be her key.

"Enjoying every moment of that show, honey?" Ash snagged the back of her head with a grin.

"Does this answer your question?" Ash returned her kisses with a kiss of his own. Both snuggled back down with their lips joined. In the throne room, the other guardians, Matt, Caleb and Blunk glanced to Jeek tied up in vines. It was this passling who brought Team Rocket to Phobos to free him.

"You know, we could throw you in the dungeon with Team Rocket after what you did," threatened Hay Lin.

"Jeek not afraid of dungeon!" the passling scoffed. "Jeek find ways out of there!" Will wanted Jeek to pay for his crime, believing his take.

"I don't think Jeek would bluff about that," Will minded. As she tried to find a fitting punishment, Cornelia snapped her fingers.

"I got it!" she thought up. She huddled with Will to whisper an idea. Her plan made Will grin.

"Oh… that will work…" Grabbing the Heart of Kandrakar, Will focused her wish to the pendant before preparing to tear a portal open. "On three…" She ripped the air, opening a rift to show an ocean. Jeek freaked out.

"Not there!" he protested. "Jeek don't wanna go!" Bubbles floated among the watery surface.

"Ooh, that's a nice touch," Taranee awed. Blunk nodded, a fitting consequence for the passling.

"Blunk hate to be in Jeek's clothes where he's going," Blunk mocked.

"You can't!" cried Jeek. "Jeek no go!" Will heard enough of the convicted.

"Three!" she yelled. Cornelia ordered the vines to throw Jeek through the rift. Once entered, the veil closed. Jeek hit the water and began to flail helplessly.

"Jeek hate soapy water!" He repeated as he struggled to swim. Will and Blunk breathed a sigh of relief.

"Jeek gone, Phobos dead and Rockets grounded," he listed.

"One bearing makeup that Cornelia made sure couldn't come off," Caleb added. "Seeing that, Jessie may not want to leave." The guardians laughed to the thought as Jessie struggled to escape. Her hair all white and wearing green skin that made her look like an old hag meeting a passling, she scratched herself to remove the wear.

"Take it off!" she yelled repeatedly. She rushed the bars before getting zapped. The energy bars threw Jessie to the wall which didn't give way. Down, she wailed to the imprisonment. James and Meowth occupied a different cell from Jessie.

"Ever once in your wildest dreams would you dink being locked up for life with her be scary?" asked Meowth.

"Not as bad as right now!" gulped James. "At least the twerpette queen's generous to give us a place where we don't have to worry about Jessie's wrath."

"Wished she was more generous with ear plugs." More of Jessie's yells forced the other two to cover their ears.

"Or at least a soundproof cell!" Back at the castle, Elyon met up with her guardians and returned Pikachu to Ash.

"Apparently, Meridian has some quick and talented artists," she mentioned. "They made these from the events of when Ash arrived here to yesterday's battle. Take a look!" They glanced to three paintings of detail. One portrait of Ash with the Pokémon he had on hand and ordering with a point and appearing to shout. Pikachu was on his head, Charizard and Swellow flew above and Corphish, Grovyle and Phanpy dashed passed him. The second also had Ash and his Pokémon but with the guardians and Elyon. Ash and Irma rode on Charizard with Taranee, Hay Lin appeared to be racing against Swellow, Grovyle crouched on Cornelia, Will carried Pikachu and Elyon carried Phanpy in her arms. The last one had Ash in the armor of aura protecting Elyon and Irma against Phobos. Ash seemed in awe about the portraits, somewhat embarrassed with all that occurred around him and his Pokémon.

"You seem to have made your name known across Meridian," Will acknowledged. "Of course, we should be saying thanks for saving our behinds against Phobos."

"If not for you, we wouldn't be standing with you at this moment," Taranee pointed out. Ash didn't mind the compliments.

"It's not a big deal," he scoffed. "It's like with Sondra: I put my friends before myself. Besides, if you guys were in trouble, I'd be there in a heartbeat." The guardians felt touched by Ash's selfless nature.

"We are so lucky to have you as a great friend, Ash!" cheered Hay Lin.

"So much so, we want to thank you in a… special way," Cornelia winked. This made Ash a little uneasy.

"How so?" he asked.

"You see, Cornelia and I talked to Caleb and Matt about it," Will started. "They understood what we had in mind."

"We also briefed Irma and she agreed to our idea… on one condition," Taranee added. Ash became curious.

"What's this condition?" he questioned.

"We don't get you in Irma's favorite spot on your face," Cornelia replied.

"Wait, on my face? What do you-" Remembering when he woke up, Ash realized the guardians wanted to kiss him. "Uh oh!"

"Charge!" the guardians yelled before tackling and kissing Ash all over his face and missing his lips. Pikachu laughed to the kissing torture by the guardians.

("Take it like a man, Ash!") he squeaked. Cornelia broke away and turned to the Pokémon.

"Don't think you're getting out of this," she warned. Vines wrapped around Pikachu from her summon. "After Ash, it's your turn, cutie!"

("Uh oh!") The guardians broke from Ash and left his face painted in lipstick marks. They attacked Pikachu but unlike Ash, Pikachu's lips were free. Both Ash and Pikachu came out with a lot of lipstick on their faces, Pikachu got some on his ears and the crown.

"Girls…" Ash gulped. "They can be vicious." Pikachu whined. After cleaning themselves, everyone attended the throne room, including the people of Meridian. Caleb, Matt, Julian, Yan and Aldarn stood on one side while the guardians stood on the other. Elyon came forward with a set of medals. Ash and his Pokémon faced what seemed to be the world.

"Ash Ketchum," Elyon started. "Pikachu, Charizard, Grovyle, Corphish, Swellow and Phanpy. Your role in stopping the threats on Earth and Meridian have saved countless lives, including the guardians. Your selfless actions in ending Prince Phobos' terror has brought new peace among the universe. I bequeath to each one, a medal of Meridian." There were different size ribbons for each medal, circular and gold with different swirls as decoration. Charizard craned his head to allow Elyon to fit the medal over his horns. The queen had little trouble with the other Pokémon. Finally, she reached their trainer. "Ash, you have earned a new title for protecting the universe's saviors. You will be known as Meridian's Knight: The Guardian of the Guardians." With the medal dressed, everyone applauded and cheered for Ash. However, his mind still focused on Phobos' death. Pikachu saw his friend's mulled face.

("This is a celebration, Ash!") he squeaked. Elyon saw the face, as did Irma.

"Ash? What's the matter?" Ash couldn't let his silence stay.

"It's just…" he started but stopped to sigh. "I'm sorry." Elyon blinked to the sudden apology.

"Sorry? For what?"

"Phobos… He's dead because of me." Elyon gasped a little to the reasoning. "I-I know he's the one who caused suffering to Meridian but… he's your older brother." To Elyon, Ash gave pity to her at the loss of her only known family. She would've wanted Phobos to stay in the dungeon with Team Rocket but at least to her, it's one more cell for when another criminal decides to cause havoc to her kingdom.

"Ash… don't worry about it. I disavowed Phobos as my brother long before you arrived." While rather uplifting, it still bothered Ash.

"I guess… I mean, still… you don't have any family left. I know it'll be blood on my hands for the rest of my life." Elyon realized Ash wasn't someone who wanted to end lives like Phobos. Irma huddled up after hearing his confession and whispered something in Elyon's ear. The young queen nodded and stepped to Ash to offer comfort.

"Hey, Ash!" The trainer looked up after hearing his name, only to get lip service from the teenage queen. This shocked him while the crowd awed and cheered the smooch. Stepping back, Elyon licked her lip to a taste. "You were right, Irma: his lips do taste like heaven!" The guardians snickered, as did the Pokémon. Ash gawked to the queen's little love.

"Wh-What was that for?! You know Irma and I-" Elyon's giggle made Ash befuddled.

"I know, I know… She gave me permission this time. Besides, I had a few reasons like cheering you up and saving my life. Like I said, Phobos wasn't part of my life. You could say that Will, Irma, Taranee, Cornelia, Hay Lin, Caleb, Matt, the Browns… They're family and you and your Pokémon are now a part of it. I guess that's a wish I wanted." Ash now smiled to her explanation.

"Thanks, your highness. I mean it." He looked back at his Pokémon, now honorary members of the queen's lineage.

"There's one other reason that even Irma understands." Ash turned back to Elyon to hear what else she had to say. "You see… I love you. In all honesty, I'd be the happiest girl if you'd be my boyfriend… but it just wouldn't work out. You know I'm queen here. If we were the item, you be Meridian's king in a flash. You'd be forced to stay here in Meridian for the rest of your life and away from the Pokémon World, from your friends, from your mom and any other family there… from your dream… Not being able to fulfill your dream because you'd be my boyfriend, fiance and king here. I just wouldn't do that to my friend." To learn of someone else having a heart for him, Ash awed Elyon's confession. Learning about the outcome, even Ash realized the circumstances as great.

"Thank you. I'm getting a lot more love than I do back home." Night soon fell but to the guardians, they felt as if Ash and the Pokémon spent enough time away from their home world. Will looked to be receiving advice about the Heart of Kandrakar from Julian.

"Got it," she agreed before stepping to Pikachu. "Now that I know what to do with the Heart of Kandrakar, time to go to work. Hold still and think about home, okay?" Pikachu nodded before Will placed the pendant on his forehead. While Will's busy with Pikachu, the other guardians and the guys had their chance to with Ash.

"Looks like this is it," Matt huffed before giving Ash a handshake. "I had a blast with you and Pikachu." Huggles leaped from Matt to Ash to nuzzle. The Pokémon trainer felt the nuzzling, knowing Huggles would miss him.

"I know how you feel," he believed. "I'll miss you too, Mister Huggles." Taranee and Hay Lin came forward, wanting to give Ash some of their love before going home.

"So, Will, Cornelia and Irma will make sure you and your Pokémon are back home safely," Taranee reminded. "We're all gonna miss you. I'd wager Nigel and Eric would be too, even though you've only known them from the mall."

"Yeah, and I know I'll miss you guys as well." Taranee gave Ash a hug for her farewell.

"Don't forget me!" called Hay Lin before she hugged Ash as well. Raythor emerged to meet Ash once more.

"Finally found you," he huffed. "I didn't want to let you go home without a word from me." Raythor took a deep breath before facing the trainer. "Ash, after what you've done in the face of danger, I would've wanted to keep and train you in knighthood to aid in protecting the queen. Certainly, you would be an exceptional warrior and rightful companion as one of the royal guard. Alas, it wasn't meant to be."

"Hey, I would protect you as well," Ash recalled his words. "After all, you're a strong knight but I would help out any way possible." A smiling Raythor dug in his pocket and pulled out a steel medallion with "HONORED KNIGHT."

"This is for you..." Handed, Ash studied the medallion.

"Thanks, Raythor." Julian now came forward.

"Ash, it was nice meeting you and your Pokémon," he said while engaged in a handshake.

"You too, Julian."

"By the way, I saw that picture of your mother. I must say, she's quite the damsel. I wish I met her before I did Nerissa." Ash took a moment to realize what Julian meant. Will came over with Pikachu, ready for the task.

"I'm set," she announced. "Ready to head home?" Ash nodded with Irma by his side. Cornelia also joined Will, petting the Pokémon on the head.

"Let's just say I wanna see this world this little guy's from,"she explained. She brought out a pocket-size camera to show and record the show. "Well, Will… Do your stuff!" Will nodded before shredding the air to reveal a rift. To Ash, this was his way home.

"Let's do it," he nodded. He and the guardians joining stepped through the portal and out to a clear wooded area. Looking at first, Ash wondered if this was the Pokémon World. "Are we really back?" Pikachu looked around for a sign. Suddenly, he spotted brown owls with giant red eyes and standing on one talon.

("I see Hoothoot!") he squeaked. Ash and the guardians spotted the Hoothoot, the trainer confirming his homecoming.

"So we're in the Pokémon World after about a week away. Seeing Hoothoot is a good sign."

"Wait, that one-legged owl?" questioned Irma. Ash brought his Dex out to scan the Pokémon.

"Hoothoot, the Owl Pokémon," it computed. "Hoothoot stands on one leg while resting but both feet are present while in flight. It interchanges feet in the blink of an eye." Irma and Will seemed interested in Hoothoot's behavior.

"That's a fascinating find," Will awed.

"So this is where the Pokémon live in?" guessed Cornelia. That's when she saw three tiny green human-like creatures with flowers on their heads and grass skirts danced. Watching the three, Cornelia cooed to their interpretation. "Adorable!" she squealed. Ash smiled to Cornelia's chirp.

"You're enjoying Bellossom's dance," he pointed out. When the Bellossom finished, two of them approached Cornelia.

"Was that a dance to welcome us?" One Bellossom nodded to her query. "Thank you. Kinda wish I could take one of you home." The other two Bellossom laughed. Suddenly, a loud caw echoed in the air. Ash and the guardians peered up while the Pokémon retreated to hiding.

"What was that?!" gawked Irma. That's when a giant blue avian bird fluttered down to meet the humans. The avian had a hard trident-like crest on its head. To Ash, it was Charizard's opponent.

"Articuno!" he named.

"That's one big bird," Will gulped. Articuno looked down and cawed to Ash.

"Hey, Articuno. I'm sorry I disappeared before we had our Frontier Battle." Articuno darted its red eyes to the guardians.

"Think Arty will believe us if we tell it?" asked Irma. Before Will could reply…

"Ash!" a pair of voices rang out. Everyone turned to see a young brunette girl in a tight red biker shirt and black shorts while donning a red bandanna and a raven-haired boy in glasses, wearing a green polo shirt and brown shorts. Ash recognized the two.

"May!" he named the brunette. "Max!" Reaching, the two gasped for breath.

"Ash, what happened to you?!" cried May. "You said you went on a little training with Charizard and didn't come back!" Ash remembered the ordeal when he and Charizard began training to battle Articuno.

"Yeah, and then we got sucked into another world. At least Team Rocket won't come after us again." Will nodded, remembering the makeup work by Cornelia.

"Even if she does, no one will think of her as human," she pointed out. Hearing Will, May and Max saw the guardians for the first time.

"Wait, who are you three?" asked Max.

"We're guardians," Cornelia replied. "Ash fell into our world and we kept an eye on him while we tried to return him and Pikachu back." Kneeling, Cornelia took an inkling to Max and snapped a picture. "But I think I may keep this for someone I know." Max blinked, unsure about who Cornelia had in mind. Cornelia giggled before giving Max a kiss to the tip of his nose, making his cheeks burn red. Articuno cawed to the kids. They turned to Articuno who started pecking inside its wing.

"Arty, what is it?" asked Irma. Articuno plucked out a tuff of feathers. This surprised the guardians, Ash and May.

"I see," Max figured. "Articuno wanted to give you guys something for making sure Ash came back safe." Articuno lowered to give the feathers to Will.

"Thanks, Articuno," she accepted. Feeling the feathers, she shivered. "Man, they're c-cold!" Irma and Cornelia also touched the feathers.

"Whoa, these would work for sleep," Cornelia pictured. Irma nodded to the idea. Will decided it's time to return.

"I wish we could stay but we do need to return, Ash. May, Max, make sure he's safe… for Irma's sake." May and Max wondered about Will's word as Irma came to Ash.

"I know you've got a quest on hand and even Queen Elyon wants you to succeed," Irma brought up. "But I hope the one thing that doesn't ruin is our relationship."

"You're the first to take my lips, and I don't want that to change," Ash reminded.

"And to make sure..." Both engaged in one last kiss. May and Max gawked to Ash sharing love with a guardian.

"Uh, isn't this the time you remove Ash from her?" urged May.

"Sis, I do that to Brock when he makes himself a fool," Max compared. "Ash showed proper form when it comes to love, and it's… genuine. I actually like this sight." After a minute of smooching, Irma felt ready to give Ash to the siblings. Pikachu got a last stroke from Cornelia.

"Maybe a Bellossom, maybe one of you," she hoped. "But be good and I may give you something else." Pikachu couldn't wait. However, Will led Irma and Cornelia back through the rift. It closed, sealing Ash to stay with the siblings.

"You know, I should be jealous of you, Ash Ketchum," May huffed. "But… I can't. Something between you and that guardian tells me there's chemistry with you two. By the way, you look much more tone than when we first came here." Ash shrugged his shoulders, not wanting to hide how he earned his new physique.

"Well, Cornelia's boyfriend trained me," he started with Pikachu hopping on his shoulder.

"Really? I like it!" That's when he dug into his pocket and pulled out the photos from his date.

"As for Irma, the one who kissed me… you could say I belong in her Lair." May and Max came over to see the photos as well.

"Boy, if Brock sees that, he may want to get advice from you," Max joked. The photo of Irma kissing Ash seemed to stay with him for a long time.

(Months Later; coast of Pallet Town)

The photo of Irma kissing Ash still laid within his palm. Joining him was a brunette young man, about the same age as Ash. "So, that's your girl, Ashy-boy?" he questioned.

"That is, Gary," Ash replied.

"Nice… I'll say this, a lot better than that redhead with the Togepi." Ash shrugged his shoulders while Pikachu rode on his head. "Anyway, I got a call about researching Pokémon in the Sinnoh Region. Since there's reports of new Pokémon, and you still have that drive after completing the Battle Frontier, I assume this will be where you'd wanna go next." Hearing about new Pokémon stoked Ash.

"The Sinnoh Region, huh?" Pikachu awed the chance of finding and meeting unknown Pokémon. "Seems like we have new adventures to journey upon." Pikachu agreed with a cheer. They soon reached a town and entered without hesitation. They came across a white house with a front porch. Ash and Pikachu came to the door and opened it. "Mom?! Mimey?!" No response. "Mom?! Anyone?! Tracey?!"Nothing. That's when a surprise came to them.

"There you are!" a familiar voice greeted. Ash, Gary and Pikachu turned to find Nigel and Eric by the fence. This stunned Ash.

"Nigel? Eric? What's going on? I thought you guys were in Heatherfield!" Nigel and Eric's faces read embarrassment.

"You see, we… kinda stumbled onto our girlfriends' little secret," Nigel admitted.

"We met on coincidence since we wanted to spend time with our girlfriends when we saw the five together," Eric exclaimed. "Will opened some sort of portal that brought them to this world and we got suspicious." Ash suddenly realized they found this world after following the guardians. "After crossing over, Taranee found us and we thought our geese were cooked."

"That's when she and Hay Lin made us promise not to tell anyone about this place or their secrets." Gary seemed unfamiliar to the two from Earth.

"Ash, mind clearing the air about it?" he asked. Ash didn't have a choice as Pikachu also wanted to know about the two.

"Gary, Pikachu, that's Nigel Ashcroft and Eric Lyndon," he introduced. "The three of us are boyfriends to a few of the guardians." Nigel snickered to the news.

"So, it is official," he joked. "You and Irma are boyfriend and girlfriend!"

"Yep. Now that I think about it, if the girls together are W.I.T.C.H., could that make us… M.A.N.C.E.?" Eric and Nigel laughed to the idea of their combined name.

"Let me see if I can make sense of what you're saying," Eric studied. "There's the three of us, Matt and Caleb… Hm, Matt, Ash, Nigel, Cale- Ah! Dang it, Ash! Stop making sense!" Just then, something tugged on Eric's pant leg. It's a mauve round creature with yellow-tipped flaps on its ears and feet. Its eyes were in shapes of plus signs. Eric picked the creature up. "Sorry, Whizzy. I didn't mean to scare you." Ash and Gary gawked to Eric's creature.

"A Whismur…" identified Gary.

"Eric's not the only one with a Pokémon," Nigel voiced as a floating purple spiky ball creature with hands not attached to the body.

"A Haunter?" guessed Ash. Nigel also glanced to Ash's friend near him.

"Hey, aren't you the professor's grandson?"

"That's me, alright," Gary confirmed. "Gary Oak. Is there something going on in the lab?"

"Actually, that's why we came," Eric acknowledged. "...To get Ash." The trainer wondered about the action at the lab.

"Let's go check it out," he wanted before heading out to find the issue. At a white complex with a windmill adjacent on a hill, Ash climbed up with the others behind as a unicorn with a fiery mane watched on. When he opened the door to a dark room, he entered to find the lights flicked on.

"Surprise!" a crowd cheered. A lot of people, including the guardians, Elyon and some of the castle's occupants came to welcome Ash.

"We heard that you completed the Battle Frontier from the professor," Hay Lin greeted. "Congratulations, Ash!" She hugged Ash for the successful quest. Several of the partiers gave Ash the praise for him and his Pokémon's accomplishments. It also came to know that each guardian had a Pokémon. Will had a steel sphere with an eye and two magnets on each side, as well as two screws below said eye. Irma had a heart-shaped fish. Taranee found herself a Torkoal, Cornelia with a Bellossom and Hay Lin had a black butterfly with a long stringy nose. Matt had an orange dog.

"Looks like you got Pokémon for yourselves, huh?" noticed Ash.

"Yeah, and we wish we could bring them home," Will chuckled. "But we're keeping them in Meridian… at least most of us." Elyon, holding a Pichu, would agree.

"At least I get to bring my baby prince home," she called her Pichu who squeaked back. Elyon cooed at the cute squeaks. Ash petted the Pichu.

"Is it a newborn?" he asked.

"Yeah, and the professor let me keep him." Ash smiled, seeing the young queen's happiness.

"Will and Matt brought Magnemite and Growlithe home," Cornelia mentioned. "We don't want our family to know we became owners of Pokémon." Seeing the eldest guardian, Ash wondered about her family.

"I see," he nervously laughed. "Anyway, how's Lillian doing?"

"Oh, she's fine and energetic like always. Funny thing, I showed her the photo of your little friend, Max, Lillian's acted like she's been pierced by Cupid's Arrow." Ash nearly fell over laughing.

"Whoa, really?!"

"Yep, she's totally head-over-heels in love with him. Maybe I can take him to my apartment, have them meet." Ash found a slight problem with this.

"If you want him, he's already headed back home to Petalburg City in the Hoenn Region." A nod from Cornelia told Ash she understood. "I guess that means Lillian doesn't see me as her 'boyfriend' anymore?"

"Sadly, but that doesn't mean you're out of the thickets. She still considers you her favorite bedtime storyteller."

"Nothing wrong with that." A raven-haired teen in a turquoise shirt overheard Ash's and Cornelia's conversation.

"You do storytelling?" he asked. Ash itched his cheek, a little embarrassed.

"I dabbled with what I've been through, Tracey." Will had more about their trips.

"Hey, Ash," she spoke up. "Your mom, Delia… She's so nice! She makes awesome tea when we stop by, even with Julian." Cornelia wanted to back her up.

"And her Deep-Dish Chili Dog Pizza is so mouth-watering," she added. Taranee couldn't hold her piece about Ash's mother.

"Our school's cafeteria could use new dishes like that for home. She's got to have the recipe for that." Ash nodded, agreeing to the guardians' need.

"She does," he replied. "I'm sure she can give you her tips." That's when he realized his mother wasn't in sight. "Speaking of which… where did she go?" The guardians looked around. Caleb added to the drama.

"Anyone seen my father?" he questioned. This became serious.

"Weird," Irma gulped. "Weren't they inside?" Yan came out of the kitchen as well.

"I swear those two were in the kitchen a moment ago." Unaware to anyone, Matt happened to find a pair outside. It was Julian and Delia engaged in a conversation.

"Guys?" he spoke up. Everyone turned to Will's boyfriend. "I see them… and you're not gonna believe what I'm watching." Everyone came to the window with skepticism.

"Seriously, Matt," Will murmured. "What's not to believe?" They saw the parents talking to each other.

"What's my father doing with Delia?" shuttered Caleb.

"What's my mom doing with Julian?" shuttered Ash. Julian seemed to pour something from within to the mother Ketchum.

"Delia, you've treated me and my son with care that not even Nerissa displayed before her power trip over the Heart of Meridian," he expressed. Delia didn't seem upset with this.

"Well, you and Caleb helped Ash with his training and control," she returned. "Sometimes, I believe our sons are brothers in a sense." To Julian, it could be possible.

"Perhaps, we can make it happen." Delia blinked, wondering the purpose. "Delia, it would be a fantasy possible for our lonely families to become one. With this, our sons will be brothers and we can start love over again… together." Delia snapped her open hands to her mouth in a gasp. Listening from inside, Cornelia figured the conversation… and she gulped in surprise.

"Whoa, hold on!" she gasped. "Is Caleb's dad actually asking Ash's mom to marry him?" Everyone else jumped in shock, Pikachu flying off Ash for Cornelia to catch.

"You're kidding!" they snapped back at Cornelia. Delia thought about the proposal.

"Can I do something first?" she requested.

"Of course," Julian allowed. Delia stepped away from Caleb's father and removed a ring on her finger. A nod came before she hurled the ring to the forest.

"He's dead to me." She returned to Julian after her heaving of the ring. "I want to start fresh, Julian. That ring anchored me for a long time… Now I am free to say yes. You and me, Ash and Caleb… let us become a new family." With the answer, Julian and Delia kissed. The guardians awed the successful proposal. Ash and Caleb gawked to the sight. Tracey and a gray-haired man in a lab coat couldn't help but admire the sight.

"Well, seems these two needed a fresh start on love," he said.

"I gotta sketch this!" awed Tracey as he began to draw on a sketch pad. To Ash and Caleb, their families uniting was more shocking than Pikachu's Thunderbolt.

"Our parents want each other?" they gawked before turning to each other. "And we're gonna be brothers?" Before reality sank among the two, Cornelia dove onto the two in a spreading hug.

"I'm so proud of you!" she praised. "You'll be a Ketchum soon… and then if it all works out, so will I!" Ash and Caleb could do nothing but take it like the young men they were.

"That is wonderful to hear!" screamed Elyon.

"Two families from different worlds becoming one!" chimed Will before they teamed up and kissed Ash on each cheek.

"Wow, this is all so fast," Ash chuckled. "I'm not sure what to say!" Irma had one solution in mind.

"Come here you, dear!" grinned Irma as she wrapped Ash and kissed his lips. Gary laughed to the sight.

"So, Ash has a girlfriend, and now a new father and brother?" he listed. "Something's definitely going right with him." New romance blossomed. Two parents who's spouses abandoned them and their children are becoming one family and Ash had a hard time knowing W.I.T.C.H. was better: getting a new dad or getting a girlfriend. To Irma, Ash was her true… Guardian of the Guardians.

THE END

(I may be done with the story but I'm not done with W.I.T.C.H., not yet anyway. Stay tuned for that while after I finish RWBY, two more stories will start. Remember the invites? The vacation story starts. Then I start another of my choosing and discussions with.)