A/N: Hey, everyone! You must be wondering why I replaced this chapter with a new, updated epilogue. Well, after I had problems with "Judgment's Fall" and ultimately deleted it for site-related reasons, I forgot about "Separation" for a moment. Then, I just remembered that I needed to wrap up any material in this story that leads to "Judgment's Fall", because I can't obviously bring it back and I've moved on to other things. I'd rather not mislead any readers into believing there's more to read right now.
Now, the first half is pretty much unaffected by my changes. But I have implemented changes in the second half that relate to the episode that just aired in Japan today. Just so you know.
Alright, now that the explanation's out of the way, onward with the epilogue for this story! :D ENJOY!
"You what?!" exclaimed Grace in shock as she stared at Serena through the telephone's computer screen, causing the latter to flinch. The young Trainer felt as if her mother would literally burst through the screen and throttle her."Oh my Arceus, Serena, it's a good thing you survived all of that! Who knows what would have happened if those guys got the better of you! My goodness, Serena, I'm really glad you're okay..."
"Well, I wouldn't have survived if it weren't for the help of Fennekin and my friends," replied Serena, gesturing to Fennekin, Ash, Clemont, and Bonnie.
Grace sighed in relief and smiled slightly. "Thank you all for keeping my daughter safe."
"Ah, come on, we didn't really do all the work," Ash replied honestly as he chuckled. "Serena took pretty good care of herself. You should've seen her out there! She even had a Pokémon battle with one of those crooks, literally blew him off the ground! She was awesome!"
The woman raised an eyebrow curiously. "Really, huh? A legitimate Pokémon battle?"
"Uh-huh, with strategy and everything!" exclaimed Serena, feeling her chest swell up with pride. "And Fennekin did very well, didn't you, Fennekin?"
Fennekin barked happily in response, prompting a chuckle from Grace.
"Wow, my little girl's had a Pokémon battle," she said, almost to herself rather than to Serena. "She's growing up so fast..."
Serena blinked in surprise as she watched her mother wipe away a tear. Then, Grace stared at her daughter, her eyes visibly shimmering with tears.
"I am so proud to hear of what you accomplished, Serena, I really am." She paused, observing Serena thoroughly, as if she was contemplating something. "And I take it that it hasn't changed your opinion about traveling? I remember how much you didn't like traveling outdoors, especially in the forest-"
"Well, my opinion on traveling outdoors is starting to change," Serena interrupted. "Slowly, but surely." She flashed her mother a wide smile, which was further emphasized by Fennekin's own, created as a response to its Trainer's action. "Mom, I'm gonna be fine. I mean, I did just square off against a group of bad guys and came out victorious. And I've also got a whole bunch of friends to help me if I ever need their help, every step of the way."
"Yeah, that's the spirit, Serena!" exclaimed Ash, giving her a determined fist.
Grace's smile widened even more. "Oh, it's good to hear you have such support, Serena. ...Fine, I'm convinced. You'll be fine."
"Thanks, Mom." Just then, Serena remembered something, a matter that proved to be extremely private for her and can only be shared with Grace. She looked at Ash, Clemont, and Bonnie. "Wait, don't go yet, Mom. Hey, can you guys just give us a moment? I need it to be private."
"Whatever you say, Serena," replied Ash, giving her a tip of his cap as he left the room, accompanied by Clemont and Bonnie.
Once the three left the otherwise-empty communication room and closed the door behind them, Serena pulled out Fennekin's Poké Ball.
"Fennekin, that means you too," she said. The Fox Pokémon merely barked in agreement, seconds before being summoned back into its Poké Ball.
"So, what is it you wanna talk to me about, Serena?" Grace asked curiously.
"Well..." Serena hesitated for a moment, unsure about the severity of the subject she was about to bring up. She didn't know if she was right about her theory, but all of the clues she had, it all seemed to click into place. She just HAD to make sure she wasn't making any blind assumptions out of it all.
And besides, there was no way she could be, in any way possible, related to Jake. She just refused to accept it.
"Well, Serena?" Grace piped, bringing Serena back to reality. "What is it?"
"Mom..." replied Serena, "did...did you know anyone named...Jake?"
Grace's eyes widened in surprise. "Jake, you say?" Her brow furrowed as she thought about the name's familiarity. Then... "No, doesn't ring a bell. Sorry."
"Oh, okay." Serena's voice was full of relief, and she smiled widely. "Well, thanks anyway, Mom."
"Wait, wait a minute!" exclaimed Grace, using the voice she always used whenever Serena was in trouble, causing the girl to stop dead in her tracks. "Why did you ask if I knew anyone named Jake? ...By any chance, were any of the four guys you mentioned named Jake?"
"No, but one of them mentioned him to me. He...He said that Jake was a Rhyhorn Racer just like you, Mom, so I thought that if there was any connection-"
"Well, there isn't any connection," Grace interrupted, quickly and sternly. "Please, let's-let's not talk about the people you came across ever again. Just hearing about them makes my skin crawlalready." She shivered for a brief moment, emphasizing her lack of comfort; then, her mood quickly changed, and she smiled brightly at her daughter. "Well, Serena, I really appreciate you calling me." Her eyes softened considerably. "I...I really miss you."
Serena smiled back, something that surprised her. Normally, she wouldn't have this kind of connection with her mother, not since she became a teenager. But in the wake of the incidents at the forest and the Pokémon Center, she found herself desiring a more communication with Grace, undoubtedly because the events were sheer near-death scenarios for her. Realizing this, she widened her smile, and she reached out a hand, touching the computer screen lightly.
"I miss you too, Mom," she replied. "I love you."
Grace gasped upon hearing such a rare compliment from her own daughter, the one who seemed to despise her so much. Then, she smiled as she reached out a hand to touch her own screen, placing her hand over Serena's. Bright, sparkling tears of happiness were flowing from her eyes and down her cheeks.
"I love you too, Serena."
Serena left the telephone room, a large smile on her face and a slight skip present in her step. Ash, Clemont, and Bonnie walked alongside her as they left the Pokémon Center. In the aftermath of the previous Center's destruction, everyone was taken to another Center located near Cyllage City, conveniently the next destination for Ash's second Gym battle. After all she went through, Serena thought it was best if she called her mother and gave her an update on her travels.
"Someone looks happy," Clemont said, catching her attention. "What did you two talk about that was so private?"
Serena smiled at him mischievously. "If I told you, it wouldn't be so private, now would it?"
The aspiring inventor sweat-dropped. "Oh yeah, that's right." He then looked down the pathway ahead. "Well, Cyllage City's close. That means-"
"My Gym battle with Grant!" exclaimed Ash, raising an excited fist in the air. "Oh man, I just can't wait!"
"Pika pika!" Pikachu added, smiling as well.
"Well, what're we waiting for?!" Serena cried as she ran ahead of the others. "Come on, let's go, guys!"
"Whoa, hold up, Serena!" Ash called, laughing as he ran after Serena, closely followed by a joyous Bonnie. He could barely hear Clemont sigh in frustration.
"Oh, come on, we're RUNNING?!" he moaned. "I can't handle running! And I've still got bruises all over..."
"Come on, Clemont!" Bonnie shouted. "Or we'll leave you behind!"
Clemont immediately burst into his fastest sprint, although he already began to sweat profusely. "Come ON, guys!"
Meanwhile, Serena stared straight ahead into the bright horizon as she continued sprinting, and her smile widened. These past couple of days, no matter how dangerous and life-threatening they were, really helped her gain a better understanding of herself, she judged. She knew that her childhood crush on Ash was far from over; after all, who in their right mind wouldn't like someone who was willing to risk life and limb for the people he cared deeply for? However, she also knew that she couldn't let it fully dictate her decisions, just as her mother did. Serena knew that she needed to find more time to be herself, and that way, she could truly discover what she wanted to do in life. And now that she saw herself for who she really was, she was willing to start that change.
Then, she thought about her Fennekin, still stored in its Poké Ball, its potential locked somewhere in its mind, the potential that she long ignored...until now...
"Don't worry, Fennekin," she thought. "I'll no longer hold you and your capabilities back. Together, we'll find what we want to do together, and together with that goal, the both of us will become stronger. For now, we'll just have to start searching." Serena felt Ash join her side in running. "And we won't do it alone. We have Ash. We have him, Bonnie, and Clemont." Her smile widened as she felt Bonnie and Clemont join her side as well. "Together, we'll all reach our dreams."
A scream of pain and agony...
Adam jerked his eyelids open, the right one with some difficulty, due to the pain it still had from being badly burned. Sitting up, feeling himself physically resettle back in the tent he and the others set up for camp, he groaned with frustration and placed a hand over the damaged, bandaged half of his face. The touch was instantly greeted with a stinging pain, causing him to retreat his hand almost immediately. Adam gritted his teeth, breathing through the slits between them.
"That damn girl..." he thought bitterly as he licked his lips. "I swear, I will teach her the meaning of true pain and suffering..."
Suddenly, the zipper to his tent descended on its own, the folds flew back to reveal Nick's face.
"BOSS, BOSS, BOSS!" he cried loudly, startling Adam.
"WHAT?!" Adam yelled. "I'M ALREADY WIDE AWAKE, YOU KNOW!"
"Sorry, boss, but we have a serious problem on our hands..."
Adam placed a hand on his forehead in disbelief. "Please tell me someone didn't take all of our spare food..."
"It appears that way. Seems like forest Pokémon got to 'em..."
"Whose job was it to properly store the food?" When Nick went silent, Adam immediately remembered. "Damn you to hell, Nick. Swear to Arceus, if you keep on fouling up like that, it'll be YOU who'll be taken by the forest Pokémon!" He stood up abruptly and stormed out of the tent, muttering, "Incompetent fools..."
His nostrils were greeted with the smell of recently-burnt campfire wood, and his eyes gazed upon the embers that remained of the fire the group set up. Then, they focused on Floyd and Lloyd, who were staring down at a box that was torn up and its contents missing. Lloyd was snickering, while Floyd appeared glum.
"It was our last food supply..." Floyd muttered sadly. "Such good food too..."
"Yeah, well you can blame Nick for that shtick," Adam snapped as he approached the trashed box, startling Floyd.
"Oh, Adam! G-Good morning, boss!"
"Yeah, you wish." Adam remained still for a few seconds, then he let out an inhuman roar and kicked the box over on its side. "DAMN IT, DAMN IT ALL!"
Lloyd snickered in response. "Good to see you in such high spirits, boss," he snarled happily.
Adam growled and punched Lloyd in the face, causing him to fall over to the ground. However, the red-haired man merely let out a loud, malicious cackle as he slammed the ground with a clenched fist in amusement. He then quickly sat up, his teeth fully bared as he gave Adam a hungry smile.
"You may keep getting angry at everything known to man all you want, Adam," he jeered in a sing-song voice, "but it's gonna get you NOWHERE! HAHAHA!"
Adam opened his mouth to shout back at Lloyd, but then, he closed it, his expression of anger turning into one of disappointment.
"Arceus-damn it, Lloyd," he spat. Then, he sighed. "...You're right... Can't just stand here yelling my ass off... I need to think of a good plan so I can get my well-deserved revenge against that Serena, but what plan should I come up with? We're out of cash, out of food, low on supplies..."
"We obviously need to get all of those things back, then," suggested Floyd.
"Oh, like I didn't know that already?" Adam placed a finger on his chin as he began to think. "Well, first and foremost, we need to get money. But there's gonna be no doubt those kids already gave out descriptions of us, and everyone in Kalos knows who we look like. Therefore, we're gonna need to improvise..."
"Hey, I've got an idea!" Nick exclaimed happily.
However, Adam scoffed. "Oh, great. Just turn to the guy who practically lost our spare food for all the answers..."
"No, seriously! I found this at the Pokémon Center just before we burned it down to a crisp!"
Nick excitedly held out a small but colorful flyer for Adam to see. At first, he attempted to ignore it, but upon seeing the familiar emblem that was printed on it in bold lettering, his attention was caught in a split-second; he snatched it out of his accomplice's hands. Reading it to clarify that he was seeing the real thing, he smiled malevolently upon confirming its legitimacy. Lloyd giggled in satisfaction, while Floyd raised a curious eyebrow.
"Why?" Floyd asked. "What's the new plan, boss?"
"See for yourself," replied Adam as he handed Floyd the flyer.
"The Wallace Cup," he read. He then looked up at Adam. "What about it?"
"Continue reading."
Obliging, Floyd's eyes widened upon noticing the extra caption. "Contest Master Wallace and Contest Spectacular Idol Lisia to be present?!"
"Wallace and Lisia," explained Adam. "Among the most famous and influential people in the world, and Lisia's also the youngest of that elite. It's quite perfect for a little ransom..."
"Ooh, ransom..." Lloyd whispered hungrily.
"I also managed to nab ourselves a couple of brochures!" Nick added, raising them in the air for the others to see.
Adam's smile promptly widened, his teeth becoming bare, and both of his eyes glinted with a newfound malice. A chuckle escaped his lips.
"Oh, don't you just love it when a plan comes together?" He stood up and stretched out his arms in a glorious manner. "Now then, here's the plan, guys..."
A/N: Now I'm sure if this will warrant an actual new sequel that would replace "Judgment's Fall". I left it open-ended just in case, but I don't have any plans for that right now. I'm quite focused on my other stories for the time being, and I'd rather not have another priority on my workload.
Anyway, we're officially done with this story, at long last! I'd like to thank those who took the time to read this:
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And last, but not least, all of the anonymous reviewers and the tens of thousands of viewers who took the time to read this story!
Anyway, I am really proud of how this story turned out, and I actually have nothing to complain about at all. The XY saga of the anime is turning out to be my favorite saga so far, mostly because of the AmourShipping, naturally. I had a lot of fun writing this story and talking with you fellow reviewers, and all of it doesn't come without me saying that "Separation" is currently my favorite story in terms of enjoyment in the writing process. I can't wait to get the sequel underway! :D
Also, did anyone see the latest episode of XY? They TOTALLY stole a scene from my story! Blasphemy! :P Jk.
TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. UNTIL NEXT TIME!