Chapter 8/Final: An Ancient Resolve

The smoke filled the room and clouded a sight which may have been the doom of anyone. Soon enough, the smoke was clearing and there was Ash and Sakura, her lying on top, belly-to-belly. Pikachu, clear of the blast of anything other than good, arrived to see if Ash and Sakura were alive. Only when he made it to the two, he saw that they were fine...not the way he had in mind. Sakura had a grip on Ash's head, just behind the ears and the lips were sealed together. That confession before in that dreamland seemed fascinating enough but boy oh boy! Sakura had been waiting for this moment for a while and what a time to show it. Pikachu thought this was wake-up time and used his tail to tickle them awake. Soon, both were stirred and briefly broke their kiss. ("Now's not the time to make love, you two!") he scolded. Both turned to Pikachu, Sakura offering her hand to pet it. Both got off the floor and Pikachu hopped onto Ash's shoulder once more.

"Thanks, Pikachu," Ash praised for his concern. Sakura's face was redder than before. Was it the kiss she gave to him?

"Wow, now I know this isn't the same as the show," she huffed. "Usually, you're the one getting kissed, not giving them out." Wait...Ash was the one who did the kissing? "And that was the best kiss I've had, even my dad's kiss to me is nothing." Who knew that Ash was such a good kisser?

"Blame Dad. He told me that love will find you and that an accepted kiss was a great sign of a relationship. Oddly enough, that was my first kiss." That was a gust of wind of a new direction. Ash and Sakura were so close that the two had feelings for each other and neither one realized it until now. That's when a groan echoed. The three turned to see Agatha struggling to get up. Man, won't this fight end?

"This...isn't over," she hissed. "Love conquers all, my foot. You know that my power is absolute. Nothing can overcome it." On unsteady feet, Agatha was ready to face the youngsters again. The three readied themselves for the action. Agatha thrust her arm forward...but nothing came out. The two wondered of something was wrong. Agatha tried again...with no result. To the kids, Agatha was as powerful as a toddler. "This can't be!" She tried and tried and tried again. Nothing! "I am the most powerful Aura Master! I cannot be powerless!" That's when the roof opened up. Instead of the roof collapsing on them, the roof rose and the skies split. Above as all looked on, 16 colored cloaks gazed down at Agatha. There's a very good chance those were the late Aura Masters and they were less than pleased with her.

"Could they be?" Sakura wondered.

"Agatha, you have betrayed the code of the Aura Martial Law for the final time," the one in white expressed in a feminine tone. "For centuries following our passing, we've observed your actions and how you've turned the war of man and Pokémon into your own personal game." It didn't matter how long Agatha was getting away with her crime. She got caught.

"You, Hikari, threw me out of the legion because of the element I possess!" she argued while pointing a finger at her.

"Wrong. Anyone who possesses the Aura of Darkness help those less fortunate to adapt to the light and provide the courage to those who can't allow a flash in their eyes. You were exiled because you offered the strength to the Pokémon in exchange of eliminating those who were recovering from the war and fed off the youth of innocent humans. You've manipulated your last experiment." Suddenly, a bright light beam struck Agatha.

"There's no way I'm leaving here without a fight from anyone!" She lost to Ash, Pikachu and Sakura so she had no saying in the matter, relatively speaking. She tried once more to summon her darkness but no matter how hard she attempted, there was no smoke for her fire. "Why? Why is my aura not responding?" For Ash, the answer was pretty clear.

"It's what you're doubting," he voiced. "Love does conquer all, even love from mom to son!" Really? We believed it was the love between you two. "When you sucked the youth from my mom, you sucked her memories as well! It took a little while to kick in but right now, Mom's holding that aura in check as soon as it noticed me!" Fascinating! The bond between Ash and Delia was deeper than Agatha would've care for.

"You've been alive for over 2,000 years," Sakura mocked. "You should have seen it coming!" Agatha soon had a picture of what they meant. Her aura was being held in check by the soul of Delia like a vice on a workbench.

"I lost...to kids?" she murmured. That's when she began to float upward to the sky. Despite all claims and evidence that she's powerless, she tried to fight her way to freedom. No dice. "NO!" That final cry was the last moment of Agatha. In the clouds, she began to age so fast, she went from young to mummified in a minute. Business with Agatha done, the Aura Masters turned to Ash, Sakura and Pikachu. Were they going to be punished for violating on some protective order to an Aura Master?

"Okay, now what?" Pikachu wasn't sure either.

"As for the three of you," Hikari spoke. "Thank you." They're being praised...by the original Aura Masters? What can you say after that? "Only the love for others would conquer the heart of Agatha of the Darkness, as you two have demonstrated. Because of our willfulness for peace, we were blinded to Agatha's demeanor. Now, those who harness the power of Darkness will use it for proper use." What an honor. Ash and Sakura were grateful for the Aura Masters for this moment of gratitude.

"You're welcome," Ash replied. That's when he gazed at Delia, still heavily aged, brittle, wrinkled... "Is there anyway you can restore my mom's youth? I know it's asking much and Sakura's energy's exhausted just bailing us out of Agatha's mental takeover." Hikari huffed a chuckle.

"No, it's not much at all. I'd be glad to restore all of Agatha's victims, including your mother." Suddenly, a bright light consumed the room, blinding the three who quickly covered their eyes. The shine would last a minute. When the light dimmed, the three were in for quite a surprise. The room was filled with different people. A count of 26 young people, 13 boys and 13 girls, stirred awake. There were so many different pieces of wardrobe from ragged fabrics to fashionable gowns that describing them would take forever. They were all wondering what's going on. One of those was a baby girl who began to cry, hungry. One ragged woman picked her up in response.

"Hush, little baby, don't say a word," she softly sang. Turning away from male eyes, she began to breastfeed the infant. The baby stopped crying and fed on the breast milk offered by this new person. The revived began to meet, quickly becoming friends and some falling in love at first sight. They may be from different time periods but they wouldn't tell you the whole tale.

"Unbelievable," Ash awed. "Over 2,000 years of these people." One guy heard Ash, wondering if he heard him right?

"Excuse me but you said 2,000 years?" he repeated the portion. "Can thy pray tell when we all are?"

"Yeah, AW 2007," Sakura answered. AW? Could it mean after the war of Man and Pokémon? Most heard Sakura's answer, shocked that they were now in a time beyond their own era. Some could have been from the verge of before AW 1. One other young male would confirm it. Really young.

"Hey, it's the Aura Masters!" he cheered. The Aura Masters didn't stay long as the cloud cloaked the group in the sky. "Wait!" Nope, they're gone. "I was wondering what happened to Agatha." Dare Ash tell him? He was worried about something completely different.

"You know, I think these guys are in for a shock with the technology here," Ash pointed out. Sakura had wide eyes from the news, thinking that these people were from man-labored times and seeing all this technology would traumatize them.

"You're right," she realized. "With everything from computers to vehicles and phones a strewn, these people will take years to adjust." That's a big problem. What wasn't a problem...

"Ash!" sounded a revitalized Delia who sprinted and embraced her son in a hug. Delia was back to her young self.

"Mom!" he cried in relief. Sakura was happy to see Delia restored age wise. Delia shot a look to Sakura, inviting her over to join in the hug. Embraced, the crowd watched in awe at the reunion of the three. The crowd alerted Delia into knowing who all these people were.

"Who...is everyone?" That's a good question. These were all victims of Agatha's wrath. "And where's the Ancient of Darkness?" Ash and Sakura looked to the sky, a tall sign of her outcome.

"The Aura Masters called her back," Sakura joked. "She's not gonna be any problem." For sure. Delia accepted the news.

"Well then...why not we get the hey out of this place? Dilapidated places don't feel well to me." Let's. Everyone filed out, the young woman still clutching the little baby, into the light which some haven't seen in over a millennium. They were blinded for a bit but soon regained sight. Suddenly, a motorcycle revved to the scene. Hey, the first piece of advanced technology they've seen in awhile. On the bike stepped off a blue-haired female in a blue police uniform.

"What's going on over here?" she wondered with a scorn. "I heard an explosion and came to investigate." Delia came to the officer's side to explain the situation.

"Officer Jenny, can you send multiple doctors here? The explanation is a bit stretched but for the benefit of these children..." Using her motherly instincts, Delia was worried about the other young people and to see them treated for any injuries and illnesses. Jenny wasn't sure if she wanted to go by Delia's word. One look at the little infant had her realize, at least to her, that the mother had found and broken some sort of human smuggling ring. Yeah, the explosion was to alert an officer to the scene on purpose.

"Alright." She got on her radio. "This is Officer Jenny calling for emergency vehicles. We have multiple children abandoned at a structure on Mt. Silver."

"10-4," a man on the other end replied. "Emergency vehicles deployed to Mt. Silver." Jenny was satisfied that help was approaching.

"What about the kidnappers?" If meaning Agatha, Ash and Sakura would know. She may have absorbed the youths but the fact that she had them against their will was stark proof that she was a kidnapper.

"She's dead," Ash growled. "We tried to stop her and part of the roof flattened her. She won't be a bother anymore." It's mostly a lie but she is dead and not a bother to anyone else. Jenny seemed happy for Ash to stop a criminal in their tracks. Soon, multiple white vans pulled up with red "" on the side. More technology for the reawakened. Each van had doctors and could store an additional three children. Each were exposed to more and more technology but were starting to adapt at a rather impressive rate. Sakura was with Ash this whole time and only told him in that weird universe for that short bit. Now, with his mother present, Sakura was ready to tell Ash of his real feelings.

"Say, Ash," she called. Ash and Pikachu turned to the younger brunette, something on her mind.

"Sakura, what's up?" Looking how confident Ash stood, Sakura felt the energy that he still had, despite exhausting a lot from that battle. Her legs were trembling.-

"I-I know that it's been about a year since we first met and how you and the Ash I remember from that TV show were so different. You weren't this easily motivated, bratty behaved, confused young man. You're more self-controlled, collected and...well, informed. But there have been a few things that you and the show are together: you're brave, fierce, confident, caring, determined...there are so many qualities that-" SMACK! Whoa, instead of letting Sakura continue to compliment Ash, he took it upon himself and kissed her on the lips. Sure it was rude that he did it in the middle of what she was saying but...Sakura was enveloped in the sweet taste that Ash's lips flavored. Ash tasted her lips as well, acting as if it was a scent he's never had but one he couldn't...no, wouldn't want to let go anytime soon. Even Delia was a bit encumbered by how brazen her son was.

"Dear me, I didn't know my son was that upfront," she awed. It was just moments ago that Sakura noticed how good of a kisser Ash was. It's a pretty good bet that he topped his own kiss. They briefly broke but Ash had to be the spoil sport.

"That's what you wanted to say, wasn't it?" he guessed. Sakura turned cherry red, enthralled from the softest lips she ever embraced. It might have been what she wanted to say.

"Okay, my turn." She decided to take a little lip-lock and turn it up a notch as she not only wrapped her lips on his, she leaped and wrapped her limbs around his shoulders and waist like a boa constricting its prey. Ash mustered all his leg strength to keep himself and Sakura standing. Still, he allowed his girl to smother his face. Delia and Pikachu got their money's worth and front row seats for that action. Well, the front row seats were free. With the youngsters taken for any medical evaluations, the heroic group returned to Pallet Town. It took them a few days to reach the town, a full day at another professor's laboratory, not Oak's, to rest up. But they were back...and greeted to a homecoming. Misty, Brock, May and Max ran up to and hugged the two younger adventurers, a moment to say that they missed them. Delia spotted Norman on a crutch and raced to greet her husband. No doubt Norman wasn't 100% since his fight against Yuto. Speaking of, where's he now?

"Oh, Norman, sweetie!" she cried, thankful to be within his arms again.

"Delia!" he teared back. Both kept calling their names back and forth. It's hard to keep a straight face the way those two acted. It was like high school sweethearts away from each other for quite a long time. The kids heard enough.

"Goodness, you two!" Misty snapped. The adults spun to the aggravated redhead. "It's great that you're back together. Go get yourself a room." Yeah, you don't want to embarrass your family and friends just being back home. Wonder if they do that every time Delia comes home from work?

"Misty's right," she acknowledged. "The truth is...I wanna have another baby!" Loud gasps from the children echoed, unsure if Delia was honest with a desire like that, let alone express it out in the open.

"Whoa, talk about setting priorities as soon as you get home," Max murmured.

"Knowing that they want us to be big siblings again, I'm not sure I'm ready for such a responsibility," May muttered in shock.

"At least there's something for Norman to get his strength back since that injury," Brock stated a positive point.

"Hormones going right to work," Misty shuttered.

"I wanted to prepare for another adventure somewhere, not a baby brother or sister," Ash wished to decline. Sakura wasn't too concern, more optimistic.

"You know that's gonna be us, soon," she expressed a future moment. Ash was less ready for them going at it than he was for having a new sibling.

"Not that soon!" The others heard that fluster and laughed at Ash. When the adults got inside, Misty decided to pop the question that the others were wondering about.

"So what was going on about the trip to Johto and why Mrs. Ketchum was taken?" she asked. Sighing, Ash and Sakura realized that they had a story to tell...a long story.

"Sure but we may need a few cups of tea to explain it all." Hearing a call for drinks, Brock stood forth.

"You bet," he volunteered. All proceeded inside where Ash and Sakura told their friends and family about the adventure which included the discovery of Yuto, the knowledge of Shadow abilities and the battle with Agatha. Max and May were surprised to learn that Yuto had a Battler's license and that he wasn't so bad. It was Agatha who was worse. An enjoyable story, including the revival of all the victims of Agatha's dark legacy, plus meeting Washu. The kids were stunned. Pikachu? It was like a bedtime story as he had taken a siesta. Misty had a question about Agatha's victims.

"Why did Agatha need so many young people just to live for so long?" she wondered. It sounded like the answer was in the question but there was more.

"Agatha wasn't only the last remaining Aura Master," Sakura answered. "She was also a scientist, studying the effects of each soul she absorbed. However, every time she stole said soul, she's drained her own abilities."

"Thus, Washu was summoned to create a machine to reserve her abilities and expand her powers greatly," Ash added on. She may have been evil but she was resourceful. Nevertheless, the kids were happy that Ash and Sakura and Pikachu returned Delia safe and sound. Heck, there wasn't a gray hair on her. "You know, I wonder if we'll be able to see them again." The kids of centuries' past? The Aura Masters?

"You wouldn't be referring to the Aura Masters, would you?" May pondered.

"Well, yeah! I would like them to give any Battler a little guidance for success in this world." That piece of idealism prompted the rest to understand.

"You know, after that meal, I bet you're willing to let off some energy of your own," Brock offered. "How about it? A Battler fight?" This was a challenge Ash wasn't about to let pass.

"Hey, you're on!" The group stepped out to see both Ash and Brock battle. To Sakura, seeing her new boyfriend compete was a huge sign of all returning to normal.

"You'd think after chasing mom throughout the Johto Region, he'd at least take a few days off to relax," May sighed. Max would argue but this was Ash.

"Even after he became our big brother, he's still the same Ash," he huffed. Nothing may ever change for Ash. Ash and Brock began the battle charging at each other...

(One Month Later...)

Ash and Pikachu were by a cliff overlooking the ocean. Ash was as fit as a fiddle, meaning he won that match against Brock. He seemed to be looking forward to something. As he pondered new moves and new adventures... "You must be Ash," softly roared a male voice. Hearing, Ash and Pikachu turned to see a yellow lion with wings and a large ruby below it's head. It wore silver headgear around the ears like a mane. "I heard of your adventures with Sakura." Who was this talking creature?

"Y-yeah but who are you?" he questioned.

"My name is Kero. I was the one in charge of the Clow Cards by Clow Reed by being the guardian." That's Kero? He's different than the one we were told about.

"That's odd. Sakura said that you were a little plush doll with wings." Yeah, that was the description from before.

"That was before when the Clow Cards were dispersed. With all of the cards in rightful hands, I was able to return to my old form." That explains a lot. Satisfied, Ash came over to seal the friendly deal.

"Well, then. It's an honor to meet you." Ash extended a hand to shake Kero's paw...but got another hand instead: Washu's who came out of nowhere.

"Well, then," she copied. "It's an honor to see you again." Here's the weird part: Washu was dressed like a priest. Yes, priest, not priestess.

"Washu, what's with the getup?" All Washu did was glance over to Sakura...wearing a white bridal gown and holding a bouquet of roses. Ash was shocked to see Sakura all dressed up as she walked over to meet her boyfriend. Ash was so shocked with the approach, he was at a loss for words.

"Ash," she started. "I want to seal the relationship between the two of us." She wanted to marry Ash...but at that age?

"Sakura, you do realize that we're still a few years away from actually giving marriage a thought, right?" Sakura understood but giggled a little.

"I know that. It's just a little mock wedding. The thing is...I don't wanna go back. I wanna stay here and be with you forever. I mean, a tough young man like yourself needs a delicate young lady by his side." Wow. Ash wasn't too sure about how to approach this. Heck, he didn't have a tuxedo for this "ceremony."

"I know it's sudden but I respect Sakura's wishes of remaining here," Kero acknowledged. Ash finally succumbed to the pressure and decided that "marrying" Sakura would make him happier.

"Then I want you to be the only girl that I ever have a thought of loving," he promised. Sakura and Washu nodded before they began.

"Well, now!" Washu spoke up. "We are gathered here today to merge the love and passion of these young people. Blessed by the Guardians of Aura, past, present and future, Sakura Avalon and Ash Ketchum have chosen to lock together the bond of togetherness and love." Pikachu sneaked inside Sakura's gown with a rubbery rope at the edge of the clip. What's going on now? Sakura felt Pikachu and turned to Ash who quickly winked. Something mischievous was stirring. "Ash, do you take Sakura Avalon as your wedded wife, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, in death do you part, for the rest of your life?" That's a lot of responsibility right there. Ash sucked it up and answered.

"I do."

"And do you, Sakura, take Ash Ketchum as your wedded husband, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, in death do you part, for the rest of your life?" Sakura had a great amount of poise for the question.

"I do," she answered. Washu was satisfied with the turnout.

"Both of these youths have accepted the fates of each other and the Guardians have accepted their prayers for longevity of peace and love. Anyone who doubts the bonding of these two, speak now or forever hold your peace." This was going well until...

"I have doubts about this pairing!" roared Jessie and Team Rocket showed up. Great, we were just getting to the good part. All turned to the descending hot-air balloon. "First off, those two are too young to get married!" Yeah, Ash pointed that out before.

"It's a mock wedding, Jessie!" Sakura informed. Jessie balked at the sound of the truth. James and Meowth figured that disturbing this moment might have dire consequences.

"I think we should just let them play it out and stand back, Jessie," James considered. Meowth agreed.

"They're probably warming up for later on when they're all grown up," it meowed. The boys were minding the event going on. Jessie was otherwise.

"Can it, you two!" she roared. "Second, she's not a real woman of the cloth!" She meant Washu which was true but it could be the same piece of the mock wedding.

"Yeah, you figured me out there," Washu admitted. "But like we're saying, this is rather pretend." You'd think Jessie would get the message now. Think again.

"Third, twerps should never get married!" Ouch, that struck a nerve. Ash and Sakura were not one to be insulted in that fashion.

"Say, is Jessie this much of an idiot in the TV show?" he asked Sakura. What a perfect thought about an enemy to ask the one who watched the show.

"Yeah, but she's worse than the show's version," she replied. There's a new low every time Jessie spoke. That bad. Washu was not pleased at this interference and whipped out...a large cannon. Where did she keep that hidden? Team Rocket got startled.

"This should take care of these party crashers," she grinned as she pulled the trigger. A round bomb was shot out of the barrel with a fast velocity, striking the balloon's burner. KABOOM! Team Rocket was heading skyward.

"We never had a chance to go after the twerp's Pikachu!" Jessie whined like a sore loser. James and Meowth were rather eased.

"This would've worked better if those two were sleeping under the same cover, if you get the idea," James reasoned.

"Well, right now," Meowth whimpered. "The only sleeping we're doing is with the fishies!" Bye you three!

"Looks like Team Rocket's leaving the wedding!" they shouted together. A quick reset and the two would be able to finish this off.

"By the power invested in me," Washu began to end. "I, now, pronounce you husband and wife. You may kissed the bride!" Ash and Sakura didn't want to wait but you wait until you're told and they did. And that's when things take a turn for the worst as both fell off the edge of the cliff. Washu gasped at the sudden dive. "I said till death do you part! I didn't mean literally!" She and Kero raced to see no trace of Ash or Sakura. Was that it? Both were "wedded" only to commit suicide? Pikachu was taking all this in stride. He knew something the others didn't. BOING! Looking down, they finally spotted the two kids bungee jumping. That's why Pikachu was so controlled. Not even Kero or Washu saw this coming. More impressive, the two never broke their kiss. That's talented. "I may be a mad scientist, but that was surely evil!" When you outdo a mad scientist, you're doing something right. Outside, Delia and Norman watched on and enjoyed the calamity that unfolded while they held Delia's stomach. Could it be that she's pregnant? This would be their first child as a couple, second for Delia and third for Norman, making four kids. Whether the newborn in months would be a boy or girl, Ash definitely has a ton of responsibility ahead with being a big brother...and a boyfriend.

THE END