"Leaving so soon?"
Professor Oak frowned at the group standing at the door as he spoke his mind, receiving frowns in return. "Well, we'd like to stay longer, but I believe we should get going before it gets too dark," Clemont responded, adjusting his Aipom Arm around his shoulder. They had said goodbye to each of Ash's Pokemon just then, so the sun had begun setting.
"Hm, I suppose that's fair," the Professor responded with disappointment. He turned to Ash, who had the occupied Pokeballs of the Pokemon he had chosen to take along with him for the World Coronation Series. "Make sure you get out there and show them who's boss!" He exclaimed, giving a light punch to Ash's shoulder playfully.
"You can count on it, Professor Oak," Ash responded with a grin. He walked over to Tracey and held out his hand. "I'm excited to see how you do running this lab," he said as Tracey grabbed his hand and shook it. "And I'm excited to see you becoming the strongest trainer in the world," Tracey responded with a smirk.
Nodding, Ash faced the two of them and took a deep breath. "Thank you both for helping me out. You've both really been with me through everything to help me get my Pokemon." Professor Oak and Tracey looked at each other with a proud look on their face. "Anything to help a Pokemon Master in the making," Tracey remarked with a chuckle.
Turning around, Ash faced his group of friends. "We should get going," he said with a melancholic attitude. "We wouldn't want to postpone anyone's urges to fulfill their destiny." They nodded as Ash walked back over to them, settling the Pokeballs on his belt. "See ya!" He shouted behind him as he walked out with the group; the two lab caretakers watched as they exited the building.
"Mature," Professor Oak muttered to himself as he walked toward the kitchen area. Tracey raised an eyebrow and followed the Professor's movement with his eyes. "What was that?" He asked, unable to hear the comment. "He's become mature," Professor Oak enunciated. "The day he started, he was a late kid who overslept. Now, it seems like he's taken charge of what he wants."
Tracey chuckled to himself and walked over to the kitchen counter, where Professor Oak was pouring himself a tea. "You can say that again. When I traveled with him in the Orange Islands, it seemed like he had no idea what to do, even when he ended up beating Drake," he explained. "He definitely figured something out."
Taking a sip of tea, Professor Oak silently nodded. "I just wonder what he had to go through to get to that point," he noted worriedly. "That boy has been through a lot, so I worry for the day that it becomes too much for him." Tracey gave him a confused look. "The day it becomes too much?" He asked in confusion.
Professor Oak shook his head. "Ah, I'm just saying things," he replied nonchalantly. "I'm just slightly worried that something could overwhelm Ash to the point where he can't take it. What that breaking point would be is something I hope we never find out." Tracey tilted his head and stared at the Professor as he took another sip, unable to understand what he was referring to.
{—}
Ash and the others had walked a considerable distance from Professor Oak's Laboratory before stopping at a fork in the road. One of them led to Ash's house, while the other led to Vermilion City and the airport that resided within it.
"Well, I guess this is where we split up," Serena said, taking a deep breath. "Yep," Chloe muttered in response, staring at the dirt road. She hadn't really been out on her own yet; before she met Ash, she and Goh would mostly stay in Vermilion City, not traveling anywhere. Even after she had left Vermilion City to look more into Performing, she had been alongside friends; now, it was just her and the Pokemon she had.
Clemont turned to the group, his glasses slightly fogged up. "I want to let you guys know that I'm really glad to have been on this little adventure of ours," he said with feigned confidence. "Even if we did start it with unclear intentions, it all ended up for the best, and for that, I'm really glad."
Everyone smiled back at him, feeling the same way. "Right," Chloe said, turning around and facing the group, her smile faint. "I'm super glad we were able to do this together. While this little discovery mission might have had some problems, I think I can say that we all had fun catching up with each other after all these years."
There was a collective nod from the group; they were all incredibly relieved to have found Ash once more and learn more about what everyone else had been doing, so what Chloe was saying rang true throughout everyone's minds. "I'm glad you guys could get it," Ash remarked enigmatically.
"Get what?" Bonnie asked inquisitively, looking up at him. "I'm glad you guys could get why I left," he clarified. "All of you." His eyes made their way across his friends before they landed on Serena; he was the most grateful that she was able to finally understand why he had left, given that she was very mad upon his return.
"Of course," Clemont replied, walking up to Ash and placing a hand on his shoulder. "We wouldn't hold it against you." He squeezed Ash's shoulder and gave him a soft smile as he requested one final thing. "Again, please make sure Bonnie is safe at all times, okay?"
Nodding in return, Ash gently removed Clemont's arm from his shoulder. "You can count on it," he responded softly. Bonnie was pouting beneath the two, feeling as though she was being treated like a little kid. Clemont kneeled to her height and placed a hand on her head. "Stay out of trouble and do your best, Bonnie," he said proudly, moisture forming in his eyes.
"I'll be fine, big brother!" Bonnie insisted. Clemont chuckled in return and stood up, ruffling her hair as he did so. "I know you will be." Removing his hand and giving a courteous nod to Serena, Clemont walked over to the left fork in the road, staring down its path. "I think I'd like to take the airplane just this once," he said out loud. "After all, an inventor must admire others' work." Chloe walked up to the group, fiddling with her hand nervously. "I'm not great at goodbyes, so I don't-"
"It's not goodbye," Ash spoke up, interrupting her. Chloe looked at him in surprise, Pikachu mimicking her expression. "Goodbye would be never seeing you again. Let's just call it a short break from each other's company, okay?" He held out his hand to Chloe, who took it and shook it with confidence. "Right!" She exclaimed passionately. "A short break!"
Serena walked up to Chloe. "I'm expecting to see you in the Performance Showcase Finals," she explained. "Out of everyone, you'd want to go up against me?" Chloe asked in shock; Serena shook her head in response. "I wouldn't have it any other way!" She exclaimed, winking at Chloe, who nodded her head. "I'll make sure it happens!"
Bonnie gave Chloe a quick high-five and said, "Go out there and show everyone how awesome you are!" Giggling, Chloe nodded, finding solace in Bonnie's encouragement. She gazed upon the trio before realizing she needed to go to catch the airplane. Walking backward towards where Clemont was patiently waiting, she yelled out to the group.
"Bye, you guys! I hope that the next time I see you, we'll all be succeeding at our goals!" Ash cupped his hand around his mouth as he waved with the other. "Definitely!" He shouted back, his voice echoing throughout the lush fields of Pallet Town. As Chloe and Clemont both began walking down the beaten path towards Vermilion City, their figures began slowly disappearing into the distance, their waving getting weaker and weaker.
Eventually, it was Ash, Serena, and Bonnie, all waving at the ceased individuals who were too far to be seen. They lowered their hands, Ash taking a deep breath. That farewell felt right, he told himself, having been guilt-ridden from the previous separation he had instigated. Suddenly, he felt a hand curl around his arm; he looked back with surprise.
"You ready to begin your quest?" Serena asked, a slight hue of pink on her cheeks as she smiled at him. He confidently smiled and clenched his fists. "Yep, never been readier!" Bonnie grinned as he said this. "You better not hold back. I'm going to learn everything I can from you!" She exclaimed determinedly.
Nodding, Ash turned back around and faced the setting sun that would entail the end of an old journey lingering in the past, only to be replaced by a fresh and invigorating adventure that awaited them. He softly pet Pikachu's fur, silently whispering to his partner, "I've never been more ready."
{—}
"So, this is where we split up, huh?" Clemont asked Chloe as they stared at the massive building before them. The walk to the airport had been wordless, but now that they were standing before it, it seemed that many words had to be said, regardless of how unfamiliar the two were with each other.
"Looks like it," Chloe responded, glancing at the gate that displayed different locations to head to. "You're going to Lumiose City?" She asked, turning to Clemont. He gave a brief nod and took a deep breath. "Everything about this small journey has reminded me of how important and precious creativity is," he replied. "I hope to bring that reminder back with me to Kalos."
Chloe nodded, in awe of Clemont's studious and ambitious nature. "What about you?" He returned. "I mean, you're doing Performances, but what's your first step to achieving your goal." Chloe frowned as she absorbed the question. My first step? She knew she wanted to go back to Vermilion City to see her family off before heading out, but where was she to go.
"I suppose I'll start by making sure I'm ready for anything thrown at me," she answered with assurance. Clemont walked forward towards the gate and turned around. "Let's make sure we both don't let Ash down for his motivating," he said, fist-pumping the air. "Agreed," Chloe responded, walking towards her gate that led to Vermilion City.
"Hope to see you and everyone else real soon!" Clemont exclaimed as he headed off in the opposite direction. She gave a brief wave and found herself standing in front of the gate entrance that led to Vermilion City. "Alright, Chloe," she whispered to herself. "Just you and your Pokemon from now on." She and Clemont both began boarding their planes, desiring to fulfill their destiny.
{—}
Mewtwo approached the abandoned lair of Giovanni that was settled on the mountainside. In his arms was Goh's body, lifeless and limp. It had felt wrong to sever the control of his body, but Mewtwo felt disgusted being in the human's body and had accepted his monstrous true self, leading him to retrieve his more powerful body and end the hosting.
There was a slight regret in wasting precious time, but Mewtwo felt that the entire process was worth it; it allowed him to truly see the nature of humans and the beauty of himself. Now, there was only Mewtwo; Goh could no longer interfere, as he was unconscious under Mewtwo's immense psychic power.
Floating down towards a few rocks that sat outside the lair, Mewtwo gently set Goh down. There was no sense in evilly harming him, no matter how much he despised his kind. He approached the large security door that led inside and sent a simple punch flying through its metal exterior, easily forming a hole and tearing it open.
Once inside, Mewtwo was instantly met with a few familiar sights; the rocky tunnels, steel doors, and worst of all, the possibility of seeing the room that he had been held captive in. Shuddering, he decided against it and made his way to the one place that he imagined Trent and Kiera could possibly be.
Giovanni's office. It was at the end of the main hallway and was locked behind a few security panels. Ignoring those, Mewtwo again punched his way through the hole and knocked down the door, sending dust throughout the musky area. Through the darkness of Giovanni's office, Mewtwo could see a faint light coming from the monitors, where two individuals turned their heads.
"Are you Trent and Kiera?" Mewtwo asked through telepathy. They both got up and slowly raised their hands. "Woah, it's Mewtwo. Look, Trent, it's the boss's prisoner," a feminine voice said. "I can see that," a man, presumably Trent, responded. "Looks like our attempts at getting its attention has brought it to us," Kiera smirked through the darkness. "Just as planned."