Fate's Mission by Lord Kadabra Note: I neither own Pokemon nor claim to. In addition, the concepts of the controllers of natural forces comes from a series by Piers Anthony called the Incarnations Of Immortality, which I also do not own but am using for several purposes. Otherwise, the story is mine. Thank you. *** Epilogue: Tabula Rasa *** Giovanni Birch awoke from the dream. It had been terrible. Such a terrible thing. That girl, and Ash Ketchum! But the girl had killed him... He was sitting in his bed, the large queen bed he had shared with his wife, before-the accident. His mind twitched, his hands tightened. Maria...The assasin had aimed for Giovanni, but had missed. He had hit two innocents, Giovanni's wife and daughter. And Giovanni had become a vigilante, turning his resources to revenge, and slowly slipping into the pit of sin, until Team Rocket emerged from Giocorp. He glanced at the clock. Except...it was July 3, 2015. The same day that his organization became fully operational, when he had ordered his troops to steal Pokemon, and someone had been killed. The day of no return. But, this had happened, but he was living it again. He held his head, about to go to the bathroom for some painkillers when the door opened, and his wife stepped from the shower, wearing a bathrobe. He froze. Maria looked at him. "What's wrong, honey?" "I-I thought you were..." He couldn't finish his sentence, he didn't want to say the word, as if she were a butterfly, a dream that would fall apart if he said anything more. Maria smiled at him. "Giovanni, you had a bad dream. You're too worried about that assasin. He's been arrested, don't you remember?" Giovanni nodded, almost remembering it, a man shoving the three members of the Birch family from the line of fire, getting shot in the stomach and leg. "And that nice man, Mr. Ketchum, saved our lives. You should stop brooding on it and just thank God we're all safe. And remember, his son's 10th birthday is coming up. You should give him a gift." Giovanni felt his old memories slipping away, new ones replacing them. But he remembered the name Ketchum, the thorn in his side, and something about the whole situation threw him into raucous laughter. * * * "What is it, Jesse?" the blue-haired man asked of his partner, the stunningly beautiful red-haired woman. She shook her head. "I just had an odd dream, almost as if I was remembering the future or something. Silly, huh?" James shook his head. "I had the same dream. With that twerp, and us criminals?" The two fashion consultants/Pokemon breeders laughed at this. "Yeah, and that talking Meowth. I wonder why we had that dream." Jesse smiled, putting the finishing touches on a pair of pendants for a Pokemon and trainer. "Probably a life we could have lived, if I hadn't met you when I needed finding for my store." "And if Jessibell-" He shuddered at the name, "Hadn't fallen for that French count and broken off our engagement, Thank God." Jesse smiled. "But now we're here, with our own business, and I for one, couldn't be happier." * * * "Yes, I understand. Uh huh? Uh huh, yes sir. I hope you understand." The blond haired woman dropped the phone. "Well, Butch, it looks like we're out of a job." Her blue-haired companion looked up, finishing pulling on his left glove. "What do you mean, Cassiday?" She scowled. "I mean, the whole organization's going soft, turning into some charity party. Ugh!" Butch frowned quizzically, then smiled. "Then they won't be needing all of these weapons, will they?" Cassiday looked back at him, a demonic grin covering her face. "I like the way you think, Butch." * * * "Yes?" James asked, looking up from his bookkeeping. He dropped his pen in shock to see Giovanni Birch standing before him. "Yes, I would like to order a specially-made pendant for my godson and one of his Pokemon. Make it about the size to fit a Charmander, and use this design." James stuttured, fumbling with his pen, and finally got his tongue under control. "Erm, well, I'm not sure I can do it, um, well-" "Listen, I've heard you're the best, so I want you to do this. I also want his name inscribed on the human one." "Ah, well, then what's his name?" "Ash Ketchum." * * * Ash sat straight up in bed. "What a dream. I, I'd beat the Pokemon League and everything, but that girl, and Misty, and then I died..." He trailed off. "Thank goodness it was only a dream-" But thin he saw that it was ten o'clock in the morning, and jumped three feet into the air. "I'M LATE!" * * * He stumbled into Professor Oak's front lawn just as he saw Gary drive off in a convertible. He gave no notice of the incongrutiy of this because he had grabbed the receding arm of the Professor. "Professor , I'm here for my Pokemon," he said with great effort. "But Ash, I had only three Pokemon, and they're all gone." "No! Professor, I'll take anything, even a Magikarp!" By now they had reached the lab, and Professor Oak suddenly noticed the phone. "Wait Ash, I've got a phone call." He picked up the receiver, and spoke for a minute, and then returned to Ash. "Ash, just as being my grandson gives Gary some perks, so do you with your godfather being the head of the Viridian City gym. I told him how I had no Pokemon, so he sent me this." He held up a Pokeball with a lightning bolt on it. "This is a Pikachu, so you need to be careful, as he can shock you very easily." Ash smiled. "No problem!" He released the Pokemon, having an immense feeling of deja vu. "Wow, this is the best-" "PikaCHUUUUUUU!" * * * Ash stared in horror at the flock of Spearow, and that huge Fearow there. He hadn't meant to attack the Spearow, he had been trying to catch a Pidgey without that ungrateful rodent's help, and then the rock had hit a Spearow. He and Pikachu fled, until they stopped at the edge of a cliff into the Viridian River. "Hold on!" he shouted, grabbing Pikachu and leaping in. * * * Misty stared at the water, holding her fishing line. It was so odd how no one seemed to remember anything. The contest, Ash's death, the destruction of the universe. She remembered all of it, and even her future, everything that had happened to her. She seemed to be waiting, and indeed she was. "Hey! I've got a bite!" She pulled a Pikachu and his trainer, a young black-haired boy with a Pokemon League hat, from the water. "Oh, a Pokemon! Are you all right?" Ash opened his eyes. "I'm fine, but Pikachu here isn't in the best condition. Which way to Viridian City-oh damnit!" Misty snapped her head around, where the flock of birds was flying. "Is that why you were in the river? Get on my bike, I'll help you get away!" * * * Allegra wandered through the forest, seeming lost. Her powers were gone, she was just a kid, and she wasn't even psychic enough to go to Saffron. She suddenly reached a clearing, and froze. She recognized this place. It was- "Hey, what are you doing out here? I doubt you're ten, and you don't even have a Pokemon." She whirled around to see a tall, brown-haired boy with a circular pendant around his neck. She recognized him immediately. "Hi, Gary." He stopped. "Allegra? Sheesh, YOU shouldn't be this far from home. Listen, I'll take you back there, okay?" She shook her head. "You just started your Pokemon journey. I'd be slowing you-" "KACHUUUUUUU!" The two pivoted to stare at the sky where a flash of light had just appeared. "A Pikachu..." she began. "C'mon Gary, that's Ash, and he's in trouble!" Gary didn't question how she knew, just followed her. * * * Ash paced the waiting room, looking every so often at the ER sign, which was still lit. "Ash, I'm sure your Pikachu's fine," Gary said, putting a hand on Ash's shoulder. Ash looked up at him. "Really?" Gary nodded, looking over Ash's shoulder to the door to the Pokemon Center. "Ooh, it looks like that girl finally got her bike here. She looks pissed," Gary said, stepping back. "I'll let you handle this, and I'll tell you if Pikachu gets out, okay?" "Wow, you're SUCH a good friend, Oak," Ash muttered as Misty burst through the doors. "THERE YOU ARE! I've been dragging this bike from the middle of the FOREST, and you don't even have the decency to offer any help, you little RUNT!" "Well, Misty, is it? I had to get my Pikachu to the hospital, and I believe my friend over there offered to carry that for you. You didn't want help." Misty's eyes narrowed, but then softened. "Yeah, I guess. It wasn't your fault exactly that the bike got totaled, but YOU'RE GOING TO PAY ME BACK FOR IT! IT COST ME THREE YEARS' ALLOWANCE TO BUY IT, AND YOU'RE NOT GETTING AWAY WITH WRECKING IT!" Ash was cowering before her. "I-I-I-I-I-" Misty stopped ranting, and looked down at him. "I'm sorry, I just really liked that bike. Maybe we can forget about this for a while, until you have the money. And maybe we can be friends?" Ash nodded, and stood up. "Sure." * * * Nurse Joy emerged from the OR, and smiled at Ash. "Your Pikachu's going to be just fine, and that Fearow you caught is healed." She handed him a Pokeball. "I'll have to keep your Pikachu here overnight for observation. All right?" Ash nodded. "And do you want me to get you a room here?" Ash shook his head. "Naw, I'll stop by my godfather's. He's expecting me now anyway. Um, Misty, Gary, do you two want to come stay with me at my godfather's place? I'm sure he'd be happy to take in my friends." * * * Ash knocked on the door to the gym, and it slid open a crack. "No challengers! It's 9 o'clock at night! Wait a minute-Ash?" The door opened fully, and a ten- year old girl with long black hair appeared. "Ash! It's great to see you!" She gave him a quick hug and turned to the other two people. "Who are these people?" "This is Misty, and this is Gary Oak." The girl nodded. "I'm Jenny Birch, nice to meet you. Ash, daddy's been worried. Especially since he meant to give you his present when you got here." She winked at Ash. Suddenly, they entered into an apartment behind the gym, where Jenny shouted, "Daddy! Ash is here!" Almost immediately, Giovanni entered the room, followed by Maria. Gary's mouth dropped open. "Ash, your godfather's Giovanni?" Ash nodded, smiling. "Ash, it's wonderful to see you! And how's your Pokemon? I had recently caught and planned to give it to you when you got here, but when I called Professor Oak, he told me how all three of the starter Pokemon had been taken, so I sent it over." Ash frowned. "He's back at the Pokemon Center. We ran into some Spearow." Giovanni frowned, but then shrugged. "Well, anyway, I had a gift made for you, and I'm going to give it to you now." He pulled a box from his pockets, and handed it to Ash. Ash opened it, and saw two pendants, one for a human, and one the right size to fit a Charmander-or a Pikachu. Each pendant was carved from crystal, and Ash held his gingerly. "Wow! Are those from the Salon Roquet?" Misty asked, her eyes sparkling. Giovanni nodded, smiling at the girl's antics. Ash put on his own pendant, and closed the box. "It's great. I'll have to give the other to my Pikachu in the morning, except...I haven't given him a name yet." Gary smirked. "How about Frier?" Ash gave him a mock glare. Then Maria spoke. "How about Jupiter, god of thunder?" Ash smiled. "Perfect." * * * Ash, Misty and Gary were leaving in the morning when Giovanni stopped them. "Listen, Jenny just got her Trainer's liscence, and I was wondering if you three would mind if she-" "No, Mr. Birch, we wouldn't mind in the least," Misty said. "She can come with us." Giovanni smiled, and watched as the group of four walked from his gym. *********************************************************************** It's not often that you get a second chance. And even when people DO get second chances, they squander them. No one ever seemed to remember what had happened before, that the world had ended, and their own futuress. Only Misty, who always remembered that face, the woman guarding her trillions of children. But barring that, people still held a momento of the future they remembered. Almost unconsciously, people tried to right the things they wronged in their past lives, do what ended better. The world wasn't doomed; it was a sort of test, the Incarnations decided. And live continued on. Ash learned quicker, becoming a near prodigy, making up for his lax approach to training beforehand, but never forgetting the bonds he had to share with Pokemon, reminded each day by the pendant he wore. It's not surprising he went on to win the Pokemon League (He couldn't hold the position, it was juggled between four other people whose identities should be easy to know). But he never realized that his protector, Lady Luck, had left him to his own devices. A truly skilled person doesn't need any more luck than other people. But although no one remembered their past, almost universally, people began to realize the value of life, their earth, and of human decency. It just goes to show what a second chance can do. END ************