Revenge of the Heart_Epilogue

     I can't believe it… I just can't believe that my daughter is finally back! It's been just over a year since she was found… She was lying unconscious at the foot of a cliff. A boy said he had seen her jump off of the cliff to save our pet Quilava, Ravi… But the weird thing was she didn't have any injuries. No cuts or bruises, no broken bones, not even the slightest crack to the skull. Yet somehow…she had fallen into a coma.
     I couldn't believe it. First, my husband died, and then soon after, my daughter mysteriously fell into a coma… It was tearing me apart… But my son kept me hopeful. He always said that she would come back soon. And now…she finally has. My little girl has finally awaken!

     But she… She's depressed… Just like when her dad died… She always tries to put on a smile, to convince everyone that she's fine, that she has everything to be happy about… But she's not. I can see it. When she's thinking about it…that time she was in her "coma"…she stares blankly into the distance, and I could catch a glimpse of the tears forming in her eyes. And at night, when she's gone to bed, I could hear her muffled sobs…
     She told me once where she had been. She said she went to the Pokémon world, became a Skitty so she could help save it from an impending meteor… And she had made many friends there--her Cyndaquil partner, Keahi, and a Gengar… I could see how much she loved them. So, when she had to leave them for good…
     I still don't understand how that can even be possible, though. Becoming a Skitty, going to the Pokémon world… She was with us the whole time; I came to visit her every day. …At least, her body was with us… She told me it must have been her soul that left… It would make sense, I suppose, suddenly falling into a coma without explanation…but it's still hard to believe… It could have all just been a dream…
     But whatever the case, it was real enough for her. And now…she's just so depressed…
     Please… Somebody… Help my daughter… I haven't seen her happy since before her dad died… I need to see her smile again. Not that mask she puts on, but a genuine, heartfelt smile. She needs to be happy… I would give anything for it… Someone… Anyone… I beg of you… Please make my Sanura happy again…

*****

     Gengar and Keahi sat around the base, still upset over Sanura's departure. "Can you believe it's already been a month since she left…?" Keahi asked. "It still feels like she could just walk through the door any minute now, after only having completed a mission or something…"

     Gengar merely nodded, not really wanting to talk.

     "I wonder what she's doing now… I hope she's alright." He looked over to him. "Hey, Gengar. Do you think she still remembers us…? I mean, what if she lost her memory of her life here when she became human again…?"

     "I don't know…" he muttered absently.

     Keahi sighed. He really missed Sanura, too, but Gengar was taking things harder than he was. Always just sitting around, barely ever saying a word… He was just so depressed… Not that Keahi wasn't, of course. But he wanted to cheer up, for Sanura's sake. After all, he thought, she doesn't want them to grieve for her. It would be hard, but he would try to cheer up. "Well, I don't think she could ever forget us. She loved us too much, didn't she?"

     "…Yeah…"

     "And you really loved her, didn't you?"

     Gengar looked up to see that it was Ninetales who asked the question. She had just walked up to them. He huffed and looked away from her. "What are you doing here?"

     "Ninetales!" Keahi exclaimed in surprise. "Long time no see… But why are you here?"

     "I have come to bear Gengar some news."

     "Unless Sanura's back, then I don't really care," Gengar said.

     "No, she is not…"

     "Then, go away."

     "I imagine you would want to hear this, anyway, considering it does mean a chance to be with her again."

     He froze, and then quickly turned to stare at her incredulously.

*****

     Gengar stood at the road to the mystery dungeons, making his goodbyes.

     "I can't believe you're actually leaving," Ekans said sadly.

     "I wish you'd given us a bit more notice about this," Medicham added.

     "Sorry, guys," Gengar apologized. "I only just found out, myself."

     "Well… It's to see Sanura again, so I guess we understand."

     "You've been like a zombie ever since she left. It was depressing just to look at you like that."

     "Keh, yeah… Sorry."

     "Ah, forget about it." Medicham smiled at him. "Just go be with your Juliet, Mr. Romeo, and be happy again."

     "And tell her we said hi, okay?"

     "Kekeh!" Gengar laughed, embarrassedly. "Yeah, yeah! Just shut up already!" His teammates laughed, too.

     Then, Gardevoir stepped up to him. "Gengar…" And she gave him a big hug. "Please take care, my friend. And give Sanura my best regards, as well."

     He hugged her back. "Thank you…Gardevoir… And I'm really sorry for…"

     She shook her head. "There is no need for apologies. I have already forgiven you." She gave him a warm smile. "Thank you for coming back for me, my old friend. I wish you much happiness from here on."

     He smiled back with wet eyes and nodded.

     Ninetales walked up to him. "Are you ready?" she asked.

     "Yeah. I'm ready."

     "Then, let us be off."

     They both turned to leave, and then Keahi shouted out. "Hey, Gengar!" Gengar looked back at him questioningly. Keahi sniffed, tears in his eyes. "When… When you do find her again…you'd better take good care of her. Gengar, if you let anything happen to my little sister, I'll never forgive you!"

     He stared at him before nodding and giving him a grin. "Don't you worry. She'll be fine; I'll make sure of that!"

     Keahi nodded back, and then waved. "Bye, Gengar! Take care! Don't go get yourself cursed again, okay?"

     "Kekeke, I'll try not to!" He waved at them all one last time before finally leaving with Ninetales. "Adios!"

*****

     "Come on, Sanura! You have to see!"

     Sanura was being pulled along by her younger brother as they ran. "Slow down, Caleb! Why do we have to run?"

     He looked back at her. "'Cause if we don't hurry, you'll miss it!"

     And then they crashed into someone, all of them falling to the ground. The boy they crashed into glared at them. "Watch where you're--" But he paused when he noticed Sanura's collar, eyes widening.

     "Oh, we're so sorry!" Sanura pleaded before scrambling to her feet and held her hand out to the boy. "We weren't watching where we were going!"

     "No kidding…" he muttered absently, staring at her as she helped him up.

     Hearing his voice, she stopped to stare at him, as well.

     "Yeah, we're sorry, guy, but we really have to go now!" Caleb quickly said, tugging at Sanura's arm again. "Come on, Sanura!"

     He pulled her along, and she turned back to apologize again as they ran off. The boy continued to stare after her, incredulously. "That is her," he whispered to himself. And he began to follow them.

*****

     "Here it is!" Caleb exclaimed as they arrived at a park. "See there, Sanura? Look who's fighting!"

     Two trainers were fighting each other in a Pokémon battle. And the two Pokémon that were up against each other…

     "You said your best friends in the Pokémon world were a Cyndaquil and a Gengar, right? Well, I thought seeing this would cheer you up a bit."

     Sanura watched as the Cyndaquil and the Gengar fought each other, and she smiled. "Yeah… It's… It's just like them…" But, holding back tears, she quickly walked away.

     Caleb looked back and saw her leaving. "Sanura!" he shouted as he followed her to the trees. "I'm sorry, Sanura! I just thought it would…"

     Sanura leaned back on a tree, holding her arms. "N-no… I-I'm sorry, Caleb," she said shakily. "I'm glad you showed me. I really do appreciate it. Thank you…" But a tear managed to escape her eye.

     "Oh, p-please don't cry, Sanura! I-I didn't mean to…"

     "I-I'm… I-I'm not…" She couldn't hold it back anymore. She covered her face with her hands and began sobbing as she slid down to the ground. "I miss them, Caleb!" she cried. "I miss them so much! Keahi… A-and Gengar… I just want to see them one more time…"

     "Then, look up."

     Sanura caught her breath. The familiar voice wasn't her brother's. She slowly looked up from her hands, and she saw the boy they ran into earlier.

     He smirked at her. "If you were going to miss us this much, then why'd you have to leave in the first place?"

     Sanura stared at him incredulously. "G…Gengar…?"

     He winked. "I'm not a Gengar anymore."

     After a moment of letting the realization soak in that it really was him, she jumped up and clung to him in the tightest hug she could manage. "Gengar!"

*****

     How? How did you ever get here? And as a human again, too!

     Turns out that after I saved Gardevoir from the curse, I could have resumed life as a human again at any time, if I really wanted to. Ninetales helped me with that.

     So, then, Keahi's still…?

     Yeah… He's still there. But he wanted me to tell you hi, and not to worry about him. He really misses you, but…he said he'll take care of Team Tyrique for you, just like you wanted.

     Ah… That's good, then… Well… At least I got to see you again. That alone makes me so happy.

     Me, too… Me, too… It just wasn't the same without you, Sanura. I missed you too much…

     I missed you, too…

     Sanura… I know I've caused you a lot of pain before, but… If you can still forgive me… Would you let me stay with you?

     Gengar…

     Zane, now.

     Haha, Zane, then. …I've always forgiven you. It doesn't matter what you did so many years ago. You tried your hardest to be good and to save me, and that's all that counts. So, of course I want you to stay with me. I love you.

     …I love you, too…Sanura… Thank you so much…for everything.

*****

     Catey was walking home from the store, carrying the groceries in her hands. "I just can't believe it's him…" she muttered to herself. "How is it even possible? He looks no different than when I last saw him, nearly twenty-five years ago… Maybe Sanura really was telling the truth about her adventure in the Pokémon world… And her Gengar friend was…Akuji…all this time…" She stopped and sighed. "This is all just so weird… But somehow… He makes Sanura so happy. I haven't seen her this joyful in years. …So, I guess I'll just have to get used to it." She smiled. "After all, it is because of him that my daughter is smiling again."
     Then, suddenly, she heard a growl from the wood line. She turned to look and saw a hungry-looking Houndour ready to pounce her for her food. She stepped back nervously. "E-easy there, little guy. Y-you're just a little hungry, aren't you?"

     Another Houndour barked right behind her, and she jumped with a startled yelp, dropping the bags. The first Houndour began running toward her…and then was suddenly knocked into the wall with a forceful blow. And before anyone could react, the other Houndour was knocked into the wall, as well. Then, a dark blur rushed in, grabbed the Houndour, and swung him into the other. The two hounds yelped and whimpered as they ran off in fear.

     Catey watched as they ran, and then turned to her savior, who was already walking away. "Wait!" she cried out, holding her hand up. He halted, but didn't turn around. She stared at him another moment, looking over his features. "…Thorne…?"

     The Banette flinched. A tear escaped his eye, and without looking back, he dashed off before she could say any more.