Ace flew with Donavin screaming his head off as Draco held him clutched in his feet's talons. Angel behind him. They landed outside the city.
"Ace we have to talk." She studied him.
"What about?"
"Well that kiss. Ace that has to be the last one." She turned her eyes away from him.
"What?" Ace couldn't believe this.
"I found your letter in my mail a long time ago Ace. I knew why you really left. It was me and him right?" Ace nodded. "Ace these feelings you have for me I've never shared them."
"Because of what I am." Ace began to climb onto Draco's back.
"No! True I know what you are! What your family was but, I only thought of you as a friend Ace."
"Then friends is not even going to happen!" He ordered Draco to fly, his pain returning.
"Will I ever know peace!" He asked Draco.
Ash, James and Meowth halted as the FBI dragged the Queen to the awaiting van.
"Jessie!" She looked at them.
"James? Is that you? No it can't be. You don't exist in this world. Neithered did I until....the twerp." She lowered her head.
Gary saw the scars on her arms. She survived Dark's attack somehow! He turned Mewtwo's attention to this new problem.
"We can't! Gary! If we go back for Jessie in the past it'll change Emerald's history!" He argued.
"If we leave her here it'll taint their history!" Gary fired back.
"Then we have to do it carefully." Mewtwo sighing, giving into Gary's demands.
Gary watched as Ash and Misty held each other and kissed. His heart ached yet, he had done a noble thing. He felt pride in all he had done in the last two months. He watched the final fires whisp out as the castle and the monarchy ended.
"Mewtwo, take the eggs guard them well brother." Misphisto spoke in telepathy with his counterpart.
Ace had come to say his farewells. They stood before the only thing left of the castle, the main archway. Ash tried to explain all that happened since the start of this strange journey.
"Mewtwo? What will happen to Ultra since it entered the time portal without the crystals?" Ace asked.
"Anything. Most likely it will be trapped in limbo."
"So what happens now?" Ace returned Draco.
"We go home to save our world." Ash lifted Pikachu to his shoulders.
"And the crystals?" Ace studied them.
"I will watch over this set in this world and my counterpart shall guard the other." Misphisto answered.
"It's time friends." Mewtwo prepared the rods.
"Since we defeated the Queen and recovered all the crystals the rift in time should heal itself friends." Misphisto clipped the crystals to his belt.
"How long will it take to seal and what is going to happen exactly?" Ace turned to Misphisto.
"The timeline should continue as if nothing happened and begin to heal, other words history will change and be corrected." Misphisto didn't have a clue to when it would heal nor exactly what would happen he was just guessing.
When they were gone Ace was left with Nero. He shook hands with him and made him the advisor to the king. As they laughed a dark shadow fell over them.
"A clone!" Nero leapt away.
Ace was slashed across his chest. The Ultra clone howled as it stabbed Ace in his chest again. Nero grabbed his bow. He aimed for the creature's head, shutting his eyes and praying he let the arrow fly. He heard the monster crash to the pavement.
"You'll be alright right? With your powers and all?" Nero couldn't believe the gapping wound in Ace's chest.
"There's another way to kill a lupus garou Nero." Ace cried.
"How?"
"Destroy his heart. The clone finished what life began." Ace grew still.
Angel came screaming his name as Donavin brought the motorcycle to a halt. She ran to his side. Donavin couldn't believe anything would ever best Ace.
Ace was laid before Misphisto, he ordered everyone out except Nero. He asked him to remain quiet. Ace suddenly screamed to life. His chest healed. He panted wildly.
"He shut his body down to heal. An old werewolf trick." Misphisto laughed.
"I did what?" Ace looked around confused. "I was dead!"
"No you weren't but now Emerald thinks you are. You must leave Ace. Leave the kingdom to find it's own path toward the future." Misphisto helped him stand. "Rezel is under arrest now."
Rezel was indeed arrested. Jessie had been erased from Emerald's timeline as Mewtwo hoped. Emerald was free and Ace allowed it to remain so. He and Nero left the city to rebuild and heal. Ace found he had another friend waiting to help him out. The three went on to make names for themselves in other lands. And in time Ace found the peace he longed for. He even found his soul mate and when his family started he settle down to just enjoy life.
Nero too started a family near Ace's and they grew to be great friends. Nero had long lost his taste for adventure though.
Draco however would soon see hard times and would take flight on his own adventure but, that is another time and another tale.
Ash felt relieved to be home, well Sabrina's gym wasn't exactly home but, it was his world. Jessie was terrified yet recovering from the journey. James helped in her recovery. Gary left early that night saying there was someone at home he needed to speak to.
Brock and Melanie were in the kitchen catching up. Ash had wore his tongue out retelling the story to everyone. He now slept on the rec room couch with Misty's head resting on his shoulder. Exhuast had caught up to them as they had been talking making plans for their future.
Pikachu smiled as he rolled up between them and drifted into sleep. This was perfection to him! Two warm humans to huddle between. He yawned and snored as he enjoyed the warmth.
Gary was in disbelief to discover Giovanni was his father! His mother killed by an unknown assassin. It was believed then that Koga was the target. Gary knew Giovanni blamed Koga for the death. That was why he tried to kill him in Emerald. A viciuos cycle spinning round.
Gary knew he would have to seek out his father and warn him of the dangerous choices he was making. Gary would never allow what took place in Emerald happen in Kanto.
Then the message went out. Sabrina wanted them all to asemble before her. She watched them with a heavy heart. It had been a day since their return, time to rest. Instead she had one final task.
"I called you all here Ash, Misty, Brock, James and Gary. There is a very good reason." She turned to Mewtwo.
"Ultra survived the time slip. It is here in this world with the creature. The creature needs humans to feed off psychic links. This Krell linked with you all present in the room."
They looked at one another.
"To kill the link the creature holds on you I must erase your memories of the events in Emerald. I've asked Meowth, Jessie and Melanie here as well as Tracey." Mewtwo continued. "You brought your journals Tracey? Though you are not linked Tracey your involvement my trigger memories in the others. If those memories resurface the psychic links will reinsert themselves."
"Yes Mentor." Tracey handed him the disk.
"But, if you do that Mewtwo we lose more than memories." Ash held Misty's hand.
"You two belong together, you will find away to fall in love again. This creature is dangerous. You must allow me to cut the links." Mewtwo stuck the disk containing Tracey's journals into his robe. "You all will have to deal with the solution on your own terms. There is no other way."
"Melanie, you are not linked to the Krell but, Brock is going to forget about what has been shared between you two. You can chose to allow me to wipe your memory as well to spare you any discomfort."
"No! I want to remember! I want to be with Brock when this is over." She kissed Mewtwo's cheek. "But, thank you for considering my feelings."
"I will miss you my friends." Mewtwo slumped his shoulders.
"What do you mean?" Misty held his hand.
"If any of you see me it might trigger your memories so I saw goodbye to you for prehaps the last time. Need I have to unlock your memories you might see me again but it is unlikely."
"Will I still want to be a Rocket?" James asked worried.
"You will remember nothing James. You will only recall after the fight at Indigo." Mewtwo held out his hand.
"Anything you brought from Emerald must be given to me now." Ash gave him the hat after he removed his pokémon league pin.
Ash and James reluctantly gave Mewtwo their Tork and Ash's Torkasaur. Gary slid Drak's ball into his pocket.
"Gary? Anything?" Mewtwo stopped before him.
"Well I didn't bring anything back."
"What about the Dark Pupitar?" Ash asked.
"I released it in Emerald." Gary opened an empty ball. "See."
"Then it is time." Mewtwo raised his arms.
To be concluded in the epilogue.