Indigo Plateau, outside the Pokemon League building. PSEUDO steps outside, somehow different to who he was when he first entered. He looks out at the view, a peaceful smile on his face.

Behind him, GARY angrily exits the building. He shoves past PSEUDO to leave. OAK comes up behind him, having tried to stop him, but stops. He and PSEUDO watch after him for a moment.

OAK turns to PSEUDO, smiling proudly. He gives him a small bow. PSEUDO isn’t sure how to react. He smiles and nods awkwardly. OAK then leaves after his grandson, possibly to lecture him more, possibly just to go home and let him cool off.

PSEUDO watches the view for a moment longer before stepping forward… then pausing. He turns back to the building, the place that had been his dream of reaching for so many years. Behind him, his team releases themselves from their Pokeballs and share the moment.

PSEUDO thinks to himself.

… and here we are. After all this time. Standing at the top of the world. Me and my friends… the Champions. This is what destiny is.

PSEUDO and VERNE share a look. VERNE grins. PSEUDO returns it.

We did it, he thinks. We finally did it.

PSEUDO’s smile falls, as does VERNE’s. PSEUDO turns and sets off, his team on his heels, following him as they always did - and always would.

PSEUDO: There’s just… one thing left to do.

Lavender Town, outside Pokemon Tower. PSEUDO, atop CHRIS, lands near the entrance. He pats CHRIS warmly, earning a sad smile.

PSEUDO and CHRIS enter Pokemon Tower, passing other grieving trainers. One by one PSEUDO’s other Pokemon emerge from their Pokeballs - VERNE, ROD, CECIL, WARP, JASON - and many more he wasn’t normall allowed to be carrying - BELLE the BUTTERFREE, BIFF the SLOWPOKE, CHORD the TANGELA, LEIGHA the LAPRAS, AQUA the TENTACOOL, BRUCE the HITMONLEE, PATRICIA the EXEGGCUTE, NATE the NIDORAN, DERP the DODUO, JOSEPH the GEODUDE, SALLY the SPEAROW, SAMSON the SANDSHREW, GATO the MEOWTH, GORDON the BELLSPROUT and VLAD the ZUBAT.

They stop by a particular stone tablet. From his pocket, PSEUDO takes some incense and lights it, placing it by the stone. The aromatc smoke rises as PSEUDO and his Pokemon kneel. Etched into the stone, as requested, were a list of names. PSEUDO sighs. He takes his time to think before he speaks.

PSEUDO: … I’m sorry. I’m sorry I let you fall. Whether I pushed you too hard… or I wasn’t paying attention…

PSEUDO stops, then regains some composure.

PSEUDO: … or something was just too strong for us.

PSEUDO pauses again. By the time he speaks this time, the smoke is forming a cloud in the air.

PSEUDO: I’m sorry I let you down… that you had to pay the price for… for everything, for… me…

PSEUDO’s head hangs low. A tear drops down to the floor.

PSEUDO: I hope you’re okay.

PSEUDO stays silent, unmoving. Behind him, his Pokemon draw breath. BELLE flutters to his shoulder and taps him. PSEUDO looks up at her and sees her looking ahead. He follows her gaze and gasps.

ORBIT sits in front of PSEUDO, looking at him. PSEUDO blinks, but the image doesn’t fade. He looks around, realizing the others can see it too.

PSEUDO stares. Beyond the stone, through the smoke of the incense, the vision of ORBIT smiles at him. Somebody else joins ORBIT - DIANA. ROD steps forward, eyes shining. PSEUDO puts a hand on his shoulder, not taking his eyes off her. DIANA smiles, too, even at ROD.

Alongside ORBIT and DIANA, SHADE the GASTLY manifests - as does SIMON the KADABRA and ELISE the VULPIX. HUDSON and FINN, two MAGIKARPS appear, too. SANDY the SANDSHREW, MARKUS the MANKEY and the two DOUGs, a WEEDLE and a DIGLETT join them, and DON the MANKEY, too.

PSEUDO stares, unblinking, more tears rolling down his face. He reaches out, touching the top of ORBIT’s head, feeling him ever so faintly. DIANA places one hand on his and another on ROD’s head. PSEUDO and his Pokemon watch their friends, sharing a moment of silence and remembrance…

The doors to Pokemon Tower open. PSEUDO and his Pokemon look back at the noise, seeing somebody has walked in. They look back to the smoke… but the vision is gone. For a moment they stare at the space they could see them… but there’s nobody there.

PSEUDO breathes again. He gets to his feet, as do his Pokemon. He looks back to the person who entered the Tower, somebody looking around in frustrated confusion - GARY.

PSEUDO frowns, but watches GARY look around, holding a single flower. PSEUDO’s Pokemon return to their Pokeballs.

GARY walks over to a stone tablet nearby. PSEUDO hesitates, but approaches him. He sees GARY place the flower on the floor in front of the tablet, staring at the engraved name - ‘RATICATE’. PSEUDO watches him glare at the tablet and flower for a moment, refusing to express emotion by any other method than scowling.

PSEUDO stands beside GARY. He doesn’t look back. PSEUDO kneels beside him, expecting him to shuffle away or even leave - but he stays, still staring. PSEUDO takes another stick of incense from his pocket and offers it to GARY, who hesitates, but takes it. GARY lights it and places it beside the flower.

The time passes. GARY and PSEUDO kneel beside one another, having not spent so much time in each other’s company in years.

After so long in thought, GARY’s expression twitches. A flicker of sadness crosses his face and he makes a small, supressed noise. PSEUDO, seeing this was as expressive as he was probably going to get, raises his arm and puts it over GARY’s shoulder in comfort. GARY moves to shove it off out of habit, but doesn’t.

GARY thinks back to the last time he let PSEUDO connect with him. It was years ago, before he knew about him. The last time he’d tried before GARY found out. It was just a hug, a regular celebratory hug - he couldn’t even remember what it was for, only that even then he was beginning to resist physical displays of affection. After that…

PSEUDO stands. He looks down at GARY and contemplates leaving, ending the interaction on a neutral note… but instead he offers his hand. GARY sees it but hesitates… then takes it, letting PSEUDO help him back to his feet. They let go as GARY stands back up, still not making eye contact with PSEUDO. PSEUDO notices but accepts it - he still has a way to go.

PSEUDO and GARY turn away from the stone tablets and head towards the door. Together they step outside, into the sun, back into the world - a world that still had a lifetime of dreams and adventures - with and without Pokemon - awaited.

The End.