Chapter 45: Back to the Past to go to the Future, but still the Past

"Em."

No.

"Em."

I was too foggy to even want to reply. I felt something against my cheek. Making me want to drift off more.

"Em." This time shaking was involved.

I opened my eyes groggily.

"We need to go back to the past."

"Past?"

"To get to the present. With our friends."

Yeah, that made sense. "Eight more hours."

"Come on."

"No."

"We can sleep when we get to the right time."

"It's time to sleep now."

A tired sigh. "Do you remember that time we went swimming and you wore a bikini and I asked you why? And then you dove-"

My eyes flew open. "Ok, let's go."

"Oh, you're awake," Daniel, the past one, said cheerfully. "Hold on to me, tight."

"We don't have to say good bye to ourselves?" That also made sense.

"Nope. Just grab on."

We were already sitting next to each other on the couch. It was easy to maneuver my arms around him as he held the gun. He pulled the trigger. The same whirlwind of screaming and bashing together happened. I felt like I'd be sick. But then it was over and we were on the forest floor right where we'd left.

"Daniel!"

"Emma!"

"Oh, thank God."

"What happened?"

Voices filled my ears before I could even register what was going on. Daniel helped me up, explaining what had happened to everyone. Zuko was licking my hand, nuzzling against me. I bent down and hugged him, so glad to be back. I missed him.

They asked plenty of questions, but I was tuning it out. I saw Ursaring off at a distance. I nodded to him, hoping he understood. Hoping that he knew how badly we needed Celebi. He faded off into the distance.

I felt Misty next to me. "Hey."

"Hey," I said, turning to see her.

"Thanks for saving me," she said quietly.

"It was nothing."

Her blue eyes stared at mine. And then she hugged me so suddenly I forgot that I was supposed to hug back.

"I didn't know what to think when you disappeared. I thought you were gone forever." She hugged me tighter. "And I didn't know what to think. Or feel. But...everything's ok."

"Hey, Misty?"

"Yeah?"

"I know what happens to me in the future now too," I whispered.

"What do you mean?"

"...My future self was there. And she told me. About Daniel." I took a deep breath. "I thought you might want to know that I share the same burden as you do."

Misty pulled away to study my face. After a minute she smiled and shook her head. "I may have wanted to hold a grudge or something, but I didn't want you to have to go through the same thing."

"Are we ok now?" I asked warily.

"Yeah." She smiled. "We're ok. Just don't time travel anymore."

"Only home."

"Only home," she said. "Be safe."

"Please be safe too. No matter what," I said.

"Hey, what are you guys talking about?" Ash asked, coming over to us and leaning forward suspiciously.

"I found out some stuff about the future," I said.

"Everyone but me then." Ash put his hands behind his head in disappointment.

Misty rocked back and forth. "Actually, I made that promise about things."

Ash looked at her doubtfully. "If you follow through."

"If you follow through," she countered, then turned to me. "I saw that gun. It's completely broken. I guess it still had some kinks in it."

"...So we really do need Celebi to get home then," I said.

"Right. Celebi, easy." Ash blinked. "I promised to find him. Celebi!"

I laughed. As if Celebi was that easy to call. I looked back at Misty to joke about Ash to find her staring at me with an opened mouth. Or next to me. I turned my head and found a pair of giant blue eyes inches from mine.

"Ah!" I screamed, pulling away to find a tiny green Pokemon floating at eye level, giggling, "Celebi?"

Anthony, Amanda, and Daniel turned as well and stared. Celebi in turn floating above all of them, smiling cheerfully.

Daniel grinned. "See! I told you Ash would find him."

I looked off at my dad, who was still oblivious despite Daniel's insistence that he had anything to do with the Legendary Pokemon appearing.

"Celebi! Celebi!" Ash called into a random direction of the forest. Celebi floated over his head, pulling his hat off. "Hey! That's mine! Oh. Celebi! See? I told you I'd find him."

Ursaring grunted from next to me.

"Thanks, Ursaring. You're great."

Celebi was back in front of me, smiling. "Hey, we need to get back home. I feel like Ursaring tried to explain our story. Sorry to be a burden."

Celebi did a flip in the air, not looking like he minded at all.

"Time to go home," Anthony said in relief.

"I'm going to miss you guys," Brock said suddenly. "You really listened to all my stories about being turned down."

"And my battles," Ash said.

"It was nice having some girls along." Misty smiled.

"Maybe someday we can do it again." I winked at her.

I saw the rest of them exchange good byes with little interest, except in Daniel's hug to my mom. I could tell he had really bonded with her and it was nice to see them on the same page.

"Bye, Ash," I said, not wanting to get teary.

"Hey, we'll battle again someday, right?" he asked, tugging his hat down. "You at least have to tell me if we do or not."

"We definitely do." I smiled.

"Perfect. I'll be training for that." Ash grinned.

"Never give up," I said to him, holding out a fist. He bumped his against it. I would have opted for a hug, but this felt like the right thing to do.

I turned to my last good bye-my mom.

"We've already said what needs to be said," she said, "Go on."

"I have to tell you something though. And you might think it's weird." My cheeks burned.

"What?"

I hugged her. "I love you."

She pulled back in shock. I was expecting that reaction and didn't need her to tell me she loved me back. I knew she would at the very least.

I returned all my Pokemon. I noticed Daniel had a backpack I'd never seen before, but didn't question it. "Here's Maple's Poke Ball. I got the cage off."

"Thank you," I said in relief, clipping it back into place.

He grabbed my hand. "I think this should be a hand holding event. For safety purposes."

"Right," I said, trying not to smile at his excuse.

"Come here, Anthony." Daniel held out his free hand.

"I'm too tired to say no," Anthony said, frowning as their hands joined. Boys.

"Same here." Amanda got on Anthony's other side, gripping his hand. His face turned red.

"Do we have everything?"

"I think so," Anthony said. "I double checked."

Celebi floated around us, humming. A portal seemed to open up in the sky. We started floating upward with the help of Psychic.

"Bye!" I shouted, wishing I could wave.

"Don't fight too much!" Amanda called out.

"Be good parents," Daniel said so only we could hear. He squeezed my hand.

"Don't interrupt the time steam," Anthony muttered.

Ash, Misty, and Brock waved.

"Emma!" Misty yelled.

"Yeah?" I squinted to see her.

"Love you too!" she shouted.

My face broke out in the biggest grin possible as we entered the portal. I saw Ash staring at her, though I couldn't see his expression. Right when my head went through the portal, I lost sight of my mom leaning close to him. I wondered what it was for, but then I was flying through a portal, though at a safer, steadier pace than the one the gun had created.

We were lowered through another one, coming down in the same space, but it didn't look like a war zone anymore. And at the bottom were the people I wanted to see most.

"Mom?" I yelled. "Dad?"

"Ash, there she is! Emma!"

"Em!"

I let go of Daniel's hand and flew towards them. They both ran to get to me. I didn't even know how I was flying and didn't care, I wanted to get to my parents. I didn't care that I was a teenager. I practically tackled my dad as I landed in his arms like a child, squeezing him to death. My mom joined in, hugging me so tightly it hurt. I buried my head into my dad. "I missed you. I'm so sorry. So, so sorry."

"It's ok, don't worry. You're safe. You're safe, right?" my dad murmured to me, his concern obvious. I nodded. I felt Pikachu licking my ear, but couldn't look up from the protection of my dad.

"I should have listened to you. You were right. It was dangerous. I mean, people got hurt. People almost died... is everyone ok? Did everything... work out?" I cringed, leaning away to study my dad's face.

"Everything is perfect," my dad confirmed. "Your mom and I have never been better."

"Don't worry." Mom patted my back soothingly. Then I felt her pull away. I took a shaky breath and let myself down so my dad wouldn't have to hold me anymore. My mom was running towards Daniel.

"You're safe!" she exclaimed. "Are you hurt? I need to know what you didn't tell me back then. I know you were both keeping things from me, even if you were doing it for our own good."

Daniel was about to start explaining, but my mom threw herself at him. He embraced her uncertainly, his eyes landing on me. I smiled in encouragement. She really was his mom. And he needed a mom after all he'd been through with his dad.

He hugged her back after that and she murmured encouragement to him the way she was good at. I stayed with dad, wanting them to have some time. Anthony and Amanda were resting against a tree, out of it. Celebi was resting in between their laps. I looked at them as I whispered to my dad, "Are you mad at me?

"How could I be mad at you, Cyndaquil?" The older version of Ash smiled. "You're a Ketchum. We're always running off and doing stupid things."

"I could have died. Many times," I confirmed.

"I didn't say I was happy about that." Pikachu jumped into my arms. I scratched his head just the way he liked as my dad continued, "There's no changing what happened."

"Yeah there is."

"Is there? This seemed like it was supposed to happen."

I thought about my future self's promise and wondered if I meant it. Or if she meant it. Whichever made sense. "You think so?"

"Yeah. We're closer as a family. You're closer as friends, right?" His eyes twinkled a bit as he looked at Anthony, whose head had fallen on Amanda's as they fell asleep, practically cuddling together. "Or not friends."

I cleared my throat. This was getting awkward.

"So, what about you and Daniel?"

"Dad," I whined. "This isn't something I would talk about to you."

He pouted. "But I'm the Champion."

"So?"

"Of romance."

"Oh, that's so cheesy. Stop."

I was saved as Daniel and my mom came over.

"Hey guys," Daniel said, trying not to sound too tired. We were physically and emotionally drained.

Before I could say anything, my dad pulled him into a hug. Daniel looked just as freaked out as the first hug with my mom.

"Thank you for keeping my daughter safe," he said fiercely.

"No problem," Daniel said, more uncomfortable than he normally was.

Ash let go. "Oh, I know it's a hard job. So thanks."

"Dad," I said, trying not to be embarrassed.

"Your friends are over there asleep," my mom teased. "Poor kids. They look so cute together though."

"Mom!" I said.

"Calm down, Emma. I'm just saying they're adorable together. They can't hear me."

"I can."

"No offense, Misty, but we're pretty tired. You wouldn't happen to have some place to sleep, would you?"

I just noticed it was sunset here. Perfect.

"Yeah we do." My dad looked over at Celebi. "Hey, Celebi, mind helping us out?"

Celebi perked up.

"We need to Teleport all of us to that nice cabin by the lake."

Celebi nodded enthusiastically, levitating Anthony and Amanda, who woke up with a start.

"Put us down!" Amanda yelled.

"You're kidding. This is awesome." My dad grinned as he was levitated with Psychic. "Let's go!"

Within seconds, we were at a lakeside cabin, standing along the wrap around patio.

"Yeah that's pretty and all, but I'm going to bed," I grumbled, eyes droopy.

"Same." Daniel yawned.

"You're not even going to thank Celebi for all his hard work?" My dad asked with that authoritative voice all dads seemed to have.

"Kids these days." My mom shook her head.

"Celebi, come sleep in my bed and we'll pick berries for you tomorrow," I said.

Celebi danced with delight and flew inside.

"No fair. I was going to ask the Legendary Pokemon to sleep in my bed," Daniel pretended to whine.

"We're going to sleep in this room." Amanda pointed to the closest one.

"No fair," Daniel whined again.

"Night," Anthony and Amanda said in synchronization, too exhausted to say anything else.

I stood at the door of the next bedroom. There was another bed on the other side of the room. Daniel stood behind me, peering in. "You wouldn't mind if we shared, would you?"

"As long as you don't wake me up this time."

"Of course not," Daniel said. He sat on the faraway bed, stretching as he took off his shoes. "Besides, I feel like I need to keep an eye on you still. With everything that's happened..."

I felt like he was thinking about a lot more than just the near death experiences, but I was too worried about darker things that could be running through his head. "Do you want to talk about what happened with your dad?"

"Tomorrow. Or sometime." He rubbed his face, his eyes red from lack of sleep. From processing so much information.

"Alright. I'm here if you need me."

"Thanks, Em."

"We're tucking you in, dear," my mom exclaimed from behind me, making me jump.

I was too tired to say I was too old for that. Plus it sounded nice. I fell into bed like a dead person. Celebi was already on the pillow, comfortable. I kicked off my shoes and got under the sheets. My mom and dad sat at the edge of the bed. I felt a Poke Ball against my hip and took off my belt, releasing Zuko who curled up on the rug next to the bed.

"Want a bedtime story?" my dad asked.

I shook my head, my eyes closing.

"We're glad you're safe," my mom said, brushing her hand against my arm. "We love you so much."

"I'm sorry I yelled at you," my dad said, remembering our last phone call which felt like months ago. "I was worried."

"It's ok," I mumbled, turning towards Celebi. He was very cute, snoozing already. I could see Daniel on the other side of the room. I guessed he was facing away to give us some privacy.

"Sweet dreams, Emma."

I felt Pikachu climb over me and curl next to Celebi. Friends stick together, I thought. No matter what.

"Love you, Em," my dad whispered.

I smiled. It was nice hearing that. I closed my eyes, hoping that the present would always be enough for me.

Aweeee. So sweet. But this isn't the end! There's an epilogue! Because how boring would it be to fall asleep and not know what happens next?

Pokemon Question of the Day: Would you time travel to the past or future? Why?

I really have enjoyed writing this. I hope you've enjoyed reading it just as much.

-Flips