Forlorn Hope: Epilogue

Dear May

            I'm not really sure where to begin. I suppose the first thing would be to say that I'm alive and doing ok. I've been living a quite life in Johto for the last few years. We've this beautiful cottage just outside Olivine, neither of us could really leave the sea behind.

            Just realised I probably should clarify. Do you remember Shelley who was a member of Team Aqua? We're married. We met up about six years ago when things were still really rough for me and we haven't really left each other since. We've a child on the way as well! You really need to come and visit!

            Well I guess you thought I was dead so, it's probably a little soon to ask you to visit.

            I'm sorry I haven't written or tried to get in contact but It's only in the last year or so with Shelley that I've even felt capable of talking to another human being.

            I'm going to tell you what happened ten years ago.

            When I went into the Cave of Origin it was mostly pretty empty, a couple of Golbat who hadn't the sense to run but that was all. As I went deeper though, it was as if the air got denser. As if I had to push against some great weight to keep going. When I finally got to the last cave, I found Kyogre resting. For some insane reason I put on the Aqua Suit and I jumped on it's back. Totally insane, right? So Kyogre dived with me on it's back. It swam deeper. So deep that there was no light any more. That is, until we surfaced in a cave filled with glowing crystals.

            The light from the crystals pulsed and Kyogre seemed to be getting more powerful the more the crystals pulsed. The light kept growing and growing until . . .

            May, it was the most incredible thing I've ever seen. So much more than simply Mega Evolving. I understand why people considered Kyogre a god.

            We fought.

            Somehow I won.

            I'm still not sure what happened in that battle. I remember immense power and for some reason, fire, but nothing else except the sight of Kyogre lying defeated before me. What happened next is . . . well . . . Kyogre spoke to me. She asked for my help.

            Isn't it just typical that Kyogre turned out to be female? I assume you remember how good I was at talking to women when I was that age.

            Kyogre explained to me why she had awoken. Apparently it wasn't even Team Aqua's fault. They were just a tool.

            A long time ago, Kyogre battled ceaselessly with her nemesis Groudon. Their battles shaped the country of Hoenn but that was after several counties before it were raised and submerged. Eventually the guardian of the unchanging sky, Rayquaza, came and ended the fighting. Everyone knows the story right? Well the bit nobody told us is that Rayquaza ended it by splitting the world in two; one world to hold Groudon, and one to hold Kyogre. You and I live in the world that holds Kyogre.

            Kyogre and Groudon's power was also split into the orbs; two red and two blue. One of each into each world to prevent them from ever returning to full power.

            Despite being separated, the two pokemon still desired combat so they sought to gain enough power to break through the wall of their world to reach the other. However, they also attempted to prevent each other from getting that power by choosing champions in the other world.

            It turns out the only reason I ever got as far as I did was because I was Groudon's chosen champion. That's why I was given the Red Orb.

            Kyogre told me that her champion had also won his fight but that he had been badly wounded in the fight and might die. If he died then Groudon would break free again and bring just as much destruction as we had all feared from Kyogre's rain. She asked me to save him.

            I was always a sucker for a request from a pretty girl.

            She surrounded me in blue light that suddenly vanished. I was in the same cave but the air felt different somehow. Drier. Anyway, we swam out to look for this champion guy.

            Simon found him in the end. He was just a body floating in the water so I dived in and got him. Guy had holes in his legs and more bruises than any person should be capable of living through but we got him to the surface anyway. We figured that Sootopolis would be the best place to take him. It was closest anyway.

            I can't really describe what I found there. Everything was ruined and burning. Buildings and people. Flaming craters pocked the walls and there were even fires burning on the water.

            The worst part was the smell. I can't eat meat any more because of the memory of that smell.

            We found a shelter were people seemed to be.

            The guy had woken up by now. Turns out he couldn't talk so there wasn't much conversation to be had. Dropped him off at the shelter and thankfully there were people there who knew him. After that we just dived.

            We stayed underwater for so long. I'm not sure how long it was before we came up and found the waterfall. We found Steven at the top of the waterfall.

            I don't know why but I told Steven everything. Turned out he already knew all about it. Even the stuff about the champions and what I'd done in the other world. He offered to help me get out of Hoenn.

            So I went travelling. I visited Sinnoh (which is really freaking cold) and Kanto before settling in Johto where I found Archie, Shelley and Matt working the docks. They got me a job and that's how it's been since.

            I am sorry for not writing sooner. Hope everything is going well for you. Hows your dad been? Do you know if Wally ever beat the league?

            Take care of yourself

            Honey