Swanna Song, Sung Throughout Sinnoh

The Show Must Go On

"Prof. Oak used to say that my father, Bill, knew more about Pokemon than him," Peter chuckled from the podium, wearing a black velvet suit.

Gary stared up at the man who had given him his Porygon-Z. Tears came out of his eyes from behind his sunglasses.

"But it was Prof. Oak who was a hero for me growing up. I would see him on occasion as a child via video calls with my father, and only met him for the first time in person when I was myself a prospering adult. By then, we had met under less than fortunate circumstances; when my father passed away. The Oak family has always been a part of joyful memories for me growing up. I will never forget such a great man who literally changed the world."

Gary stared at the giant photograph of Prof. Oak that was decorated with flowers and other bright decor beneath the stage, held above the red and white wooden casket. I hope I don't have anything like that when I die, Gary thought. Simple casket, all black. Maybe a picture of me, but no flowers and crap, please. In fact, why even a photo of my ugly face, he added, his eyes tearing up, but he stopped the self-deprecation and cleared his teary vision. This wasn't the time or place for that. I wonder if Prof. Oak wanted it like this or not... he thought.

*

"I'd always joke around with him about how uninteresting the Kantonian forms of Pokemon looked compared to the Alolan ones," Prof. Oak's cousin, Samson Oak, laughed. Despite his age, he spoke with so much energy, and had a slight accent. He was a lot darker than Prof. Oak. He wore the brightest of clothes out of anyone else, white slacks and a blue button up shirt with blue and red flowers on it. "But, we sure would get a kick outta the Pokemon we'd show each other from our regions. The differences were a Hoothoot!" He raised his hands, putting his thumb and index fingers around each eye, making a pose. Chuckling lightly, he relaxed and his arms fell before he looked to the roof of the building with a big, emotional smile. "Alola, Cousin."

*

"My Gramps..." Prof. Gary Oak snickered and lowered his head. He looked up to the roof of the building and nodded behind sunglasses, wearing a suave purple suit, and then lowered his head back to the audience, smirking. "What can I say about him, huh? A genius is saying the least and most obvious. A sense of humor that was questionable." He snickered again, a few others chuckling with him in the audience. Prof. Gary Oak sniffled but held his smirk. "He was a revolutionary. A fighter. A defender. A leader. My Gramps... He was the man who taught me everything I know. To ever think I could ever match what he did and knew... A man can dream, but admittedly, he'll always be my idol." His head lowered, unable to keep up his cool demeanor, his smirk finally vanishing, and he turned and walked off, gritting his teeth as tears slid down his cheeks.

*

"What more can I possibly add to this?" The breathtakingly beautiful woman was crying behind sunglasses, wearing a black suit. "My grandfather was someone to aspire to be like. Not as a Pokemon Professor, but as a human being, who loved Pokemon. It's said that I work well with Pokemon, naturally, and if that's so, all credit goes to my grandfather. I apologize for my tears, everyone, and I promised myself this wouldn't happen, but... I just can't believe this day would have dared to ever come!" Daisy Oak turned and ran off the stage, her black high heels clomp clomp-ing along.

*

June's hand went under her black hatinator and wiped at the black veil over her face, weeping.

Robin stood wearing sunglasses, his chest puffed out in his black suit, and he inhaled, letting it out in a big sigh. His left hand rested atop his right hand, both in front of his pants.

Kiwi was silent in her long, black dress, her head lowered.

Aly's black dress wasn't like Kiwi's, the tightest fitting of them all, with thin straps at her shoulders. She wept openly.