How to Train Your Pokémon

A Brighter Future

How to Train Your Pokémon

A/N: Here it is! The final chapter of this story. I can't believe how far this had come from super cheesy transcripts I wrote in eighth grade to pass the time since I was a bookworm, teacher's pet and unpopular among the students.

But I like who I am, and if others don't, then that's their problem. Because I'm not changing who I am just to satisfy someone else. Now, let's get on with the last and final chapter of this story: Chapter 27. Roll it!

Chapter 27

A Brighter Future

It had been at least a week since the final battle. Mari still hadn't woken up from her comatose state, and Elysia never left her side. The only good news that the Ketchum family received about her condition was that the smoke had finally cleared up in her lungs, so she wouldn't need the breathing mask anymore. Other than that, nothing else had changed.

Elysia slept on deeply next to her Trainee, still dreaming away that she would reunite with her best friend soon. While she slept, she felt something shift near her. She stretched out her limbs and looked over at her Trainee.

Her head had shifted.

Elysia moved out of the way where she could get a better look at her. "Mari?" She asked softly.

Slowly, the ravenette fluttered open her eyes, revealing two dreary brown orbs. Elysia's own beady black eyes welled up in grateful tears. "Mari!" She exclaimed softly.

She carefully climbed over to her and gently nuzzled her face, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Hey, Elysia." Mari whispered hoarsely, softly stroking her partner's fur. "What happened?"

"You nearly scared everyone to death." Elysia said, sounding firmly but she still spoke softly to her. "You stayed behind to fight against Lysandre, or make sure that he didn't escape again."

"We won't be seeing him again." Mari answered her. "I saw him get swallowed up by flames before I blacked out."

"Well, just don't do that again." Elysia said, gently nuzzling her face.

Mari lightly chuckled. She then blinked as she took in her surroundings. "Where am I?" She asked, her voice gradually getting stronger.

"You're in the hospital." Elysia answered. "You've been out for at least a week."

"A week, huh?" Mari said. "I'm surprised I'm not dead."

"Don't joke about that." Elysia gently chided the ravenette next to her. "You're my best friend, Mari. I don't want to lose you."

Mari smiled at her. "I'm a Ketchum." She said. "We don't go down so easily."

Elysia returned the smile before she pressed a button near Mari's hospital bed. A buzzing sound was heard, and right away, a nurse came into the room.

"Oh, thank goodness." She said, coming over to the teenage girl. "You're awake. How are you feeling, Marianne?"

Mari bit back her tongue to keep herself from correcting the nurse. Marianne was her birth name, after all. And Mari was just a nickname that everyone who knew her personally called her by.

"I'm doing okay." She said. "Just a little thirsty, and my head is buzzing a little." She gently reached up with one hand to cradle her head.

The nurse smiled kindly at her. "Well, I'll bring you some water soon. In the meantime, I'll be removing those bandages and notifying your family immediately."