literature

End Run: After the End

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“What happened next?”

“Hm?” The storyteller looked up. A teenage boy had asked the question, looking up from where he sat on the grass, a purplish, cat-like creature next to him.

“What happened next, dad? You kind of trailed off.”

“I did?”  The middle-aged man scratched his chin, feeling the tiny bit of stubble, and gave a shrug.  “Sorry about that, Sam,  um… where was I?”

“Um, it was at the part where your Totodile, Axel-“

“Oh, right.  Well…” William Copernicus cleared his throat.  He slouched forward in his chair, and gave a sigh.

“So, yeah.  I was basically in shock.  One of my first Pokémon, I had him since my first battle, was now dead.  I couldn’t focus on the battle anymore.  I could feel myself just getting filling with all sorts of emotions.  

“But then the strangest thing happened.  I spun around to order an attack, when I looked out, and realized the Kanto ships were lowering their flags.  It was the craziest thing; they had the advantage, and they were surrendering?  But then our radio officer got the news over the wireless: the Rogues had pressured Kanto into signing a peace treaty. We hung on, and just when things looked the worst- we won.”

Will shook his head and gave a tired smile.  “Now, it’s not fair to say we won, really.  It was the Great War all over again- just a bloody truce.  At least in the Navy, we got off better.” Will held up a hand, counting off his fingers. “Us Johtoans had five ships left in Cherrygrove- five, out of most of our fleet: my ship, the Bastion, two more destroyers, the Bayonet and Blackthorn, the cruiser Fortunate, and a submarine.  Kanto had a cruiser, the Samurott, and the destroyers Mightyena and Vibrava left over.”

Will leaned back, staring up into space. “So that was it.  We were too late to save a lot of people, and poor Axel... but it was over.” He looked back down. “The rest you probably heard already in history classes.”

“Wow.”  Sam stretched and stood up.  “That’s an interesting story, dad, but… why did you tell me now?”

Will looked up at his son. Samuel James Copernicus was fairly tall, taking after his father.  He kept his mother’s mahogany colored hair, but had his father’s sea blue eyes. The boy also leaned to the side and put a hand on his hip, just like his mother did when he was questioning something.  Like right now.

“Well, Sam… I wasn’t trying to scare you away or anything, no.  I wanted to let you know what I experienced at war, and out at sea.  I wouldn’t do it different, but I wanted to make sure you knew what might come ahead.”

Sam gave a quirky grin. “Dad, you and mom were both in the Navy. Your fathers before that were in it too.  It’s just… natural, I guess.”

Will smiled. “That it is, I suppose.  You should probably keep getting ready, sailor.”

“Aye aye, sir,” Sam saluted.  He crouched down and picked up the Pokémon from beside him, “C’mon, Ace. Let’s get inside.”

Eon, the Espeon yawned.  Will knew that Sam could understand clearly whatever the Espeon was thinking- which made the yawn completely pointless.  He looked at the orange weasel lounging in his lap next.  “Oh come now, Avvol, that story didn’t put you to sleep now, did it?”

The old Floatzel grunted, and looked up, giving his master a cocky grin. Will rolled his eyes. “Let’s go, bud.”  

Will grunted, and turned his wheelchair around, taking in the sight.  He was in the back lawn of his house, rebuilt after a Kanto bomber crashed into it during the Goldenrod Blitz.  The rusting tail of the aircraft sat next to the house as a reminder of the war.  
Taking his eyes of the house, Will started to roll back up, grunting as he pushed the wheels forward.  Although he had been surprisingly limber on one leg, he had begun to suffer arthritis in his remaining one, eventually permanently forcing him into a wheelchair.  He paused as he neared the house, and patted Avvol on his head, orange fur starting to grey with age.  Lottie’s Pokémon, Dave, had left after the war had ended.  It was assumed the Buizel had passed on, due to his chain smoking and grouchy personality.  Still, Will missed him.  

Hard to believe it’s been twenty five years, he thought to himself, recalling his story. During the time, many things had changed, but some remained the same.  Johto and Kanto had dissolved into yet another begrudging truce, but after the chaos of World War II, it appeared like these hostilities were going away.  Humans no longer feared Pokémon, and many people came to accept them as pets.  As it was, Will kept Angel and Avvol together after the war, and they later produced an Eevee.  Will and Lottie had also rekindled their love, eventually marrying on the deck of the Bastion, under the word of Admiral Mizushima.  Sam was eighteen now, having had his birthday only a few months ago.  He was named after both Lottie’s father- Samuel Jogan- and William’s- James.  

Rolling inside the house, he looked around at its spacious interior.  Will had the house rebuilt to take up a little less space, but it still was quite large.  His mother had remained in the house until her death a few years ago.  Now it was only Will and Sam, Lottie currently away for “business”.  That was about to change, though.

“You almost ready, Sam?” Will called upstairs.

“Yeah, Dad, give me a minute”, the boy replied.  A moment later, he came down the stairs, duffel bag over one shoulder, his Espeon on the other.

“Alright. Your train leaves in an hour and a half, so we should get on our way.  Have you seen Angel?”

“Yeah, she’s… over in the living room.”

“Angel!” Will called.  “Come on, we’re going to bring Sam and Ace to the train station.” A second later, the aging Vaporeon trotted into the hallway, hopping onto Will’s lap and nuzzling her mate. Will looked up from the two love-mons to Sam. “Alright, go get the car.”

“Are you driving?”

“That was a joke, right? Of course I’m driving.”

----

Thanks to the improved highway system following the war, Will drove past the large “Goldenrod City” sign not ten minutes after leaving the house.  His car was custom built for handicapped persons, a coupe having all controls reachable by hand. The car was an old convertible, and with the gorgeous weather, the wind slapped the two mens’ faces.  Traffic was lighter than usual, so they made excellent time.  
The highway ran past the waterfront, and as the buildings of Goldenrod approached, Will found himself starting to gaze over the ocean just a little.
“Looking for the Buizel, Dad?” Sam noticed his father’s distraction.

Will chuckled.  “She’s not too hard to miss.  See over there?” He motioned to one of the yachts in the marina. In the forest of masts, only one had a large Johtoan flag on its tip. The when full sail, the thirty meter yacht also sported fabric with orange and blue.  “Yeah, can’t really help myself, I suppose,” Will shrugged. Turning his attention back to the streets, he absently patted Avvol, who was lounging on his lap.  Angel and Ace were over on Sam.  After a couple of minutes, Will turned right onto one of the central boulevards, leading into the heart of Johto’s capital.

Goldenrod had recovered after the war.  It hadn’t taken more than a few years to remove most of the evidence.  The ruined buildings were replaced by sleek concrete and glass creations.  The city was slowly being reborn, much like the people who resided inside her.
Near the center of Goldenrod City sat Union Station, the hub for almost all Johto rail lines.  An express line had been reconstructed to Kanto, and there were talks of expanding into Sinnoh as well. As Will and Sam got closer, the blaring of train horns could be heard over the rumble of the lively city.  Johto had removed its steam trains from service not long after the war, and diesel-electric locomotive thundered across the countryside now.  Will had a brief wonder if the smoke from the steam engines reminded too many people about the fires of war.  

He shook his head clear of that thought, and found a suitable location to park.  They both exited, and Will fumbled for his chair in the back, hopping on one foot until it was ready.  Finally sitting down, he wheeled up to the door. Sam was about to open it for him, but someone from the inside beat him to it. “Allow me, Vice Admiral.” A woman, not a few years older than Sam, backed up to the door and gave a friendly salute.

“We don’t need any of that- I’m out of uniform” Will rolled past and smiled. “Thanks, Lieutenant. On shore leave for a while?”

“You bet,” the woman replied, smiling and smoothing out her uniform, walking out to catch a cab.  “Have a nice day, Admiral”, she called after her.

“You too, Lieutenant”, Will hollered back.  He noticed Sam’s confusion, so he explained. “Lieutenant Sasha MacReady, first officer of the Alpine.” Will waved off her fleeting image. “Come on, boy, we’ve got a train to catch!”

The ticketing process took a little longer than Will hoped. Overall, though, things went smoothly.  Amidst the bustle of the busy train station, with loudspeakers announcing arriving and departing trains, they went about their business.  After getting their tickets, the two went up to the departure floor.  Will rolled along the tile floor, Avvol and Angel in lap, while Sam had Ace on one of his shoulders.  They were not the only ones with Pokémon- a few had little Lillipups and Herdiers, and a security guard had a Growlithe at the ready.  

Finally, they arrived at their platform.  The train was a nonstop express service to Olivine City- the home of the International Fleet.  The fleet had combined the pitiful remains of the warships from WWII, and grouped the navies into a single entity, aimed at protecting those who sailed the oceans blue.  As such, this express train had a dark blue stripe along its side, contrasting the shiny chrome polish.

Will and Sam paused by the front of the train- Sam would be riding first-class on the long trip.  Father and son looked at each other for a minute. Ace hopped off of Sam, and the Espeon’s parents met him on the floor.  

“So… this is it,” Sam said, fighting down a rising lump in his throat.

“I suppose it is,” Will replied with a smile. He grunted and rose out of his chair.  Sam’s eyes widened, and he moved forward. “Dad-!”

Will waved him off.  He stood there, wavering on his one leg, before putting a hand on his son’s shoulder.  “You take care of yourself, alright?”

Sam gave a grin. “Of course, dad.”

Will nodded. He looked back to his seat.  “One thing before you go…” He hopped awkwardly around, and rummaged in the back pocket.  He pulled out a crisp white officer’s cap.  A teal stripe ran along the base, and a large black patch sat above the visor.  Inside the black was a golden anchor and leaves.  

Will handed the cap to Sam. His son’s eyes looked at the hat, then his dad. “What are you-?”

“Just take it,” Will grunted. Sam gently grabbed the hat, and once he held it, Will settled back into his chair, massaging his leg for a second.  He looked back up with a wide smile.  “Before I left to join, my mother gave me my father’s old hat. I might as well continue that tradition, eh?”

From inside the train, a conductor’s shrill whistle sounded- all aboard.  Sam turned around. “I better get going.”

Will nodded. “Yeah, you should.”  Sam shifted the bag on his shoulder.  “Ready, Ace?”

Eon, the Espeon mewed.  He went up to Avvol and Angel, and gave them both a hug.  Avvol and him both used their twin tails as a handshake of sorts, getting a laugh out of both Sam and Will.  The Espeon went back to Sam’s side.  He looked back at his father, smiled, and started to board.

Will suddenly thought of one last thing. “Sam!”

The boy paused, and turned around.

Will hesitated a moment, trying to form the words. He took a deep breath, and then looked at his son with as much love as he could muster.  “I just want you to know, I’m proud of you.  Just follow your heart, do what you see as right- and I’ll support you all the way.”  He smiled. “I love you, son.”

Sam returned a sad grin. “I love you too, dad.”

The train’s bell began to sound, and Sam hurried into the car.  He leaned out of the doorway and waved.  Will, Avvol and Angel all waved back.

And then he ducked inside, and the door closed.  The train’s wheels hissed and groaned, before clanking as they began to roll.  The express glided out of the station, starting to pick up speed as the last cars cleared the edge of the platform.

Will sat there, with his two old Pokémon, and watched the train depart.  The trio stayed there for a long time, oblivious to the bustle of Union Station around them, as they watched their next generations go on. Will remained staring, long after the train had vanished, his gaze spanning back years ago, to the bonds that had formed in the war, and how it all came to be.

With a sigh, he turned his eyes off the horizon at last.  With a pat, he called Avvol and Angel onto his lap. They looked into each other’s eyes, not one uttering a sound, each understanding what the other one felt.

And then they began the journey home.
After the war, things settle down, people come and go, and life goes on.
Here we see what a quarter of a century has produced for a young sailor from Goldenrod City.

This is the last canon entry for Lieutenant Commander- now Vice Admiral- William Flynn Copernicus. He was a good character, not to mention my first. I learned a lot with him, and hope to use my knowledge elsewhere. As for Will, he deserves a rest. As of this, and the closure of End Run, he is retired.

Farewell, soldier.

Featuring:

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Mentioned is:

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youngsherlockholmes's avatar
Awhh this was a great read! It's good to see what happened to them after the whole deal is done. Congrats on finishing the story, and it's been great reading through everything that's happened to both of them!