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Goodbye, Professor

Summary:

Many years after he created the Powerpuff Girls, an elderly Professor Utonium looks back on memories of his family and shares one last moment with his three daughters before he passes on. In loving memory of Tom Kane (April 15, 1962 – May 18, 2026). Thank you for being a part of our childhood by voicing one of the best fathers in animation history.

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It seemed like only yesterday the Professor was in his science lab in the basement of his house, working on a formula that could create the perfect little girl. From the special concoction mainly consisting of sugar, spice and everything nice, along with an accidental dosage of Chemical X, the scientist was gifted with not one girl, but a trio of little girls, all of them blessed with a multitude of superpowers. He named the girls Blossom and Bubbles and Buttercup, and from then on, the Professor's life was complete, for he loved his three, perfect daughters.

Whenever his daughters were out saving the day, the Professor would usually go about his daily routine around the house, working in his lab or doing chores, but rather than tend to his schedule that morning, the Professor decided to do something different. A feeling of nostalgia came over him, and the Professor couldn't find any scientific reason for why that suddenly occurred, but he went along with it anyway and went into the living room, pulling out an old photo album from the shelf. He sat down on the couch, his wrinkled hands turning page after page of plastic-covered memories he had taken over the years of the girls and himself.

The Professor not only missed his youth, but the youth of his girls. Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup were still in their prime, but they were no longer little girls. Even into adulthood, The Powerpuff Girls retained their superpowers and continued to keep Townsville safe from crime. At the end of a long day, the girls were happy to return home to the comfort of their home and spend time with the Professor. His hair had turned white due to aging, and his skin was saggy and wrinkled, but Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup still loved their creator and father.

The Professor turned a page of the photo album he had in his lap. A twinkle shone in his eye as a smile formed on his face. The picture that captured his attention was one of his three girls standing in front of their old kindergarten school, Pokey Oaks. The memory was bittersweet because this photo was taken on the girls' last day of kindergarten. Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup were sad to leave and bid goodbye to their teacher, Ms. Keane, but the girls knew it was time for them to move on to a higher grade level and start attending a different school.

A couple hours passed, and the Professor was still looking through the photo album when he heard the front door open.

"Professor, we're home!" Announced three distinctive female voices in unison.

"In here, girls", the Professor responded back, his eyes tearing themselves away from the pictures as he looked over and saw a trio of thirty-something year old women enter the living room. Though their hair and eye colors were not the same hue, the Professor smiled at the three women's presence, recognizing his precious, angelic daughters immediately.

Blossom flew over to the couch with Bubbles and Buttercup, sitting down on the Professor's right side. Buttercup sat down on her father's left side, while Bubbles sat down on the left side armrest of the sofa.

"What are you doing, Professor?" Blossom asked with curiosity.

"I was just looking at some pictures from all the years we've had together", answered the Professor. He pointed to a picture of the girls playing out in the backyard, with Bubbles hugging a strange-looking, black-furred dog with a green face. "Like this one here. Remember the time when Mojo turned everyone into dogs?"

"Yes, I do remember that", Blossom responded.

"Didn't he try to do that twice?" Bubbles asked.

"Yeah, he did, and we beat him up on both occasions", Buttercup replied with slight irritation.

Blossom turned the page for her father, frowning when she saw a picture of herself wearing an orange uniform and a yellow hard helmet.

"Oh, no", Blossom bemoaned, hearing her sisters laughing at her.

"There's you on your last day of community service", Buttercup pointed out.

Blossom looked down at her lap, her eyes filling with shame for what she tried to do for the Professor on Father's Day by stealing an expensive bag of golf clubs he really wanted. It was the gentle touch of the Professor's hand placing itself on her shoulder that caused Blossom to lift her gaze so she could look at him.

"It's okay, Blossom", said the Professor. "I forgave you for that long time ago."

Blossom showed a grateful smile, looking at the photo album again and turning another page to find a more pleasant memory her family could look back on.

"There's us at Bonsai Garden Park", Bubbles exclaimed. "Remember when the Professor built us the Dynamo to help us defeat that giant fish monster? That was fun, but boy, was the Mayor really mad."

"Yeah, but that was so cool", said Buttercup. "We showed that ugly blowfish who's boss."

"And here's some pictures from your birthday party", said the Professor. "Boy, was that something. You three girls thought the party was ruined, but everyone said it turned out swell."

"It was pretty swell when Blossom busted open that bull pinata", Buttercup agreed.

"We were eating candy for a week", Bubbles chimed in.

"Do you guys remember that day were stuck inside the house because of the rain?" Blossomed asked.

"And we decided to play saving the day at home?" Buttercup mentioned.

"And the Professor pretended to be me because the three of us were fighting about who wanted to be who?" Bubbles concluded.

The Professor chuckled. "Ah, yes, those were the days", he sighed happily. "And I would give anything to relive those days again."

The family of four started laughing together, fondly enjoying the time they were spending with each other, reflecting on the bygone days when life was simpler and just as sweet.

The Professor closed the photo album and set it on the coffee table, then he let out an exhausted yawn. "Boy, I don't why I'm so tired just now", he said.

"Well, you were up most of the night working on your inventions", Buttercup reminded her father.

"Why don't you go upstairs and rest for a few hours, Professor?" Blossom suggested. "We'll come wake you up when it's time for dinner."

"That sounds like a good idea", the Professor agreed, opening his arms so he could welcome his daughters into a hug, a soft groan reverberating in his throat as he embraced the girls with all his might like he never wanted to let go of this moment.

"I love you, girls", said the Professor.

"We love you, too, Professor", the three sisters said in unison.

The women helped their aging father upstairs to his room and tucked him into bed, each of them giving the Professor a kiss on the forehead. Once they had him nice and comfortable in his bed, Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup turned around and headed for the door, then turned off the light and closed the door a slight bit, leaving it ajar so they could hear their dad just in case he needed anything.

As the sun lowered in the distance, a single ray of golden light shone into the Professor's room as he slumbered. He didn't realize the transformation his tired body was going though, as his hair changed from white to its original dark color. The wrinkles on his face smoothed out, and he took on the appearance of what he looked like when he was in his thirties. Just then, the Professor opened his eyes and sat up in bed. The Professor looked to his left and got out of bed as though being under some special force that was beckoning him to come look out the window. He gazed out at the horizon, wondering what awaited him out there beyond the city of Townsville.

When Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup came to wake him up for dinner, the sisters were saddened to find their father was not breathing. Even though he was gone, the Professor's face had a smile on it, for even though he passed away in his sleep, the proud father and scientist was at peace, and he looked forward to seeing his daughters again someday. For now, the Professor would be waiting for his girls somewhere on the other side of the rainbow.