How had it come to this?
The sharp ring of clashing blades, and explosions of miscellaneous attacks echoed across the battlefield. Men from both armies fell at alarming rates.
Why?
Ash laid on the ground. He felt. Cold. He had been wounded before, but this felt different, more dire. Yet at the same time he felt warm. Maybe that had to do with the small pool of crimson blood forming around his torso.
He was tried, no, more exhausted than anything.
A shadowed blur entered his view.
"I expected more from you aura guardian. Pathetic.". The man said, sounding almost disappointed.
Ash's blood boiled with anger, but also a great ache of pain. This was the man who had caused him so much pain. He had lost friends, family, everything he had. Yet at the same time he was grateful. He wouldn't have become the man he was today.
"That's okay Paul" Ash choked out with a smile.
A small ember of hidden strength began to grow.
"But I have something I need to tell you."
"Tch. What would that be Guardian?"
With a faint grin on his face he gathered up his last bit of recovered strength.
"I forgive you"
"Wha…"
Ahhh flung out his arm and grabbed Paul ankle, and before Paul could react, Ash shouted.
"Aural plane!"
There was an azure flash, and the surrounding soldiers looked towards their champions. Both of which were currently on the ground, aura flaring around them.
Still it was asked by ask. How had it come to this?
The warm summer breeze blew through the region of Kanto, and on the coast of its northern region was stood the renoun castle of Kanto. Here lived the nobel Ketchum family, King Giovanni, Queen Delia, and their young son Ashivir heir to the throne of Kanto. And speaking of said family.
"ASHIVIR KETCHUM!" yelled a woman inside the grand castle of Kanto.
"Hahahahahah!" Laughed a six year old Ash Ketchum, loud giggles and laughs echoed through the ornate halls furnished with suits of armor, paintings, swords.
This was a common occurrence around the castle, usually having do with the fact Ash had a terrible habit of pranking people around the castle. All of which were solely whole hearted fun. Well...fun for Ash.
Today's prank consisted of a simple bucket of water above the door of his mother's room, in which Pikachu gladly tipped. Water may not hurt, but for a woman that had spent all morning getting ready, well, you know. This led to a semi-livid mother chasing her son and his Pikachu around the top floor of the castle.
Looking for a place to hide from his mother, Ash cut around the corner, Pikachu right at his heels. Spotting a small table with a linen tablecloth, Ash grinned and quickly dove under the cloth with Pikachu. There in the torch lit hallway, under the cover of the small table, they waited in relative silence.
But no one came. Only the crackling of the torches and the heavy breathing of Ash and Pikachu could be heard. No one running, no yelling, only silence.
Five more minutes passed by, and still nothing. Confused, Ash quietly poked his head out and saw no one. Crawling out of his hiding spot, he stood up and began sneaking down the hallway he came from.
Silence.
"...Mom?" Ash called quietly.
Again, silence.
Holding Pikachu in his arms, he continued down the suddenly eerie hallway. Pikachu made it better, but small amounts of fear crept into his mind. He was about to keep walking, when he heard a rustle from behind the window drapes. Ash froze. He wanted to run, but also wanted to find out what was over there.
"You go look over there Pikachu" He whispered to his friend.
"Pi" Sqeuaked Pikachu shaking his head. Clearly not willing to move from his trainers arms.
Realizing that he had no other choice but to go himself if he took a hesitant step towards the curtain.
Slowly inching forward with, one hand supporting Pikachu, he reached out and lightly grabbed the velvet material. He started to pull them back, when they suddenly flew open, light flooding the once dim hallway.
"AHHHHHHHHH!" "PIKAAAAAAAAA!" both Ash and Pikachu yelled.
The startled Pikachu let out an unrestrained thundershock, and Ash fell to the floor. Pikachu quickly halted the attack and jumped off and looked at his poor blackened friend.
"Pikachu..." said Pikachu in an apologetic tone.
His mother's laugh filled the once quiet corridor, and a temporarily stunned Ash sat back up, and after a moment joined in the laughter, "Aww mom you got me this time,"
It was always more of a game that Ash would play with his mother. He would prank her, and she would sometimes prank back when time permitted.
Ash got back up, and noticed Pikachu with its ears down looking sadly at him.
"It's okay Pikachu, I'm not hurt!" he said opening his arms wide to show he was okay.
"Pika!" Pikachu happily yelled seeing Ash was alright and hopped on his head. Ash giggled and turned to his mother.
"Can we play more today Mom?" Ash asked excitedly.
"I'm sorry honey, but you know that your Father and I have a very important meeting with the Aura Guardians today," she said, "Not to mention someone got me soaked this morning." she added with a smile.
Ash fidgeted nervously in the spot he was standing.
"It's alright though, I still love you anyway." she said scooping him into a hug getting him wet in the process.
"Mooooommmm!" he yelled "You're getting me wet!"
"I have no clue what you mean." she grinned and let him go, "Well, alright Ash, I have to go now," she stated, "Why don't you go see if you can play with the guards for a little?"
"Okay!" he yelled as he ran off to the guardhouse with Pikachu not far behind.
-barracks-
Wooden swords clashed, two people currently in a mock duel.
This was one of Ash's favorite things to do when he wasn't busy pranking someone. The guards treated him kindly, (he was the Prince after all) often engaging him in mock duels. It was here that they taught him how to properly wield a sword. It was never with real full length swords, seeing as he couldn't lift them no matter how hard he tried. Instead, Ash would use wooden swords, perfect for a boy his age.
It it's necessary to note that even with all the pranking and other ludacris activities, Ash could be proper when he addressed others, greeting others with proper mannerisms as he was taught.
He was always kind to everyone, royalty or not. Which made all the workers in the castle live the young prince.
At the present moment, the guards were currently laughing at a fallen Ash.
"Come on Prince Ashivir, surely you can do better than that!" laughed Captain Lance.
Ash and Lance were sparring, each wielding a wooden short sword.
"Remember to keep a good stance, otherwise you can be pushed over," he stated in the tone a teacher would use.
"As you can see." he said with a smirk.
Ash sent a scowl to Lance, and got back on his feet. Even when he was a little bruised and covered in dust, Ash always rose back up. No matter how hard things got, Ash always would keep going. Whether or not he was completely happy was another thing, like the current little boy with a irritated frown on his face.
It was honestly funny to see a six year old trying to spar with a twenty-eight year old captain.
"It's not funny." Ash pouted.
Even Pikachu snickered, causing Ash to send him a cold glance.
"Alright, alright," Lance said, putting his hands up in a defensive manner, "I think we are done for today"
"One day I'll beat you, Lance, and then you will see how strong I am!" Ash proclaimed enthusiastically.
"That will be the day young Prince," the captain chuckled, "I certainly look forward to it."
"Sir," a soldier said as he walked towards Lance, "The king has requested your presence for a very important meeting" he explained, "It pertains to the recent radical group."
Lance's expression suddenly grew stern.
"Tell the king I will arrive shortly." He said quickly and turned to leave to the barracks to put on better attire.
"Lance," little Ash yelled, " Can I come? I promise I'll be good!" he pleaded with begging eyes.
Lance sighed and turned around " I'm afraid not." Lance said, "Although you are a Prince, you are still too young for these meetings."
"Oh, okay." Ash said sadly as his eyes went towards the ground, clearly disappointed.
"Cheer up Prince," Lance said with a happier tone, "How about you go play with Dragonite and the other Pokémon in the royal garden?"
Ash quickly forgot about his disappointment, eyes going wide remembering all the Pokémon.
"Come on Pikachu," Ash yelled as he sprinted towards the gardens, "I'll race you there!"
"Pika, Pikachu!" said Pikachu.
With that they sprinted towards the gardens.
-Royal war room-
Lance walked into the main hall. There were many people there, from the king and queen to the higher ranking officials of the army, like Lance. Everyone was gathered at a large table in the center of the room.
"Ah, Captain Lance," the king spoke, "Nice of you to join us. I bet my son emerged victorious in your duel this time, right?" the King said with a large smile.
Lance chuckled "Not quite yet, my King. Though I am certain he could easily take anyone of his own age."
"If he is anything like me, he will be a master swordsman like no one has ever seen!" proclaimed the king.
The Queen rolled her eyes while saying "Yes... Just like his father."
"I'm insulted Delia, do you not think me to be a mighty swordsman?" the King asked in a playful tone.
"Well maybe when you were younger, and had less of a stomach," she chided, poking the king's gut. "Even then, my brother Aaron could fight just as well."
"Ah yes, your brother, the Aura Guardian." the King said in a remembering tone. "Is he still in Sinnoh with the rest of the Guardians?"
"Actually," the Queen replied "He should arrive here for a visit sometime today. I thought we discussed this earlier, remember?" said the King.
"Ah yes that's right, I do remember you saying something about that." the King responed, "Either way, Ashivir will be ecstatic to see him again. He was only four the last time he saw Aaron, but always begs us to go see him."
"Well, you would too, if your uncle had the power of aura at his fingertips." the Queen chuckled.
"Ahem."
The King and Queen turned to find everyone patiently waiting for them.
"Oh dear," said the Queen "I am deeply sorry, proceed with the actual meeting."
"It is no bother, my Queen." Lance said with a slight bow.
" Anyway," spoke the King. "Would you bring us up to date, Lance?"
"It would be my pleasure." Lance replied
"We are here today to discuss the recent speculation of a group called 'Galactic' rumored to be led by a man named Cyrus."
-In the Royal Gardens-
"HI DRAGONITE!" Ash yelled as he and Pikachu ran into the garden.
There in the center of the large garden was a large yellow/orange dragon, lounging next to a small pond. For most people, seeing a Dragonite would strike fear into their very being, or any dragon at any point. Dragon Pokemon were known for their overwhelming strength and power, but for Ash he was simply another friend.
Dragonite turned to Ash and let out a noise of happiness, clearly glad to see the boy. He lowered his head to nuzzle Ash, emitting a pleased growl.
"Wanna play a game?"Ash asked excitedly.
The dragon Pokemon nodded.
"oh! I have a fun one!" Ash eagerly said. "How about Pikachu and I battle you again?"
Both Dragonite and Pikachu looked at Ash nervously. Last time Ash had them battle, Dragonite accidentally sent Pikachu to the doctors. Pikachu shivered at the memory of that seemingly dark day. Getting tackled by a 250 pound dragon was NOT his idea of fun. Ash seemed to notice the two Pokémons reaction to his idea, and sighed in understanding.
"Well, I guess the last time we did that Pikachu got hurt." Ash said in agreement, yet he was still disappointed. He couldn't wait for the day him and Pikachu could fight together!
After a few moments of thinking, it was decided they would play hide-and-go-seek with all the Pokémon. Ash was currently it, and had found most of the Pokémon, except for a Rattata, Pikachu, and somehow Dragonite.
'Where in Kanto could a huge Dragonite hide?' Ash thought.
Turning away from a bush, he heard a rustle, and saw a flash of yellow dart behind a rock. Slowly, Ash sneaked towards the rock, trying to be as silent as possible. He reached the rock, and got ready to pounce.
'1,2,3!' he counted mentally, and jumped.
"Gotcha!" he yelled.
"PIKA!" exclaimed Pikachu, surprised that he had been found.
Ash laughed, and soon dashed to another part of the garden.
"Come on Pikachu, let's find the others!" Ash called.
"Pika Pi Pikachu!" he responded.
With that, they went to find the remaining two Pokémon. After about twenty minutes of searching, they finally found Rattata in a berry bush, happily eating away the delicious oran berries. Surprisingly, the only one left to find was Dragonite. Ash and Pikachu looked for two hours in the garden, very confused as to why they couldn't seem to find Dragonite. The sun was beginning to set, yet for whatever reason Dragonite was nowhere to be found!
"Arrrgh," Ash growled, "Where is he!"
They continued to search, and still after another thirty minutes, they decided to declare Dragonite the winner.
"OKAY DRAGONITE, YOU WON!" yelled a frustrated Ash, "You can come out now!"
After a moment they heard a yawn, and looked to the top of a nearby building that held all the tools and other supplies needed for maintaining the garden. From the look of it, Dragonite was... NAPPING!?
"WHAT!?" yelled a livid Ash. " That's not fair, we can't get up there!"
Dragonite just smiled and flew down next to Ash, landing with a slight thud. He then leaned down and nuzzled Ash's neck.
"Oh alright, I forgive you." he laughed, "I still say I won though."
As the sun was going down, the sky was colored with beautiful shades of pastel orange and red, along with a few sneaky shades of indigo creeping in. It was truly a sight to see from the elevated view of the castle. And down below at the coast, the shimmering ocean could only but compliment the beauty of it all. Kanto truly was a wonderful place.
"It's time for me to go back into the castle Dragonite," Ash stated sadly, "But thank you for letting me play with you." he said in a happier tone, "Maybe we can play again tomorrow!"
Dragonite nodded in agreement, and with that, Ash and Pikachu started to walk back to the Castle. For the young Prince it was an absolutely wonderful day, but sadly he had to go to sleep. In a positive view, tomorrow brought more opportunities to prank people, play with others, and even practice fighting with Lance and the others. It was like this all the time; no worries and not having to deal with anything. Well, besides some lessons that he had. His parents said it would help make him a great King one day, but Ash didn't worry too much about that at his age. All he cared about at the moment was his parents, his friends, and Pokemon. If he had them, and was having fun, he was perfectly content.
Ash entered the doorway to the Castle and started walking down the hall, when he heard faint footsteps behind him. He whirled around to find an empty hallway.
"Did you hear that Pikachu?"
"Pika." he affirmed, nodding his head up and down.
"Hmmm..." Ash said as he quickened his pace down the hallway.
Again, the sound of steps followed him, but every time that he turned around, there wasn't anyone there. Soon enough, he and Pikachu were walking backwards. He continued to walk backwards until he bumped into something. With wide eyes, Ash slowly turned around.
"BOO!" yelled a cloaked man.
For the second time today, Ash screamed.
"AHHHHH!" yelled Ash.
He was stunned for just a moment before a huge smile covered his face.
"UNCLE AARON!" Ash exclaimed, joy evident in his eyes.
Ash jumped into the arms of Aaron, giving him the biggest hug that a six year old could.
"Hey little guy! How are you doing?" Aaron questioned.
"I'm doing great! I soaked my mom this morning, trained with Captain Lance, and even played hide-and-go-seek with his Dragonite!" Ash happily said.
"Training with Captain Lance, huh?" Aaron said with a smile. "Maybe we will test your experience tomorrow." He said with a grin.
"How about right now?" Ash asked giddily, not wanting to wait a single second to show his uncle what he could do.
"Sorry Mister, but you need to go to eat and go to bed. Your mother actually sent me to find you," he explained. "And also to surprise you with the fact that I arrived."
"So?" Aaron asked with a smirk. "Were you surprised?"
Ash just giggled. With that, Aaron carried Ash to his dinner on his shoulders, letting Ash wear his aura guardian hat. Along the way, Ash asked Aaron about many different things. Things about his journey, his adventures, if he had brought Lucario or any other Pokémon, and other similar questions. The kid could definitely be talkative when he wanted to.
-Ash's Room-
After about an hour mixed with eating and lots of talking, Aaron and the Queen were finally able to get Ash to go to get in bed, promising him that a day full of excitement was in store for tomorrow. Snuggled up with Pikachu, Ash laid in bed Aaron and his mom telling him goodnight. But Ash had one last request for his uncle.
"Uncle Aaron." Ash said lightly.
"Yes Ash?"
"Can you tell me a story? One with your aura?"
Looking to his sister, the Queen smiled and nodded. She walked to the corner of the room and brought a chair for Aaron to sit down.
"Of course Ash"
The boy loved Aaron's stories. Every time that he visited, Ash would basically refuse to sleep until Aaron told at least one story. But it wasn't only the story itself that Ash loved, it was how Aaron told it. Using Aura.
"Once upon a time there lived a young boy…." He began lifting up his hand, palms towards the ceiling. And almost like magic, a small misty blue boy appeared on Aaron's hand.
This is what made uncle Aaron's stories so great. They looked alive. More people, dragons, brave knights. Each formed by the marvelous power of aura, flew, ran, and galloped around Aaron's hands. It was simply amazing.
Then slowly as the story came to the end, Ash's eyes grew heavy, and he couldn't keep them open anymore. And every so slowly, he drifted off to sleep.
"And the young boy and his Pokemon were forever known as the heroes of Kanto. The end.". Aaron smiled at the now lightly snoring boy.
"Goodnight Ash".
Aaron stood up, and the Queen came forward and kissed her son on his forehead.
"Goodnight my son"
Quietly they both exited the room to allow the young prince to sleep.
Wow i just realized this morning the original chapter one was all messed up and you couldnt read it. This should be readable now :)
And let me know a good length for a chapter. This was about 3200. More, less?