Chapter 1: Darker Days Ahead

The wild Pidgey screeched threateningly as Ash Ketchum, the grandson of the legendary Pokémon professor Samuel Oak, ever so slowly reached for his backpack. The temperamental bird had caught him off guard as he was taking a nap underneath one of the huge pine trees that was littered throughout Route 1. Despite Pidgey's relatively small size, it was not to be underestimated, as its sharp beak would easily pierce skin and rip at your entrails. And this one had caught Ash completely by surprise, giving it the advantage.

His backpack was only a few feet away, but it might as well have been several meters as the Pidgey was already moving in on him. Deciding to abandon all sense of caution, Ash flung himself forward to grab his Pokèballs, but to his horror, they were just out of reach. As he twisted himself around, the Pidgey came sprawling down on top of him, scratching him with its long talons. Ash desperately tried to protect himself by putting his arms in front of his face, but the ferocious bird continued its relentless barrage of scratching, pecking and swiping, causing blood to begin to seep out from several cuts and bruises.

Just as Ash felt a scream rip its way out of his throat and his arms going limp from pain, a bright flash followed by an incredibly loud buzzing sound made his heart jump in surprise. As he opened his eyes, he noticed that the Pòkemon that had been attacking him just moments earlier had seemingly vanished. Slowly bringing himself up to a sitting position, Ash scanned his surroundings with wide eyes, before spotting the Pidgey lying in a heap near the base of the pine tree. Its skin was completely charred, a thin line of smoke trailing off its body before vanishing. It was absolutely, positively dead.

As Ash stared dumbfounded at the corpse, he spotted a yellow rodent dashing towards him at a surprising speed. Before he even managed to react, the creature had jumped on top of him, knocking him over onto his back, before starting to cover his face with small licks. Ash couldn't help but laugh as his companion and best friend Pikachu showered him with tiny wet marks.

"Hey, Pikachu, lay off!" he laughed as Pikachu upped the intensity of its licks. "I know you're happy that I'm okay, but seriously, that tickles!"

As Pikachu jumped off him, Ash sat up and gave his friend a wide smile.

"Thanks a lot by the way. If it wasn't for you, that Pidgey would've seriously hurt me," he said as he looked over his wounds. There were no deep cuts, which he was eternally grateful for, but he bled like a stuck pig. After quickly rummaging through his backpack, Ash found the bandages he kept for emergencies and began wrapping them around his wounds, slowing down the bleeding. Meanwhile Pikachu had taken to patrolling the vicinity, setting up a perimeter of sorts. If anything tried to rush at Ash, Pikachu would be there to intercept it and take it down.

After bandaging his wounds, Ash took a quick look at his watch. Was it really 6 PM already? It felt like an hour ago that he set out into the wilderness of Route 1, ready for yet another day of exploring. Letting out a sigh of frustration, Ash stood up and put on his backpack. His mother would start getting worried if he didn't come home soon, so gesturing for Pikachu to follow, Ash set out on the journey home.

Pallet Town was by no means a big place. In its entirety, it was a small collection of houses surrounding Professor Oak's Laboratory, with a tiny pier stretching a little ways out into the ocean on the southern side. A wooden fence, designed to keep out wild Pokémon, surrounded the entire town with a couple of guards stationed at the only entrance. It was a small community of hardworking citizens, willing to brave the wilderness in order to build a new life for themselves.

Growing up, Ash only had a few other kids to play with, and they were all freaked out by his obsession with Pokémon. To them, Pokémon were nothing but wild beasts, eagerly waiting to kill them and eat their corpse. But to Ash, they were so much more. They were majestic creatures with individual abilities and powers so powerful they could easily wipe out a human settlement if they tried. Ever since he was but a tiny boy, Ash had been infatuated with the idea of being a Pokémon trainer, a special profession that only a select few could really claim to have mastered. It involved taking care of Pokémon, living amongst them and treating them with respect.

In its simplest form, everyone could become a Pokémon trainer. All one really needed was a special device called a "Pokeball", which could capture and store a Pokémon inside of it. With just a simple throw, one could summon the captured Pokémon and eventually build up a strong enough relationship with it to "command" it to do your bidding. For most people, this required years of practice to master. For Ash, it came as naturally as breathing. He was destined to be a Pokémon trainer, and everybody around him knew it, so when he turned 16, Professor Oak had taken him into his lab and given him his first real Pokémon: Pikachu.

Ever since then, Ash's life had been a complete rollercoaster of adventures and exploration. So far, however, he had never gone beyond the borders of Route 1. But times were about to change. And nobody could've foreseen or guessed what was about to happen.

The sun had fallen low on the horizon, bathing the world in glimmers of orange light by the time Ash approached the house he shared with his mother. The trip home had been uneventful and relaxing, but the clock was approaching 7 PM, and he was running late. His mother would undoubtedly scold him for worrying her and being late for dinner.

Pikachu, resting comfortably on the top of his head, let out a satisfied purr as Ash moved his arm up to scratch him behind the ears. The rodent-like Pokémon had been Ash's travel companion for almost a year now, and the two had developed a strong bond of friendship rarely seen between a human and Pokémon. Ash knew he could count on Pikachu to have his back whenever he ventured out and braved the wilds, and just like today, that had saved his life multiple times.

Dammit, now Mom is going to be all upset when she sees that Im wounded, Ash thought to himself as he stopped in front of the door leading in to his home. After taking a deep breath, he knocked twice, before slowly opening the door and announcing his return.

"Mom, I'm back!"

Ash heard a scuffling sound coming from the kitchen, before Ash's mom, Delia Ketchum, stepped out into the hallway to greet him.

"Welcome home, my dear boy. Mind telling me why you're so late?" The bright smile on her face was easily betrayed by the ice in her voice, and it was obvious that she was not happy with his late return.

"I'm sorry Mom, I really am… I kinda fell asleep underneath a pine tree, and…"

Before he even managed to finish his sentence, his mom had rushed over to him and enveloped him in a soft hug.

"You know how worried I get whenever you stay out late…," she whispered, burying her face in his chest. He was almost a head taller than she was, so Ash wrapped his arms around her in a comforting gesture, and rested his chin on the top of her head.

"I'm sorry mom, I didn't mean to scare you…"

"I know, I know," she answered, looking up at him with a smile, an earnest one this time. "It's just that… after losing your father, I… I don't know what I would've done if something happened to you…" Letting out a gasp, she let her sentence trail off as she noticed the bandaged wounds covering Ash's body.

"What happened to you? Who did this?"

Ash sighed, before unwrapping himself from his mother's tight hug.

"I was attacked by a wild Pidgey during my nap. Pikachu was there to take care of it though, so no real harm was done… Just some shallow cuts," he finished, gesturing to the bandages covering his arms. Delia Ketchum shook her head, before nodding ever so slightly.

"You're just like your father, you know that? As hopeless as they come. Oh well, I guess there's nothing to be done about it, you have his blood flowing through your veins after all. Always the energetic explorer…" his mother said, laughing ever so slightly. Ash sent her a warm smile in response, before moving further into the house.

"So, you wouldn't happen to have any food ready for me? I'm starving!" he asked, scanning for anything edible in the room. Delia Ketchum gave her son a good look-over, before sighing and leading him in to the kitchen where she had a rabbit steak already prepared.

Ash couldn't sleep. He had been trying desperately for the past 30 minutes, but the sweet relief of darkness that would allow his mind to travel to distant worlds wouldn't come. Sitting upright in his bed, Ash shot a glance over at the digital clock resting on his nightstand. It told him that it was 2 AM in the middle of the night. Shaking his head, Ash pulled down the duvet covering his lean body, before standing up. The commotion woke up Pikachu, who was sleeping in his usual spot in the foot end of Ash's bed. Sending him a confused look, Pikachu let out a deep yawn before jumping on top of Ash's head.

"Hey there little guy…" Ash whispered, scratching Pikachu behind the ears. "Didn't mean to wake you up. I couldn't sleep… Care to join me outside for a little stargazing?"

"Pikaachu," Pikachu answered.

"I'll take that as a yes then," Ash said before moving to put on the clothes he usually wore.

It was pitch black outside, but he didn't care. This wasn't the first time insomnia had denied him his sleep. Slowly opening the door leading out into the hallway, Ash made sure to make as little sound as possible as he made his way out of his room. Stopping for a second, he decided to go back to grab his magnetic belt where his Pòkeballs were securely fastened and ready to be thrown with a flick of his hand.

That done, Ash proceeded to make his way down the hallway, all the way to the end where a ladder was put up against the wall, leading up to a hatch in the roof. Moving as silently as possible, he slowly opened the hatch and popped out onto the roof.

This was Ash's favorite spot. From here, he had a clear view of the stars and the entirety of Pallet Town. Whenever he couldn't sleep, he came up here to look at the stars and watch as the small town slowly woke to life.

Plopping down onto his back, Ash put his arms behind his head to form a pillow as he stared up at the vast sky, Pikachu resting comfortably on his chest. The small Pokémon was, despite its size, a great companion and a fierce warrior. Its ability to generate electricity and shoot it out at its opponents had saved Ash multiple times, and its incredible speed allowed it to dodge almost every attack Ash knew of.

Letting out a content sigh, Ash absentmindedly scratched Pikachu behind the ears as his thoughts wandered. Becoming a certified Pokémon trainer was no easy task, and it would require him to go through multiple hard tests in order to prove his mettle. Many of the said tests would take place in cities far beyond Pallet Town, so eventually, Ash would have to brave the wilderness and set out into unknown territory. Travelling alone was dangerous, as one never knew when a wild Pokémon might attack. Being careless could have deadly consequences, and if it was one thing Ash was certain of, it was that he had no wish to end up as a meal for a hungry Rattata or a flock of Spearow.

Eyes wandering over the night sky, Ash traced his finger across the star constellations he knew, calling them out to Pikachu. The Pokémon seemed completely uninterested, but Ash didn't care. He just appreciated having someone to talk with.

Suddenly, in the corner of his eye, Ash spotted something unusual. A purple dot that wasn't normally there now occupied a part of the celestial sphere. Fixing his eyes on it, Ash watched as the dot gradually grew in intensity. Staring at it with newfound interest, the phenomenon in front of him continued expanding. Before long, the dot had developed into a full-blown shade of purple, covering the entire sky above him.

"Ehrm… Pikachu? What do you think th…?" A deafening boom, catching Ash completely by surprise, interrupted his sentence. The loud crack made his ears ring, and he instinctively brought his hands up to cover them. Falling onto his back, Ash gasped as yet another boom sounded throughout the little valley surrounding Pallet Town. Ash's ears felt like they were bleeding, so intense was the pain. Shooting a quick glance at Pikachu, he saw the Pokémon thrashing about in what could only be complete suffering. At the same time, he noticed that something odd was happening to the sky. It was as if the very fabric of reality itself was being torn apart, an invisible being cutting through space and time in order to create a huge rift in the night sky above him.

Suddenly, a thunderous earthquake made the entire building shake, and as Ash stared out over Pallet Town, he saw several houses collapsing in on themselves. The citizens were rushing out into the streets, shouting expositions and running for their lives.

"Is… Is this the end of the world?" Ash wondered as he felt the very foundations of his home being shaken apart by the quake. "Pikachu… I've got to save Pikachu".

Practically throwing himself forward, Ash scooped up Pikachu into his arms as the pair flung themselves over the edge of the roof just as the building collapsed. Ash screamed as the ground came closer and closer at a terrifying speed. Just before he hit the ground, Ash looked up to the sky above him and noticed that the rift had gotten even bigger, almost swallowing up the entire atmosphere into its gaping, purple maws. And then everything went dark as his body collided with the sidewalk that ran parallel to their house.

Peaceful darkness. No pain. No worries. No troubles. Just darkness. For once, Ash felt completely at peace. The world around him didn't exist anymore, there was only darkness. A black void that consisted entirely of nothing. A private paradise only meant for him.

For a moment, there was nothing wrong. He was content with swimming around in the emptiness, reveling in the feeling of having absolutely zero problems. But then he remembered. He remembered his mother's smile, her compassion and her love. He remembered the feeling of running through the wilds, exploring unknown lands. He remembered the sensation of the wind blowing in his hair. And most importantly, he remembered his companion Pikachu, and all of the adventures they had been on together. Suddenly, the darkness that surrounded him seemed a lot lonelier. He wanted to return to the world he had left behind. He wanted to give his mother another hug, he wanted to brave the wilderness one more time; he wanted to scratch Pikachu behind the ears and hear him purr.

Fighting against the darkness, Ash tried to push it away, to reject its embrace. At first, he felt the darkness fighting back, desperately trying to keep him there, in that eternal void. But then, ever so slowly, it loosened its grip on him. He felt himself slipping back to reality, a rainbow of colors flashing before his eyes. Suddenly, another sensation hit him. Pain. Incredible pain.

Gasping for air, Ash opened his eyes and vomited. Covering the grass beside him in halfway digested food, his stomach heaved as it shot up burst after burst of vomit. After a minute or two, the barrage stopped, leaving Ash twitching on the ground.

Every inch of his body hurt. He felt like he had been trampled on by an angry Rhydon, and then thrown down a cliff. Muttering curses underneath his breath, Ash slowly got up on his knees, scanning his surroundings. He was in the middle of a clearing in a thick forest, its green leaves blocking out the sunlight. From how bright it was, Ash guessed it to be somewhere around mid-day.

But that doesn't make any sense, how can it be mid-day already? Last I remember, it was the middle of the night, Ash thought to himself, eyes darting around the unfamiliar scenery. And I dont think I recognize this place… There shouldnt be any thick forests near Pallet Town either.

Glancing about, he spotted Pikachu lying unconscious on the ground a little ways away. Scooting over, he wrapped his arms around the Pokémon, giving it a tight hug. The yellow rodent immediately woke back up to life, looking around at the unfamiliar terrain before sending Ash a confused look.

"Oh, thank God you're okay. I thought you were gone for a second there… Hey, don't look at me like that, I'm just as confused as you are," he said as he let go of Pikachu, the Pokémon shaking violently from side to side like a dog before starting to wander around.

"Where are we?" Ash muttered as he tried to recall the last moments before he fell unconscious. "There was a huge boom, and an earthquake, and then the sky opened up and… Ahh, what the hell?"

"Pikaaaachu," Pikachu answered.

"Yeah, you're right. We can worry about all that later. For now, let's see if we can find our way back to Pallet Town. I need to make sure Mom is okay".

As Pikachu jumped up onto his shoulder, Ash started wandering towards the other side of the small clearing. Nothing made sense anymore. How had he ended up here? What had happened to Pallet Town? Was his mother okay? Had everyone made it out alive? All of these questions clogged up his mind, making it impossible to think.

After walking aimlessly for almost 20 minutes, Ash heard the unnerving sound of leaves rustling right next to him. Stopping dead in his tracks, he slowly turned to his right, Pikachu getting ready to unleash a deadly Thunderbolt attack should anything attempt to harm them. Ash stared hard into the bushes where the sound had come from, adrenalin pumping in his veins. He silently scolded himself for not paying more attention during his walk. There could be wild Pokémon everywhere, lying in wait for any unlucky traveler. They wouldn't hesitate to shred him to pieces, if given the chance.

The pair stood in complete silence, listening for any sounds of movement. Suddenly, a flash of purple streaked by in the corner of Ash'ls vision. It moved too fast for him to get a clear view of it, but from what he could tell, it was at least a meter tall. Eyes darting around, Ash spun on his own axis, desperately trying to catch a sight of the creature that was prowling near them.

Faster than Ash thought possible, the Pokémon came flying out of a nearby bush. For a split-second, Ash got the opportunity to take a closer look at it. It took the form of a huge, purple scorpion with two enormous stingers at the end of its tail. Before Ash had a chance to react, the creature had slammed into him, knocking him down on the ground. Flailing wildly with his arms, Ash desperately tried to push the Pokémon off him. To his great surprise, the weight on his chest disappeared almost instantly, leaving him alone and panting for air on the ground. The forest was dead silent, and there was no trace to be found of the massive scorpion.

Pikachu looked around, clearly bewildered. The attack had happened too fast for the young Pokémon to catch it. That was okay though, no harm had been done and everything was alr… Suddenly, Ash felt an incredibly strong numbing sensation flowing through his body, sending all of his muscles into a spasm. Lying on the ground, Ash writhed in pain as the poison from where the scorpion-like Pokémon's stinger had been plunged into his body started to spread through his bloodstream.

His vision darkened as a fresh wave of pain rolled over him, causing him to let out a groan of pure suffering. Pikachu ran in circles around him, desperately trying to help his friend and trainer in any way he could. Ash felt his air pipe beginning to clog, making it hard to breathe. As his consciousness slowly drifted away, Ash's last thoughts were those of home, and, strangely enough, how he would never get to taste his mother's cooking ever again.

By the time the blue-haired trainer found him, Ash had long passed out. He was on the brink of death as the female bent over and pulled up his shirt to expose where the stinger had been inserted into him, the wound seeping a steady stream of puss and blood.

She muttered under her breath as she forced the unconscious body to gulp down a murky substance, much to the disdain of the Pikachu that seemed to guard him. It was designed to combat the poison flowing through his veins. It wouldn't save him, but it would give her the much-needed time it would take for her to completely rid his body of the toxin.

As she halfway dragged the boy to her campsite, she scolded herself for always being such a softhearted girl every time she saw someone in need. Acting like a good person was one day going to get her killed. But despite this, she secretly enjoyed the feeling of having someone else there, especially after what had just happened. Never in her life had she witnessed anything remotely like it, the very sky being torn apart.

Time flew as she worked on an antidote for the poisoned trainer. Bandaging his wounds and applying the antidote would take time.

The night came and went, and when the first glimmers of sunlight peeked over the horizon, Ash woke up from his feverish sleep.

A/N: So this happened. If it wasn't obvious enough already, this story is inspired by The Sun Soul written by 50caliberchaos. It is truly a magnificent piece of work and if you haven't read it already then I would highly recommend you to do so right now. You won't regret it.

Now, as for my plans with this story: I already have the ending completely planned out and ready to go. Despite the fact that this story is inspired by 50cals writings, I can promise you it won't be "more of the same". This will be a completely different beast entirely. So I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of what will hopefully develop into a very long story.

Oh, and I'm offering a metaphorical cookie to anyone who manages to guess which Pòkemon attacked Ash and which girl I introduced. Should be pretty easy :)

Other than that, I will see you guys in the next chapter!

-Twisted