Pokemon: The Dark Side Chronicles

Chapter 1

Dawn stepped off the bus, her Piplup right behind her. He called out to her, but she didn't respond. Dawn's eyes were locked onto the sign above her, 'Welcome to Pewter City.' It took a while before she heard Piplup, she picked him up in her arms and hugged him tightly.

She tried not to cry, but it was hopeless. Not even Piplup's warmth could console her.

Come on, Dawn, you have to do this, she thought.

She moved one foot, then the other. Soon, she was outside of the bus terminal. She immediately noticed Brock; he smiled, waving back at her. Dawn put on a brave face and approached with a smile as wide as his, but as she got closer, could not help breaking down. She wept into Brock's open arms and he had to fight off the tears himself.

"It can't be true, Brock," Dawn wailed. "It just can't."

"I wish that were true," Brock replied. "If I could change things, I would. But I…I can't."

Dawn trembled, looking up into his grave eyes. "So Ash, he's…he's really…"

"I'm afraid so. Ash…Ash is no longer…"

"Don't say it! Please don't!"

The tears would not stop flowing down Dawn's face. Brock held her hand and led her away.

"Let's go to my place. We can talk about it there."

"I…I guess so," Dawn replied, drying her eyes.

He led her down the street, and for a moment, Dawn swore she saw a masked person watching them from the nearby bushes. She rubbed her eyes, but saw no one there.

"Must be my mind playing tricks on me," she said to herself.

A person wearing black pants, a black hoodie with a red V on his chest, and a dark gray Metapod mask laughed at Dawn's pain. He rolled on the ground in glee.

"Looks like the girl's already here," he said to himself. "I had a hunch she would come here first. To think Whitney wasted her time going to Pallet Town. She called me a fool, but I'll show her." He giggled. "I'll show them all. And when that girl is gone, I'll be a rich man."

The kettle whistled.

Brock went into the kitchen and prepared chamomile tea. He poured a cup for Dawn, but she seemed disinterested. Her gaze was out the window the entire time. Piplup hopped onto Dawn's lap, and she finally snapped out of her daze.

"I'm sorry, Brock," Dawn said. "You're being so hospitable and I'm just…"

"Don't worry about it," Brock replied with a reassuring smile. "Drink up. The tea will calm you."

"Thanks."

Dawn took two sips, then asked. "Tell me how it happened, Brock."

"You sure you don't want to rest up first? You must be tired after your long trip from Twinleaf Town."

"I'm okay. I want to…no, I need to know what happened."

Brock sighed, then poured himself some tea. "I wish I knew what exactly happened, but I will tell you what I know." He took a sip. "You see, Ash went to Cerulean City to meet Misty."

"You mentioned her before, right, back in Sinnoh."

"She was our travel buddy for Kanto, Orange Islands and Johto. We separated because Misty had to go back to her gym."

"How come."

"Her family owned the gym, but Misty is the only one with any real talent. Her sisters are horrible trainers. That gym was practically bleeding badges. They probably would have closed it down had she not gone back."

"I see."

"Anyway, Ash hasn't seen Misty in a long time, so he headed over there to reconnect. I would have gone with him, but I had an exam to study for." He grinned. "Becoming a Pokemon doctor isn't easy."

"I'd imagine."

"He and Misty were supposed to meet me here. They went through Mt. Moon, then…it happened."

Dawn's grip on her cup weakened. She rested it on his coffee table.

"There was a landslide. Some say there was a Pokemon battle just before it happened, but there's no way to know for sure. What I do know is that neither Ash nor Misty was seen again afterward."

Dawn latched onto Piplup. Those last few words cut through her as deep as any knife could. She did not know what to say or think. She felt like crying again, but had done enough of that for one day.

"But…his body was never found, right?" Dawn said.

Brock nodded. "It's a complete mess out there. The Officer Jennys searched extensively, I even went out there myself, but we weren't able to find anything."

"So there's still a chance that he…"

Brock laid his hand on her shoulder. "Don't do this to yourself, Dawn. I've had those thoughts, too. I wish Ash would walk through my door right now with that goofy expression on his face. But he won't, and we have to accept that."

Dawn nodded. What Brock said sounded logical. If Ash was alive, why wouldn't the searchers find him? Why wouldn't he have assured them he was okay? He was not the kind of person to make them worry like that. The only conclusion that was left was one that she did not want to face.

"So how's Ash's mom doing?"

"She's taking it pretty hard. He was her only son, after all."

"Oh."

"I was thinking of heading over to Pallet Town tomorrow. You wanna come with me?"

Dawn nodded. "I think that's best. I wouldn't want to be here all alone, anyway."

"All right." He looked out the window, the sun was setting. "It's gonna be dark soon, and I bet you must be exhausted." He held out his hand. "I'll show you to your room."

"Thanks."

Dawn tossed and turned in her sleep. Her dreams were consumed by Ash. His laugh, his smile, his silliness. When they last saw each other, Ash promised they would meet again. A promise that was now broken. She wanted so much to give him a piece of her mind, but she couldn't. She envisioned herself digging through the ruble at Mt. Moon, continuously calling Ash's name, but getting no response. She dug and dug but found nothing. Then a bony hand grabbed her wrist and pulled her down.

Dawn woke up with a jolt, sweating and breathing heavily. She buried her face in her hands and tried to calm herself down.

"It's just a dream, it's just a dream, it's just…"

She heard a noise from outside her room. Dawn got out of bed and roused Piplup. Together, they went into the living room. Dawn searched for a switch while calling Brock's name. She found one and turned the lights on.

No one was there.

Dawn breathed a sigh of relief just as a knife went flying toward her. She fell to the floor and it went over her head. Someone all in black rushed at her as she scurried away. Her back came up against a glass door, the person in black charged furiously, sword pointed at her chest.

"Piplup, water gun!" Dawn shouted.

A high volume of water nailed the person in black from behind and sent him through the glass door. Dawn went through its shattered remains just as he returned to his feet.

"You've got a lot of guts, you know that," he said.

"Who the hell are you!" Dawn shouted.

"Your executioner." He made a slashing gesture across his neck.

"Why are you trying to kill me! I don't even know you!"

He grinned. "And I don't know you, but it has to be done."

"Why! Tell me why!"

"You're a loud one." He placed his sword into his scabbard. "There's a bounty on your pretty little head, and I intend to collect." He pulled out a pokeball. "So get ready!" He threw his pokeball and a Pinsir came out. Dawn's Piplup stepped forward. "You're going to use that little thing. Might as well fall on my sword, now."

"Don't underestimate my Piplup."

"Fine, I won't. Pinsir, tackle!"

It tackled Piplup, but he got back to his feet. Pinsir used tackle again, and Piplup got back up again, but more slowly. It tried a third tackle, but Piplup used bubble, followed by peck. It knocked Pinsir back, but could not bring it down.

"I see that little pest is not so weak after all," the person in black said.

"I told you so," Dawn replied. "Piplup is more than just a Pokemon to me, he is my friend. And together we will—"

"Save the speech, girly. Let's see what happens when I get serious! Pinsir, Bind!"

Piplup was trapped, then Pinsir followed with storm throw, brick break and finally submission. Piplup laid powerless on the ground. Pinsir tried to attack again, but Dawn covered him with her body.

"No more! Please, no more!"

He laughed. "Okay, I'll leave him alone. He's not the one I am after, anyway."

Pinsir grabbed Dawn in its pincers and began to squeeze. First came the pain, then she could barely breath.

"W-Why are you…doing this," she just managed to say.

"I told you, for the money. Don't worry, though, I'll leave some nice flowers on your gravestone." He laughed loudly. "Now, Pinsir, finish her with vice grip."

Its grip tightened. Dawn felt her body being crushed between its pincers. She was in so much pain, she could not even whimper. She wondered why this was happening to her, and whether this was truly the end. If it was, she hoped Piplup would at least survive.

Suddenly, Piplup got back on its feet. The person in black laughed loudly. Even Pinsir seemed to grin.

"What are you going to do now, throw more bubbles," he mocked.

Dawn's eyes were locked with Piplup's, and it gave a mighty shout. Suddenly, he glowed brightly, and he transformed into an Empoleon. He then charged at Pinsir and hit it back with a tackle. It released Dawn and Empoleon got in front of her.

"Thank you, Pip…I mean, Empoleon." She forced herself to her feet.

"Stupid Pokemon," the person in black said. "It won't change anything. It's still a weakling."

"Try us and see!" Dawn yelled.

"Pinsir, tackle!"

Empoleon dodged, then hit Pinsir with a water gun. Pinsir then tried seismic toss, but missed. Empoleon nailed it with a drill peck that sent it crashing to the ground. Pinsir slowly got up, and attacked with submission, but Empoleon countered with ice punch.

"No. Not ice!"

"Now Empoleon, ice beam!"

Empoleon blasted Pinsir and froze it where it stood. Empoleon then rushed in and finished it off with ice punch, launching it past the person in black.

"It's over, mystery man!" Dawn said.

He called Pinsir back, gritting his teeth. "Not yet. Not yet!"

He pulled out a pokeball and brought out Metapod. It used harden, then he attached it to his arm, his sword in the other.

"I'll end it myself!"

He charged forward. Empoleon used water gun, but the person in black used the Metapod to block it. He then leapt over Empoleon and rushed Dawn.

"Know it's over!" he yelled, and tried to stab her.

But Dawn sidestepped him. For a moment, he looked into Dawn's eyes and saw a fury that surprised even him.

"I've had it with you!" Dawn screamed, and nailed him with a roundhouse kick to the head. Empoleon was stunned as much as the person in black, who hit the ground with a thud. His mask went flying off his face.

"Look like those Hitmon-martial arts classes paid off," she said.

She slumped to her knees right afterward, she was still wounded from before. Empoleon rushed to her while the person in black lunged for his mask. Just as he touched it, Brock's boot came down hard on it.

"Don't think so," he said, then bashed him under his chin with an uppercut. Brock then picked him off the ground by his collar. "Tell me who you are right now! Why did you lock me in my room? Why did you attack Dawn? Answer me!"

He only laughed, so Brock tightened his grip.

"You..you certainly have a lot more gumption than your friend."

"It was enough for Dawn to beat you!"

"Not her…the other one."

"Other one? You mean Ash?"

"That's the one. He did not fare so well before us."

"Us?" Dawn interjected. "So there're more of you?"

He laughed wildly, so Brock shook him. Suddenly, small black balls fell out of his clothes to the ground and exploded. A thick smoke surrounded them, and the person in black wrestled away from Brock.

"This isn't over, not by a long shot," he yelled before disappearing altogether. Brock tried to find him, but it was fruitless.

Brock went back to Dawn, who was struggling to stay on her feet. Brock held her up and led her inside his house. He got his medical kit and cleaned up her wounds.

"How are you holding up?" he asked.

"I'd feel better if I knew what that was about," she replied. "He knew about Ash. Why did he mention Ash? Could he be the one who…"

"Maybe, but we won't know for sure. Not yet. I'll have to track him down tomorrow."

"No, we will."

"But Dawn, your injuries. I know Ash would never forgive me if I let anything else happen to…"

"It's my choice. I have to know what happened. I have to know."

Brock sighed. "We'll see. Now drink this. It will make you drowsy, but you'll feel better when you wake up."

Dawn nodded and drank it quickly. "We have to find him Brock. We just have to…I must know why…what happened to…happened to…"

Dawn fell asleep. Brock left her side and went to his computer. He accessed Ash's computer to look up some old pictures. He got a good look at the person in black's face, and there was someone there that he saw once who resembled him. He went through picture after picture, and it was not until he got to the older ones that he found what he was looking for. Right in front of him was the person who attacked them that night.

"Samurai!" he gasped.

To be continued…