Ash's Dark War
By Unknown Bird
Ace Sanchez's Pokemon Master, please read his story before you read mine. I don't want to ruin it for anyone.
Note: Pokemon and its associated characters are copyright by Nintendo, Game Freak, Creatures Inc, and 4Kids Productions. Valdera is owned by Ace Sanchez.
Chapter 1 – Assumptions
A man in a brown hooded forest cloak stepped off the last step of the stairwell. He scanned the room, every detail being burned into his mind. From the scurrying interns to the head scientist scanning the computer screens, all in the half-light of the glowing machines nothing was missed. The man stepped through the threshold of the doorway and skulked over to the head scientist.
"Any news?" choked out the man.
"My god," responded the scientist, "you sound horrible. What happened?"
"I'd rather not talk about it right now." A pause as the man gathered himself. "And I asked you whether there was any more news."
"Nothing other than the first few reports. Some of which I don't believe. Humans using Pokémon elemental attacks? Ha!"
"Bill. I saw it," whispered the man. "Not two weeks ago. I didn't know what I was seeing then, but it's too late now."
"But, how?" Bill asked, disbelieving.
"I don't know how, but we'd better find out fast."
The computer Bill was sitting at flared red and alarm bells rang in the Defense Control Room.
"What's going on?" demanded the man.
"We sent a small scout group over to Viridian to check out what's going on. Maybe you should go lie down. You look awful."
"I'm fine. Will we receive video images?" Bill nodded to the man. "Then I'll stay and watch."
Bill moved the beginnings of the scout's reports and images onto the big screen up at the front of the room. Everyone stopped what he or she was doing to stand up and watch.
On the screen there were only trees flying past as the scout hurried to his objective. Sounds were minimal, with just a small scattering of cries from local birds Pokémon and Rattatas to be heard. The scout passed out of the trees and the people in the Defense Room got their first glimpse of Viridian City.
"What have they done!?" screamed a low-level scientist.
Fire seemed to be everywhere in Viridian City. Every house visible was either scorched or in the process. The scout, unperturbed by what he had seen so far, moved in to get a closer look. As he walked past the first charred bodies, the people behind Bill and the man could be heard violently emptying their stomachs. The scout moved past more burned houses while trying to get information on everything he was sending out. The scout cleared a mound of rubble and looked down into a deep crater that was once the middle of the city.
"It's Team Rocket," whispered Bill. "But isn't that Viridian City Gym? What're they doing there?" The man beside him remained silent but moved in closer to the big screen.
Thousands of Team Rocket members in their usual black attire with the red 'R' emblazoned on their chests stood impassively surrounded by cloaked figures of red, blue, green, brown, purple and yellow. The cloaks came down their feet, tied at the middle, and had a hood which was pulled over every person's head.
"Red for fire, blue for water, green for grass, brown for ground, purple for psychic and yellow for electric," mused the man in forest garb. "They all correspond to elemental abilities."
"What makes you say that?" asked an anonymous voice from the crowd.
"Just watch."
Suddenly the brown-cloaked men raised their arms and the ground beneath the scout erupted in an earthquake. The scout fell to the ground as it rose thirty feet into the air. The scout got up in time to watch in horror as the dirt wall that was created was strengthened by blasting it with fire. He threw the camera into the air so it wouldn't get burned. Unfortunately for him he was not quite so lucky.
"Good for him. He chose to keep us informed rather than keep his life," said the man coldly.
"How can you be so heartless?" shouted the same man as before.
"Because in war a heart is useless."
"W-war?"
The room remained quiet but for the heavy breathing of the collective breaths of scared scientists after that. All eyes stared at the screen, which was still sending back images. Electricity, coming from the yellow cloaked men this time, created electrically charged barbed wire atop the fire hardened thirty foot wall that went all the way around the outside of the gym, with three hundred yards in every direction of space in between. Electricity zapped the camera and the screen showed static.
Silence. A few people were either re-emptying their stomachs or doing it for the first time. The man just removed the hood of his cloak off of his head to reveal spiky black hair that almost reached his golden brown eyes. His pointed nose over his hair-less mouth crinkled up in disgust from the smell of the vomit.
"Now you know what we're up against," he said. "Giovanni will only create more."
A door at the back of the room opened and a man about the same in height as the man with black hair, at six feet, strode in.
"Who says it's Giovanni creating them, Ash?" asked the man from just inside the door, still in the shadows.
"Call me, Ashura," he responded. "It is my full name after all, and she doesn't know it…" Ash's face twisted in pain at memories he'd wish forgotten.
"Fine, 'Ashura,'" the other man said with disgust, "answer my question." As the man made his rebuttal he stepped out from the shadows and revealed himself as the League Master, Gary Oak. A few of the lowly scientists gasped at their luck, for they had never thought they would ever get the chance to be in the same room as Gary Oak and Ash Ketchum at the same time. The two most powerful Pokémon trainers ever hadn't been near each other for some time now as Ash had been out exploring again while Gary had been dealing with some official League business. Even though the two have never been closer there was still some sort of barrier between them that keeps them from being good friends.
"Well Gary, 'Lord Garick,' all the men who can control the elements are Giovanni's men."
"That doesn't mean he's creating them. It just means that they are the first to receive these new powers. I have a really bad feeling about this and I feel that they must be stopped now while they are still learning their powers."
Ash choked down the sarcastic remark that tried to make itself heard, "How do you know all this?"
Gary waved his hand back at the door from which he came, "My grandfather, Professor Oak, was just watching the scout's report with me in the other room. He says that Giovanni has invoked only the first part of some prophecy of sorts and those who are attuned to different elements will gain powers as well. Since Giovanni was the one who invoked the prophecy his followers will receive their powers first."
"What kind of prophecy?"
Gary closed his eyes and lowered his head. "The end of the world kind. But don't worry, I don't think Giovanni will finish the prophecy. I think he just wants to bring the elements to his followers."
"Then why don't we just wait until we get our powers instead of fighting a war we can't win at the moment?" Some of the usual power of Ash's voice returned to him as he thought of the viciousness a war with Team Rocket could create. "Why fight now?!"
Gary looked Ash over slowly, raised his head, and spoke softly, "Who said we were guaranteed to get any?"
Those in the room who had thought for a moment that they might have a chance sank back into depression as they watched the League Master confer with an ally.
"Come," said Gary. "We shouldn't frighten these people anymore with such talk. Walk with me."
Ash and Gary left the Defense Room behind them as they walked the halls of the Palace of the Elite Four. Built hundreds of years ago the Palace housed the Elite Four and the League Master in fantastic splendor. It was a pentagon-shaped structure built upon layer upon layer of elegant balconies. Photographs and paintings depicting battle scenes and past League Masters lined the interior halls.
Ash stopped in front of one of the battle scenes. This one showed his Pikachu battling a Sandshrew in his race to become League Master.
"Ah yes," sighed Gary. "One of your best battles. I enjoyed watching that one. Where is Pikachu by the way?"
Ash slid his brown leather backpack off one shoulder and opened the top to reveal Pikachu sleeping inside.
Gary looked a little closer at the way Ash was holding himself with his head bent down, hands clenched and the slow even breaths that were the telltale signs of a battle going on inside Ash's own head. "You know, Ashura, you do look absolutely atrocious right now. What happened to you?"
"You wanted to talk, Gary, so talk," growled Ash.
"Yes, well. I wanted to know whether you could do me a favor."
Ash looked sideways at Gary, "What is it?"
"I need you to go out to the cities and gather in all of the gym leaders. You can take Misty wi…" Gary stopped short after noticing the look on Ash's face.
"Don't you ever mention her name in my presence again!" Ash barely managed his voice to just under a shout but Gary could hear the pain behind his words, and the threat veiled underneath. Gary took a few steps back without realizing what he was doing and nodded his head to agree. "I'll do it," continued Ash after a long pause. "But I'll need a night to prepare."
Gary looked at him funny for a while then, "Don't leave without coming to see me first. Some cities don't have their teleporters up and others, like Pewter, might be under siege from Team Rocket already. So you might be on foot for most of the journey and trying to fight your way out at other times."
"I'm no stranger to a fight. Pikachu and I can handle anything Team Rocket can throw at us."
"Ash," he looked up at Gary. "This isn't mere Team Rocket anymore. This is different. We need those gym leaders here and alive. They'll be the first to gain their powers because they are closely attuned to their Pokémon's elemental abilities. Even if they don't gain them they are some of the most powerful trainers in the world."
"You want to match Team Rocket in power? That's reasonable. You didn't need that to be viewed as a favor. What else is there to this?"
Gary nodded, "That's right. Here's the catch. I need you to pick up anyone along the way that you see who you think will gain elemental powers or hold their own in a battle with Team Rocket."
"What! That could be anyone!" exclaimed Ash, outraged. "I could have complete idiots or violent people in my group!"
"Ashura. The future of the League depends on this. Please, please do it. For me."
Ash observed Gary silently for a while before nodding his head in acquiescence.
"One last thing," Gary raised his hands again defensively. "It really is the last thing. I need you to travel to Pewter by foot. This way you can gain intelligence on the Rocket army's makeup."
(Break)
"So we're heading to Pewter right?"
"Yeah, we're going to take over the cities one after another."
"With the help of these new…. What're they called again?"
"Pokémon Masters. The way they can use the elements I'll never forget their names."
"Pokémon Masters. I hope I never have to see them attack again. People just shouldn't be able to do things like that. It's unnatural."
"You won't have to see them again," declared a disembodied voice from among the trees.
"Who said that?" The two forward scouts for the Rocket army spun around looking for the source of the voice in Viridian Forest. "Show yourself!"
Appearing from behind a tree a couple meters in front of the two men was a tall, athletically built, young man in a brown forest cloak with his head hooded and unseen in the shadows. At his feet was a small yellow Pikachu that barely reached the man's shins.
"Who are you!?" asked the scout who had ordered for Ash's withdrawal from concealment.
"My name is Ashura, and I have come to alleviate you of all of your fears and worries."
The scouts didn't even have time to blink as Ash moved forward. He slid in between the two of them and elbowed them at the same time in the neck, snapping their spinal cords. Thereby killing them quickly and efficiently.
I wasn't always like this was I, Ash thought to himself as he ran. Able to kill like that? Life is too harsh for even a sixteen year old to continue living without learning some fighting techniques. When I was young I could live harmoniously with my Pokémon, and now all I have left is Pikachu. Team Rocket was the reason I had to change. They have ruined everything in my life. In my first year, when I was ten and trying to make it to the top Team Rocket had to go and steal all those peoples' Pokémon. Of course, I could have left it to the authorities but what kind of person would I be if I had done that? Then in my fourth year… Wow, my fourth year. Even I didn't believe I could make it as far as I did. Gary certainly didn't either. Once I gave it all up to become an explorer I thought my troubles would go as well. Those were supposed to have been the best years of my life. Most of them were. My time spent with her…
Ash stopped running for a second and grabbed the tree trunk nearest to him for support. Pikachu jumped to the branch above him to try and be as unobtrusive as possible. He could tell whenever Ash was thinking about something painful and that's the only way to describe yesterday. It even brought tears to his eyes whenever he thought about it. With the bond the two of them had he could feel some of what Ash felt sometimes. More often than not it was wonderful to know that he and his master were as close as they were. But at times like this, Pikachu wished to sever that part of their relationship.
With his breathing and thoughts back to normal Ash started to run again. "Come on, Pikachu. You heard them. They're heading for Pewter. We'd better go pick up Brock quickly."
"Pika," replied his only true friend in the world.
Trees sped by him as he ran through Viridian forest as fast as his legs could take him. Pikachu, running at his side, stayed in the same quiet consciousness as his master. For hours they ran, both very physically fit, until they arrived at an old favorite campsite of his.
Ash stopped in front of the fire pit and looked down at Pikachu. "We'll stay here for the night, okay Pikachu?"
"Pii."
Searching through his bag Ash came up with a small hatchet and some matches to start a fire. Pikachu made a few noises asking for some ketchup to snack on for the night instead of the usual meals as a treat. Ash continued searching but couldn't find any ketchup. "I don't have any ketchup with me right now. Maybe once we catch up with Brock he'll be able to give you some."
"Pi-Pikachu!"
At the mention of his old friend Ash's spirits were raised. Maybe Brock could help him forget. He so needed to forget. Ash laid his head back against a tree trunk and fell asleep with Pikachu on his stomach trying to comfort him.
(Break)
Ash woke up in the middle of the night to a rustling sound in his campsite. Careful not to give away that he was awake he looked over to where he heard the noise. To his left there was someone going through his pack, picking out the food from his clothes and pokedex, among other things, with the person's back to him. Slowly, he poked Pikachu awake and gave him the 'be quiet' sign. Ash pointed to the someone and mouthed the words Thunder Wave.
Paralyzing electricity lit up the campsite and hit the intruder square in the back. Ash leapt up and went to face this person who had dared to try and steal from him. He removed the person's hood and instead of finding the hard planes of a man he was surprised to find the soft features of a woman. An extremely gorgeous one at that. Golden blonde hair spilled out behind her down the length of her back. Brilliant blue eyes regarded him not with fear but with contempt. Her appearance was raggedy, but the way she held herself made her beautiful even though she was covered in grime.
"Who? Who are you?" stammered Ash. For, this was the most stunningly beautiful woman he had ever seen and he was having trouble forming thoughts in his head.
"Why do you need my name?" she said in a throaty voice as she spat in his face. "You're just going to try and rape me like everyone else. You've already got me so that I can't move. Well? Just hurry and get it over with. You won't be the first one."
Completely stunned and at a loss for words Ash could only look at the astonishing woman in shock as spittle dribbled down his face. Pikachu finally got him to speak with a little jolt to his ankle.
"Ow! What? No, no I'm not going take advantage of you."
"Then why," began the woman, actually more like a girl now that Ash thought about it, no more than seventeen or eighteen years old, "am I being held against my will?"
Ash looked over at her dumbfounded, "You were trying to rob me."
"Oh." she smiled at him and his heart leapt into his throat. "Well that explains it." Her face lost all traces of happiness and she said, "Now let me go!"
Ash stared right into her eyes for a few tense seconds as she stared back at him. Then, Ash burst out laughing.
"Hahahaha!" tears streamed down his face as Ash collapsed onto the ground holding his sides shaking with laughter. The girl looked down at him perplexed, confusion getting through her anger.
"What? What's so funny?"
Ash finally calmed down enough to answer her, "It's just that, you, you can't seem to make up your mind can you? First you think I'm going to rape you. Then you think you did nothing wrong and to top it off, you're happy, angry and confused in a matter of seconds. You seem to have more troubles than I do."
The girl's lips flitted into a half-smile and she quipped, "Yeah. I guess that is a little funny if you're not me. Or it could be depressing, depending on how you look at it."
"My name's Ashura." Ash said as he riffled through his bag for a paralyze cure. As he said his name he realized that he's still not used to calling himself by his full name. I guess being Ash for so long has made it unusual for anyone other than my mom to call me that.
"My name is… It's Valdera." Ash noticed the hesitation before she gave her name but didn't say anything.
"Well that's a pretty name."
"Of course," she replied as she gave him a devilish smile with a twinkle in her aqua eyes. "It goes with my pretty body."
Ash gave her a small drop of the paralyzing cure with a smile, "Very modest of you. Sorry about this but…" Ash took out a line of rope from his pack and tied Valdera's hands behind her to her ankles. "I can't take any chances with the Rocket army nearby."
Valdera's eyes gleamed malevolently at him with a slight red tinge to her cheeks as he tied her up, but surprisingly looked terrified at the mention of Team Rocket.
"What's Team Rocket doing with their army here? Aren't they stationed in Viridian? We're closer to Pewter right now."
Ash, surprised by her knowledge of Team Rocket, didn't let on anything, "They're making a large push for world domination with new weapons. I'm out here collecting a few of our own to bring back to the League." Ash stopped there, knowing he had said too much, but he thought of a way to turn it to his advantage. "So now that you know why I'm here, what about you?" Ash stoked up the fire and lay back down.
Valdera moved, trying to get into a comfortable position, and decided that Ash would make a good headrest. Ash stiffened when she lay down, but didn't move. Slowly, when she didn't appear to be doing anything dangerous, Ash relaxed. "I'm a nomad," she finally responded. "I go where I want to go. Sometimes I meet good people; sometimes I meet the wrong people. I'm always fighting, fighting hunger, thirst, loneliness," a pause, "men."
"What about your family?" Ash knew he shouldn't dig but he was naturally curious.
"Don't ask again because you won't get an answer. What about you? Do you have a girl?" Ash didn't answer. "She left you right?" He looked down at her in surprise. "I could feel it in here." She hit Ash in the stomach. "You really stiffened up when I mentioned… oops."
Ash jumped up so quickly when she had hit him that Valdera's teeth clicked together. "How did you get out of the ropes!" he exclaimed.
She shrugged, "Most of the gangs like to tie their victims up and leave them like that. I've had a lot of practice getting out."
"Well how am I supposed to keep you secure?" shouted Ash, exasperated.
"You mean," she assumed in surprise, "you haven't taught your Pikachu how to make electrical ropes?" Valdera placed two fingers in her mouth and whistled. A rustling sound came to their right as a Pikachu walked into the site. "This is my Pikachu. I call her My Pet. She's the reason why I said you'll try and rape me earlier."
Ash's Pikachu looked over at the new Pikachu in shock. "Pi pi pika pi chu chaaa!"
"Pikachu," whispered Ash dangerously. "I heard that. We don't know these people yet. So you'll have to keep that thing of yours out of sight for now."
"Chaaa." Pikachu responded sadly.
"So," began Valdera, "you have the bond. Pikachu is your only Pokémon, yes?" Ash nodded. "Have you taught it moves you don't think any other Pikachu has?" He nodded again. "We are more alike than you think, Ashura."
"Well it's going to be daylight soon and I have to get to Pewter before the Rockets do. So, I'll be off." Ash began to gather up his things including the useless rope into his pack.
"Can… Can I come with you?" Ash looked down to see Valdera on her knees with a once white skirt peeking through her cloak and felt sorry for the fierce girl. "I don't like Team Rocket and I've always wanted to see Pewter again."
Ash thought back to the conversation he had had with Gary before he left. Even people I can't stand. Gary's voice echoed through his head, 'If you think they'll have the power, bring them along.' Valdera was right; they did seem to have a lot in common. He figured he was guaranteed the elemental power of electricity and she seemed quite attuned to her Pikachu so, "All right. You can come along. Just so long as you don't steal my stuff." Plus it would keep her from coming back to filch his stuff when she wasn't traveling with him.
This time it was she who laughed and he felt like the sound would carry him to the skies above.
(Break)
After another hour's hard run, with Valdera and her Pikachu unexpectedly keeping up, the teams arrived at Pewter City. Right on their trail, the Rocket army destroyed a path through the forest with Grass Masters removing tree after tree.
Ash gazed back trying to determine how far away the army was. "We don't have much time." He glanced over at Valdera who hadn't looked away from him since they reached the city. "We should get over to Pewter City gym while we still can. When we get Brock we'll go though the teleporter at the Pokémon Center."
"We should get moving then." With that, they ran in between the buildings, sticking to the shadows, trying not to be seen. "So who is this Brock?"
"He's the leader of the Pewter City gym." He was surprised that she didn't know, with everything else she seemed to know that the public didn't. "He uses rock Pokémon and his favorite is his Onix."
Pewter City gym came up quicker than usual today, thought Ash; it must be the companionship of a beautiful woman that made the run a little less agonizing. What? Am I falling for her already? I can't. I just can't. It's too soon. I haven't even dealt with that pain yet. Was it only just the day before yesterday…?
Ash ripped open the door to the huge rock building that housed Brock the gym leader. Inside there were no lights on anywhere and the gloom was ominous. "Hello?" Ash called out. "Brock, are you there?"
"Pika Pi!" Pikachu hopped down from Ash's shoulder and onto the rocky, uneven ground. Pikachu lit up the building with Flash but it appeared as empty in light as in darkness.
A voice from behind startled him for a second before he recognized Valdera, "Ashura. He's not here." She sighed and went outside. Moments later she ran back in so quickly that she slammed into Ash who hadn't moved. "We're in deep shit. Team Rocket's right outside."
Ash only nodded absently at her. He had been hoping that his best friend could have been here. With the Rockets coming he knew he wouldn't be able to search Brock's second house where he lived with his family still. He really needed someone to confide in.
"How do we get out of here?" Valdera's voice snapped him out of his brooding. "There are about thirty Rocket grunts and five guys dressed in blue cloaks out there. Do you know why they're wearing those cloaks?"
Ash laughed softly, "It means they're making it easy for us. Right, Pikachu?"
"Pika"
"Valdera, get your Pikachu ready as well. We're going to fight our way out of here."
"Damn it, Ashura! Why are you keeping me in the dark?" Ash, shocked, didn't know what she meant. He thought that he'd told her everything. Why was she mad at him? "What do those blue cloaks mean? I'm not going to fight the unknown. Doing so is a fast way to die."
I guess I haven't told her everything. "The blue cloaked men can use the elements like Pokémon." She gave him a look like she didn't believe him in the least. "You'd better believe it, Valdera. Life will make much more sense if you just trust me on this one. They're the new weapons I told you about before. Luckily though they thought they were going to be fighting rock type Pokémon so they brought Water Masters. I hope I don't need to tell you how that will result in their downfall."
Valdera still seemed to be skeptical but he supposed she understood. "Just to make sure, do we fight on their terms or ours?"
"We fight on our terms of course." Ash took a peek out the window. "We'll sneak out the back then come around behind them. Don't touch the grunts; I'll take care of them later. Concentrate only on the Pokémon Masters."
"Pokémon Masters?" she asked quizzically.
"They're the ones in the colored cloaks. It's what they've named themselves. They aren't always blue; the color just corresponds to their element."
"Oh."
"Let's go."
The pair of them crossed the field of battle in the gym to the back exit while choosing their Pokémon.
"Pikachu, I choose you."
"Come, My Pet."
As they sprinted around the corners they could hear numerous voices calling out to each other. When they made it back to the front of the building, up ahead of them, with their backs turned away, were the Rockets.
"You said you could fight?" he posed to Valdera. She gave him a look and nodded. "All right, the Pikachus will take out two to each side, and we'll take out the one in the middle. Got it?" The two of them waited for a good chance to strike. It's like the calm before the storm pondered Ash. What a terribly cliché thing to think right now was his final thought before, "Now!"
The Water Masters heard the shout and twisted around to see what was coming. The Pikachus worked seamlessly together. Agility, Slash, Thunder, Headbutt and a few of Ash's Pikachu's fighting techniques took out four of the Rockets without one able to do anything before they fell.
Ash ran with incredible speed past the middle Pokémon Master and hit him backwards in the small of his back towards Valdera. The Master arched his back and Valdera slammed a double fisted jackhammer into the man's stomach.
The man dropped to the ground, coughing up huge amounts of blood, appearing to be dying on the spot. Contrary to how he looked, and before Ash could deliver the final blow to the back of the neck, the man withdrew his Pokéball.
"Go, Wartortle!"
A large blue turtle with white fins as ears popped out to defend its fallen master. Ash took no chances and jumped right on to the turtle's shell. The two of them fell to the ground with Ash ending up on top. With his hands grasping either side of the Wartortle's neck, Ash twisted. Snap! Silence, then:
"Nooo! Wartortle!" agonized the Water Master. "How could you, you bastard! I'll kill you! Water Gun!"
The master raised his hands and jets of water came flying out of his hands and hit Ash in the chest hard. Just as suddenly as it started, it ended. The man's hands stopped spraying and his cloak dissipated.
"What!" The former Water Master backed into a wall, "How? Giovanni help me! Giovanni!" The man broke down right there in front of the wall and sobbed helplessly. Shouts from around the corner from the grunts reached Ash and Valdera.
"I killed… A Pokémon." Ash was looking down at his bloodied hands. "I. Killed. A Pokémon." He stared up at Valdera with an expression of complete and utter helplessness and horror at what he'd done. Ash collapsed to the ground in pain from something he thought he'd never do in his lifetime.
Valdera frowned at him and picked him up by the shoulders, knocked him against the wall and, while holding him up with only one hand, slapped him in the face. "You'll kill a lot more before you die yourself, Ashura. This is war. It's kill or be killed, simple as that. Now, I don't know why that man could use a Pokémon elemental attack, but maybe if we bring him to your superiors they could find out?"
Ash gazed up at her once more, this time with a blank expression on his face. He surveyed the area and found four dead masters taken out by the Pikachus, who were now standing beside each other not far away, an unconscious former Water Master and thirty Rocket grunts only a few seconds away heading in their direction. "Superiors? What superiors?" he did agree though that the man should be brought to the scientists for examination and placed him on his shoulders. "The teleporter is at the Pokémon Center which is to the south of here."
Running as fast as they could, the two of them hopped the wall blocking their path to the Pokémon Center with the Rockets hot on their heels.
"There it is," pointed out Valdera. "We'd better get moving though, they're gaining." They got inside.
"This stupid cry-baby Rocket, he's just realized what we're up to and he doesn't want to go." Ash looked around the Pokémon Center. "Everybody out now! Team Rocket is coming!"
"Too bad for him. I'll get the door to the teleporter." said Valdera as the Pokémon Center cleared out around them.
Ash called out to his Pikachu, "I need a time delayed bomb. Can you make one with as much time as we have left? Give us, say, thirty seconds."
"Pika," acknowledged Pikachu.
"Time delayed…" started Valdera.
"No time," interrupted Ash. "I'll set the teleporter. Just stand inside. You ready little buddy? Good."
Ash set the teleporter to teleport them to the Indigo Plateau public Teleporter whilst Pikachu created his bomb. When they both finished, the two of them stepped inside the cramped teleporter. Ash's face went red as his entire body came in contact with, and was pushed against, Valdera's because of the Rocket. He looked away from her face as she stared up at him.
"Time to go," stated Ash. Pikachu sprinted into the teleporter.
"So, where are we going?" inquired Valdera.
The two of them teleported to the public teleporter just as Pikachu's bomb ripped apart the entire Pokémon Center and the thirty Rocket grunts trying to get inside. The Pokémon League, and the public, would remember the bomb as the first major assault against Team Rocket as well as the day the Dark Wars started.
(Break)
Three people and two Pokémon stepped out of the public teleporter at the Palace of the Elite Four outside the front door. Granted, one of them didn't exactly step out and was being carried by the other man. The first thing Ash saw when he stepped out was the five hundred guards that surrounded the machine, prepared to defend against anything.
When the guards recognized one of their own inside, they relaxed visibly. Apparently they don't relish in the idea of a direct assault on them. That's good, reflected Ash. I wouldn't want soldiers who want a war on my side. Ash shifted the weight on his shoulders to a better position. Man, this guy is heavy. No wonder he could still move after that blow Valdera gave him to his gut. She was incredibly strong. She held me up with one hand! Speaking of Valdera. Ash watched as all the guards followed their progress to the doors. Or more precisely, their eyes were following Valdera.
"Shouldn't you people be watching the teleporter?" demanded Ash. All the heads instantaneously snapped back to the teleporter. "Better." Valdera was looking at him again, he could feel her gaze on his face, and it was beginning to make him a little shifty. He directed his voice to her; "Nobody will hurt you here."
"I know," she replied, "but maybe not for the reason you're thinking of." She hooked her arm around his waist and pulled him closer. "This is just to enforce that train of thought."
Ash felt nervous with her this close but didn't mind the feel of it at all. "You." Ash pointed to a guard. "Go and get Lord Garick. I'll need to speak with him." The guard went off in a sprint to the Palace in search of Gary.
"You're in direct contact with Lord Garick?" asked Valdera. "You don't have to go through any superiors or anything?"
"I am my own superior. There is no one higher than myself really." Ash didn't want to tell her this, but better she heard it from him than from someone else. "If I wanted the title of League Master, all I'd have to do is ask Gary for it. He can't refuse me. I stepped down after I had beaten him to become an explorer."
Valdera's hand tightened on his waist with every word as she began to understand the real reason as to why no one would dare try to hurt her while she was here. Power is everything it seemed.
As they walked through the doors Ash noticed movement everywhere. Nothing alive wasn't running everywhere with worried expressions. An elevator to the left opened up to reveal Gary in a gray League Master's cape with Bill at his side. As they spotted him Gary walked towards him, his cape rippling behind him as if it were alive.
"Back from Pewter already?" questioned Gary. "Did you meet up with Team Rocket or Brock?"
"Maybe we should talk privately." Ash glanced over at Valdera. Gary noticed the meaning and told Bill to take the girl to a guest room with guards posted at the door. Guiding Ash to an empty room at the end of the hall Gary sat him down on the chair next to his. Ash dropped the Rocket on the floor in front of him and leaned back.
Gary waited a few moments and when his patience wore out he told Ash what was on his mind, "What's with the girl, what happened at Pewter and, I can't believe there's a third problem, where the hell is Brock!?"
Gary's voice had been steadily rising and Ash gave soothing gestures in his direction. "First of all, the girl's no problem. Her name's Valdera and I found her on the way to Pewter City. She tried to rob me." Gary attempted to interrupt but Ash continued over him. "That Pikachu she has is almost as powerful as mine and anything close to me will definitely gain the elements." He looked Gary in the eyes. "You did say anyone."
"I did indeed," nodded Gary. "What about Pewter?"
"With Pewter there is a problem. I managed to get the people in the Pokémon Center out before I blew it up," Gary's mouth dropped at that, "but even if they warned everyone in Pewter of the coming attack I doubt many will survive." Ash had to pause before he could go on. Killing just didn't seem right to him. "Pewter's lost. They'll head to Cerulean next but it'll take them a while to get there via Mount Moon. Brock wasn't there. I couldn't find the time to search for him thoroughly before we came in contact with five water type Pokémon Masters."
"Shit!" exclaimed Gary. "Are you all right?"
"Yes. Seems they were looking for Brock as well, so Valdera and I had the type advantage. Water doesn't fare too well against electricity as you know." Ash jabbed his head in the direction of the Rocket on the floor, "He was a Water Master."
Gary checked out the former master, "What do you mean, was?"
"I…" Ash broke down, "I killed his Pokémon!" The floodgates opened as all the pain he felt before this started combined with the realization of what he'd done crashed down on him. "Valdera says that, 'it's war, it's kill or be killed' but," he sobbed, "I just can't live like that! Sure, I can kill anonymous people who would kill me in a blink, but Pokémon! Pokémon are my friends, Gary, just about the only friends I have left." With his head in his hands he only felt Gary sit down beside him and rub his back in a gesture of comfort. Ash looked up at Gary with his tear stained, blood shot eyes. He had never considered Gary as a best friend, but in a world gone insane anything's possible.
Gary sat with Ash for a few more moments before getting up. "I guess it wasn't a bad idea to blow up the Pokémon Center in Pewter. Now the Rockets can't get as far as they could with a teleporter. I'll leave you here alone to get through this. When you're ready you can leave to wherever you want to next, I recommend Cinnabar. Don't worry about Pallet, I'm taking care of it. I still want you for this mission. I'll take the former Master to Bill for analysis to see if we can learn any weaknesses other than severing their link to their Pokémon…"
With that final thought Gary picked up the Rocket and left Ash alone with Pikachu to drench in his emotions.
End of Chapter 1