Ash walked down the frozen cave inside of Mt. Silver. He had heard that the legendary Pokemon Mew resided here, and it was his last step to complete the Kanto Pokedex for Professor Oak. This was how he decided to spend his summer vacation after his twelfth birthday. Completing the regional Pokedex seemed like an impossible dream when he was ten. Now, it seemed like merely a fun summer distraction. It's amazing what a little maturity will do for you.
Pikachu and his trainer walked slowly in the cold. Ash didn't even want to catch Mew, just see it again long enough to scan it. It had been years since he had been visited by the legendary Pokemon. Maybe they somehow found another chosen one, another guardian? He didn't know. All he knew was the empty dullness was almost too much to bear. The Pokemon trainer thirsted for some reaffirmation, some kind of confirmation that he was on the right path. After months of battling and catching creatures, fighting in leagues and almost winning, yet somehow never being able to complete what he set out to do, he was tired and a bit disillusioned.
Another journey. Another catalog to fill. New battles? New friends?
Had anyone told him he would end up like this a few years ago, he would have laughed in their faces. He loved Pokemon and trusted them and could never get tired of it...
...yet now, here he was, actually seeing Pokemon training as a sort of boring task for once. He didn't really understand the changes that were happening. For some reason, his traveling companions were more interesting than his Pokemon for once, especially some of the young women he wound up with. It felt strange for him to notice them more than the Pokemon.
He talked to Brock about it, and Brock's answer was, "well, it seems like you're finally growing up." Ash didn't want to grow up this way, though, and the idea that he was now starting to see people as more important, more interesting, than Pokemon felt like a betrayal. To convince himself that things were the same, he spent more time with his Pokemon than ever. That didn't really help, though. If anything, it did the opposite. For once, Ash was burnt out. He was actually tired of hearing the constant cries of his "friends." He'd never realized how annoying Pikachu's "Pika Pika's" were before this started. Was it wrong to want to take a break from the Pokemon and want to be with his human companions?
Ash felt like it was.
That's why he was looking for Mew. Maybe she could somehow reawaken that desire he had when he first started his journey.
Why do I feel like this anyway?
Ash closed his eyes and let the freezing wind blow over his bare skin; he didn't even bother to put on a jacket. He wanted to feel as alive as he could. He wanted everything to be as real as it could be. In his mind's eye, he tried to conjure images of his various legendary Pokemon encounters, the ones he could remember.
Images flashed of Ho-Oh and the rainbow feather he received when he first started his journey; he remembered how he met Entei and Suicune and Raikou. From there, his mind drifted to Celebi, Lugia, and Mewtwo.
Ash heaved a sigh as he and Pikachu sat down to rest.
Those were the days, Ash thought as he rubbed the little mouse Pokemon.
"Chaa," Pikachu cooed.
Ash remembered Keldeo and Arceus, then stopped. Why did all of these fantastic memories just feel a little more like dreams right now? Why couldn't anything get him excited or happy? Ash stared at the walls of the darkened icy cave. It's not like Arceus left any way for Ash to contact him after their breathtaking encounter, none of the legendary Pokemon did. He didn't mind, but sometimes the dullness of life just became too much to bare.
Briefly, he imagined himself flying on the back of a Moltres. It was something he had never done, but Moltres probably wouldn't have minded.
Something's gotta happen soon. Come on. I want an adventure, Ash thought.
"Pika?" Pikachu asked.
Sometimes Ash thought some of his Pokemon could read his thoughts. Pikachu was so good at picking up on his mood that his expression now mirrored the quiet expectation evident on the face of its trainer.
Ash continued to press on. The cavern was eerily silent.
I wonder why I haven't seen any Pokemon here?
He was surprised that he couldn't find a Frostlass or even a Snorunt. Smoochum and Jynx also liked this climate.
Ash sighed and started to absentmindedly look through the pictures in his Pokedex.
Jynx, the ice Pokemon. This Pokemon is capable of powerful ice and psychic attacks.
As he continued to thumb through the pages on the touch screen, he came to the profile of his starters.
Charmander, the lizard Pokemon
Bulbasaur, the seed Pokemon
Squirtle, the tiny turtle Pokemon
Pikachu, the electric mouse Pokemon
"Pika!" Pikachu cooed at the mention of its name. It excitedly pointed at its picture.
"Yeah, that's you, Pikachu!" Ash said.
"Chaa!" Pikachu cooed.
Just then, a pink blur whizzed by.
"Huh? What was that?" Ash asked.
"Get out!" a voice said.
Ash aimed his Pokedex at the sound of the voice, hoping to identify it. Unfortunately, the Pokedex kept reading, "no Pokemon data found,"
"I said get out!" the voice yelled again.
Before Ash and Pikachu could react, a blinding pink and blue ray was fired in their direction. It narrowly missed and lit up some of the nearby stalactites in the caverns. They now glowed an iridescent pink.
"Pikachu, that looks like a psywave attack!" Ash said.
In a flash, Pikachu jumped in front of Ash and met the oncoming attack head-on.
"Pika-CHU!" the mouse Pokemon yelled as its body was surrounded by electricity.
"Pikachu, be careful!' Ash yelled.
"Pika!" Pikachu responded.
Ash looked as his little yellow starter Pokemon with wonder. Electric attack after electric attack flew in the direction of the dangerous psywaves, causing them to burst on the walls instead of hitting him.
Before long, the walls of the ice cave started shaking. Ash and Pikachu felt like they were in an earthquake.
Another psywave collided with Pikachu's electric attack. This time, Ash's eye caught a tiny pink blur caught between the two attacks. It's limp, nearly lifeless body was flung to the other end of the cave, and-
-the attacks stopped.
Pikachu was lying on the ground in front of his trainer. Ash ran to embrace Pikachu and check him for injuries.
"Pika!" Pikachu yelled.
Ash stopped dead in his tracks as he remembered his first Pokemon. Memories of being viciously attacked by a flock of angry Spearows and being rescued by his yellow mouse Pokemon companion flooded his mind.
If it wasn't for Pikachu, I probably wouldn't be here today, Ash thought/
Tears filled his eyes and he suddenly squeezed Pikachu tightly.
"You've been such a good friend," Ash said.
"Chaa!" Pikachu yelled. It had a smile on its face, and the red electric sacks on its cheeks looked even redder than usual.
"Don't ever let me forget you, buddy," Ash buried his tear filled eyes into Pikachu's fur as he cuddled him.
Suddenly, loud rumbling made them cut their reunion short.
The walls of the cave continued to tremble, upset by the jarring Pokemon attacks. Large ice crystals started to fall and shatter, spraying the trainer and his Pokemon with fragments. Ash wanted to go and investigate the fallen Pokemon, but was hindered by the ominous bellowing of the shattering ice. It was either Pikachu or the mystery Pokemon; for now, the mystery could wait.
"We have to get out of here, Pikachu!" Ash yelled.
The two sprinted toward the light hoping to outrun the falling ice.
"We're...almost...there...Pikachu..." Ash said.
Suddenly, the path in front of them cracked. Ash and Pikachu jumped and made it to a ledge. The falling ice collapsed part of the cave behind them, and, for the moment, things seemed calm.
Ash and Pikachu struggled for several minutes to climb through the opening. Ash's mind began to conjure more memories, this time of his starters. The last times he was stuck on a mountain here, Bulbasaur helped out a lot.
I really wish I would have remembered to bring my other Pokemon, Ash thought.
For some reason, Ash didn't bring any of his team, only Pikachu. Maybe he thought that seeming less powerful would be an easier way to attract the legendary. Some Pokemon couldn't resist helping out, after all.
Ash winced as the steep snow covered ledge started to give way.
"No, hang on!" Ash yelled.
"Pikachu!" Pikachu yelled, as it held on furiously with its stubby paws.
Ash was slipping and the only thing to grab onto was Pikachu's tail.
I'm too heavy, Ash thought.
"Pikachu, go find help!" Ash yelled as his frost-bitten fingers lost their grip.
Pikachu reached its tiny paws out for its master in vain and watched in horror as Ash slipped down the slippery ledge back into the darkness.
"Pika?" Pikachu asked.
Ash carefully opened his blurry eyes and felt his pounding head. What happened to him returned in a flash. Wincing from pain, Ash pulled himself up and brushed off the cold snow.
The young Pokemon trainer then scanned the collapsed path where sunlight was now pouring in.
Ugh, that was a long drop, Ash thought.
Ash jumped up in an attempt to grab what was left of the ledge. It was far too high, but he felt like he needed to try something.
Maybe I can grab onto those rocks sticking out the ice and pull myself up using a rock climbing technique. My Pokemon do it all the time.
Ash succeeded in grabbing one of the smaller rocks. He dug his exposed fingers into the ice as far as he could push them and attempted to pull himself up. Soon, though, he gave into the pain and slid back down. He tried this until he was too tired to continue. Exhausted, he eventually found himself back on the ground, panting for air.
I hope Pikachu's okay, Ash thought.
Ash pulled himself up. Every labored breath felt like little needles jabbing his insides.
It's...so...cold, Ash thought.
Another image flashed in his mind's eye. Ash remembered the pink blur that Pikachu saved him from earlier.
Wait, what am I doing? I should check on that Pokemon and find out if it needs help. It might be hurt. It did get caught in that explosion.
"Hey! Are you still here! Yoo-hoo, mystery Pokemon!" Ash called.
The boy tried to ignore the fact that he nearly lost his life to the creature not long ago. Ash figured that if he was going to be afraid of anything, it wasn't going to be Pokemon.
"Get...out," were the words that reached Ash's ears. It was a very low female voice, almost a whisper.
"No! You're hurt; where are you?" Ash asked.
"Behind...the...rocks..."
Ash heard faint struggling, like a crunching sound on the other side of the cave, and he quickly ran to it. There, he saw a long pink tail sticking out. It branched off into two.
An Espeon tail, Ash thought.
Quickly, the young man started digging through the ice and rocks to uncover the creature.
"Tell...Mew...I...failed...her," it said.
Ash stared at it with wide-eyed wonder. He pulled out his Pokedex and scanned it.
Espeon, an evolved form of Eevee. It can use powerful psychic attacks.
Without much more thought, Ash scooped the little creature into his arms.
"What are you doing? Leave me," it insisted.
"No, you're hurt. I've never left a Pokemon in trouble," Ash said.
"You...are...a...truly...noble...soul," it said weakly.
Ash noticed that it talked without moving its mouth. The boy soon felt its body go limp. He quickly took off his vest and wrapped it around the creature to try to keep it warm.
"We'll find a way out of here, Espeon, don't worry; just hang in there," Ash said.
"You're...cra...zy..." it said. The telepathic voice was weaker than Ash heard it since he met the creature.
Ash walked for a long time, searching for the way he came in and hoping it wasn't all closed off.
I've gotta get you to a Pokemon center, Ash thought.
As he walked clutching the Espeon, strange images started to pop up in his head.
Cool breezes, sunny snowy days.
I never knew my father...
Mom always said he was a great Pokemon trainer and he went away on a long journey when I was just a baby.
I soon learned what those 'long journeys' were.
What are you talking about?
Of course you're no stranger to the concept of death, are you, silly?
Ash winced a little at the thought. It was like there was someone else in his head. There were thoughts that came easily and then there were his own thoughts, which he had to struggle to focus on. For some reason, it kept going back to snow and death.
Why am I even having these thoughts?
My dad's not...dead...is he?
Another imagine flashed into Ash's mind-laughter and snow angels.
Why am I having all of these memories about snow? It's not usually very cold around Pallet Town.
Ash stuck out his tongue; he could taste the snow. It was flavored with-soy sauce?
What?
The boy was "reliving" these experiences rather vividly, yet he could never consciously recall having them.
Ash recalled being seated at a little highchair eating a bowl of snow and pretending it was rice.
So good, mommy.
The thought made Ash even colder than he was.
That's never happened to me.
There was more, so much more. As Ash walked he began to "remember" this person's entire childhood experience. It was creepy and sad. She often spent time alone and had to grow up fast, faster than usual. Her mom was never around. Her dad was presumed dead, and they never talked about him. For some reason, there was no other family in the picture.
The house was little more than an old shack. Everything fit in one room.
Her mother was...
Ash couldn't focus on it. Everything about the mother was blurry, like a childhood memory that fades because you're too young to capture it all correctly.
I remember her hugging me and saying she was going to look for Mew as part of her job.
Her mom must have been a Pokemon researcher?
For some reason, Ash knew that wasn't right. Even though there were feelings of joy when he recalled the mother, there was also something dark, sinister, yet somehow warm and loving.
Those two things shouldn't even go together, should they? I don't understand, was she a criminal?
Briefly, the "R" symbol and a black Team Rocket uniform flashed into his mind. Ash didn't count this as part of the strange reveal he was having, though, and tried to dismiss it.
Soon, he felt very cold, much colder than before.
"Espeon, take care of her while I'm away," Ash heard a very familiar female voice say.
Where have I heard that voice?
He stopped and did a little bit of thinking. It almost sounded like Jessie's voice, only older.
What is going on?
Then, there was a little girl in her room.
To protect the world from devastation...
Ash winced as the Team Rocket motto started playing in his head. Again, he just decided this was his own mind wandering. The Rockets were still not welcome company, and it would make sense for him to think about them when he thought about things that were unpleasant.
I wonder why Team Rocket hasn't gotten tired of chasing me, Ash thought.
Even though they slowed it down in recent years, it was still the one constant during his adventure, and he knew he would eventually see them again. Ash shivered at the thought.
It seems like the only way I could really get rid of them is retire.
Ash rubbed his temples. It hurt to concentrate on more than what was being given to him.
Thinking my own thoughts is painful?
If not painful, it certainly took more effort.
The girl's memories were charged with deep emotion. It was almost like being in a state of mourning. Ash had trouble looking away. He didn't understand what it all meant, though. He really wanted to talk to this Pokemon he was holding, and he was hoping it would wake up soon. At this point, he had a lot of questions.
Why do I know that this Espeon has the answers?
Because Espeon knows everything, at least that's what mommy says. She trained her to take care of me.
Ash shivered again. It was the little girl's voice, plain as day.
Who are you, and why are you in my head?
There was no response, only childish laughter.
As Ash continued walking, he started having a bitter taste in his mouth; he started choking and gagging.
Bitter Berry? I wouldn't have eaten that!
Ash found himself physically nauseated.
Memories of being very weak, too weak to stand, flooded his mind.
The girl was starving?
Ash felt his ribs sticking through his skin.
I'm so hungry, but I ate just an hour ago. I feel like I haven't eaten in days, though!
It was a bitter biting hunger like Ash had never experienced before. He clutched his belly and winced in pain.
Stop, stop, please stop!
Ash let the Espeon fall in desperation as he clutched himself in agony. As soon as he let go of the little Pokemon, his pain stopped.
He looked at the little Pokemon; it's eyes were glowing blue.
"Espeon, what are you trying to tell me?" Ash shouted in frustration.
There was no response.
Wearily, the little Pokemon closed its eyes.