A Thief's End

by Sparkimus

Hope? There is no such thing. Only a figment of imagination in your mind. Sometimes, bad things happen. Sometimes, there is nothing you can do but sit there and take it. Sometimes, your mind can't handle that there is no such thing as hope. A Betrayal Fanfiction, made for you by Sparkimus. M for Satanism, but T for now.

Chapter 1:

…

Mt. Silver is a dangerous place, perhaps the most dangerous in the world. It is constantly plagued by blizzards, has only one terrifying way to climb it, and is (politically) constantly being fought over by Kanto and Johto, since it is in the middle of the two. Worst of all, though, is that it holds the highest level pokemon in all of the world, and even worse, if you do miraculously make it to the top, it's just game over for you because the unofficial champion of the entire fucking pokemon world lives there.

The champion I speak of is looking out beyond the peak of the mountain. In his hands, he holds a letter. The letter reads;

Red

You've made quite a name for yourself up there. You've never lost, and your pokemon are in top-notch shape. We believe that's it's time for you to come and show the world your skills. You've been training so hard, I even think you can beat Lance. You're officially invited to the indigo league champion's tournament to try and regain your master title. You lost because of drugs after all, who would've thought the challenger would beat Kanto and Johto only to be found guilty of drug charges? And yeah, you don't have to collect badges again, so we included a pass. It's harder than the actual indigo league and you only have one shot, but we hope you will come, as you would truly top off the diverse contestants.

Hoping to see you soon,

Scott.

Red is speechless as his Charizard walks to him from behind, putting a hand on the man's shoulder

"It's time...We haven't ruined someone like that since we got GoodShow!"

"Yeah, he didn't see us coming. Burn this." He took the pass, though.

The man who actually wasn't Red turned around, revealing his pokemon, and even further down a dead body and a cave.

Our protagonists went right to the cave and plopped down.

…

"Thanks...Pikachu." Ash said, hurt and tired as he just survived an attack from countless birds.

"Pika, pichu."

They both looked up to see Ho-oh, the pokemon of eternal happiness going above their heads. But they didn't know what it meant back then.

…..

"And Pikachu and Latios go head to head in an epic finishing move! Who will come out on top?"

The smoke receded to reveal Pikachu, fainted on the ground from the devastating luster purge.

…..

"Goodbye Misty, goodbye Brock. I…" Ash started to cry as they left.

"What was that Ash?" Misty said, seemingly to teleport out of nowhere.

"Yeah Ash, don't leave us hanging." Brock said, a little irritated.

…..

"Charizard, do something!" Ash screamed as his only final evolved pokemon sat there, not listening to him.

It cost him the match.

…..

Cinder woke up, it was daytime. Still, he couldn't help it. His head rested against the ground once more, and more nightmares from darkrai, as the lord put it, rushed into his head.

…..Flashback

…..

"Where are the twerps?!"

"Don't ask me, Jess, I thought I saw the first one come by."

Meowth and Jesse were arguing while James was at the controls of the cat-bot came equipped with a grenade launcher in the form of a blastoise's cannon on the back,, but what they didn't know was that it had bombs remotely controlled by Giovanni.

They were done with the twerp always beating them, and they were ready to go extreme on the boy and his Pokemon.

If they could find him.

"Hey, I have an idea!" James said, the guy who usually doesn't have any. "He must be at his mother's house! So, why don't we go steal all the pokemon at the lab?"

"Well...Yeah. Ok." Jesse said, startled by James' idea.

"Den let's get'a going!"

…..

Ash was walking down to quiet Pallet Town, the wind in his face as he ran down a hill behind the Oak Ranch. He didn't usually take this path because it was so long, but it was an important memory from his childhood.

It was were he saw his first pokemon, so it was one of his favorite places in the four regions. Maybe, he thought, that this will help me get over my loss.

Ash had just lost in the Sinnoh league to Tobias, a man with a Darkrai and Latios.

"If I had just-"

"Pika, Pikachu chu chu chu achu chu ka." Pikachu cut Ash off with a motivating speech.

"Thanks Pikachu. You're right, I shouldn't drown myself with this loss. Next time, we won't verse god's, right!"

"Pika-chu!"

Unfortunately with the wind in his face and the motivating conversation with Pikachu distracting him he didn't notice his hat had fell off.

"Hey Pikachu," Ash turned his head to where Pikachu was sitting on his shoulder. "It's awfully windy today."

Pikachu replied by laughing his pika pika laugh and jumping on Ash's head.

"Oh, the wind blew off my hat." Ash and Pikachu, who were directly behind Oak's laboratory and had been planning to surprise their fellow pokemon companions, but Ash always left no man behind and get his hat, back up the hill.

"Race you to the hat, Pika-"

"We're blasting off again!"

And that's when Ash knew, even if he couldn't feel the heat and kinetic energy of the explosion, taste the blood and flesh of his friends and enemies, hear the cry for help as he could do nothing but watch as Team Rocket's desperate final attempt at redemption failed.

He knew that he was the only one who could be blamed, for the trio were already in Johto airspace.

"Ash," Gary cried, from his standpoint at the base of the hill, "Why have you done this?"

Ash blinked the many tears from his face, fighting the truth but it was for nothing.

"Get out of here, Ash. Go on!" said a screaming and advancing Gary. "Get out of here before the cops can find you! Get out before I can find you! Before the people of Pallet Town can!"

Ash, now inches from Gary's face, looked behind him to see a group of friends with a look of straight disbelief.

"You killed him Ash. You killed Blastoise! Umbreon! Arcanine! Your own damn pokemon!" Said an angered Gary.

Mom, Brock, Tracey, and few other of Ash's supporters as well as Gary's with party hats on and confetti in the air.

"I...I didn't…"

The men and women's disbelieved looks were replaced with anger as they realized what just happened.

"No please! I...I can explain!"

"Get the murderer!" Somebody yelled, and the crowd charged like Ash's previously alive and kicking Tauros but for the exception of Ash's friends.

Ash bolted away and was stopped by Trainers coming in from Route One.

"What was that explosion... Wait… RATTATA!" The youngster named Joey fell to his knees.

"No! It wasn't me! Please!"

"Then who could it have been, Ash? Team Rocket? I saw you running away!"

Ash started crying as some of the people came in and started beating him up.

"Who do you think you are kid? You're nothing but some more criminal scum!" The man speaking picked up and started choking Ash. "I lost my Blastoise in that explosion kid, and all the evidence points t- OOWW!"

Eyes turned to Pikachu, panting, who had just thunderbolt-ed the thug.

"The pokemon was in on it!" Someone yelled, and the crowd surged in on Pikachu. Sure, the occasional group of villagers fell to the ground, shocked, but when they were done with Pikachu he was limp on the ground.

Ash had watched helplessly the entire time, held by the neck.

"That's what will happen to you." the man holding Ash said. Ash looked to his side to see his crying mother as his fate closed in on him.

What his mother didn't expect was the sickening snap as Ash twisted the man's neck with his bare hands, before falling to his knees.

The crowd saw to Ash having one sob, before he looked up, into the eyes of Pallet town's residents, letting them all see the unholyness in his eyes, and disappeared in a shadow-like explosion.

"EVERYONE STOP! What happened here!" Said Officer Jenny, arriving to the scene.

Many witnesses would have nightmares for a few weeks.

…..

Flashback end

…..

"Most of the time, that wasn't even my perspective…" Cinder's head fell once more and succumbed to his dreams.

…..

A raven-haired kid in raggedy clothes woke up in a forest. He didn't know which one, he just knew that he had been jumping from place to place for days.

He didn't have any supplies, so he just started walking. Forward.

About an hour after he arrived, he heard the crunch of another human stepping on a branch.

Ash turned around to see his stalker walk out of the bushes.

"Sorry kid. Not my fault, but I'll need to kill you. Just business." The possible bounty hunter talking aimed his shotgun- An old fashioned one, and made out of gold, Ash believed- right at his heart.

Ash looked at the man in the leather jacket and aviators one last time. Ash leapt at him.

The man shot at him.

Next thing Ash knew, he had bullets in his chest. But the man had something of his own in his chest- Ash's arm.

"How...Could you have survived…"

Ash dropped to his knees, before taking out the contents of his jacket. Surprisingly, he didn't feel a thing from the bullet. Only the wave of regret.

In it there was a picture of a man (the bounty hunter), and his wife and kid, a young boy.

The last content was a letter the kid sent to his dad. It read-

Dear daddy

Me and mommy love yuo. we hope yuo come home soon. mom is gonna make spahgeti so come back when yur redy.

lov Jacob

P.S. Love you sweetie!

That emotional wave grew stronger.

Ash looked up before he was spotted.

"HEY! WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM!"

But the only thing the people running towards him would get were nightmares.

…..

Whoosh.

Ash opened his eyes to the horrific sight of blue.

No Air and Blue everywhere.

Below him was the vast oceans fueled by Kyogre, and when he turned around, space in all its glory. Of course, he had no parachute.

As he looked down towards impending doom he heard a roar, followed by a kid riding Rayquaza.

The kid looked at Ash with a bewildered expression before continuing his journey to space.

Ash, still drowning from the lack of air, just fell.

Fell.

Fell.

Fell.

Eventually he could breathe again, but this was about the time he could make out the distinction of water running towards him.

Ash's ten year old mind told him to fly so he tried to imitate a pidgey.

No luck, and Ash fell headfirst into the water, fear creeping up on him a mile a minute.

…..

A wet Ash stumbled into the Goldenrod Dept Store along with about 50 gallons of water.

"Ash?"

The man in question looked at the person asking the question, who was currently buying some Electabuzz merchandise.

"Casey. Help me. Please." Ash managed to cough out.

"What happened to you? You looked like you were kicked out of town then saw a ghost." Ash just sighed, it was not that far from the truth.

"Come on. I have a ton of clothes for you at my house!"

Casey's clothes that she gave Ash was different, they were...Not what you would have wanted when you were an outlaw.

"There you go! A full electabuzz baseball outfit. It's my favorite clothes, so don't mess it up!" Casey said happily.

"ASH KETCHUM, YOU ARE UNDER ARREST FOR THE MURDER OF PALLET TOWN'S POKEMON!" A voice from outside the jolly little house was heard. Upon closer inspection, it was the police. All of them.

"Ash, what did you do!"

"Nothing Casey, I was framed! Help me please!"

"Officer Jenny, please! He is innocent!" Casey pleaded for Ash's freedom. Sadly, that just wasn't enough.

The door broke open and the S.P.A.F. (Special Pokemon Attack Force) came in locked 'n loaded.

"All clear!" The leader of the team yelled as Jenny came in with handcuffs.

Jenny proceed to put them on casey.

"You are under arrest for helping the convict. You have to right to remain silent."

"CASEY! Ash yelled as he teleported away again, his world flashing by, seeing everything with a dark tint.

…

"Got 'em!" A scientist yelled. "Subject leaking great amounts of radiation, more than we've seen before- draining it all now."

Ash looked around. The group of scientists started cheering and Ash noticed his surroundings. Computer monitors, giant test tubes, and the most surprising fact was that he was in a suit, on a podium, connected to a ton of wires.

"Well, well. Ash Ketchum, the same boy who stopped all the organization's dead in their tracks. You are quite a specimen, young man." A sliding door opened and Ash could see a man in a suit walking towards him. The room grew quiet.

"You see, I am Giovanni. I orchestrated this using those three hooligans, because I know someone your age who beat all these great team's must be very powerful... But also, very easy to break." He walked up to the podium, face to face with Ash.

"Putting pokemon through heartbreak turns them into more powerful shadow pokemon. On humans, we don't have powers, so we just want to kill ourselves. But someone with your aura...That can be, theoretically, someone who could withstand tremendous force, also someone capable of withstanding our experiments." Giovanni stepped off the podium and Ash found himself being wheeled out of the big room.

"Welcome, Ash, to the deadpool."

…...

"AKATOSH!" Yelled Hiku from the ground below. " I give up!"

Akatosh smiled before jumping out of hs tree.

"I always win. I am just that good Hiku, just that good."

"Why don't you shut up. I know you're faster than me, but who knows teleport? Psychic? ME!"

Akatosh just sighed, and they started walking home.

"Well, I guess we do complement each other." Akatosh said. "I just hope I will be the pokemon of a pokemon Master!"

"No! I will!" Hiku answered back.

"We'll see." Akatosh said. Hiku just put a smug grin on his face as the two kirlia walked home.

"Wanna race?" Hiku had said. Leave it to Hiku to fuck shit up.

Hiku teleported away, leaving Akatosh in the middle of the clearing they were walking through.

'When did I become conscious?' I wondered.

I just kept on walking, as I remembered it. I went until I was right outside my little poke-village, and stopped.

It was there I first noticed it was really quiet.

'And I thought we were just having dinner.' Akatosh was caught in a net as soon as he walked inside the village.

Everyone was gone, dead, or poached. Of course since I'm different, blue, and can't use psychic powers, I'm the only one who gets forced into a Gallade. 'Fucking Hiku and his Psychic shit.'

Akatosh was grabbed around the neck by some guy with a long stick and put in the back of a truck.

'Yes Officer, of course the writhing bag in the back isn't a fucking pokemon, it's only screaming "Kirlia, Kirlia" and it's god damn dress is poking out.'

Akatosh ended up thrown in a pit with my evolution stone. Boom, bam, I was a Gallade.

Bought by Team Rocket for his rarity of race and strange colour and instead of being a grunt Akatosh becomes a lab rat.

…..

"Whoa...Never had that dream in a while…" Gallade fell back asleep.

…..

One Year Later, Unknown Compound, Unknown Location.

"AAAHHHHH!"

"Day 398, We have finally injected a healing factor into the patient. Subject is now ready for full testing."

The man behind the voice walked out from behind the one-way mirror, going into sight of Ash, who was residing on a surgery table with many scalpels and blood lay on the floor.

Ash, started writhing, trying to kill whoever the man towering above him was.

"Subject shows signs of insanity, so be careful to all the future users of this subject. He is ready for deployment."

The man wheeled Ash out of his room, and away from his precious tube. 'It was his only friend, his everything…all he ever knew...Wait..'

Ash didn't have anymore time to think what was happening bright lights shone on his eyes.

…..

"Day 455, Subject is reacting with it's old pokemon. Aura has an unusually strong flare when it comes in contact with the pokemon, and the pokemon's aura, though Charizard, seems to mimic his trainer. We do not know what this could mean, but it has been happening for a while now. Ending testing for today."

As Ash was wheeled, yet again, back to his new tube he finally realized how he felt he had known that Charizard…

It was his best friend's, Ronald Trump.

It was hard to remember, but little bits and pieces came through his mind. He remembered why he was here, what he was doing, and his thoughts before he broke down.

'How could I have forgotten?' Ash asked himself.

For a few more months, Ash was left to testing and his own thoughts, alone.

And the new guy rolled in.

…..

"AAAAAHHHHH!- Day 476, Subject is- AAAHHHHHHHH!"

The man was continuously cut off by Wasp's screaming. He waited until Wasp was muffled by the field scientists before he was to begin his audio-log again.

"Ah. Day 476, Subject is, after reacting with his pokemon, seeming to easily accept the procedures now. We have just tested TM-1001, and it seems it works on people who are on the same level of power as regular pokemon, and courtesy of the Shadow-Man experiment we did earlier, Subject seems to want the power, and it's body is adapting rapidly. Testing is done for today, and Charizard is being put back into it's cage."

As Wasp was rolled back into his tube, opposite from Ash, Ash tried to communicate. Hopefully, he wasn't knocked out from the pain.

"Wasp! You okay, man?" Ash asked through mouthing.

'Yeah. That healing factor works like a charm. But it's not a charm to get outta here, i can tell ya that. We need to get out of here man.'

"I know Wasp, but how! We're stuck in tubes for christ sake!" Ash answered back.

'Use their experiments against them! You're a Shadow-Man now, your aura is ten-times stronger now! No need to worry, my dad was an aura guardian. Enough lucario's got Shadow-fied for me to know.' Wasp looked down.

"So that's why you're in here? Dad give you some aura power?" Ash, genuinely curious asked.

'Yes. But you're in here because of your power. My dad taught me some things, and I can teach them to you. I have a plan.'

…..

"Day 532, the theoretically successful TM-1001 project is a go, and we are attempting to download data into the human brain."

Ash, who was free to move for the first time in years screamed as a hot disk was pressed to the back of his head, from a robotic arm that had sneaked up on him.

"We have downloaded the knowledge of how to use a pistol into his head. Please note, Giovanni ordered this. We will now test if the Subject can correctly and instinctively shoot a bullseye."

In front of Ash, the robotic arm threw a pistol on the ground before going to it's original position behind Ash.

Ash picked up the gun and shot the target dead center.

…..

'Ash, I think we can escape. What day is it? 1390? We've been trapped to long.'

"I know Wasp? But what am we supposed to do?!" Ash mouthed back.

'Charizard is coming in today, so use that flare of aura you always get, and turn it into a weapon. Free yourself, and use that weaponized mind! Besides, I heard you're leaving to the battlefront soon, so if you don't go now, you're as good as dead. Out there, no-one lives. And before you go, download all the Team Rocket extensive division's training, as well as Team Rocket Science division's. It'll make you know what to do in combat, and it'll make you smarter.'

Ash shuddered at the thought of being sent out to wage war against… He didn't know. What did the other test subjects do when they died? Surely he wasn't the first one to go to war? The people in the lab coats only talk about war.

Footsteps could be heard, along with Ash's surgery bed.

'Go Ash. Free us. Goodnight, and good luck.'

The man got Ash out of his tube and strapped his body in. He wheeled Ash to the last experiment of the day, and Ash got ready to see his long lost buddy.

"Day 3005, Subject Ash Ketchum's final test. Again, due to the peculiar action that was received earlier we are utilizing his days to adjust to the world instead for a final few tests, the last of which testing the reaction between him and his pokemon. This was ordered by Giovanni, not me."

Charizard was wheeled into the room, and the heart rate monitor on his bed made sure you could literally hear Ash's heart longing for Charizard, though he never got why.

All eyes were on Ash, while the mysterious man behind the one-way mirror was heard scribbling on paper.

True to Wasp's word, Ash found he could use the longing he felt for Charizard and Ash exploded, escaping his confines.

Alarms blared and running came from the door.

"Charizard, we'll get out buddy!" Ash said while breaking off Charizard's restraints, made of material unknown to Ash, with his bare hands.

Ash got on the other side of Charizards back as the first soldier arrived.

"How… How did you break Graphite?"

Other soldiers arrived, Also as dumbfounded as the first one.

Sadly, they were all killed on the spot by a flamethrower.

"Go Charizard! Go!"

Charizard, angry, went on a rampage while Ash went to download the Rocket database, then to rescue Wasp.

"Wasp!" Ash yelled at the tube as the sprinklers turned on, stopping Charizard. It looks like data would have to wait.

'Ash, save Charizard-'

"No Wasp! No one get's left behind in this!"

'Ash, it's time to grow up. I was never real in this world anyway. Save the pokemon.'

Ash stared at Wasp one last time, placing his hand next to Wasp's in one last brotherly moment, before running off to download, wondering about what Wasp had said, why he felt no remorse for these people, and what the hell graphite is.

"Uhhhh…" Ash looked around for a download button.

The rocket interface had, sadly, no button to download all files.

It did have a big red button, and naturally, Ash clicked it, and screamed as data from the internet flowed through him. Wireless connecting in his brain? He didn't know, but he went to help Charizard and the pokemon.

Hearing gunshots, Ash stupidly ran towards them.

Ash turned the corner and -POP!

Blood splattered on Ash's face- no, in Ash's face. It didn't matter though, he only needed the man's gun.

"No please I-" The man was cut off by a sickening snap.

Ash flew down the hallway, racing towards Charizard just as he saw Charizard's innards spill outwards, leaving a hole where his gut's should be.

There it was, the sick slipping of life again. Ash could feel his body convulse in turmoil.

He saw red as the blood of the guards covered the room, ceiling and all.

…..

"Uhhh… " Cinder threw up.

…..

Ash escaped the burning building, with the three new additions to his team.

"Don't worry, I'll keep you safe, Mewtwo, Gallade, Charizard."

…..

"Get up." Cinder said, as his pokemon woke up.

"No pokemon center."

Cinder walked outside.

After recovering from the blindness of the day, he continued forward, past the cold, lifeless body of Red and down the mountain. He opened up a pouch on his white fleece jacket and pulled out a flask of coffee.

He took a swig as the man across from him- a boy, surprising wearing only a light jacket. But then, the same with Cinder. He got right up in front of Cinder.

"Sorry, but may I ask what your doing here?" Cinder asked the kid.

"I'm Ethan, champion of Johto? I'm looking to challenge Red, and you don't look like him. Did you lose? Last time I heard Red didn't drink cold brew coffee to help him get up him the morning. Do you know where he is?"

"Well, I just beat him, actually. He can't fight right now, you might want to come back later."

"Wait, Red has never been beaten before, and I've never even heard your name on television. I'm the champion, dude, and I'm scared of him. I'm not sure I believe your story."

"I don't know kid, I mostly train in seclusion. I just need to get off this mountain."

s s

"Well, If you beat Red, then I at least have to try and fight you! Otherwise my trek up here would be for nothing. Let's battle!"

As the two entered a stare down, Cinder took aim with his gun instead of a pokeball. Its was gonna be a long morning.

…..

Two dead bodies were found on Mt. Silver today. They are the champions of Johto and Kanto, Ethan and Red, the latter having been the champion a while back.

A death note was found on Ethan, saying and I quote 'Really dude? Stranger danger dumbass. And don't just go fucking asking people who obviously want to be left alone to battle. Like, Jesus kid.'

Both Ethan and Red were killed by gunshot wounds, and likely, a psychotic murderer.

"They were good people, and they will be missed. But even if the pokemon league has suffered such horrors, the pokemon league must still continue. In their place, I will take control over Kanto AND Johto." Lance says.

On another note, ARCEUS HAS BEEN CAPTURED?! IS TOBIAS THE CHOSEN ONE?! Find out after this short break.

Cinder bowed his head to the pentagram he was kneeling on as the TV went to commercials. The lit candles on the five corners went out at once.

'My son, Arceus has been captured, as you may have seen. In order to restore balance to this world, you must kill the trainer that holds him, Tobias. If you kill him like you did Red, though, you will obviously be known, and Arceus will escape. Enter the Indigo League, and kill Arceus when you are fighting him. Tobias will have to use him in the later rounds, my lesser beings have seen to that.'

Cinder's eyes returned to the normal red as the people around his room in the pokemon center stopped screaming.

…..

A/N

Hey guys, sorry for the wait. And I'm sorry for breaking the promise, but I hope this makes do. Please note that I did have a lot of reasons for the wait, and I hope you guys aren't disappointed.

Anyway, pay special attention to the first paragraph. You may not know it yet, but It is the biggest part of the plot.

Shout-out to all who supported me on my first fic. Thank you. I mean, I was added to a community called My All Time Favourite!

Thanks for understanding.