In the eve of the final day of the Hoenn league, a young boy went out to lie in the grass. As the young boy, Ash, lay underneath the midnight moon a light lit up in the sky. Slowly but surely an angelic form descended from the light bundle, lifting Ash up. Ash grabbed his Pokédex to identify this being. The Pokédex broke.
The being laughed and lifted Ash further up from the ground. Ash opened his throat to shout, to no avail however. For he was muted.
The being identified itself by the name of Tyrael. He started to speak again and his voice echoed through his head, it was as if only his voice existed and ever shall exist: "Ash of Pallet town, I have come for my world is in peril, I require the assistance of you and your minions."
Ash' voice returned: "My Pokémon are not my minions. They are my friends!"
Tyrael laughed and replied: "Friends who do your bidding whenever you demand them to, who you lock up in tiny cells which you'll only open when you need these friends?"
Ash blushed and asked what the mission would be. Tyrael explained that he was to defeat the foul evils of a realm called Sanctuary. Ash wondered if it would be anything like his adventures from the past, battling the likes of team Rocket and team Magma. Tyrael, as if he could read Ash's mind, answered: "Yes, you will be battling many a worthy foe."
"Right", Ash said, "Let me get my companions, and let's go, I am very excited about this, you know, Tyrael?" Tyrael chuckled and he repositioned himself under a tree nearby ash's dorm.
"MAY, BROCK, wake up! We're going on another exciting adventure!", Ash shouted. May opened her eyes and stepped out of bed, her gloomy face already told Ash enough about her willingness to participate in this mission. Then Brock opens his eyes (barely visible). He asked Ash what was going on and he told Brock everything. Brock declares Ash's story delusional. May tries to go back to sleep. Then Tyrael appears before them, with a light so bright that it felt as if the sun itself was in the room with them.
"You dare deny my existence?!" He clamored, while his words seeped into the ears of the two. Immediately they were as awake as they could be. "Don't be long; my world needs heroes like you." Tyrael said, and disappeared.
Quickly the trio packed everything and left the building. Too frightened and too startled to ignore the wishes of this angelic figure. Outside the angelic figure stood, wings spread wide and a body radiating light, clad in radiant, gleaming golden armor. "Are you ready to leave, my heroes?"
Pikachu shook his lightning shaped tail and jumped on Ash's shoulder, ready to leave.
Ash and company nodded and a portal opened underneath the tree. Ash closed his eyes and took a deep breath, then slowly, step by step, stepped into the portal. The temperature was hot –Ash could tell as the air was hot to the touch- , yet it felt chilled and… dead. He took a breath, almost scouring his lungs, causing him to cough. He did not feel Pikachu's weight on his shoulder, nor could he feel the pokéballs on his side and he could not hear the comments of his friends. Then he heard screams of despair and cries of help. He dared not opening his eyes.
Then he perceived a dark laughter… Ash mustered courage to open his eyes. He expected the worst. "What is this?", he asked. A dark figure replied with Tyrael's voice: "These, my hero, are the Burning Hells…"
The dark figure now stepped forward, wearing only dark robes. Ash saw red, fiery eyes protruding from underneath the hood the figure was wearing.
With a trembling, almost silent voice Ash asked: "Who are you and why have you brought me here?"
"To answer your question I say: I am Mephisto, your host for the time being…" The dark figure answered. Then as the figure stepped away slowly, candles from all sides of the room lit up. Ash could now see more of the room he was in. They were stone walls, seemingly medieval. There were supportive columns held up against the walls every now and then, often with pentagrams and sconces.
The surroundings were dark and gritty, it made him scared and feel unpleasant, it made him feel naked. For the first time in his life he felt truly alone.
Again he closed his eyes, but re-opened them. He forced himself to gather all the courage he could. He was still rooted on the place where he stood, but he now had mustered the strength to observe his surroundings.
To the side of the room were chains with hands connected to them, but to his horror no bodies. He looked at the floor; there was nothing but stone and trails of blood. Ash stood rock fast, not daring to lift a finger, he was trying his best to not foul his undergarments. Something happened that made him move.
A cry for help.
His courage overwhelmed his tremendous fear and he ran towards the scream, he did not see anything but a corridor filled endlessly with lit candles and pools of crimson liquid. He continued running and there he heard it again. "Help!"
There she sat, May, screaming for help. Her face was horror itself. Streams of tears racing to escape her visage. As impulsive as Ash is, he ran straight for her.
"No", May shrieked, "It's a trap!"
Too little, too late, gargoyles from the side of the room assailed her. Skeletal hands grabbed Ash's feet, rooting him into the ground, this time literally.
They did nothing to Ash, but the gargoyles opened May's soft mouth brutally wide, almost dislodging her jaw, tearing a bit of her cheek. She produced a whimper. Ash tried to turn his face away but he could not, a force prevented him to move anything at all.
Then from the dark crevices and cracks from the stone floor creeped and crawled a dozen little bugs. The climbed up her body and slid into her mouth. Ash was about ten meters away; he saw her pretty blue eyes roll white as the little demons crawled further into her throat. Ash watched, if only he could pluck his eyes out. He screamed in protest. Screaming could not save May. The gargoyles shrieked and dropped May back on the floor and the little fiends clawed a cavity in May's abdomen, from whence they left her intestines.
The skeletal hands disappeared back into the ground and Ash was liberated.
He kneeled down next to her bloody corpse. Blood was coming out of her mouth, eyes and lower abdomen. He took her up in his arms. Silently he looked up to the darkness above him. He mourned for May… Her face was so young. It was somewhat petrified, her expression was in the end peaceful. He could scarce imagine the horror she must have experienced. At least she was now free of them.
Ash had yet to confess so much to her, how he loved her. He gave her a kiss on her cold, salty cheek, saying a final goodbye.
He placed May on the spot where she passed away and he lied down right next to the body, silently weeping for her.
The halls still echoed the screams of tortured souls…
Ash was ready to die.
After a few minutes apathy. A sound caught his ears. "Ash, May", it said, "Where are you?" at first it was faint, nearly inaudible. The voice asked again: "Ash, May?" this time much louder and closer. This voice… it was so familiar… it was…
Ash sprang up. Loudly he asked: "Brock?"
"Ash, it is you!" Brock replied enthusiastically.
Brock came closer and laughed. Ash stood still and buried his face in his palms, weeping tears of joy and sorrow. All emotions stuck, released all at once. Once again he fell to his knees. Brock spotted May's corpse. He gagged and backed away. For a few minutes the two of them were silent. Brock turned to the matter at hand.
Brock, being a constructive man, turned to reality. "Ash", he said, "There will be a time for grief, but right now we are going to have to find a way out of here!"
Rationally Ash complied and took May up in his arms, still with tears streaming from his eyes, dripping on May's cold but elegant corpse. The two of them walked down the corridor silently, looking for signs of an exit, occasionally stumbling upon piles of corpses or tortured souls hanging from the side of the corridor.
After while they found a beautiful wooden door with golden mosaics imbued into its wood, picturing a mermaid and a boat full of sailors on a calm ocean. Carefully they opened it with. A fair maiden, wearing only a translucent piece of cloth, sat seductively on a lilac cushioned settee with golden tassels. The walls were covered with luxurious carpets, all depicting mermaids and sailors. In the middle of the room stood a carved oaken coffee table. On top of it was a tablecloth, also richly decorated with images of orchids. Yet on top of that was a silver bowl filled with exotic fruits and a porcelain vase with orchids. To the right a servant girl was cooling her mistress down with a lavishly painted wooden fan. To the left another servant girl was playing soothing, calm melodies on harp that shone golden bright.
"Come here… Brock", the fair maiden said. "Let me offer you some of our fruits." Brock simply complied. Ash moved to stop Brock, but Brock simply ignored him. Slowly Brock rested his head on the lap of the maiden, who now sat straight up. "You are most beautiful, my lady." Brock said. "Please tell me your name so that I may emblazon it upon my heart. " The maiden laid her finger on Brock's lips, "Do not talk", she said in a soft manner. The mistress waved her hand to a servant as if telling her to do something. The servant handed some strawberries. And one by one the maiden fed the strawberries to Brock.
Meanwhile Ash's attention was caught by melodies of the harp, so playful they were… so seductive… Ash's eyes became smaller… and smaller… his eyelids became heavy, so wonderful he felt. He remembered the time when things were less troublesome, he wanted to go back to Hoenn, or even back home… he wanted May; and he snapped out of the trance. He remembered.
He looked into the room which was nothing but a cold and grey room with plain wooden benches. It was all an illusion. He looked at Brock who rested his head on the maiden's lap who was now with horns, hooves and wings on her back. "NO!", Ash screamed. The succubus kissed Brock on his mouth (as far as you could call it a kiss). Then Brock snapped out of it too and he struggled to push her away… to no avail. The succubus detached her mouth from Brock's. A smoke like substance left Brock's mouth as it was pulled into hers. Brock's skin turned was pale and his body lifeless. As she drew more of the smoke out of him, his skin started to warp tightly around his bones. She drew more and more of the smoke until there was nothing left of Brock but his clothes and bones.
Ash was startled and tried to open the door behind him, it was shut. He panciked and pounded the door. Seeing no way of escaping he closed his eyes and crawled into a corner.
"What are you?", Ash mumbled. She answered: "I am Lilith, these are my sisters."
Ash gave no answer.
Lilith continued. "Your friend's lust was his weakness, he was easily swayed. Perhaps we shall not hurt you… if you behave."
"Are you going to kill me?" Ash inquired frightfully. "Maybe… all who live shall die here… but you, you carry your love's corpse around, even though you know she's not coming back. This is very brave of you. You may be in Hell, but all is not lost. I will not harm you", She replied calmly.
Once again Ash laid his gaze upon May, teardrops form up behind his eyelids, and he strengthens himself and looks at Lilith.
"Can you please get me out of this horrible place?" Ash pleaded. "No, I cannot", Lilith answered, "I do not have the power over such things, for these troublesome request you'll have to go to my brothers. I can however, tell you where we are; we are in the dungeons of Hell, the place where all dead must come."
Ash shivered. Ash glanced through the room, the succubae were gone, as well as his friends. Only Lilith remained.
"Where must I go to find your brothers?" Ash asked. Lilith replied "Roam around and they'll eventually find you…"