Author's Note: Please re-read chapter 1. I re-wrote it.
Chapter 2
For half an hour Charazard flew as Ash thought about how he was going to do this. He didn't know how to enter the tournament without giving himself away.
He sighed, looking at his invite. "Hmm." He thought, re-reading his invitation.
Mewtwo turned its head towards its master. "What are you thinking about Ash?" He asked, using his real name.
"I'm trying to think of how to do this."
"What?"
"Face them....face my friends, or rather ex friends." He spat bitterly, glaring ahead.
"I see." Mewtwo spoke. "You can either run from them, never confronting your problems, hate them and give them the pain they gave you...both of which will only lead you to a lonely life. Or, you can face your past, try to move on and maybe even forgive them, someday. Either way I'll always support you."
He nodded, thinking about what Mewtwo had given him. "Thanks." Ash whispered.
They continued flying until they reached Pallet Town of the Kanto Region. Memories of this place filled his mind. Some of the memories were good, happy memories of his friends adventures. Others were not so good. Tears trickled down his face as he tried to wipe them away.
"Pika pika." Pikachu said softly, trying to comfort his partner.
"I'm okay Pikachu." He whispered.
Ash hopped off Charazard, returning him to his pokeball. "Mewtwo, Mew, you might want to get back in your pokeball...it would look rather strange having you next to me." He chuckled. They nodded and retreated back in.
He entered the town of Pallet, entering the Pokemon Center, his face covered up. Walking up to the front desk he registered himself in. "Well Mr Hikaru your pokemon are fully healed and your registration is ready to go. Thank you and have a good day." She said as she turned her attention to the next customer. "Hey Misty, Brock." She said as he walked away, only to turn back.
Great, not them. He thought bitterly and hurt as he walked out when a short blue haired boy ran into him, making him waver a bit. Pikachu fell off his shoulder as the boy fell to the ground. "HEY, WATCH WHERE YOU ARE GOING!" He yelled, picking himself up. A hand swiped the boy's head.
"Cool it Max!" She yelled. She turned to him. "Sorry about my brother, he's just excited to enter in the Master's Competition." She explained.
"Not a problem ma'am." He said gruffly, adverting his eyes away from their faces.
"I'm May Maple and this" she said pointing to her brother. "Is Max, and you?"
"Satoshi Hikaru" He stated quickly as Pikachu hopped back on his shoulder. "And Pikachu."
May practically fell at the sight of the yellow mouse, if it hadn't been for the fact that his name wasn't Ash, she would have sworn that this was the same Pikachu her friend used to carry.
"Are you alright ma'am?" he asked, hoping that Pikachu hadn't given him away.
"Y-yes. I- I'm fi-ine." she stuttered out. "Sorry, thought you were someone else."
He sweat dropped. "I don't believe so. Sorry." He said, trying to pass me. "Excuse me, I need to go." He said.
He passed her as she called out to him. "Wait!" She yelled. He turned. "I was wondering...you want to come have lunch with us...you know, get to know my friends and stuff?"
Ash contemplated on that idea. If he said no, than he would look like a jerk and might never get to talk to them again, one fact he desperately wanted to do. He wanted to hurt them, never see them but he knew that he needed answers. Answers of why they did what they did. "I don't see why not." He decided after a few moments pause.
"Great, lets me wait for the others and we can eat here, if you don't mind." She said.
He did, walking back to the center.
A few moments the gang surrounded him. "Guys, this is Satoshi Hikaru." she introduced. "Satoshi, this is Max, Brock Harrison, Misty Waterflower-" She said when she saw other people enter. "Over here guys!" She hollered, waving her arms around. They came over. "And here is Dawn Blitz" she stated finally.
"Pleasure." he said gruffly, motioning for them to sit. He looked at each of their faces, pain piercing at his chest. Pikachu looked at him worriedly."This is my partner Pikachu."
"PIKA!" It cried in a fake happy sound. Really it was pissed at how they treated Ash 5 years ago. It hopped off its shoulder and grabbed the nearest ketchup bottle, opening it, looking at his trainer. Ash nodded and it divulging in its taste.
"So....Satoshi, what pokemon you have?" asked a very hyperactive Max.
"Many....you'll see soon at the competition." He said.
"YOU'RE ENTERING?" He yelled, causing other's in the center to glance over.
"Quiet Max!" Her sister shushed.
"Yes, I am." He said.
"Hikaru...I don't recognize your name. What tournament had you won?" Brock asked suspiciously.
"None." He lied. "You wouldn't recognize me since I don't enter many tournaments but I do have a reputation. Some people saw me battling and invited me on whim." He said hoping they would believe.
"NO WAY!" Shouted Max once again. "They gave you an invite right away, without winning any tournament?" he asked.
Ash nodded. "Of course, I did beat Lance" Lance was one of the only humans he had battled with since he ran away. He was also one of the only ones, along with Gary, to know of his innocence."WOW!" He exclaimed, his glasses causing light to reflect off of them, sparkles shinning in his eyes. "Can we battle?" He asked.
"Sure." He allowed. No harm in that. Besides, I need to see what power he's got. He started to get up and they followed him out.
"How do you want to do it?" He asked Max.
"How bout a tag?"
"Sure." He reached out to get his pokemon at the same time Max did.
"SLAKING, GALLADE! Common OUT!" Out of the pokeballs came out a large beast looking pokemon and a green psychic one.
"Pidgeot, Absol lend me your Aura." He said calmly, tossing releasing them of their confidment. A bright light blinded them briefly before a large bird and white canine took its place.
"Sol." Absol spoke.
"PIDGEOT!"
"This will be a two on two battle. There is no subsitution and first trainer to have all pokemon knocked out is the winner. BEGIN!" Refereed Brock.
"SLAKING use Thrash! GALLADE Psychic!"
"Pidgeot use arial Ace to dodge followed by a wing attack, Absol use extreme speed to dodge and then use night slash." Ash commanded softly.
Yes master. They spoke telepathecally to him with their aura.
"DODGE!" Max cried as Pidgeot dodged the attack Slaking sent and used its speed with a wing attack, hitting Slaking square in the face before it could even think of escaping as Absol hit Gallade with its nightslash.
"GALLADE USE SHADOW BALL!
"SLAKING STRENGTH!"
Gallade sent out a dark sphere, sending it towards Pidgeot. Ash gave no verbal command, letting Pidgeot dodge on its own accord, the same with Absol.
They both got out of the way quiet easily. "Pidgeot Hyperbeam Absol Dark Pulse, combine them together."
They fired their attacks as they mixed, light with dark in a spirl engulfing both Gallade and Slaking in amazing speed that they weren't given any chance. They screamed out in pain as they collapsed, fainted.
"Slaking and Gallade are unable to battle. The victory goes to Satoshi!"
"NO!" Max cried unhappily. "Return." he sighed in defeat.
"Good work my friends." Ash said, returning them as Pikachu ran up to him and landed on his shoulder. Pathetic.... "Max." He said, walking up to the sad 15 year old trainer. "Do you know why you lost?" He asked.
"Because your pokemon are so-"
"No." He interrupted. "It's not because of power. You lost because you used Slaking, a close ranged pokemon, try to use its attacks on my long ranged pokemon, while Gallade, a psychic pokemon face against my dark. Next time switch them up so they have a better advantage." He said.
Max's eyes widened, knowing that the young adult was right. "Th-thanks." he stuttered.
Ash nodded as he made his way back to the group.
"Impressive. I can see why you beat Lance. Your pokemon are really powerful." Brock commented as they made their way back inside.
"I trained them to their best." he said.
"You remind me of someone." he suddenly spoke as Ash froze. "But you couldn't be."
"Who?", he dared ask.
"An ex friend who traveled with us, mostly because of the Pikachu. He died 5 years ago, lucky he did." He said harshly as Ash tried to control his emotions.
He was mad. How dare Brock say that.
"What was his name?"
"Ash Ketchum, he killed his mom and almost ours."
What the hell? He thought. "Ketchum you say, impossible."
"How would you know?" May asked, steamed.
"Because I knew him since he was a kid. He was strong, smart, and kind. The Ash I know would never do such a thing." Ash roughly said, sipping on his coffee.
"Pika." Pikachu cried in agreement.
"Well he did!" shouted Max. "We saw him on T.V and our parents said that a few days ago he went to their house and attacked!"
"You ever ask him his view of things?" Ash asked, eying his former friends.
"No...But, we could see it in his eyes!" Misty shouted angrily at this stranger who seemed to know it all.
"Well, maybe you should talk to him."
"He's dead, can't even if we wanted." Dawn reminded him.
"Things may surprise you. I'm out." He spat, leaving the center without another glance.
Time to clear things up. He thought as he called upon his Pidgeot and flew to Oak's Laboratory to lend Gary a needed visit.