Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon.
Chapter 1: The Quiet Town
Just east of Saffron City was an area in the Kanto Region of the Pokemon world known simply as Route 8. It was a relatively uninhabited area with vast fields that were home to a few wild Pokemon. For many, Route 8 was simply a path between towns. And it was on this route that twenty-three year old trainer Ash Ketchum and his girlfriend Misty were waiting for two other traveling companions. But as they waited, the couple encountered a passing biker gang that was spoiling for a fight.
The leader of the gang had challenged Ash to a battle. Misty stayed on the sidelines to watch with one of Ash's most trusted Pokemon, the yellow electric rodent with the lightning bolt-shaped tail known as Pikachu. Ash meanwhile had sent another of his most trusted Pokemon into battle, the blue bipedal jackal, Lucario. The leader of the bikers on the other hand was using a large purple blob creature with eyes and a mouth known as Muk.
"Okay Muk, hit that wimpy Pokemon with Sludge Bomb!" the leader of the bikers ordered.
Muk opened its mouth and spat out a large ball of brown gunk at Lucario. The projectile struck the jackal Pokemon in the chest but did absolutely no damage.
"You do know that Lucario is a Steel-type, right?" Ash reminded him. "Which means your Poison-type attacks won't have any effect."
"Oh… crud!" the lead biker cursed.
"Lucario, hit that Muk with Bone Rush!" Ash commanded.
In his right paw, Lucario created a ball of blue light that quickly formed into a metal bone. Lucario charged in and struck Muk repeatedly with his weapon. In moments, Muk was out cold. With the battle at an end, Lucario calmly walked back to Ash's side, his metal weapon vanishing with a flash of blue light.
"There, I won. Now get lost you jerks!" Ash ordered.
The leader of the bikers grumbled something under his breath as he called Muk back to its Pokeball. The entire gang then drove off, leaving a cloud of dust in their wake.
"Man! When did this route become a hangout for scumbags like that?" Ash wondered.
"I just wish Sabrina and Morty would finally show up." Misty replied. "We've been waiting for half an hour."
"Wow! That was an outstanding display!" a familiar-sounding voice interrupted.
Ash and Misty looked to see a young woman with blue hair who looked to be in her late teens or early twenties. She had on a pair of glasses with large round frames and a brown coat with a short yellow scarf.
"I hope you'll forgive the interruption, but I couldn't help but watch your battle with that brute." The young woman explained as she walked up. "Your Lucario is actually just the specimen I've been wanting to observe."
"Dawn?" a surprised Ash and Misty asked together, recognizing the young woman as someone they had met before.
At this identification, the young woman sighed heavily and rubbed the bridge of her nose. "Oh dear. No matter where I go, it's always the same thing. I'm afraid the two of you have me confused with my sister, Dawn Berlitz. I'm actually her sister, Diane. The confusion is understandable, as we are physically identical. But if you're wanting an autograph, I'm afraid you're out of luck."
"Actually we met your sister a couple of months ago in Sinnoh." Misty explained. "She actually mentioned you."
"Yeah, we should've known you weren't Dawn when we saw the glasses." Ash realized.
"Oh, I see." Diane replied as a smile returned to her face. "I do hope you'll forgive my reaction before. People tend to confuse me with my sister all the time. They get all excited because they think they're meeting a celebrity."
"Is Dawn really that famous?" Misty asked.
"As famous as Pokemon Coordinators get, I suppose." Diane replied indifferently. "Anyway, might I have the pleasure of knowing your names?"
"I'm Ash and that's my girlfriend, Misty." The dark-haired Pokemon trainer greeted. "So Dawn mentioned something about you being a Pokemon researcher."
"That's correct." Diane confirmed. "My specialty is the field of ancient Pokemon legends and the effect Pokemon have had on the development of ancient cultures. I also have some expertise in the field of Pokemon evolution. Anyway, I've been hoping to study a Lucario in hopes of determining how exactly the species inspired the myth of Aura Guardians."
"Um, Aura Guardians aren't a myth." Ash told her. "Trust me, I know."
"Don't be absurd." Diane chuckled. "I'll admit that it's a charming legend, but there's no way humans could have that kind of ability."
"Aura Guardians are real. I'm one of them." Ash revealed.
"Really." Diane replied with a skeptical expression. "Okay then. If you truly are an Aura Guardian, then why don't you demonstrate your power to me?"
Ash closed his eyes and held out his right hand. In moments a ball of blue light formed in the palm of his hand. Ash opened his eyes and closed his hand, causing the sphere of light to vanish. Diane blinked with a look of disbelief.
"Well? What do you say to that?" Ash asked.
"Uh… oh my. That did look exactly like an Aura Sphere attack that a Pokemon would use." Diane admitted. "But I never imagined that a human could produce that kind of power. I simply dismissed the legend of the Aura Guardians as nothing more than a fairytale."
"A long time ago there were a lot more Aura Guardians around." Ash told her. "I'm probably one of the last ones left."
"This find certainly does open up a whole new field of questions." Diane admitted. "The biggest is what caused both humans and Pokemon such as Lucario to develop such an ability. There's also the question of why the number of Aura Guardians to decline over the years. Perhaps there could be some environmental factor that we're not yet aware of. Clearly much more study is needed in this area."
"Say Diane, just what brings you to this area?" Misty asked in an attempt to keep the conversation from getting too technical.
"Oh, I'm simply passing through here on my way to the power plant between Lavender Town and Cerulean City." Diane explained. "There's a legend that says that the legendary bird Pokemon Zapdos prefers to nest near there. What may I ask brings the two of you to this area?"
"We were invited to stay at this mansion in Lavender Town for a few days." Ash explained. "We're actually meeting someone we know there. It's someone you've probably heard of actually. She's the former champion of Sinnoh, Cynthia."
"The Cynthia?" an amazed Diane asked.
"You seem like a pretty big fan of hers." Misty observed.
"Not only is Cynthia a skilled Pokemon trainer, she's one of the most brilliant minds that the Sinnoh Region has ever produced." Diane replied. "Meeting her… I can't think of anything I'd want more."
"Why don't you come with us then?" Misty suggested. "I'm sure Cynthia and the people living at the mansion wouldn't mind."
"Oh, I couldn't possibly impose." Diane told her as her face turned red. "I mean… I'm sure I wouldn't be welcome. I'd probably just be a bother."
"Don't be silly. I'm sure you coming with wouldn't bother anyone." Misty assured her. "Would she Ash?"
"Of course not. I'm sure Cynthia would like to meet you." Ash declared.
"Well… if you insist." Diane finally agreed.
The conversation was interrupted by the sounds of screams not to far away. Ash and the others looked to see a woman with long green hair wearing a red jacket with a white shirt and black leather jeans approaching them. Walking behind her was a man with somewhat long blonde hair wearing a purple headband with a grey shirt, purple jacket, and black jeans. Ash and Misty recognized the couple as Sabrina and Morty.
"Sorry we're late guys." Morty apologetically greeted. "The train I took from Goldenrod was running a little late?"
"Uh, was that screaming we heard that biker gang Misty and I ran into a few minutes ago?" Ash asked.
"I have no idea, but took care of them." Sabrina coldly replied.
"You didn't turn them into dolls, did you?" Misty asked.
"Don't be absurd. I merely scared them off." Sabrina told her.
"Turn them into dolls?" Diane asked with a quirked brow.
"Oh, Sabrina's the leader of the Saffron City Gym." Ash introduced. "She also has some pretty powerful psychic abilities."
"You'll forgive me if I find that hard to believe." Diane replied.
Sabrina glared at Diane, and suddenly the bluenette rose twenty feet into the air. A terrified Diane screamed and flailed her arms and legs.
"Put her down Sabrina." Morty requested. "Gently."
"Oh fine." Sabrina agreed with a slight pout.
Slowly Diane came back to the ground, landing gently on her feet. All the color had drained from her face.
"I apologize for my behavior just now." Sabrina told her as she walked up. "I get a little… irritated… at people who don't believe that humans have psychic power."
"It's… it's quite alright." Diane nervously replied. "I'm, uh… I'm Diane Berlitz, by the way. It's a pleasure to meet you Ms. Sabrina."
"Is she coming with us?" Sabrina asked Ash and Misty.
"That's not going to be a problem, is it?" Ash asked.
"…I suppose not." Sabrina agreed after a moment. "Come on. I'm sure the Barons are starting to wonder where we are."
With that, Sabrina and Morty continued on in the direction of Lavender Town. Ash, Misty, and Diane stayed behind with Pikachu and Lucario for a moment.
"Ms. Sabrina seems… very confident." Diane observed.
"Just be glad she didn't shrink you down to the size of an action figure." Ash told her.
"Or turn you into a doll." Misty added.
Ash and Misty walked off with Pikachu and Lucario after the two gym leaders. After a moment, Diane quickly caught up to the rest of the group. In less than five minutes, the group had arrived in the sleepy little village of Lavender Town. Upon their arrival, the group headed straight for the town's Pokemon Center. Sabrina and Morty left the others to go contact the owner of the mansion they were heading to in order to let him know they had arrived. Diane meanwhile went to go talk with a hiker who had recently gone by the area she was on her way to before running into Ash and Misty. This left Ash and Misty alone in the waiting area with Pikachu and Lucario.
"I'll say one thing about Diane. She's nothing like Dawn." Misty commented.
"You can say that again." Ash agreed. "She seems pretty smart though."
"Yeah. Of course her people skills could probably use a little work." Misty remarked. "Still, she seems pretty nice. Don't take this the wrong way, but I'm glad we ran into Diane on the way here instead of Dawn's other sister."
Ash knew of the other sister that Misty was talking about. Dawn and Diane were two of three identical triplets, and those two months before in Sinnoh when they first met Dawn they also met the third Berlitz sister, Dusk. Dusk was quite strange, to say the least, and the couple's encounter with her was unsettling.
"Excuse me." A voice interrupted, causing Ash and Misty to look. The person speaking was a scruffy-looking man in his twenties with dark-brown hair and grey eyes wearing a trench coat. "Would you happen to be Ash Ketchum and Misty Waterflower?"
"That's us." Ash confirmed. "And you are?"
"My name's Ben Norris. I'm a reporter for Pokemon World News." The stranger replied. "I've actually been wanting to speak with the two of you for quite some time now."
"Are you writing a story on me or something?" Ash asked. "I mean I wouldn't be surprised if you were. I am a little famous."
"Actually I'm not writing a story on you, Mr. Ketchum." Ben revealed. "I actually wanted to talk and Ms. Waterflower because of a side story I've been working on for the last few years. The two of you were in Eterna Forest in Sinnoh about two months ago, right?"
"…Yeah. We were." A surprised Ash confirmed. "Why do you want to know?"
"Did either of you happen to meet a young woman there who happened to resemble the Pokemon Coordinator, Dawn Berlitz?" Ben asked.
"Why do you want to know about that?" an unsettled Misty replied.
"Please, I have to know!" Ben told them with a look of desperation.
"Norris!" Diane shouted as she suddenly stormed over.
"Oh, Ms. Berlitz!" a surprised Ben greeted. "I had no idea that…"
"I told you that I never wanted to see your face again, you heartless scavenger!" a furious Diane reminded him. "I'm going to give you ten seconds to leave my sight!"
"Please, if you'll let me explain…" Ben pleaded.
"Go, Porygon!" Diane called out as she threw out a Pokeball.
Bursting out of the ball was pink creature that resembled a bird made from simple geometric shapes. The end of its beak was blue, as was its tail, underside, and the shapes at its side that acted as a pair of wings.
"Porygon, use Lock-On on Norris!" Diane commanded. "If he hasn't left in five seconds, fire a Zap Cannon at him!"
"Whoa! Chill out Diane!" a shocked Ash told her.
"Pika!" Pikachu cried out as he jumped off of Ash's shoulder and stood between Porygon and Ben.
"It's okay. I'll leave." Ben relented. "Sorry to bother you."
With that, Norris left and walked out of the Pokemon Center. As soon as he was gone, Diane sighed and called Porygon back to its ball.
"Diane, that was way too extreme!" Misty told her.
"I'm sorry you had to see that." Diane told them. "Don't worry, I wasn't really going to attack Norris. That tactic was simply the most efficient method of getting him to leave."
"Just what the hell was that all about?" Ash demanded to know.
Diane sighed heavily as she sat down in an available chair. "I met that scum who calls himself a reporter a few years ago. He was trying to dig up information on my family that was of a very delicate nature. No doubt for some sleazy exposé. You're both probably already aware of this, but both my mother and my sister Dawn are somewhat famous. I'm sure Norris wanted the information in the hopes of using it to tarnish their reputations, not to mention my own."
"He was asking about Dusk, wasn't he?" Ash deduced.
"How do you…?" Diane began to ask.
"Well this is an unexpected surprise." A very familiar voice interrupted.
Ash and the others all looked to see a young woman who looked exactly like Diane, only without the glasses. Her blue hair was held in place at the sides of her head by a pair of yellow berets, and atop her head was a white snowcap with a pink logo that looked like a Pokeball on the front. The rest of her attire consisted of a black buttoned-up vest over a sleeveless white shirt, a short pink skirt, and pink boots. Tied around her neck was a pink scarf, and on her left wrist was a pink watch with a white band. Standing at the blunette's feet was a small blue penguin-like Pokemon with a large head that Ash and Misty both recognized as a Piplup. There was no mistaking it. It was Diane's sister, Dawn.
"Hi Ash, Misty." Dawn warmly greeted. "Long time no see, huh?"
"Yeah, hi Dawn." A very surprised Misty greeted.
"What's wrong? You guys don't look happy to see me." A confused Dawn observed. As soon as she noticed Diane, her expression turned very serious. "Oh… hi Diane."
"Dawn." Diane greeted back as she stood up.
"Well… I sure didn't expect to run into you here." Dawn told her.
"Nor did I." Diane replied. "The last time I checked, Lavender Town wasn't known for those frivolous Pokemon Contests you and mother seem to enjoy."
"There you go again! You're always putting down Pokemon Contests!" Dawn protested. "Why do you always have to do that?"
"I'd have more respect for those contests of yours if they actually had some practical use!" Diane argued. "Showing off a Pokemon's attacks simply because they look pretty is a waste of that Pokemon's skills!"
"I'm not getting into this damn argument again!" Dawn shot back. "Now what the hell are you doing here?"
"That's none of your concern!" Diane told her. "I have as much right to be in this town as you do!"
"Fine! Whatever!" Dawn replied as she turned to leave. "Ash, Misty, I'm sorry but if I stay here in the same room with my sister any longer I'll probably do something we'll all regret. I'll see you around."
With that, Dawn stormed off. Piplup stayed behind for a moment and simply looked at Ash and the others, but quickly hurried off after his trainer, tripping along the way.
Diane sighed again and slumped back into her chair. "This is quickly becoming a stressful day."
"Sorry to keep you waiting." Morty interrupted as he and Sabrina returned. "There's been a change of plans. The man we're supposed to meet, Julius Baron, will be waiting for us at the Tower of Memories."
"What's the Tower of Memories?" Misty asked.
"It's a massive cemetery for most of the Pokemon here in Kanto." Sabrina explained. "I'm a bit surprised that the two of you aren't familiar with it. Surely you saw it the last time you were in this town."
"That was a long time ago, and we really didn't have a lot of time to do any sightseeing." Misty explained. "We were a little more worried about Ash catching a Ghost Pokemon."
"And just why was catching a Ghost Pokemon so important?" Sabrina asked.
"I needed it so I could beat you in our gym battle." Ash reminded her.
"Oh…" Sabrina replied as a hint of embarrassment came to her face. "Yes, I can see why that would be more of a priority."
"We should probably get going." Morty suggested. "We don't want to keep Mr. Baron waiting."
With that, Ash and the others left the Pokemon Center and headed straight down the center of town. Before them in the distance was a somber-looking tower made of grey stone. In only a few minutes the group had reached the massive monument that was the Tower of Memories. In the yard surrounding the tower they could see row after row of Pokemon graves. In front of them was a large funeral procession of mourners heading into the tower.
Standing right beside the tower door was a man with slicked back silver hair and a mustache wearing a black suit and tie. A somber expression was on the man's face.
Morty led the group up to this gentleman, who immediately took notice of their arrival. "Excuse me, are you Julius Baron?"
"Why yes." The silver-haired man greeted. "You must be Morty of the Ecruteak City gym and the others here to see Ms. Cynthia."
"How is it that you know Cynthia?" Ash asked.
"Her grandmother is an old friend of the family." Julius explained. "You must be Ash Ketchum. I've heard a good deal about you. You're quite the trainer."
"Thanks." Ash replied.
"Now then, I hope you'll all forgive me for having you meet me here." Julius continued. "A friend of mine is having a funeral for his Pokemon and it ended up being moved to today."
"We understand." Morty replied. "We can wait around here if you like."
"Of course, of course. The service shouldn't be too long." Julius assumed. "Feel free to take a look around. This tower is the town's most famous landmark. People from all over the world come here just to get a look at it."
"If it's all the same to everyone else, I think I'll just stay out here and walk around." Misty decided.
"Okay, the rest of us will probably stay on the ground floor of the tower." Ash informed her.
The group split up after that. Misty walked off into the outdoor cemetery while the others went into the tower. As she walked through the rows of headstones, Misty couldn't help but notice how ornate and beautifully crafted a lot of them were. It was clear that the Pokemon buried in that graveyard were loved.
Misty was distracted from her sightseeing when she suddenly hear the humming of an eerie tune not far away. The redhead felt that she recognized the voice and it made her uneasy. Against her better judgment, Misty followed the sound of the humming. In a far off corner of the cemetery she found the source of the eerie tune, a young woman who from the back looked just like Dawn and Diane. Misty had a feeling who the young woman was, but hoped very much that she was wrong.
Cautiously, Misty approached the singer. "…Is that you Dawn?"
The young woman turned around to look at Misty, and instantly Misty knew that it was not Dawn who was before her. She looked like Dawn, but the eyes were clearly not the same eyes that Dawn had. They were crazed eyes. Eyes that had seen sights that no mortal was ever meant to see. Misty had seen those eyes before. They were the eyes of Dawn and Diane's sister, Dusk.
"Hello Misty." Dusk chuckled. "Looks like you mixed me up with my sister again, huh?"
"Yeah… looks that way." Misty replied with a nervous smile. "How are you Dusk?"
"Pretty good." Dusk replied. "Hey, you like my new outfit?"
Misty took a moment to look at the outfit Dusk was wearing. Atop her head she had on a snowcap like Dawn's, only it was black and the Pokeball logo was blue instead of pink. Like Dawn, Dusk also had on a pair of berets to hold her hair in place, only they were white and looked like a pair of cartoonish skulls. Around Dusk's neck was a tattered grey scarf. The rest of her wardrobe consisted of a sleeveless black shirt with a silver cross on the front, a short red checked skirt, and a pair of knee-high black socks with red shoes. On each wrist she also had on black bracelets with silver chains.
"Oh, it's you." Misty told her. "It certainly makes it easier to tell you apart from Dawn."
"Doesn't it?" Dusk chuckled. "So, whacha doin' here?"
"Ash and I are just in town visiting a friend." Misty answered. "What, um… what brings you here?"
"Just trying to help right a wrong." Dusk innocently answered. "You know a very bad thing happened in this place a few years ago."
"You don't say." Misty replied, this time turning around to look at the tower. "Say, Ash and I ran into your sister Diane. She's actually with us right now. Why don't you…" when she turned back around, Dusk was nowhere in sight, "say hi…"
Unsettled by this development, Misty began to run back to the tower as fast as her legs could carry her. As she ran she suddenly tripped over a large object and fell to the ground. Misty sat up to get a better look at the object. It was the body of a somewhat overweight man with stark white hair and a beard. He had on a black jacket with a green shirt and long brown pants. An expression of utter terror was frozen on his face. Misty let out a bloodcurdling scream when she realized that the man she had tripped over was dead. She had found the body of Edger Gates.
Author's Note: Those who remember the original anime probably recall that Pokemon Tower was depicted as a creepy mansion that was home to the Haunter Ash would use against Sabrina. Because of that, I had to rename the "real" Pokemon Tower as the Tower of Memories for the purposes of this story. Anyway, some of you reading might recognize the character of Ben Norris as the narrator of the prequel to Dawn of Shadows, a sort of experimental story I did called Memories of Maiden's Peak. It's not really necessary to read Memories of Maiden's Peak to understand what's going on in this story though.
Anyway, this is also the first appearance of Dawn's other sister, Diane. Her original first appearance was going to be in a story that I was going to do after the BWR sequel, but I decided to bump it up a bit. With the issues between these three sisters and the Pokemon they have in their respective arsenals, it's safe to say that this story is going to build up to something big.
Please review and let me know what you think.
