Glad you could make it! This is Chapter Four of 'Awake in a Brand New World!'

I finally finished Chapter Three for 'Hoenn Frontier', so I am immediately moving on to this one to make up for lost time. Hopefully, I'll get in about six-thousand words for this chapter. As stated before, I'm trying to increase the number of words by a thousand each chapter…more or less.

Another thing; I tend to be forgetful. I might mention one thing in another chapter and never say anything about it ever again. If this happens, simply question it and I will answer. One reason why I like this story idea is that it doesn't include Pikachu as much as my other, which it REALLY needs work on!

Very sorry for the lateness; I lead a life, you know?

UPDATE: Came back to work on the story's plot. Hope it works better now!

Enough said, let's get this Chapter under way. I have many exciting things planned!

Dialogue Key:

'Telepathy'

"Speaking"

Flashbacks/Memories

DISCLAIMER: It is an opinion that Pokémon has already been claimed. Therefore, is it open for grabbing? Then again, is that an opinion only I believe? WAIT! WHAT AM I SAYING AGAIN?!

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Chapter Four: Ready

'What a day…' thought Ash as he looked at his hand. Right now, Darkrai had gone off, giving him some time to relax. He was exhausted from the workout. The way Darkrai trained him, it could also be described as "torture".

Then again, maybe that's what Darkrai intended this entire time.

It had been a grueling two weeks. Giratina had been informed that Giovanni was planning to order an assassination on a rebelling leader in a week's real time. The only info he knew of yet was that it would take place in Cerulean City. This could not happen, so Giratina had ordered Ash to be into the regular world before this did. It would be Ash's first mission. Darkrai had not been happy with the change, but instead made the workouts harder and with less breaks in between.

In the time they had, Darkrai had stated five major rules:

1) Don't ever get caught. Giovanni would make him regret the day he was born, and risen from the grave. Literally. If he somehow did get caught, commit suicide. Darkrai stated that to do this, Ash simply had to unleash all of his energy. The resulting explosion would kill everyone in its radius, and hopefully Giovanni. The rule seemed harsh, but Ash knew that it just might take a suicide bomber to kill Giovanni. Darkrai and Giratina didn't want any casualties, but that most likely was not going to happen.

2) Don't use his powers for evil. As a being of darkness, it might be hard to resist temptations that were previously easy to say "No" to. Ash was put asleep because they thought he was the best person to save the world. Darkrai told Ash multiple times that if this trust was betrayed, he himself would hunt him down.

3) If Giovanni becomes officially "dealt with", the world put back into a state of peace, Ash himself would have to decide where to go on to. Having the soul of a Darkrai is not necessarily normal, and society might push him away for this.

4) Don't let his feelings get in the way. Become apathetic. It's okay for it to slip for the time being, but don't show weakness in the real world. If it's a choice between a friend and the world, Darkrai would prefer the world. Giovanni knows Ash all too well, and might take advantage of this. If one of his friends were to die, Ash is expected to stay tough and take his revenge on Giovanni by making him pay.

5) Ash will listen to Darkrai and Giratina solely. Rely on his instincts when needed, not on his biased needs. They could get him killed – or worse. If Ash is to find anything interesting, tell Darkrai and Giratina only. In this world, they are his only true allies as of yet.

After Ash had been infused with the soul of a Darkrai, he and Darkrai had gone off to train.

Ash and Darkrai trained in an open field a little west from the tower. Of course, it was all in the Reverse World; so there were many little islands floating out of place. Unfortunately, there were countless clouds of poisonous gas, due to the strife in the Human World. Gravity also didn't make as much sense as usual. They ate and slept in Ash's house, which was completely empty in their realm. Dark and lonely, the house was depressing without Mrs. Ketchum to bring happiness to the household. The strange, curving walls didn't help either. Then Ash reminded himself that his Mom was in fact here (he hoped), but just in another dimension.

Darkrai and Ash followed a routine, sometimes broken up by a special lesson. In the mornings – or as close to a sunrise as the Reverse World got to – Ash would be woken up by Darkrai. After a quick shower, he would then get dressed in a single article of clothing; a pair of black shorts (they had gotten rid of the suit, thankfully). Darkrai told him that it was all he needed, and shouldn't be worn down with the rest of his clothing.

Breakfast was short and healthy. Darkrai would bring Ash outside to their training grounds; a rather large grass field with a few trees marking it here and there. For two hours, Darkrai would instruct Ash to meditate and focus his mind. It took forever (Ash did not have a great attention span), but eventually Darkrai would tell him to get up and they would start working on Ash's powers.

There were two kinds of powers, each put into a different workout.

First off were the physical powers. This included Ash's overall ability to fight, and Pokémon moves he could learn. Ash quickly became an adept fighter; but he would still be smashed if he had to fight a Pokémon. That is why the day Ash could successfully create a Shadow Claw was a great day indeed. That happiness increased when he learned Night Slash.

Sure, they were both ineffective against some types…but that would change once Ash learned to manifest his Aura Sphere.

At first, they made minimal success. Ash could already make a small Aura Sphere due to his past, but that was it. Over time, the Aura Sphere got larger until it could kill a man with a blow to the head. The raven-haired trainer could make it less, but not larger.

Physical training also included how his reflexes were. Ash had pretty slow reflexes, but in time they were somewhat above-average. After reflexes, there was the jumping trait. No human could learn how to jump higher than can at their physical-peak, but Darkrai taught Ash how to use a bit of energy into his jumps to increase them even higher. Being only half-Pokémon, he couldn't fly. After many unsuccessful attempts, he was able to get a grip on things.

The Pitch-Black Pokémon explained that if Ash had to fight against a fighting-type, use a mixture of hand-to-hand combat and Night Slash. Including some abilities that might come in handy. But in other cases, just run. Dark-types simply weren't made to battle fighting-types.

But these were easy in contrast to the other workouts, which were the ability workouts.

The Darkrai were masters of the shadows, so Ash was taught how to manipulate them. First off was shadow sneaking; a way of travel for all Darkrai. It was extremely hard to get used to the intense cold that Ash experienced when a shadow, but Darkrai stated that Ash would just need to get thicker skin.

It took Ash a full week to get a grip on this particular skill. Either it was the cold or the energy loss, Ash could simply not hold the shadow state for any longer than thirty seconds, and no further than two-hundred yards. But eventually, Ash got that "thicker skin" Darkrai talked about, and was able to shadow travel for about five minutes, and travel six-hundred yards.

Ash was at first disappointed that he couldn't go any farther; but Darkrai explained that from now on, it would take experience to improve.

The second skill was something Darkrai called 'Blink'. No Darkrai had this power. It was simply a side-effect of using the stones to enhance him with power. Palkia had the ability to control space, and what was space but the distance between two objects? And what is distance but the perspective of the eye? With the Blink ability, Ash could travel short distances in an instant; making it useful for some quick getaways. This took Ash a little more effort to get the hang of, but was definitely worth it. By the time the second week had gone by, Ash could travel fifty-yards in an instant. Darkrai was, for a rare moment, proud of his pupil and openly showed it.

Ash first thought that Blink was almost exactly like shadow traveling, only a different form of it. With much lecturing, Darkrai explained that Blink is faster than light, so any being, whether it is Pokémon or human, would not be able to see where he went. Shadow travel could go much longer distances, but beings could follow his progress as long as they saw the shadow. Also, you could attack a Pokémon in shadow travel…but not in Blink. Finally, while in a Blink, he went by so fast, he wouldn't have time to look around and attack. He shouldn't go around thinking he's invincible.

After training in his powers for about six hours, with lunch somewhere squeezed in, they would work on 'normal' skills, such as hand-to-hand combat and lock-picking. Sometimes, Ash would have no energy left to use his powers. Therefore, it was important to learn how to utilize these skills.

Here, being imbued with a little of Dialga's powers helped a ton. In a fight, Ash's mind would process everything much slower, while his body reacted to what really was happening. It was like stopping time, but in his mind. It would help Ash plan ahead and see what was going to happen, before it happened.

Of course, Darkrai trained Ash in lots of other things than what was just mentioned; but I can't name them all now, can I?

What Darkrai failed to mention were the…repercussions of having a Darkrai soul. He didn't want to scare the poor boy.

After the last two hours of 'normal' skills, they would have dinner and reflect on the day with a thirty-minute lecture. Finally, they would turn in for bed.

'Most' would think that Ash would be thankful for the rest. Ash would disagree with 'most'.

When sleep came, so did the nightmares. Terrible, horrible images of things he could not speak of. He saw his mother brutally savaged by a hunched figure, blood dripping from its fangs. His friends were lying dead on the grass, pools of blood surrounding their lifeless forms. A man hung back in the shadows, hidden by more shadows. The only things visible were the large, iron claws where his hands should've been. When Ash got a good look at the face, he saw his own – white as a ghost and a wild look in his eyes.

Those were the nights he woke up screaming, drenched in sweat. He would've complained to Darkrai about these…but it seemed absurd to complain about dreams when your existence was to create nightmares. Waking up was always a bittersweet moment; ending one torture, and then back into another.

The way it's worded, this workout may seem easy. But believe Ash, it was far from it.

At the moment, Ash was currently resting under a tree. Darkrai had given him a twenty-minute break as he himself went to give a report to Giratina. The boy (could you call him a boy anymore?) was planning to take advantage of this free-time.

'Am I still the naïve boy that I used to be? No…for proof, just look at my hand…' to prove his point, Ash summoned up some of his inward energy, and released it in his hand. At the ends of his fingers grew long, purplish, almost invisible claws. All were sharp and meant to bring harm. It was almost unbelievable at the damage he could cause with one swipe of his hands.

Ash dispersed the energy, 'Shadow Claw… Wow. I wonder if any other human being has learned it?' he chuckled to himself, 'Of course not! I was given the soul of a Darkrai, for Mew's sake! That has never happened before, I'm sure of it.'

He gazed off across the Reverse World, watching some purple clouds idly build up, then disperse. 'Space… Time… Darkness… All that is needed to singlehandedly take down the strongest tyrant in history. With these gifts to me, I shall become a hero… A light to those who had otherwise succumbed to darkness. But am I really light? I am, essentially, darkness… How can light be born from darkness? What was that quote I once heard? "The darker it seems, the easier it is the spot the light"… Heh. If that person ever met Darkrai, they would not realize how close to the truth they were.'

Ash was no longer a scrawny boy. No, he was not some huge bodybuilder with a six-pack and bulging muscles. But he was not weak, and that was all that was needed. Stealth is not reliant on muscles.

That day, Ash and Darkrai had been working on his Shadow Ball attack; to give him another ranged attack. Darkrai had considered teaching him Hypnosis…but he didn't want to risk Ash learning Dream Eater, a move that was considered evil by wild Pokémon. He himself only used it in dire situations.

After many hours focusing on the form and practicing over and over again, Ash could now summon a small ball of pure shadows. It would be near lethal in a Pokémon Battle.

Maybe ten more minutes of sitting beneath the tree and musing to himself, Darkrai came back, saying that Ash was to be deployed tomorrow morning. Muttering something about 'stupid' and 'rushed', Darkrai continued to explain that once Ash is in the real world, his only sense of communication with Giratina and Darkrai would be when they contacted him personally. Otherwise, he shouldn't worry and continue to be a thorn to Team Rocket's side whenever possible.

Then came the prospect of joining a rebellious group. Apparently, there were quite a few. But none had the resources required.

If Ash was to find a group that he really, strongly agreed with, he was free to join. But if Giratina sensed evil intentions, he would have to leave immediately. Never tell his name to anyone, including to his friends. One wrong word at the wrong place could prove fatal. His fake name was to be "Silver".

"You never told me what happened to my Pokémon. What happened to them?" it had been on his mind, but he was always too busy to ask.

'When you gave your belt to Brock, he claimed them. Now they follow his command,' Darkrai assured, 'They still wish for their old master…do not worry.'

With a great sigh, Darkrai sat down next to him.

'Ash,' Darkrai was coming to a conclusion, 'You are ready. You are adept. You will change this world; but it all depends on what you choose. I trust you to make the right decision.'

The raven-haired hero nodded, understanding. There was no room for error now.

'Don't use your powers in front of witnesses. Don't want to start any rumors…but if you are cornered with no other way, you are free to engage.' Suddenly Darkrai looked sad, 'Giratina told me that this would be your last training session ever…and possibly the last visit to the Reverse World for quite some time. So don't be expecting to see me again until… Drastic… Measures are deemed acceptable.'

"Darkrai," said Ash, "What about everything else you need to teach me?"

Darkrai put a hand on his pupil's shoulder. It was ice-cold to the touch, 'Remember, you have the shadows on your side; do not squander it,' the hand grip tightened, 'or they will destroy you. Now come…we have a little more work to do.'

Their last session was less on abilities and more on meditating and knowledge. Darkrai informed Ash of the past few years of history (Ash almost fell asleep, but the information was very important, so he didn't.), and sought to strengthen his focus through the meditating.

Whilst talking, Ash asked a second question. He had been getting better on not asking as much and paying attention more, "You say that the world is controlled by Giovanni, through the power of Dark Balls and Arceus. I've heard that lesson many times by now. But is it possible for me to just go in and free Arceus? Destroy Giovanni once and for all?"

Darkrai shook his head, 'No. Giovanni is too strong. Arceus, even in his captured state, would kill you mercilessly. And I'll let you in on a little secret, Ash…' he bent closer, 'Once you stop this assassination, your goals shall be simple. Inspire hope to the other legendaries. If we were to have the others on our side, then we can step out of the shadows.'

The answer satisfied the hero, but he had one more query. "Last question, I hope. If Giovanni is so strong with Arceus on his side, couldn't he just go around capturing even more legendaries?"

The Pitch-Black Pokémon seemed to grimace, 'Giratina and I have also speculated this. However, we believe that one or two things are happening to Arceus.'

'The first idea was that Arceus, as the God of all Pokémon, would have more than just one persona. His plates are proof of that. So Giratina and I think that when Giovanni first captured Arceus, he was weak. Not so weak, mind you, as Arceus is still an immensely powerful Pokémon. But Giovanni had only captured his form, his body. With more plates, the more power Arceus will build. We fear that if Giovanni gains access to all the plates, Arceus will reach full power, and become unstoppable. Fortunately, plates are extremely hard to find.'

"How many plates do you think Giovanni has?" asked Ash.

'Five. So while Arceus is still very strong, he is not yet at his strongest.'

Darkrai continued to talk, saying, 'The second idea is that deep inside, Arceus is holding himself back, ignoring his 'trainer', so to speak. Remember, Dark Balls do not completely crush the will of a Pokémon. They can still fight back, if they are strong enough. It's like holding a gun. the bigger the gun, the more it's going to kick if you fire it.'

"Does this mean that Arceus can still be freed? Like I did with Celebi all those years ago?"

'We hope, Ash. We sincerely hope, for if not, we are already doomed.'

Two hours later, the duo returned to the house. They ate their last meal together, and Darkrai reminded Ash that tomorrow he would be on his first mission; more details would be explained the morning of.

Our favorite hero fell asleep, determined to do the job the best he could. But fearing the mistakes he would make; for even if he had done this training, he was still Ash Ketchum. Something Darkrai had reminded him to remember.

The Next Morning…

The morning had come quickly for Ash. Vivid nightmares had haunted him that night. First, there was the screaming, like the 'WHAT-THE-HELL-ARE-YOU-DOING-IN-BED-GET-UP-GET-UP-GET-UP!' from Darkrai.

Getting up, Ash quickly dressed into his clothes. First there were the dark shorts; the same ones he always used when training. Then, a blue undershirt was put on. Over that was a black jacket, which Ash could pull the hood over to conceal his face. Darkrai had not given him a hat, saying he might look too obvious if he were to wear one. He was also given a small bag to hold essentials, like a small blanket for warmth and nutritional food.

Then, there was the quick journey towards the tower. Giratina had told Ash that the assassination would be happening in a week's time. Until then, Ash had to find out as much about it as he could.

'And Ash…' Darkrai gave one last sentence to Ash, 'Remember your humanity.'

Ash understood. Now was not the time to think yourself better than others because of your powers; otherwise, he was no better than Giovanni.

Looking up at the mirrored portal, Ash reflected on the last few days. Darkrai had been a good mentor; albeit a little angry. His powers had developed. Giovanni had no idea he was alive.

But at the same time, some bad things had happened. Ash still shook from memories his brain tried to remember. The nightmares never went away, and he was still weak against any fighting-types.

Nevertheless, it was time to help humanity.

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The wind hit Ash hard. Of course, there was no wind in the Reverse World. It would put anybody off balance if they had been away from the elements for almost two weeks. But Ash quickly regained it back and prepared to Blink to the bottom of the tower.

However, Ash just had to stop and take in his surroundings; just like last time he was here. Giovanni forever changed his life, and happened to also change his hometown. Just for that, Ash would track Giovanni down and put him down.

'Get a grip on yourself, Ash' he thought, 'if you start thinking like that, Giovanni has already won. Think ahead.'

The streets were long and harrowing. He was no longer in "small, friendly Pallet Town". He wondered if there was anything that had stayed the same. Other than the houses, of course. Ash could look long and hard through Pallet Town and probably find nothing the same.

The thought depressed him.

Ignoring these thoughts, the raven-haired trainer(1) snuck through the streets, staying in the darkness and keeping away from any light source. His first target for now was Pewter City; although Darkrai had warned him to stay clear of his friends, he couldn't resist the curiosity. Besides, if he found something useful along the way, it would prove to not have been a complete waste of time…

The sun was just now rising. Ash would have to be more careful, now that there was less darkness. More and more people were peeking out of their abodes, clearly looking beat-up and worn. What did Giovanni make them do all day? Could Ash have stopped this if he had lived through Giovanni's encounter?

Ash rubbed his temples and attempted to clear his head. He didn't need any memories coming back to him now…

Flashback…

Darkrai and Ash were sitting there, unmoving, playing a blind staring contest until the other moved. Eventually, Ash cracked; he did NOT have patience as a virtue. "Darkrai, what the hell are we doing just sitting here?!"

Without even moving his body, Darkrai lashed out with his arm and suckered Ash straight in the gut. It hurt.

'Ash, we are training! You need to do better if you are to save the lives of everyone you care about. Currently, we are working on your weaknesses; patience seems to be one.' Darkrai spat out.

"A lack of patience isn't a weakness! My impulses have saved me in the past before; they will save me again! Sometimes, I think most people overthink things too much and don't have any time to go through with it." Ash countered, thinking he very smart.

But surprisingly, Darkrai merely chuckled, 'And when have I said that impulses were bad? You do seem to have a knack for getting things done; but this isn't about gut instincts. This unconventional war, between Giovanni and us, is a war of patience. The first to crack is the first to lose. I know that Giovanni is hiding something. You don't command the entire world and not have a backup plan.'

This confused Ash, "You're saying Giovanni hasn't even shown his trump card yet?"

'Yes. And you are our trump card. The most dangerous enemy is one who has patience. Don't rely on your guts alone. Sometimes, try to be patient and think things out.'

Darkrai opened his eyes and looked straight into Ash's. 'Can you promise me this, Ash?'

Eager to please his teacher, Ash nodded seriously, "Of course, Darkrai."

'Then we better keep practicing, as I believe you still need it.'

End of Flashback

Ash remembered these events very clearly. Through patience, Darkrai was able to teach Ash more effectively, and how to block out the memories. At first Ash had wondered why, in any way, would he want to block out his memories, instead of inviting them?

With time, Darkrai had explained that the more powerful a memory was the more likely he was to pass out. Passing out in the middle of a fight would not help his cause. Ash would only suppress the memory, though; it would come back for him later.

The threat of a memory passing away, Ash continued to hide through the streets. His hood concealed his face, thankfully. But Ash was doubtful if people would really recognize him or not. Only people like his mom or Prof. Oak would-

Suddenly, he stopped dead in his tracks. How could he have forgotten! He needed to check and make sure they were alive and well! Slipping off towards the opposite direction, Ash made time quickly despite going the wrong way in the first place.

Ash found himself right outside the lab. Peering through the windows, he could see the lights were off. Maybe the Professor was a late riser?

His hopes were crushed when he went to the backyard and found the corral entirely empty. There was not a single Pokémon in sight. Obviously, the Professor wasn't around.

Hopes sinking, our hero started heading towards his own house.

His own house…after almost three years…

The thought made him emotional. When he fought the grunts so his friends could escape, Ash hadn't thought of his mother! How selfish could he be? She would have worried sick when she heard the news! That is, if Brock and Dawn ever made it back…He never even figured out…

'Now is not the time to think if this, Ash!' he screamed at himself for thinking such thoughts.

There it was. His childhood home, where he came back accepted and loved no matter what he did. His first impulse was to yell out to his dear mother…but what was that Darkrai had said?

Don't blow his cover!

Ash stopped about ten feet away from his house. Out of the corner of his eye, he had seen something grey and dirty. Turning around, Ash saw a gravestone. He didn't need to use his brain to figure this one out.

Up until a few weeks ago, Ash had stayed in that miserable hole in the ground for two years. That was a long time to sit there, unmoving, not breathing…

Head hurting, Ash turned his head away from the grave. It gave him a headache thinking of his death! Not many people could say that came back from the dead. Twice. Maybe more if you counted all those …

Never mind.

The roads were now filled with people, living their day-to-day lives. How ignorantly blissful they looked, not a care in the world. Obviously, even with a tyrant ruling over them, they could still lead lives. Other than the nagging feel in the back of their minds telling them that Giovanni could kill them whenever he wanted to. Yup, totally laid-back.

For the first time in public, Ash melted into the shadows. Using his shadow travel, he was able to sneak under the patio and sneak a peek through the door…

Nothing! Not even Mr. Mime running amuck, doing his daily chores! Ash had just now realized how badly he wanted to see his mother. Tears threatened to run down his face, burdened with the guilt that he never got to come home and say hello.

'Stop it, Ash. She wouldn't want you to think this way. Go on to Pewter City. There is nothing left for you here.' his mind seemed to tell him. So Ash obliged, fearing the repercussions of ignoring his own thoughts.

Traveling back towards the gate, Ash entered the tall factory area again. It was still full of smog, and a good place to hide in darkness. While his house was a bit away from the factories, there were still more machinery than landscapes in Pallet Town. Because of this, the long alleyways could hide Pokémon and humans alike. Trash littered the ground, and separate chain-link fences were set up between the buildings. It was all an insult to the previous Pallet Town; a simple, yet beautiful , town.

A few Rocket grunts came marching past, all holding long batons and Dark Balls at their waist. Ash was prepared to slip past them when he heard a familiar voice yelling from one of the adjacent alleyways. He slipped back from shadow travel, and pressed his body against the wall.

"No, I am not confirming anything! Run away, kid, before I have Magmortar fry your face off!" Ash heard the shriek of a child, scared by the initial threat. Soon, all he could hear was the hard breathing of the familiar man.

"Stupid kid…didn't even get to bring my Pokémon out."

It was unmistakable by now. Leaning over the side of the building, Ash could see a lump of dark, purple hair. Strangely, he was wearing a Rocket Uniform; one normally worn by commanding officers.

But what surprised him most was that it was Paul.

Ash let out an involuntary gasp. What was his most venomous rival doing with Team Rocket? He might have been a bad (Well, bad in the "evil" sense…otherwise he was incredible) trainer, but that never reflected his sense of justice. An antihero…but Ash regretted the gasp as Paul turned around.

"Huh? Who's there?!" he growled. In an instant, a Pokéball was in his hand. Ash almost smiled…at least he didn't appear to have resorted to the cruel Dark Balls. Even Paul wouldn't go to those lengths to get stronger.

"An old friend," replied Ash, keeping his hood low over his face. No need to pretend he wasn't here; besides, he was curious, "and more importantly, not an enemy."

"Whoever the hell you are, you clearly don't understand our rules. Leave Team Rocket alone, boy, and you won't get hurt. Otherwise, you might end up like how that other kid was going. I've got a Magmortar with a temper!" Paul threatened.

"You think I'm scared of a Magmortar? I've seen much worse!" our hero's competitive instincts were taking over. He didn't care if the threat was truthful. Deep down, he didn't believe Paul would have the guts to actually kill him.

"Go away, you piece of crap. I don't want to write another death-report. I have enough blood on my hands as it is; don't make me add yours."

This unnerved Ash. He had been expecting the harshness of this world. But he had still misjudged the extent of it. Paul had actually commit murder?

"Why did you join Team Rocket, then, if you knew there would be murders?" Ash's question blurted out.

Paul had been about to walk away, but suddenly turned back with a ferocious look on his face, "PISS. OFF! It's not like I had a choice! Now go the hell away! I don't even know you!"

Ash decided to press his advantage, "Had to? You always have a choice! Why?"

Paul growled in frustration, and instead of answering, called out his Magmortar. Unfortunately, it was still the large and menacing Pokémon Ash remembered it to be. "Maaaag!" It's arm cannons started to glow a soft orange, growing harsher by the second.

Ash had wanted answers, but not like this. He needed to get out of here, and quickly too. He started backtracking, and said, "I guess I was wrong. You didn't have a choice. So, uh, bye." He started to run away.

"Don't even have Pokémon and you question a Rocket Officer? What kind of idiot are you? Go back home and hope we don't find you!" Paul shouted back.

This time, Ash was able to keep his competiveness in check. He didn't need to be showing off his powers just yet. Besides, he wasn't even at the caliber to face a fully-grown Magmortar yet. He ran around a corner of a factory and went into the shadow of the building. He was able to see the entrance to town from his position.

'Almost there. I'm going to have to Blink over the wall, and then Blink away as far as possible. Hopefully, no one will see me.'

After watching a truck come by and exit the town, Ash started sprinting down the road. The sun was ahead of him, making the wall's shadow extend much farther than regular. Ash figured that the guards would be tired and lazy after a night of nothingness.

When he made it to the shadow, he melted into nothing. He could've melted further away, but a moving shadow would draw attention.

Moving up the wall, he released the energy and became solid again. He Blinked as far as he could, straight into the woods. Viridian City was a couple miles away, so he would stop there and take a break. From Viridian, Pewter. Until then, he just ran. Walking was a luxury, these days.

Meanwhile…

Two people were meeting in a lone building, collapsed after a year of abandonment. The city had been hit hard after Giovanni took control, being a major city in the region. Now, it was still teeming with people. Houses and apartment complexes were still up. But factories and barracks were everywhere; the city was a port, therefore its main feature was the supply-depot, taking in goods from other regions. It was never quiet.

The room they were in was on the top floor, with large windows overlooking the city. Everything had a gray tone to it, making it feel as if it was always about to rain. Light from rising sun started coming in, lighting up a portion of the area. Cobwebs were everywhere, chairs overturned, old office desks that still had pictures of the previous owners. What wasn't broken was dusty and old. If you focused, you could even feel the floor to be slightly slanted.

The two started talking, after having their Pokémon make sure they were alone. Once satisfied, one figure started talking, "Sir, are you sure about this speech? There are many people who would want to kill you…" The voice was hushed, as if scared, and talked urgently.

A second voice rang out in the dark room. This one was fiercer, and noticeably lower. It didn't talk quietly, but it was still low enough for only the person next to it to hear, "Be quiet! The people need to know the truth. About how the Celadon S-"

The voice pleaded, "Please, sir-"

"Do not interrupt me, Brock, or I will sew your mouth shut. The speech will proceed as planned…Remember, we fight for the people. If the people are ignorant, then what purpose do we have?"

"We need to keep them ignorant! Ignorance is a blessing in a time like this! If they knew, do you know what Giovanni might do to them? Just for the truth? It is a so-called 'blight' on his history as ruler. All his talk of 'preserving the people' is a façade, everyone knows it, but it still helps his image…He doesn't want others to know of this."

The second voice snarled, growing annoyed, "You joined me, Brock, hoping to help our new world. Listen to me; I am doing what is right. I will do it without hesitation. I will do it for the greater good."

Still not satisfied, Brock asked, "I am here to advise you. We have been relatively successful thus far…with the burning of the dock, boats bombed, and the electricity shorted out…However, lately you have not listened to me. Why is that? Am I no longer faithful?"

The second voice, still somewhat hushed, retorted, "No, Brock, I trust in your judgment. What you don't know is that I have an ace card up my sleeve. Once I finish my speech, I will end it with a bang…literally."

With this, he rummaged in his coat pocket for a little, finally bringing up a small, round container. He handed it to Brock, who handled it gingerly.

"Essence of Heatran? Where did you get this?"

Essence of Heatran is not actually from Heatran. But that's what people call it since they both blow stuff to hell when lit.

"Brock. Get the teams armed with these and set them in critical points in the sewers. Have scouts patrol the halls, and make sure no one touches the explosives. Once I finish the speech, I will blow the ground from underneath us. It will send a message that we do have power in the city."

For a second Brock fingered the idea in his brain. Then he realized what would happen and said, "Do you have any idea how many people this will kill?! We don't aim for casualties!"

The other person shrugged, "Hopefully my appearance will gather enough people in the square so only Rocket patrols will be killed. You have been spreading the word, right?"

Still slightly horrified, Brock nodded, "Of course. Everyone will be waiting for the appearance of the outspoken King."

"Good. The only thing that remains in wonder is whether people will recognize me or not." King looked away, and walked into the darkness.

l

Ash was currently running through the forest. And right now, it was the best place he had been in since he 'died'.

'At least nature hasn't been touched… That much.' For parts of the forest were black and looked dead. No Pokémon were to be seen.

The sun was now far above his head. He had resorting to walking, as running a mile could get anyone tired quickly. This gave him some much-needed reflection time.

'Ever since I woke up, questions have been swirling around in my head. Being what I am would not be possible back then. Do I accept these changes with open arms? Darkrai said to "Remember my humanity"…I know what that means, but I don't understand why he would say that. I am Ash Ketchum, and always will be.'

He continued to walk through the forest. It was very nostalgic for him. The leaves, grass, and sky were all the same. He remembered how he would travel under the sky for days on end, sleeping in a sleeping bag and waiting for daylight. But this time, there were no noises. Pokémon were too scared to come out and see who came into their territory… Only an aggressive Pokémon would come and attack now.

Thinking about this made Ash mad. How dare Giovanni come and change all that was once so peaceful! This world used to be so happy, filled with carefree lives and Pokémon traveling with their partners! Just for this, Ash would personally tear out Giovanni's limbs, one by one, making his death a slow, painful and bloody-

Ash stopped walking.

What was he thinking? He didn't mean to kill Giovanni! The Rocket boss just needed to be sent to jail, and that was that. No need to get unnecessarily brutal. Why did his mind immediately go to violence? That wasn't like him.

'Is this what Darkrai meant about how certain ideas would become more appealing? Will I become a savage monster, unable to contain my lethal claws? Is this what comes with power? Is this normal?' These and more questions formed in Ash's head, making him hungry for more answers.

Ash looked around. He had been traveling for almost six hours, traversing a good bit of distance. But night was coming, and he had no intention to travel under the stars. He may part of the Pitch-Black Pokémon, but that didn't mean he wasn't scared of wild Pokémon. Besides, it would do him no good to collapse in the morning from exhaustion.

Setting up his bag in a small clearing, hidden by the large bushes, Ash found a few rocks, and then laid them out in a circle. With a lighter in his bag, he set a log on fire. Using the leaf as fuel, the sticks he gathered quickly blazed up, giving Ash a small fire.

The fire represented warmth and safety. Ash was thankful for this, as traveling alone could be unnerving. Now he wished for his old pal Pikachu…they never slept apart if they could help it.

Eating a decent meal of berries and rice, Ash eventually decided to turn in for the night. Judging by the position of the moon, he had about eight hours of sleeping time.

Our hero turned once, then fatigue took him – his last thought being of what horror would await him tonight.

He was in a pit black room. Putting his hand in front of his face, Ash could hardly even see the outline. Thunder boomed overhead, and suddenly he was soaking wet. Dark, wet, droplets were falling down. But something was off… It was thick, and soon he could no longer breathe. He started to chok, gasping for a breath.

It got worse. Now felt a burning sensation in his eyes, until it became unbearable. He no longer had control of his body. Ash flopped down on the ground, choking, unable to do anything…His eyes shut, and he started screaming, in pain, trying to end this nightmare…

He woke up. Ash's entire body was soaked, and he was shivering uncontrollably. The blanket was wet and not helping him keep warm, so he stood up and rolled it back up. The fire had long since extinguished; now it represented despair, a loss so bad it gnawed on your very being. Rain was falling, hard, but he didn't think that was the source of that salty taste in his mouth. Ash reached up with his hands, and found that he was crying.

l

By the time the sun had poked its rays through the mountains, the rain had stopped.

Ash had stayed awake the entire time, curled up next to a tree.

'It seems even the elements are against me…' he thought. The dream last night had disturbed him badly, but as Darkrai had trained him, he just shrugged it off and kept going.

With the rain, it seemed that the forest was new and alive compared to yesterday. Droplets of water were still falling off the limbs of the trees, giving it a sense that it was still raining. The mud underneath his feet was wet and slippery, and he quickly got dirty.

With sunlight coming down, Ash moved on, determined to get to Pewter City. Only now did Ash miss having a companion.

'Where is everyone?'

l

Well, yeah, there you go. Next chapter will include more action, as Ash will decide to take a detour to Viridian City. No, King is not an OC. You will discover who he is…in time.

Anyway, I hope I put enough effort into this chapter. R&R, please!

Cheers.