Chapter 6: Sacrifices

Ash was in a bit of a conflict. Giovanni turned out to be Ash's long-lost father. He returned to his life after such a length of departure. It sounded good until you realize that he's also the CEO of Team Rocket. Now you see the conflict. Now the father and son, as well as Jessie, James, Bianca, Pikachu and Meloetta faced the head of Team Plasma, Ghetsis. All were gathered at a summoning circlet to bring forth Kyurem. Meanwhile, Cynthia put the pedal to the metal, driving to rescue Ash and Cynthia from Team Rocket's grasp, completely unaware of the information that Ash and Giovanni were blood related. Cilan, Dawn, Iris and Paul joined in the chase. "We need to hurry, Cynthia!" Paul ordered.

"This is as fast as this car can go!" she fired back. "I'm doing all I can with you on board!" The blond seethed her teeth, gritting the failure of protecting Ash and the Pokémon. 'Please, Ash! Stay with us!' Back at the circlet, Ghetsis and a couple of Plasma knights were on the save level as Giovanni and his goons.

"You're not serious about summoning Kyurem," Ghetsis mocked. Giovanni stood firm, protecting who he considered his flesh and blood and the Pokémon.

"I can only guess what you're about to say," Giovanni assumed. "Being a legendary Pokémon awakened from its slumber will endure a Dragon's rage that may waste to the lands. Believe me, some of my agents have met events such as those. Don't think we've come unprepared." Ghetsis and Giovanni were in a stalemate, each calling bluffs.

"Even if you are successful in obtaining Kyurem, what do you plan to do with it?"

"If you know Team Rocket's operation, why ask such an obvious question?"

"Because sometimes obvious questions offer multiple answers. It's common sense to understand that much." Giovanni scoffed at that little retort from Ghetsis.

"Well, I suppose I could have stumbled on to that minor infraction. Since We've successfully expelled Teams Aqua, Magma and Galactic from their respected regions, you're next on my organization's hit list to help our conquest to take over the world." It was now Ghetsis who chuckled.

"Perhaps I should offer a little lesson. You see, Team Rocket and Team Plasma are rather similar; we take Pokémon from trainers. However, you keep those Pokémon you capture. We release them in our effort to divide humans and Pokémon." An interesting difference of desires: Team Rocket wanted to capture and keep while Team Plasma preferred the catch-and-release policy.

"You're doing the same thing Team Rocket is doing!" Bianca incorrectly protested. "All you wanna do is ruin lives of both trainers and Pokémon!" Ghetsis didn't approve of Bianca's outburst but didn't lose his cool.

"You're sadly mistaken, miss," he shrugged. "Plasma aims to give the Pokémon freedom from perilous failures of people." Ash had thought about the oppositions of Team Rocket and Team Plasma and how one wants to keep in a greedy fashion while the other wants to isolate Pokémon from who would ruthlessly abuse the creatures.

"It makes some sense!" he spoke up. Everyone turned to the boy. "You want to keep Pokémon safe from trainers who would abuse and harm them for their own passion. I can actually see what your ideas happen to be." To Giovanni, his son had betrayed his own father. However, there was more. "But there are some Pokémon who actually choose people to be with them. Trust me, I've met my share of Pokémon like Donphan and Meloetta. I'd rather not lose any of my Pokémon." In a sense, Ash somewhat approved the idea of separation between Pokémon and trainers that would beat up on them but also brought up that there are Pokémon who suggest people to take care of them. Ghetsis, humored greatly, laughed at the response of Ash.

"Oh my goodness! That's the best thing I've ever heard! You, little boy, are one of a kind! However, it won't change the outcome! Hydreigon, show yourself!" Ghetsis revealed his Brutal Dragon Pokémon. Hydreigon roared the call of death that even Iris sensed.

"Dragon!" she heard. Dawn and Paul turned to the Dragon Girl, wondering what Pokémon Iris heard from far away.

"You can tell?" Paul wondered. Training to be a dragon trainer, she would need to understand Dragon Pokémon.

"Yeah, we're closing in on where Ash and Bianca are!" Dawn figured. Cynthia floored the accelerator as far as it could go. They might not make it in time. Seeing Hydreigon brought Bianca's PokéDex.

"Hydreigon, the Brutal Pokémon and the evolved form of Zweilous," it computed. "Hydreigon will use the heads on its arms to attack anything that it deems an enemy." This was a dangerous Pokémon to have loose. And they thought Kyurem was considered a threat. Confident, Giovanni had a few Pokéballs on hand.

"A fool that can battle the Viridian City Gym Leader," he smirked. The surprises for Ash and Bianca continued. Not only was Giovanni the head of Team Rocket and alleged father of Ash but also a Gym Leader and presenter of the Earth Badge? What else did he do?

"When this is all over, Dad, you and I will have a match," Ash requested.

"But of course." Giovanni released Rhyperior. This got Bianca to point her Dex at the new Pokémon.

"Rhyperior, the Drill Pokémon and the evolved form of Rhydon," the Dex imputed. "By flexing its muscles, Rhyperior can fire stones at an immense speed." Ash wondered about Giovanni's plan against Ghetsis' Pokémon.

"Are you sure Rhyperior can take Hydreigon?" he concernedly questioned.

"Of course not," Giovanni doubted. "I'll protect you and Meloetta so that you can send for Kyurem." So that's Giovanni's plan. He's stalling to make sure Kyurem is brought into play. Ash remembered that Giovanni pointed out about a legendary Pokémon's wrath if forced to awaken.

"But didn't you just say that by releasing-"

"You'll be the one to save us. I've heard about that from those who've pursued you." Father felt comfortable about his son taking the new dragon for a test drive. Perhaps this was a moment for son to prove his mettle to dear old dad. As the two began to battle, Ash took control and Meloetta got to join him by the melody box. He remembered the theory about combining the song and Meloetta's singing would bring out Kyurem.

"Meloetta, we have no choice. When it starts to play, sing, okay?" Meloetta's trust to Ash was strong but even she needed to make sure Ash realized the problem with going on Giovanni's word. Time wasn't on their side as Plasma knights showed up. Jessie and James had to put aside their hate for the recently informed son of their boss. They ran interference to protect him as the Plasma knights summoned a Timburr and Amoonguss.

"Go and call Kyurem!" Jessie ordered.

"We'll take care of these weaklings!" James supported. Ash opened the box and the music was starting to play while the Rockets protected him. Just as the music began to play, Meloetta began to sing. The pitch and tone from both the music box and the Melody Pokémon were in perfect synchronization. The singing from Meloetta was almost too alluring for the Pokémon to pay attention to her than their opponents or enemies. Yamask and Jessie's Woobat fell easily but stalled the advances long enough. Sparks of lightning crackled from the circlet. Rhyperior and Hydreigon were about ready to pass out in exhaustion. The ground shook violently, making standing on the ground nearly impossible. A flash of light shot to the sky, blinding those still around. The light dimmed and there it was: Kyurem. The blue dragon Pokémon had ice around its head, wings and tail. It was a mesmerizing sight to behold. Cynthia hit the brakes and the car slid to a stop. Everyone got out of the car and Iris hopped on the hood, viewing the airborne Boundary Pokémon.

"We didn't have a chance," Dawn assumed. Cynthia had the feeling that something had to have gone wrong that they couldn't reach the circlet before the summoning.

"Kyurem!" she recognized. "It's been summoned!" Cilan and Dawn didn't like the possible outcome.

"I sense a recipe for disaster," he feared.

"And Ash just happens to be one of the ingredients," Dawn gulped...before realizing what she just said. "Thanks a lot, Connoisseur! You got me to speak like you!" Was that really important? Even Paul had to chime in on that ridiculous notice.

"Now's not the time!" he groaned. They could get back in the car and make it the rest of the way. Kyurem kept itself in the air, looking down at Ash and the Pokémon. Giovanni and Ghetsis saw Kyurem, awed at the sight and size of the legend that had been awakened.

"So, this is Kyurem," Giovanni cooed. "A lovely sight..." That's when he revealed a purple Pokéball with pink circles around an "M."

"A Master Ball?" Ghetsis noted. "You're not serious. Dragon Pulse!" Hydreigon shot a turquoise ball of energy and struck Rhyperior, knocking it into Giovanni which caused him to fumble the Master Ball. Jessie and James saw the fall of Giovanni.

"Boss!" they shouted. Ash and Bianca spun to see the floored boss of Team Rocket as Hydreigon flew over the downed Rhyperior.

"Dad!" Ash cried out. Ash had finally accepted Giovanni as his father while Kyurem gathered energy in a sky blue color covering it.

"Now, Hydreigon!" Ghetsis ordered. "Finish this with Focus Blast!" Hydreigon formed a white ball of energy and was ready to hurl it when Kyurem unleashed a humongous blast of freezing energy. Ash gathered Meloetta and Pikachu and dove out-of-the-way with Bianca behind a remain of a giant stone pillar. The blast struck almost everyone, covering each victim in a veil of static. Hydreigon's Focus Blast dissipated. Suddenly, the same blinding light shone. Kyurem started to descend back below the circlet and dragged those from his spreading attack towards the area. Ash snagged Giovanni's hand, trying to save him while Ghetsis recalled his Brutal Pokémon and retreated along with the knights.

"Hang on, Dad!" he yelled over the roaring winds. Jessie and James were quickly reeled into the light, unable to move due to the spread attack from Kyurem and vanishing. To Giovanni, this was the first time his son tried to help his dad on his own premise. It would be the only time as he decided to surrender.

"Son..." he calmly spoke. "Looks like I won't give you that match you wanted. Take care of Persian for me...and when you get home...give your mother a hug for me and yourself." Ash couldn't believe what his father chose. He opted to go into the light instead of fighting to stay on this planet. "There is something I have and will regret...and that's not watching you grow up to be a man." Ash's glove slipped off his hands from the sweat before, Giovanni's hand grasping the only piece of his son as he was guided into the pillar of white. Ash watched helplessly as his father, one he barely knew to this day, disappeared into the light. The light soon faded with Ash, one glove missing on the hand he tried to help Giovanni, looked on in deep helplessness. He was on his knees, dismayed, distraught, disbelieved. Bianca and the Pokémon came over to see Ash who was frozen in dire shock. The rest of Ash's friends finally arrived at the circlet, finding Ash in a rather stiff state.

"Ash!" Dawn called down. Ash didn't react as the rest reached the monument. Iris got to Bianca's side, making sure she wasn't harmed.

"You okay, Bianca?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'm good," Bianca replied but gazed at Ash's frozen kneel as Dawn and Cynthia made it to his side. "But Ash is..." She was worried about Ash and for good reason. Ash just watched a family member leave him...perhaps for good. Paul stood, watching the aftermath and seeing Persian paw Ash to stir him. Nothing was working. "He was just reunited with his father...only to watch him go again." Getting the news had Cilan to think that the loss of his father was heartbreaking to Ash. He had gone to tell the women.

"Back off of Ash!" he commanded. Cynthia got upset in a hurry but Cilan had his chance to finish. "He's...dealing with a loss." Just hearing the word, "loss," made the women take a few steps back. Paul was just as stunned. Ash was a trainer who preferred to throw caution to the wind when it came to battling. Hearing Bianca say that it was his father who vanished began to reflect and ponder his reaction if his brother, Reggie, was gone from his life. In a sense, everyone understood Ash's tragic dilemma. But what could anyone do to help him? Giovanni was gone, Jessie was gone, James was gone...and Meowth did nothing as he gazed a look back at the twerps he had hated...and remembered when they actually had him as a traveling companion.

"Twerp," he quietly muttered. "No...kid, you and Pikachu take care for the rest of your lives. I'm no longer a member of Team Rocket." He sundered off on a journey of his own, memories of Jessie and James replaying in his Pokémon mind. 'I'm sorry, Jessie. I'm sorry, James. I'm on my own from here on out.' The Junior Cup was right around the corner but Ash may not be able to compete, the sudden loss of his father just so recent. A very understandable excuse. What could anyone do to help console him, unable to get through his emotional shell?

TO BE CONCLUDED...