Sorry for the long gap between updates... It hasn't been that long, right...? Just basicly a year...
Sorry!
But I have my reasons (excuses), like usual. The main one is simply: Other fanfictions. My other fanfic, The Final Battle, has over 200 followers, so it was natural to focus on the story with the most fans, but eventually it just left this one in the dust... The next reason is also simple: Real life. I have family, I have school, and I just never updated.
Lastly, my lack of interest in the plot. This story was originally a rewrite of Pikachu's Revenge, but I have come a long way from that fanfiction, and no longer like much of the content that was featured in that story. So I fixed that!
This story is no longer a rewrite!
I will still be writing this story, but I will be now be vastly diverging from the plot line I set up in PR. So the whole idea of "Ash abandoning Pikachu" probably won't happen, and Grace probably won't be making an appearance here anymore. It WILL still contain many plot points though, such as the prophecy, aura, Riley's character, and other major things, but this story won't be a guaranteed rewrite. Differences will happen. Because I'm the author and I say so.
Okay, so now that's over, enjoy the longer needed chapter six! (If you guys are still there after all this time...)
If Ash had to choose one word to describe the memory, it would be boring.
Not much had happened since Cobalion had left the boy and the Pichu, (Who Ash assumed were the same boy and Pichu in the story that Riley had been telling him.) Nearly an hour had past, and the Pokemon and human were still out cold.
Sir Aaron stood not far off, watching the unconscious duo with fascination, almost with reverence. Ash saw no one else, but he could... could sense presences around them. Sometimes Ash could hear whisperings, but he could never locate the presences.
He asked Sir Aaron about them. The ancient aura guardian called them 'others'. When asked for further explanations all he got was, 'Lesser beings trapped within the psyche. No concern of yours. Now watch lad, or else you'll never learn.'
All Ash had learned was that he did not have the patience for this.
Ash closed eyes, trying to sense more of these "others". The whispering seemed to solidify into words when he concentrated...
'Frigus ... Sola ...Ubi es ...?' The words were not in a language that Ash knew. Eventually he gave up on trying to listen. The voices sounded sad and foreign. Listening to them made Ash tired and empty.
'Ah,' Sir Aaron said after sometime of being silent. Ash opened his eyes, looking in the direction Sir Aaron was gazing. The Pichu and boy had finally awakened. Ash quickly stepped forward, trying to get a better view.
"Fulgur, ubi sumus?" The boy asked, speaking in the same tongue as the voices Ash had heard.
"Pichu chu!" The Pichu said, shrugging. Ash noticed that it looked slightly different from the Pichus he was use too. Instead of a bright yellow fur, he had a golden-tan color. His eyes were a sharp copper, full of surprise and caution as they looked around.
"Quomodo nos terminus sursum hic?" The boy cocked his head, looking up at the Tree of Beginnings, then around at the field. Surrounding the tree and the duo was a large, natural stone cliff-like wall. Ash assumed that Cobalion had climbed over it, but he doubted that the boy and Pokemon could pull off the same task.
'What are they saying?' Ash asked quietly to Sir Aaron, since he seemed to understand the language. In reply Sir Aaron grabbed Ash's shoulder, and the boy's words seemed to untangle. He still heard the strange language, but the meaning seemed to come to Ash's mind.
"Chu!"
"Yes," The boy replied, "This is not desert. I don't understand how we got here," The boy's hand went to his shoulder, unslinging a bow. There were seven arrows left in his quiver, he drew one, notching it into his bow, "If we are careful perhaps we could go to the tree-rock. We could climb and look for way around cliffs," The boy's words didn't seem steady.
"Pi," Pichu said, slinking into the grass, heading towards the Tree. The boy followed after it, keeping an eye all around. Ash couldn't help notice that the boy kept glancing at the Pichu, like it could turn and attack him at any moment.
'Does the boy have a name?' Ash asked. Riley had never called the boy anything. Sir Aaron glanced down at Ash cooly, with that same look people would give someone interrupting a movie. Ash lowered his head, those blue eyes seemed to bore into him.
'The legends call him "Alpha", while the Pichu was called "Omega", but those titles they earned and were given to them by Mew. Their original names are lost to history,' Sir Aaron explained. The corner of Ash's mouth twitched, he found it strange that someone from his history lessons was talking about history.
'Omega? That's a lowly title,' Ash said, frowning.
Aaron shook his head, 'First and last, alpha and omega. Everything in the world lies between these two things. They protect the world from harm, they protect everything between them. Come now, or else we shall lose them,' Sir Aaron set off at a brisk pace, following the boy and Pichu. Ash sighed, if they were in a memory did they really have to walk? 'The psyche is just as vast as our world, even bigger. It mirrors the thoughts of our world, so it is natural that it would take on qualities of our world,' Sir Aaron explained as if reading Ash's thoughts, 'Now keep up.'
That was an order. Ash sighed again, he supposed that Sir Aaron had held a high level of power during his time and was used to giving comands. Ash increased his speed, falling into a step behind Sir Aaron as they followed the duo ahead of them. They came closer to the Tree, which was towering over them, higher than ever.
"AARRTIII" A loud screech echoed overhead. Everyone's gaze turned skyward, and they could see a large white shape flying at them. The boy and the Pichu scattered as the creature swooped at them. The creature rose, talon's empty, but was wheeling around for another attack.
'An Articuno!' Ash cried at the sight of the legendary, though this one had much lighter colored feathers than the one he and Charizard had defeated once.
'It guards the Tree,' Sir Aaron explained, watching the scene with awe. Ash frowned, he had thought that the legendary golems did that.
"Lightning!" The boy cried, aiming his bow. The Pichu jumped out of the grass as the ice bird swooped low again. The mouse released electricity from his cheeks, shocking the bird. It didn't seem to do anything to the Articuno, but the ice type rose up into the air again, waiting to come around again, "Lightning, try to hit it again! Try to get it slow, then I will shoot!"
"Chu!" The Pichu said, sending another electric attack up into the air. It hit the Articuno, but once again the ice type seemed unaffected. Ash shook his head, Charizard was fully evolved and one of his strongest Pokemon, and he could barely beat an Articuno with a type advantage. This little Pichu wouldn't stand a chance.
'Underestimating the founders of aura, are you?' Sir Aaron asked without looking away from the battle, 'Shame to see a younger generation losing faith.'
Ash turned to face Sir Aaron, despite the Articuno diving once more, 'Okay, are you reading my thoughts or something?'
Aaron shook his head, 'You are poorly trained in aura, aren't you boy? We are in the psyche, a realm of thoughts. We aren't physically here, but our aura and memories are. I am simply communicating on another level, and I am able to see your thoughts because of your lack of skill of guarding your mind. Now watch.'
The boy released his arrow from the bow, and the arrow sped through the air. The head pierced the Articuno's wings, causing the bird to let out a loud screech as scarlet blood spread across its wing. Ash covered his mouth, feeling sick. The boy and the Pichu on the other hand didn't even seem to notice. The small electric type used the moment to fire a Thunder Wave, paralyzing the mighty bird. The Articuno lost control over her flight as the paralysis took over, and she crashed into the ground.
"Lightning, hit it now with your thunder body!" The boy cried, and Ash only found himself confused at the boy's wording. The Pichu charged forward, his whole body becoming surrounded in a power electric current. Ash immediately recognized the attack as Volt Tackle, the most powerful electric attack the Pichu line could learn.
The Pichu slammed into the fallen Articuno as the boy notched another arrow. Ash cringed, knowing that humans and Pokemon were at war in this time, but he still didn't want to watch this. The boy pulled back his bow, aiming, but before he could let the arrow fly the Articuno rose to her feet, glaring at her attackers. Her uninjured wing gleamed with metallic energy, and she slashed at the Pichu with a Steel Wing. The boy gritted his teeth, withdrawing his aim, obviously not wanting to hit the electric type with his arrow.
Pichu groaned as he was sent flying back with the attack. Steel type moves may have not been very effective on him, but the sheer force of the attack had been more than enough. Even with an arrow in her wing, the Articuno spread her wings, rising up into the air once more. She lacked the same speed as before due to the Thunder Wave, but the mighty Ice Beam she released towards the boy was enough to show she was far from down.
"Chu!" Pichu cried as the Ice Beam came at the boy. The Pichu released a desperate Thunderbolt at the Ice Beam, shattering the ice into thousands of shards right before the attack reached the boy. He stood there, stunned, as the Pichu wheeled around, releasing one more Thunderbolt up at the Articuno. She let out a cry, but only rose higher into the air, ready to come back around. The Pichu huffed, then raced towards the boy, "Chupi pi chu chu?"
The boy stared at it as it came towards him, "Lightning... You saved me?" The boy seemed stunned by this, even though they had been fighting side by side this whole time.
The Pichu stopped short, "Chu?"
"Lightning... We no longer in desert, if I had died it wouldn't matter- you don't need me anymore," The boy said slowly, "Ice bird surely would have taken your side, yet you protected me," He cocked his head, "Why?"
The Pichu sat still, as if trying to figure out why as well, then he pricked his ears in alarm. The Pichu spun around, cheeks sparking, the Articuno was still coming.
The boy re-aimed his bow at the legendary, letting an arrow fly as the bird came at them in a steep dive. The arrow whizzed past the Articuno's head, missing by only a foot. The boy let out a curse, then turn and ran while Pichu took off with a Quick Attack. The Ice Beam blasted where he and the boy had been before, covering the ground with ice.
"Chu!" The Pichu cried, firing one more Thunderbolt. The Articuno only cringed, firing another Ice Beam. The attack hit the small Pichu in the chest, launching him back.
"Lightning!" The boy cried, and he fired an arrow, which lodged itself in the Articuno's leg. She let out an ear piercing shirek, and Ash's hands flew up to cover his ears, but it made no difference.
'Heh,' Aaron chuckled, 'That won't work here, lad.'
"Pichupi!" Pichu whimpered, trying to get the ice off his chest. The boy jogged towards the mouse as the Articuno nipped at her leg, trying to get the arrow out. She plucked it out, taking several feathers with it. The ice type glared down, letting out one more Ice Beam. The boy dropped his bow, running and scooping up the Pichu, rolling out of the way of the Ice Beam. They huffed, trying to catch their breaths, and the boy quickly released the Pichu.
"... Just returning the favor..." The boy muttered, looking up at the sky. The Articuno was flying up once more, obviously getting ready to come back around, "Lightning," He panted, "We won't defeat ice bird like this. An arrow might take it out if it lands in heart or head, but I can't get good shot. Your lighting power is strong, but not enough on its own. I have plan."
"Chu?" Pichu asked as the boy reached for his fallen bow, eyes still glued to the sky.
"When ice bird comes down we avoid ice attack, then it will swoop low. Then I will fire arrow at it. When I do you fire your lightning, but at my arrow. When arrow hits the bird will be lightninged and shot. Perhaps that will defeat it," The boy explained. Ash strained his ears, trying to make sense at the poorly worded plan. It seemed the boy wanted to shoot an electrified arrow at the Articuno.
Pichu cocked his head, thinking, then got the same look in his eyes as Ash's Pikachu at the height of the battle, "Pi!" He cried, nodding. His cheeks were sparking, then took off across the valley with a Quick Attack. The boy reached for his fourth arrow, notching it in his bow.
"Cuno!" The Articuno screamed, coming down in a steep dive, both wings in a Steel Wing attack. The arrow in her wing had been tossed a side, only leaving a trail of scarlet blood covering her body.
The boy threw himself to the side as she came at them, and the Pichu released a Thunderbolt. The Articuno landed on the ground, snarling. The Pichu came darting forward with a Quick Attack-speeded-Volt Tackle, slamming into the Articuno's side. He faded back into the grass, slinking away as the Articuno tried to locate her attacker.
The boy quickly used the moment while she was distracted, falling back while trying to get a clear shot. The Articuno opened her wings, ready to get back into the air.
"Lightning!" The boy cried as the Articuno rose into the air, and she turned towards the boy as he yelled. He let the arrow fly, and a burst of electrical energy surged up from the field, surrounding the arrow. The projectile hissed through the air, soaring right at the Articuno's chest.
The bird's eyes went wide as the arrow pierced her chest, and she froze. Literally.
As soon as the arrow hit her heart, the Articuno began to change. Feathers turned to a gleaming ice starting at the chest. Not her simply her being incased in ice, but her whole being going from flesh and bone to a transparent-icy silhouette. The Articuno-shaped ice form fell to the ground, shattering into thousands of shards of ice.
The boy stood there for a moment, stunned and huffing, then a small grin spread over his face.
"We did it!" He cried, "Lightning- we did it!"
"Chu!" The Pichu cheered, darting towards him with a Quick Attack. A broad smile lined both of their faces as they hiked towards where the Articuno had fallen.
The ice had all melted away by the time they had reached the spot, but lying in the muddy remains laid three objects. The bent arrow that had slain the Articuno, a pure white feather, and a icy blue orb.
Ash stared at the orb as the boy picked it up, 'I- I've seen that before!' Ash cried, 'In the Orange Islands! It was on the island with Articuno- in my time!'
Aaron studied the orb, 'It is the remains of the legendary, the host for its soul.'
Ash watched as the boy and the Pichu picked up the feather and the arrow, then turned, heading towards the Tree. Ash wondered if the memory was over, but he got his answer as Sir Aaron followed the duo. Ash let out a long sigh, then trailed after them half heartedly.
'Interesting,' Aerin mused, 'His aura rejects yours. At least it does in this state.'
Riley sat up, growling. A small trail of blood dripped from the back of head. He quickly stood up, ignoring the Lucario, and stormed back toward Ash's convulsing body. Another wave of aura came at Riley, but he formed a glowing blue rod in his hands. He sliced it in front of him, parting the aura attack.
The glow around his hands lit up, but now it was a deep red. Riley placed the hands on Ash's forehead, and the spasms suddenly stopped, and a red light began to glow around Ash.
'What are you doing?' Aerin cried in alarm, rushing towards the aura guardians, and she pulled Riley off of Ash, but the red glow around Ash didn't fade, 'What did you do to him?!'
"That's better," Riley muttered. Aerin still had a grip on his upper arm. She formed a Bone Rush in her paws, jabbing one end under her trainer's neck.
'What. Did. You. Do.' Aerin snarled, revealing her sharp canine teeth.
Riley seemed unconcerned by her aggressiveness, "You're the one that said to do something, so I did. I transferred his aura. Temporarily of course," Aerin opened her mouth to say something, "To the psyche, before you ask. And no, it won't hurt him. Maybe he'll actually learn something."
'Or maybe he'd learn something if you had actually taken the time to teach him!' Aerin screamed through her aura.
Riley pushed the Bone Rush off of his neck, standing up. He jerked his arm out of his Lucario's grip, glaring at her, "He's not my responsibility."
'Yes he is!' She screamed as he turned, 'And maybe you should actually do something about it!'
He wheeled around to face her, "You keep telling me to do something, yet you get upset whenever I do! What exactly do you want me to do?!"
Aerin gritted her teeth, 'Tell him the truth. Tell Ash the freaking truth! No vague hints or long stories around it, tell him everything!'
Trainer and Pokemon glared at each other for a moment, neither backing down. After several minutes Riley turned away.
"Go get Penny," He simply said.
Aerin let out a snarl, then spun sharply on her heel, heading towards the cave door.
All Latin is from Google Translate, so if it is wrong then sorry! Here's the translations I got though:
Frigus - Cold
Sola - Alone
Ubi es - Where are you?
Fulgur ubi sumus - Lightning, where we are?
Quomodo nos terminus sursum hic - How did we end up here?
Don't worry, this whole "trip to the psyche" won't last forever. While Alpha and Omega (The boy and the Pichu), do face all the legendary birds, I won't make you guys read all that (or me write all that!), I'll be cutting straight to the important part of the memory, then Ash will regain consciousness, then the plot will be fully underway!
Also, since you guys had to wait so long for an update, you guys can choose Ash's main team for the story! So which of his Pokemon would you like Ash to have in this story?
