(A/N): Ah, I see everybody is enjoying the way the story is going so far. Good, good...
Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon.
A Whisper in the Wind
Chapter 6
Misty and the others rushed through the forest, desperately trying to catch up with the tank, but to no avail. The vehicle had too much of a head-start before the barrier disappeared, and Ash's signal was getting weaker and harder to follow with every passing minute. They didn't even know what Giovanni wanted with Ash and Ho-oh. The situation just seemed hopeless to Misty.
But we've gotten through hopeless situations before, right? Only…Ash always seems to be the one who sets things right. Now, he's the one in need of help…Oh, Ash, hang on, please…
He was so exhausted…drained…ugh, it took forever just to lift a finger. Being constantly sapped of your strength was no picnic, that was for sure. It was pointless to fight back or raise his power, that would just cause him to get even more hurt. But he couldn't just sit here and do nothing…no, that wasn't his way. Then again, when had he been acting like himself these days? A small, emotionless chuckle escaped his lips at that thought, he was only a shell of his former self. All his hopes, dreams, ideals…they had vanished in a flurry of crimson and gold, never to be seen again.
He winced as his body self consciously tapped into more of Ho-oh's power, causing the machine to suck his energy at a higher rate. He wished he could stop it all, but it was hopeless, he was stuck. The machine would constantly suck his energy, draining him until his body could take no more, then it would reflexively raise his energy levels, causing the pattern to spread over more of his body. If the machine sensed more energy, it would start draining him at a faster rate, letting the process begin anew. He was stuck in a cycle of torture and pain, and there was nothing he could do to stop it…until the pattern completely covered his whole body. Then he would be at the peak of power…but his body would no longer be able to handle the constant drainage. That would leave him weak, in perfect condition to be used for whatever Giovanni had planned…but what was he planning?
Please, Misty, if you know what's best for you, please, stay away…oh, who am I kidding? That redhead is too stubborn for her own good…
Strangely, there was a small part of him who was happy about that.
"Alright everybody, looks like it's time for the good ol' Pika Illusion."
The group were hiding in a clump of bushes just outside a Rocket Base. This one looked like it was a top secret lab, seeing that it was in a remote location, among the trees of the forest surrounding Pallet.
"What are you talking about, Pikachu?" questioned Max.
"Look at your hands." Max did so and almost screamed, quickly biting his tongue before he could do so. He couldn't see his body!
"It's a little trick Ash and I can do. Creating illusions is one of our specialties when it comes to sneaking into places. From now on, I'll be talking to you mentally. If you want to respond back, just direct your thoughts towards me. Got it?" Everyone hesitated for a bit, then nodded slowly. "Good." How Pikachu could see them nod, they would never know. "Listen, they've confiscated Ash's Pokemon, and are holding them in a storage room. Normally, they would be performing tests on them, but due to their unknown power levels, they are keeping them out of the way until their initial objective is complete."
"And what is this 'initial objective' you're talking about?" questioned Misty, who dreaded the answer.
"Most likely something to do with Ash and his…feathery friend."
"Why did I see that coming?"
Ignoring Misty's interruption, Pikachu continued. "I can also sense…something else. Something that…just doesn't seem right."
"W-what do you mean, Pikachu?" asked May, who was starting to tremble.
"I…I don't know. All I can feel is pure evil energy. We have to get Ash out of there before they do whatever they're planning to do! I just know it has something to do with that evil energy. I just know it!" Everybody froze at that statement, fearing the worst. Pikachu, who was watching the door closely, waited and waited, for the perfect moment to sneak in.
"Now, guys. Now!"
"Pokeballs secure?"
"Yup Pikachu, got them."
"Good job, Brock. Illusion up!" Pikachu cast it's spell, making imaginary Pokeballs appear in the empty slots where Ash's Pokeballs used to be. "Now I just have to delete that security camera footage…" Pikachu ran up the wall, and sent a small spark into the camera, causing it to short-circuit for a few seconds before returning back to normal. "Quick, we have to get to Ash!"
Ash winced as the pattern inched farther and farther up his skin. It had already covered nearly his whole face, all it needed to do was connect with his eyes…then Giovanni could do whatever he was planning to do. Something wasn't right about that guy, last time Ash had a run in with him, he wasn't nearly as evil as he was now. There was something else at work here, something more…wicked. There was no trace of good in this…force or whatever it was. He knew that Giovanni was just a puppet. Whatever it was, it was preying on Giovanni's desires to get its way. The question was…who was controlling the strings?
His thoughts were interrupted by a crashing sound from the door, followed by a mixture of voices.
"It's Ash!"
"There he is!"
"Quick, we have to get him out of here!"
"G-guys?! You have to leave here, right now!" he cried out to them. His pleas fell on deaf ears. Everybody except one person had gone to the machines, trying to find a release code to free Ash from his clutches. Misty, on the other hand, had walked straight up to Ash to try and beat some sense into him.
"Ash, do you really think we would leave you behind after all we've been through?"
"You don't understand. Giovanni's not the one behind this. He's being manipulated! There's something bigger at work here, something that could destroy us all!"
"So what? You're our friend, Ash. We can't just leave you here!"
Ash chuckled at that last statement, and his eyes reverted back to the deep, emotionless void, scaring Misty. "I don't understand. Why would you want to save someone…who's already dead?"
"I…I don't know what you mean…what do you mean by…'dead'?"
"Misty, I've been dead for the last ten years."
"W-what?"
"My body was unable to handle the power of Ho-oh's spirit when it first entered it, all of its systems were overloaded, because it was too much to handle. The only reason I am still able to walk and talk is because Ho-oh sends its power through my corpse and constantly regenerates it. In reality, I'm just…one of the living dead. Once Ho-oh leaves, I will no longer be able to 'live' the way I am now.
"My spirit has locked itself away, so that I won't endanger anybody close to me. If Giovanni or whatever else is after me found out about my…former friends…they would destroy them all to get to me. I couldn't let that happen.
"So what you see now is only a shell of what I used to be. There is no me left, Mist."
Misty almost fell apart, but remembering what Pikachu had told her, she quickly pulled herself back together. "That's nonsense! You're still in there, Ash, and I'm going to find you if it's the last thing I do!"
Ash smiled to himself and muttered, "Same stubborn redhead…"
"WHAT?!"
"Nothing, nothing…" Leaning back and relaxing against the blood-red shield, he winced as the machine sapped away the rest of his energy, causing the pattern to advance further…and complete itself.
Ash was now at the peak of power, which meant that the machine could now strike him with its hardest shot. And it did.
This pain was much worse than the others. It felt like white-hot knives were constantly piercing his skin, stabbing him and then pulling themselves out. With every knife pulled out, it took a piece of his energy with it. It was as if his whole body was being torn apart, bit by bit, just like the way he had shredded the lotus at the lakeside. Salty tears cascaded down his face, stinging his wounds and making more pain, which caused more tears. The pain wouldn't stop, he couldn't stop it, he felt so helpless, and full of sorrow. Please…stop, just make it all stop, just disappear… His eyes turned onto his friends, who had similar looks on their faces as they tried their best to stop the machine…and then he saw Misty. Her eyes seemed to pierce through his sorrow and calm him…and yet agitate him at the same time. He couldn't let her be here, she had to get away, just get away, before she had to go through the same thing. Please, Mist, just leave, get out, get away, please…
Those were his last thoughts before everything went black.
Misty cried out Ash's name as he slumped against the field and ceased to struggle. She tried to get to him, but at that moment, metal bars suddenly surrounded her and her friends, trapping them just inches away from the blood red prison. Pikachu tried to fire an attack at the cage, but it rebounded and struck him, hard. Everybody banged on the cages, trying to wake Ash up, but their efforts were futile.
At that moment, Giovanni, or rather a hologram of Giovanni, appeared in front of them. Now that he was so close, they could see his eyes, they seemed to be glazed over, as if he was not fully there. However, his laugh was still cold and piercing, and it made chills run down everyone's spine.
"Now, that your friend has been restrained, he shall be fit to be used for our needs. By infusing him with the proper energy, he shall become a slave to our cause, just as Mewtwo once was. We were particularly lucky to capture Ho-oh in this form, since he shares the body of a human-"
"-he gains the weakness and limits that a human body has," completed Pikachu in a monotone, still recovering from the near-deadly blow.
"Hmph. So the rat can talk. Maybe we'll put you and your Pokemon kind up for experiments and tests once this program is complete."
"We'll never bow down to you, you scum of the earth!"
Giovanni's hologram chuckled darkly. "We'll see, little rat. We'll see."
The hologram disappeared, and the force field containing Ash started to sink through a hole opening up in the floor, taking Ash with it. The hollering and banging began once more, desperately trying Ash to wake up.
Before he disappeared completely from sight, Misty saw his eyes open and close for a brief instant, and her heart ached at what she saw.
They were a chocolate-brown color, dimmed with salty tears and a plea for forgiveness echoing from their depths.
Ash's eyes opened to be met with a bright red liquid surrounding his whole body. When he tried to move, he found he couldn't, his muscles seemed to be completely paralyzed from pain, and all his energy seemed to be drained. Needles were piercing his skin here and there, reminding him of the sensation of the force field as it sapped away his energy. These needles were connected to wires, which seemed to be forcing a new energy in his body. This energy was acting like a parasite, it was trying to consume him and leave nothing left behind, it was dark…much too dark.
Going into his mindscape, he came face to face with a dark cloud, teeming with demonic energy. This was the energy he had sensed around Giovanni before, he just knew it! Taking a defensive stance, he faced the cloud. A deep voice emanated from the cloud, chilling, demonic, and laced with malicious intent.
"Give up your body to me now, and you will not have to suffer any more pain."
"I would rather die than give up my body to you!"
"So be it, foolish mortal."
A struggle ensued, both sides trying to dominate the other, but it was a one-sided fight. Ash was much too weakened to even put up much of a fight, and he was soon enveloped by the dark mist.
At the same time that happened, his heart stopped, his body went limp, and he was left helpless as darkness began to spread through his veins…
end of chapter 6
So...things aren't looking too good. We'll have to wait until the next chappie to see what happens...
