Hello Again everyone! Hope you all liked last chapter. Also, the USA won the World Cup! It was about time. Also, Back to the Future turns 30. Really good movie. Now, let's answer some reviews that I haven't answered already through PM.
Guest: Thanks for the comparison. I'll see what I can do about doing it more often.
On Glaceon, no, she will not defect. Mainly due too one of May's other Pokemon defecting, and I just don't have use for her. If a Pokemon defects, it's for a reason that will have impact later.
MLPEGMLPCool: Ok, yes I did. My bad. That was a typo. He is a Geninja. I messed up.
23StellaOrgana: All legendaries are in this story. Whether they speak or not, remains to be seen. On the subject of Diancie and Hoopa, I can make them sisters, sort of. Technically, all the legendaries are related, and Arceus is the mother.
007: I whole heartedly agree. Good Talk.
Ok, now that that's taken care of, on with the story!
WARNING: THIS CHAPTER INCLUDES SELF-HARM AND SUICIDE!
Previously, on The Fire Within...
Ash and friends thought they made it out, and they were right, though it looks like they have another problem.
"We're blasting off again!" Ash heard Jessie and James yell.
"But we were on the good side this time!" Meowth yelled in irritation.
"Crap!" Ash cursed, "Trip, Catch Jessie, I got James!"
"Rodger!" Trip called from his Unfezant. He positioned himself where Jessie would land right on Unfezant. Ash did the same with James. It was a little bit of a rough landing, but it succeeded. Though there was still one more problem.
"Hey, What about us?!" Meowth yelled, who along with Pumpkaboo and Inkay, were still in the blasting off process.
"Inkay, return!" James yelled, returning Inkay.
"Pumpkaboo, return as well!" Jessie copied.
"That's all fine and dandy. Now what about Meowth!?" Said Pokemon yelled. He was beginning to descend.
Ash was in a predicament. There was no more room on the flyers, as all 4 could only carry two. So, that left one option, and Meowth probably won't like it.
"Forgive me, Meowth." Ash said to himself, pulling out an empty pokeball.
(Insert Theme Song here. Fight Song by Rachel Platten.(1))
High above Pallet Town, Kanto, Present Time
"Forgive me, Meowth." Ash said to himself, pulling out an empty pokeball.
"Meowth! Let yourself be caught, we will catch you! Pokeball, go!" He shouted.
"Really?! That's the best thing you could come up with?! Meowth shouted. However, when he looked down, it all of sudden wasn't such a bad idea.
The Pokeball hit it's mark. As soon as the ball closed, Charizard flew under it and Ash grabbed it from the sky. The pokeball was still wobbling. The 4 flyers hovered for a moment in anxiety to see if it worked.
Finally, there was a ding, signifying Meowth's capture.
"Yes! I caught Meowth!" Ash celebrated.
"(Yay! A new friend, sort of.)" Pikachu chimed in from Ash's bag. Though it sounded like 'Pi-Pikachu, chu.'
"You know he's probably going to scratch you when he comes out again, right?" James pointed out. Ash's smile turned into a worried look.
"Note to self, waer leather on face when letting Meowth out." Ash made a mental note. The Eight trainers fly off to places unknown.
The Next Day
The group has now been flying for a few hours, trying to find a place to settle down so they could train. However, they couldn't reach an agreement. Their argument was interrupted however by a Pokemon.
"Ash!" It called telepathically.(2)
Ash looked to see who was calling his name.
"Can it be?" Ash asked himself
Professor Oak's Lab, Just after Team Rocket's blastoff
"We're blasting off again!" Ash heard Jessie and James yell.
"But we were on the good side this time!" Meowth yelled in irritation.
That left only 3 Pokemon, Gary's Blastoise and Umbreon and Brock's Steelix, versus 7, Misty's Gyrados, May's Blazkien, Drew's Flygon, Cilan's Pansage, Iris' Excadrill, Delia's Mr. Mime, and Dawn's Piplup. Unless you can't count, you would know that that's very bad odds.
"(Think we should drop the act now?)" Glalie asked.
"(It be rude not to.)" Swellow replied.
"Hey, Swellow, guys!" Tracey called out. "Think you can help us finishing these the idiots off?"
"(Sure, we'll finish off the idiots.)" Torterra replied sassily.
Suddenly, a barrage of attacks, including but not limited to Ice Beam, Razor Leaf, Aerial Ace, Gunk Shot, and Stone Edge, hit the traitor's Pokemon. Thereby, causing them to faint right there and then. This also earned Ash's Pokemon, that apparently played Tracey like a fiddle, twelve shocked looks from trainer and Pokemon alike. The traitors were first to recover.
"Return!" The Seven called out.
"Why are we caring anymore? Ash is gone, so the job is done. Let's bail." Drew proposed. Everyone silently agreed as they exited back into the lab en route back to Delia's house.
Meanwhile, Brock and Gary were still processing what just happened.
"Ok, so apparently, these Pokemon betrayed Ash, but attacked the traitors. Anything I'm missing?" Brock asked all of them.
"(Swellow, mind telling them through the translator in the lab?)" Torterra asked.
"(Not at all.)" Swellow replied. He began flying around Brock and Gary and flew into the lab. The two trainers got the hint.
One Explanation later
"So let me get this straight," Gary clarified, "the Pokemon that are outside right now only pretended to betray Ash in an attempt to buy him some time to escape because Bulbasaur foresaw this event through fanfiction, right?"
"(Well, you saying it like that makes it sound ridiculous. However, yes, that's basically what went down.)" Swellow replied.
"So, what are you going to do now?" Brock asked.
"(Hang here at the lab. Ash said he'd drop by from time to time so we can keep up with the training that the rest are doing.)" Swellow answered. Brock checked his watch.
"Well, I don't know about you Gary, but I have to get back to Pewter. I only took today off." Brock said.
"Alright, good luck. I'll keep you posted about Ash, if he contacts." Gary replied.
"I'll do the same for you." Brock replied, shaking the younger Oak's hand. After that, he was off to continue his Pokemon doctor training. It was then that Professor Oak decided to come down.
"Gary, Why does the corral look like a battlefield? Why are half of Ash's Pokemon gone, and speaking of him, where is he?" Oak asked.
Gary and Swellow facepalmed, or facewinged in Swellow's case.
"Swellow..." Gary started.
"(I'm on it.)" Swellow interrupted.
Another explanation later..
Profesor Oak was experiencing an emotion he hadn't felt in a long time, pure anger. He was currently marching down to the Ketchum house to give the traitors, or if they weren't there, Delia, a piece of his mind. Gary decided to tag along. He had returned Blastoise, but Umbreon wanted to stay out.
"Of all the rotten things.." Oak muttered. He reached the Ketchum house and shockingly, the door was unlocked. Something's not right here. Gary, Umbreon, and the Professor ran in the house to find the women.
"Delia!" Oak yelled. Suddenly. He stepped on something, or more accurate, someone. When Oak looked down, the image would haunt him for the rest of his life.
There, lying on the ground, was a passed out Mr. Mime, and a dead Delia Ketchum.(3)
Flashback: After the battle, on the route between Oak's lab and Ketchum House
Clemont did not like running, not at all.
"Why did we have to run?" Clemont asked himself. Suddenly, he came up to Drew and the other traitors walking back.
"Hey guys, what I miss?" Clemont asked.
"You missed getting our butts handed to us. Where were you?" Misty asked, agitated.
"Would now bad time to tell you that I'm pretty much the worst runner you'll ever meet?" Clemont asked sheepishly.
"Whatever, let's just walk back to the house." May moved everyone along.
Delia and Dawn were lagging in the back, pondering. Delia looked ready to break down, and not just because she was carrying a passed out Mr. Mime on her shoulders.
"Why did I do this?" Delia asked herself a little to loudly.
"Wait, you were forced to do this as well?" Dawn asked.
'I'm not the only one.' Dawn thought, relieved.
"You were too?" Delia double checked.
"Yes, I was, but let's not talk about it yet. Wait till we're alone." Dawn said.
"Alright." Delia replied.
Later, at the Ketchum House
"Thanks for your help Mrs. Ketchum, Dawn." Drew "thanked". The traitors decided to get going so they could get back to their journeys.
"Get out of my house." Delia said venomously. That's exactly what the traitors did.
Delia turned to Dawn.
"What did they threaten you with?" Delia asked.
"My Pokemon, they would be harmed." Dawn responded.
"Same." Delia replied.
"Will you be ok?" Dawn asked.
"I don't know, maybe." Delia replied.
"Look, Mrs. Ketchum, I will find Ash, and when I do, I will explain everything. I'll hopefully get him to forgive you." Dawn vowed.
"Thanks Dawn." Delia thanked.
"No need to thank me." Dawn replied, "I'm going to leave today to find him. Be careful, ok?"
"I will." Delia responded as Dawn shut the front door. As soon as the door was shut, Delia began writing on a piece of paper.
Back to the Present
Professor Oak is now reading the exact same paper. It read:
'To Whomever finds this,
I have done a terrible thing. I have betrayed my own son, just because I wasn't strong enough to defend myself. Dawn said she would find Ash and beg his forgiveness, but I know the truth. He won't believe her. We were to convincing, I know it. Even if Ash does believe Dawn, he'll still be disappointed in me for not defending myself. I can't live with myself after what I've done. This is why I've decided to die. Ash doesn't love me anymore, and never will again. Everyone will hate me for something I was forced to do. I don't want it to happen. Arceus, get ready, because I'm coming.
Goodbye Forever,
Delia Ketchum
"Gary, call 911! Delia's injured!" Oak shouted. Gary did just that, though it was too little too late.
Hall of Origin, Day after betrayal
"Lady Arceus, why did we not interfere with the Chosen One's mother?" Xerneas, the Creation Pokemon, asked.
"Death is in the circle of life, my child, sadly, Delia chose to end it herself and not wait for me to decide. Plus, we don't interfere in those affairs unless the fate of the world is at stake." Arceus replied.
"Well, I'm not complaining." Yveltal, the Destruction Pokemon gave his two cents on the conversation.
Arceus now had several reflecting pools going. One following Dawn, One following the Oaks, one for each traitor, one for Ash and co, and one following a young Riolu who ,from what Azelf could gather, needed to find Ash.
With May
May had gotten Blazkien healed up and was now taking a break on their way to Vermillion en route to Hoenn to prepare for the upcoming contest season.
May had let all her Pokemon out for lunch.
All of her Pokemon were gobbling down their food. All except one, Blazkien.
'Why did May order me to attack Ash. I know he has Sceptile since I didn't see him in the corral, and now Ash is gone. I may never see Sceptile again.' Blazkien realized.
You see, back in Hoenn, Blazkien had fallen for Sceptile when she was a Combuskan and he was a Grovyle. She still doesn't know why to this day.
'I would give anything to see Sceptile again. I would leave May and join Ash if I had too.' Blazkien thought to herself/prayed to Arceus.
With Misty
Misty was also breaking for lunch en route back to Cerulean. Just like Blazkien, Psyduck wasn't very hungry, and not just because he had a splitting head ache. However, his reasonings were different.
'Why can't I just do something right? Misty is so disappointed in me. It's torture having her around. I wanted to go with Ash in the first place, but Misty's ball fell on me first. I wish I could just leave and go with Ash. Like I've wanted too for the past umpteen years.' Psyduck wished to himself.
With Iris
Iris was also breaking for lunch. She is on her way back to Johto to meet back up with Clair. However, not all of her Pokemon weren't fine and dandy.
'Why did Scraggy leave?' Axew wonders to herself.(4)
'Why did Ash leave with Scraggy?' she thought to herself again.
However, she already knew the answer.
'The real question is, why did Iris betray Ash. If Iris is going to do that and force me away from my best friend. I wish I could join Ash and be with Scraggy forever.' Axew wished. Oh if she were only a year older.
Lucario Kingdom, Sinnoh, A few hours ago
Riolu was busy readying some snacks for the trip to Kanto. It consisted of a few leaves containing apples and grapes. He just finished the last leaf. He put all of his leaves into a string backpack he got from Veilstone City, when there was a call to the entrance to his cave. All Riolu and Lucario lived in caves. He stepped out to find a Staraptor waiting for him.
"(Are you the Staraptor The Elders sent for?)" Rioku asked the flying type.
"(Yes, yes I am. Hop on Riolu.)" The Staraptor urged.
Riolu got on the Staraptor's back and up they went. Next Stop, Kanto region.
On the Outskirts of Vermillion Ciy, A few hours later
Kanto residents were in luck, as they saw a Riolu flying on a Stsraptor fly overhead for a moment. The Stsraptor landed in the middle if the forest, and Riolu disembarked.
"(Good Luck, Riolu.)" Staraptor said.
"(Thank you, have a safe flight back.)" Riolu replied.
Staraptor took off, back to Sinnoh.
Hall of Origin, After Riolu set foot in Kanto
After seeing the four Pokemon that wanted to join Ash, Arceus got to thinking. How were they going to find him? So, he decided to help them all out a little. He turned to ask Mewtwo a favor, but he noticed the room lacked a certain genetic Pokemon.
"(Mew, Where is Mewtwo?)" Arceus asked.
"(I don't know, he said something about Time Travel and cars.)" Mew replied. Arceus knew exactly where Mewtwo was.
"(Dialga, watch the pools. I'm going to look for Mewtwo.)" Arceus ordered.
"(Why does he always get to watch the pools?") Palkia complains. Dialga just sticks his tongue out in response.
Arceus knew he would find Mewtwo in the lab. Mewtwo insisted he have one to work on experiments that he loves doing. Arceus also made it big just because it needed to be. Have you seen some of the things Mewtwo's made?
Hall of Origin Lab
Arceus walked in to find a weird looking DeLorean sitting in the big empty part of the lab, with Mewtwo tinkering with a remote control.
"(Mewtwo?)" Arceus asked, getting his attention.
Mewtwo turned around.
"(Arceus, glad you're here. I was actually getting started.)" Mewtwo said.
"(What are you doing?)" Arceus asked in bewilderment.
"(Well, I decided to try and build a time machine, so I can go back in time like Celebi and Dialga.)" Mewtwo replied.
"(And you built said time machine out of a Delorean?)" Arceus asked.
"(The way I see it, If you're going to build a time machine into a car, why not do it with a bit of style?") (4) Mewtwo explained. Arceus couldn't argue that he had a point.
"(Ok, time traveling Delorean test no. 1. Destination Time: One minute into the future.)" Mewtwo narrated as he started the controller. He drove the car around awhile to gain speed, and made it to a long sprint just before it reached 88 mph. As the car reached 88, weird colors began appearing around the car. It was working!
BOOM!
Spoke to soon. The Delorean is a wreck and Arceus and Mewtwo are covered in soot. Arceus hosed them both down using his water plate. Encasing herself in Aqua Jet, then hosing down Mewtwo with Water Gun.
"(Well, that could have gone better. So, what did you need me for Arceus?)" Mewtwo asked the Goddess Pokemon.
"(I need you to go to some Pokemon and teleport them here. I need to save what could amount to 3 chapters worth of looking.)" Arceus tasked.
"(Chapters?)" Mewtwo asked.
"(Sorry, I like reading, force of habit. Now, here're the Pokemon and people you need to bring.)" Arceus told him, handing him a list. Mewtwo skimmed it real quick.
"(Defectors?)" Mewtwo questioned about a couple of names.
All Arceus did was nod.
Kanto Route 4, Night
Psyduck, as well as Misty and her other Pokemon, are turning in for the night and finishing the trek to Cerulean in the morning.
Psyduck was about to fall asleep against a tree, when he suddenly felt a psychic presence nearby. Psyduck quietly slipped away from everyone to investigate.
'Who is this Pokemon? I've never felt a psychic presence this strong.' Psyduck thought to himself.
He then came Accross a clearing, where in the center lied a fleeing blue light.
"(Who are you?)" Psyduck yelled at the newcomer.
"(All will be revealed in due time, Psyduck.)" The being replied.
"(How do you know my name?)" Psyduck asked.
"(Again, all in due time, however I am here for you. Tell me, you wish the leave your trainer and join The Chosen One, correct?)" The being asked.
"(Yes, very much.)" Psyduck answered.
"(Good, I can help grant that wish. Here's what you do,)" The being started.
Back at Misty's camp
Psyduck quietly slipped back into camp, remembering his task. Get his Pokeball. Sounds easy enough, right? Wrong! His pokeball was on Misty's belt.
'This is going to be harder than I thought.' Psyduck thought to himself.
He had a spherical rock in his flippers to switch for the pokeball. He slipped past Staryu, Starmie, and Gyarados before finally making it to Misty. He held his hand up, like Johto Jones(5), ready to make the switch.
'1... 2... 3.' Psyduck mentally counted down, and made the switch. All Misty did was turn on her other side.
Psyduck mentally celebrated a moment before slipping back into the forest.
Back in the Clearing
Psyduck raced back into the clearing, pokeball in hand.
"(I got Mister! I got the ball, now what?)" Psyduck asked.
"(Just sit back and try not to throw up dinner.)" The being said.
"(Wait, what?)" Psyduck said before there was no trace the duo were never there.
Kanto Route 11, Night, Later
Exactly as Psyduck did earlier, Blazkien can running into a different clearing, pokeball in hand, finding the being and Psyduck waiting for her.
"(We have two more stops.)" The being alerted.
Kanto Route 27, Night, Later
For the third time, a Pokemon, Axew, ran into a clearing with pokeball in hand, ready to leave their trainers and join Ash.
"(We have one more stop. Kapeesh?)" The being checked.
"(Kapeesh.)" The 3 Pokemon replied before they teleported.
On the Outskirts of Vermillion, Kanto, Night
Riolu had been walking for a few hours now. Ready to call it a night. However, his thoughts were interrupted by the sudden appearance of a mysterious being and 3 other Pokémon, as blazkien, an Axew, and a Psyduck.
"(Riolu, you wish to join Ash Ketchum, correct?") The being asked.
"(Yes.)" Riolu replied confidently.
"(Good, may I have your permission to teleport you and these other 3 to a place where you can see him?") the being asked.
"(You do.") Riolu replied.
"(Very good.") The bring stated before teleporting away with, now, 4 other pokemon in tow.
Morning, Kanto
The region of Kanto had a very rough morning, considering how 3 girls' simultaneous screeching from Arceus knows where woke everyone in the region up.
Man, what a long chapter.
(1): Video: watch?v=xo1VInw-SKc
Lyrics: .
(2): Telepathy has same quotation marks as talking. However, I will had to put telepathically in the same sentence so it can be made known that telepathy is being used. Either that, or I will italicize it.
(3): Before you all kill me, this is mostly going to be character development for Ash
(4): Back to the Future reference
(5): Pokemon equivalent of Indians Jones
How will Ash take the news of defectors? How will the traitors react to the defectors? Will Dawn eventually be picked up? Will Ash go to Delia's funeral? Where will the group train? Who is that being? Find out next time, when the journey continues.