Chapter 10

You know, within the Ilex Forest, there's a shrine. The small wooden shrine sits in the center of the forest. The shrine is to "the Protector". I don't know anything about who that is, or who built the shrine. All that's known is that the shrine exists. Some say that if you listen, you can hear the voice of the Protector, whispering through the forest. They say that if you do, you should stop and wait. Those who don't are said to disappear, taken away by the Protector. I really have no idea who would believe such stories, but they are interesting.

One things for sure, Protector or no, Ilex Forest is a beautiful place. The sun shines down through the leaves of the trees, creating an almost starry appearance above you. The light floods the land, and it's almost like the trees themselves shine. The wind blows through the leaves, creating a beautiful melody as it goes by. Maybe the wind was what people thought was the voice? It does kind of sound like someone singing, though I guess the legend says the voice is like someone whispering. In either case, I guess it doesn't really matter.

"It's nice here," I spoke as I looked around, making my way deeper into the forest.

"This forest is a beautiful reminder of Nature's true power," Jake spoke as he followed along. "Humans destroy that, though, by ignoring it. They tear the trees down and use them to create paper, which they then write on and toss away as if worthless trash. The humans then build cities in the land they destroyed, and in these cities they build towers as tall as the sky itself which bellow out black smoke that chokes the very air, the very life of Nature herself."

I stopped and stared at Jake for a moment. "That was...very deep actually."

"We, the Slowpoke, are not as dumb as you believe we are. We have ascended to a higher plane of living, one without the need of riches and the cares of the world. We know who we are, and what our purpose is."

"And...what is your purpose?"

Jake stopped and turned to me. "It would take a lifetime for me to explain." He turned back and continued on.

"Mama, Jake talks funny," Tepi spoke as she stared down at him.

"That's rude, Tepi."

Jake chuckled. "It's quite all right. It is true that I talk funny. The things I know...you could only begin to comprehend them in your lifetime."

"So...how did you do it?" I asked. "You know...becoming a higher being?"

"Through trials and tribulations, or as you may call it, 'Evolution'."

"Like...how Pokemon evolve when they level enough?"

Jake chuckled. "No, more like how your race was once nothing but a group of monkeys wandering the world without a care, and now you are needy, selfish, and believe yourselves to be the rulers of Nature. What you don't know is, Nature rules you."

"Nature rules us? How so?"

Jake was about to speak when he stopped in his tracks. "Do you hear that?"

I glanced around, trying to pick up on any strange sounds. I heard nothing. "No?"

Jake pulled himself back, as if readying himself to fight. "Something is coming."

"What's coming?" Just as I spoke those words, I heard it. It was like the sound of something, or perhaps someone, crying out in pain. The forest around us began to shake, as if a great wind was passing through. A wave of energy passed by, and the trees began to glisten a bright crystal. "What's going on?"

There it was again, the cry of pain. I rushed forward, clenching Tepi tight so as not to let her go. "Kotone!" I barely heard Jake shout, but I paid him no heed. I had to find out what that was, who was crying, and why they were crying. I ran deeper into the woods, and I could hear the crying becoming steadily louder as I did. Finally, I reached the source of the voice, finding myself standing in front of a wooden shrine. This was the Ilex Shrine, and there, on top of the shrine, was a green Pokemon.

The Pokemon wasn't very big at all, no larger then my chest. It had two small, pixie wings on its back along with two long antannae on its head. It's body was green in color and its chest had a V-shape on it that separated the dark green of its lower body with the lighter green of the rest of its body. Its head came back into a point, almost like hair, that slowly went from the lighter green color to the darker green color. It's eyes were a deep sapphire and took up the majority of its face. "Oh...Arceus..."

"What is it, Mama?" Tepi asked.

"It's the Guardian of Time, Celebi." Celebi opened its mouth wide and let out a howl, and I immediately recognized it as the crying sound I had heard up till now. "It's hurt..." I set Tepi down on the ground and rushed over to it. "It's okay, Celebi...I'm here now..." I reached forward and Celebi's eyes went wide. It quickly pulled away from me, but then winced. "You're hurt. Let me help you." Celebi howled again and I covered my ears, but something else was happening. Everything was becoming distorted. "I won't hurt you." I reached forward and touched Celebi. There was a wave of energy, and the next thing I knew, the world around me distorted so badly that it all faded away. All that was left was a large empty void of sapphire that seemed to move like ripples in water.

I didn't focus on that, though, instead, focusing on Celebi. "It's okay..." I wrapped my arms around Celebi. "I won't hurt you." The distortions were beginning to calm. "It's okay now..." Celebi's eyes closed, and its body went limp. It fainted in my arms, and the distortions vanished, returning me to the forest properly. "Let's get you to a Pokemon Center." I turned, expecting to see Tepi behind me, but she wasn't there. "Tepi?" I asked and looked around. "Tepi?" I called out. "Guys?!" I shouted. Only silence met me with each shout. "Oh, Arceus...I'm not in my own time anymore, am I?"

. . .

After a short period of running, I stopped at the edge of Ilex Forest, but what awaited me there was not what I had expected to see. Azalea Town was in shambles. The buildings were broken and crumbling and the town was void of human life. That is to say, the town wasn't empty, but instead was filled with Pokemon, who walked around as if minding their own business, as if they owned the place. I wasn't sure how to react, so I did all that I could. "Can anyone help me? This Celebi...its hurt."

The nearby Pokemon turned to me, their eyes growing wide at the sight of me. I saw, what seemed to be, anger in their eyes. "A human!" a nearby Charizard spoke as it took into the air.

"Capture it!" a nearby Marill shouted.

The Charizard flew towards me and I turned to run, only to find myself smacking right into a Heracross. "And what do we have here?" the Heracross chirped. It reached its arms forward and wrapped them around me. I felt something land behind me, I assumed it was the Charizard. "Seems we missed one." The Heracross turned me towards the Charizard.

"She must be part of the rebellion," the Charizard spoke up.

"Rebellion?" I asked. "What are you-"

"Silence, human!" The Charizard's wings expanded wide and I quickly went quiet. It reached forward and grabbed Celebi from my hands. "Ha! Proof of your evil!" He rose Celebi up by one claw.

"What? No! I didn't-"

"Silence!" the Charizard roared. "Take her to Master Kangaskhan. Her trial should be...most pleasant to witness." The Charizard gave a rather dark smirk which chilled me to the bone.

"At once!" The Heracross took off, holding me tight in its arms.

. . .

"Master Kangaskhan!" the Heracross spoke as it pushed the doors to the Pokemon Center open. There, on the other side of the room, was a massive brown creature. It stood at least seven feet tall, if not more. It had large claws and two long ears on its head. What seemed to be a piece of metal sat on the top of its head, like a helmet. It's eyes were deep and red and it stared at me angrily.

"What do you have for me, Heracross?" the creature spoke up. I could only surmise this was a Kangaskhan. I had never seen one before myself, so I didn't really know, but as the Heracross had called him "Master Kangaskhan" it was a pretty good guess.

"We found this filthy human at the edge of the Ilex Forest." The Heracross tossed me forward.

The Kangaskhan stared at me. "What was it doing there?"

"Attempting to capture Celebi, sir."

"That's not-" I tried to speak.

"Silence!" Kangaskhan shouted as it jumped to its feet. I now noticed it had a long tail as well, not to mention its strength as I felt the floor shake when it jumped. It stepped over to me. "Tell me, human, why were you trying to capture Celebi?"

"I wasn't!" I insisted.

"Then why were you found with an injured Celebi in your arms?" the Heracross hissed.

"I was trying to help it. Someone had attacked it!"

"LIES!" Kangaskhan shouted and stomped its foot on the ground. "For years our kind was imprisoned by your kind, yet you're trying to tell me that you were trying to help Celebi and not capture it? Impossible!"

"It's true! I would never capture a Pokemon against its will!"

"MORE LIES!" Kangaskhan stomped the ground even more. "Your kind would do anything to capture us!" He grabbed me by the front of my shirt and lifted me up. "Where are the rest of your kind?"

"I don't know." I insisted, grabbing hold of Kangaskhan's arm.

"Do you take me for a fool? You must have come from somewhere! Where?!"

"From the forest! I was trying to help Celebi and it transported us to this time. I'm from the past!"

Kangaskhan snarled, then turned to Heracross. "You say she was found with Celebi?"

"Yes, Master," the Heracross responded.

Kangaskhan looked back at me and snarled again. "Hmm...I don't trust you, but Celebi is the Master of Time. As you claim, he could have easily transported you here with him." Kangaskhan tossed me to the ground, and not lightly at all. "Take her to the dungeon and tend to Celebi. Find out if there is any truth to this human's story." Kangaskhan then turned to me. "For your sake, there better be." It made a fist. "Otherwise, you'll wish you had told the truth." It struck the ground, creating a small crater in the ground.

The Heracross hissed, then stepped over to me, grabbing hold of me and flying me off. We flew to the Slowpoke Well, and, without even a thought to my well being, the Heracross let go, watching me drop into the well. "And you'll stay there till we come back for you!" the Heracross shouted as it flew off.

"Why does Arceus hate me..." I groaned as I sat myself up, wincing in pain. "And what the hell is going on? What time have I ended up in?" I turned. "Well...at least I'm in a familiar place." I slowly tried to push myself to my feet, but I collapsed to the ground. My leg was in severe pain. I could tell it wasn't broken, based on the fact it wasn't black and blue, but I also couldn't feel it, aside from sharp pain anyway.

"Another human?" I heard a voice ask and I looked up. "Oh...I thought I was going to be here alone forever!" I saw someone rush out of the shadows, but they stopped only a moment after. The man was dressed in tattered and torn clothes. He was an older man, at least sixty years old or more. His face had a good many wrinkles, and his hair had gone gray in old age. "Kotone?"

I stared at him. He seemed so familiar, but how? I didn't know anyone in this time...or did I? "Ethan?"

"But...how is this possible?" I rushed over to me. "You're not a day older then the last time I saw you. And you're wearing the outfit I bought you."

"Celebi...he took me through time..." I sat myself up. "Ethan...what happened in the past? Why are Pokemon holding us captive here?"

Ethan bit his lip and looked away. "Kotone..." he sighed. "You disappeared. The day after you stopped Team Rocket's plans in the Slowpoke Well, you vanished. The last time anyone saw you, you went into Ilex Forest... Everyone thought..." Tears ran down his cheeks. "Everyone thought the Voice had gotten you...that you were...dead."

"The Voice of the Forest is Celebi. I saved him, but he pulled me through time. I ended up here... Ethan, I have to know... What happened?"

Ethan looked at me for a moment, then turned away. "There was a war... It was a terrible, bloody war. After you disappeared, Team Rocket found their leader and he led them to take over the Johto region in a fierce war. And then...HE appeared..."

"'He'? Who is 'he'?"

"Lugia. He appeared from the Whirl Islands and led a terrible war against all humankind. The humans destroyed Team Rocket at the start of the war, and their war continued on from there. The land was left in waste. Humans were nearly wiped out all around the world. Those who survive are either captive like us, or are slaves. Only a small group of humans - The Rebellion - are still free. But...what can such a small group do? We're just humans...we can't stand up to the power of Pokemon. The tools we used to control them are lost, Pokemon won't listen to us at all. No one can stand up to Lugia..."

"What about Ho-oh?" I asked.

Ethan looked down. "Dead...killed by his own brother..."

I gasped. "No...not even Ho-oh could stop him?"

"Nothing could stop him...the only creatures that could stand against him would be the Gods, and we all know that they don't care about mankind. As long as time and space aren't in danger, the Gods won't intervene."

"What if someone were to go back in time? To stop this before any of it happened?"

Ethan looked up at me. "I don't know if it can be stopped..."

I balled my hand into a fist. "I can stop it."

"Kotone, it's going to take more then one person to bring down Lugia. Not even the whole of Team Rocket working together could stop Lugia. There's no way you could stop him alone."

I gave a half chuckle. "That's the thing...I was told that I was the Chosen One...the one who would stop the war." I looked into Ethan's eyes. "I don't know if I really believe it, but all of this happened because I was gone. If I can return to my time, if I can stop this from happening...then I can change the future."

"Kotone..."

"Hey, human!" I heard a voice shout and I looked up. "Yeah, you." It was the Charizard from earlier. "Master Kangaskhan wants to speak with you."

"Don't go," Ethan spoke as he grabbed my hand.

"I have to." I slipped my hand out of Ethan's, then turned back to Charizard. "That Heracross dropped me down there and I injured my leg in the fall. I can't move."

The Charizard growled, then dropped down the well. He grabbed hold of me and lifted me up. "Well, then, it'd be my pleasure to carry you." It smirked as it threw me over its shoulder. "It's been a long time since I last got to do this." It flapped its wings hard, allowing it to take off into the air quickly. We flew towards the Pokemon Center, but the Charizard didn't just take me straight there. He did several flips and twirls in the air, even letting me go several times, only to just barely catch me. He was trying to scare me, and he was doing a great job of it.

He finally dropped me in front of the Pokemon Center. "You can crawl your way to Master Kangaskhan, just like the filthy human you are."

I growled, but did just that. I crawled across the ground, feeling pain rush through my leg everytime I moved it. It took me quite some time, but I finally got into the Pokemon Center and across the room. "Ah, you've finally arrived." Kangaskhan smirked.

"What do you want now?" I asked as I sat up.

Kangaskhan didn't speak, but instead waved to Celebi, who sat next to him. He was still injured, but he had several bandages wrapped around his body. "This is the one," Celebi spoke up.

"You're certain?"

Celebi nodded. "Yes. I was barely able to notice before I fell unconscious, but it's definitely her." Celebi floated into the air. "Young human, I thank you for saving my life, but my life is still in danger. If you wish to redeem yourself, then you must do what I ask."

I nodded. "And what is that?"

"You will be sent back to your time, just after you found me. When you arrive, you must find the one who did this to me." Celebi waved to its bandages. "You must destroy them."

"D-destroy them?"

Celebi nodded. "If you are who I believe you are, then the time has come. You must learn the truth about your destiny. Soon, you will find yourself in a great battle between yourself and the Chosen One of Lugia. At that time, you must not be hesitant, and you must not show mercy. You will be required to kill, or the war you are chosen to stop will occur. Consider this a test. Destroy the one who injured me, learn to kill, prepare yourself. For if you cannot do this task, then you cannot stop the war that is coming."

I didn't know how to respond. I didn't want to kill anyone. I couldn't kill anyone. But...was this true? Did being the Chosen One of Ho-oh really mean I would have to kill Lugia's Chosen One? I had never even thought about that until now. My stomach suddenly felt sick and I tried not to throw up. I couldn't kill someone...no, that just wasn't possible.

"Do you accept this task?" Celebi asked.

"N-no! I can't kill someone!" I shouted.

Celebi glared at me. "You will either kill or be killed." Kangaskhan rose to his feet at those words. Wait...were they planning to... no... If I said no, they were going to kill me? I had to swear to kill someone just to keep myself alive?

"I can't do it!" I cried out. Kangaskhan stepped closer to me. "Don't make me do it! I can't kill someone...I can't!" Kangaskhan grew even closer. "Celebi!"

"Kill or be killed," Celebi repeated.

Tears rolled down my cheeks and I looked down. "No..."

"So be it."

Kangaskhan rose its claws. I turned away, closing my eyes. This was it, this was the end. I saw my entire life suddenly flash before my eyes. And then I heard a scream. My eyes went wide and I turned back and there, standing between me and Kangaskhan was...was... "ETHAN!" Kangaskhan's claw had cut clear through his chest. Kangaskhan tossed Ethan aside. Anger rose in me. I rose to my feet, ignoring the pain in my leg. "Ethan..." Tears streamed down my cheeks. I looked up at Kangaskhan, and in that moment, I saw only him.

I jumped forward, grabbing onto the Kangaskhan's arm. I sent a swift kick into the Kangaskhan's stomach, then unleashed a powerful uppercut into his chin. This caused the massive beast to stagger back. I brought my leg around, kicking the beast in the side of the head. "You killed him!" I shouted and unleashed a punch into the beast's stomach. "He didn't deserve it!" Another roundhouse to the side of its head. "I'LL KILL YOU!" I quickly reached down and grabbed a shard of glass off the ground. I stabbed the beast right in the eye, causing it to roar, blood rolling down its face.

"I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU!" I stabbed it in the other eye, which made it roar louder. I brought the glass back, and with a quick swing, I cut its neck. Blood glushed from its neck as it gasped for breath. I didn't even care. I stabbed it right though the neck. The Kangaskhan's body went limp.

I heard Celebi chuckle. "There, that's what I was looking for."

I looked up at Celebi, anger still flowing through me. "I fucking killed for you! Are you happy now?"

Celebi nodded. "Yes, but you still must destroy the one who hurt me. You can kill in anger, but can you kill normally? When the time comes and you have no choice but to destroy your foe, will you do it?" I felt the world around me begin to distort. "That, I will wait to see." The world became even more distorted until it became like a void of sapphire again. Tears rushed down my cheeks as I dropped to my knees. As the void faded, the Pokemon Center of my time appeared around me once again. I noticed this for only a moment before I collapsed to the ground.