Chapter 10: The Shadow of the Ashes

"How much farther to the core?" Ash wondered aloud. He'd stashed the emerald in his pocket, not wanting to abuse his newfound power. "I don't have all the time in the world, here. Hopefully I can move fast enough."

As he continued stealing through the corridors, he noticed slight rage flow through his veins as he thought of what would happen if he failed now. The world as they knew it would be destroyed, and they would all perish. Not on my watch he thought. I'll kill Eggman before he can lay one – He stopped, shocked. Wait a minute...where did that come from?! I'm not a mercenary. I'm a Pokemon trainer. Killing's not my way. Why –?

He shrugged and continued on his way until he finally found his way to a conveyor belt that led to the core. Seeing no other way to reach his destination, he stepped onto the one that was heading that way.

"Now here's a surprise," came a familiarly detestable voice. "I was expecting that faker Sonic to be down here. I thought that capsule the doctor threw you out in was destroyed."

Ash turned and saw Sonic's evil look-alike staring at him. He jumped onto the other conveyor belt before his small beam of power could incinerate him. "What can I say?" he shrugged as he started walking against the flow. "I die hard!"

"But how did you do it?" Shadow asked, genuinely perplexed. He eyed the emerald in his pocket. "There's no way you, a mere human, could've used a fake emerald to warp."

"I didn't think so at first either," Ash put a hand behind his head. "But I didn't see any other way, so I took a gamble. Looks like it paid off."

"You are extraordinary," Shadow breathed in amazement. "But it makes no matter. You are still an inferior life form, and so you will pay for defiling the emerald's power."

"Defiling?" Ash repeated, puzzled. "How did I defile its power?"

"You and I both know full well how you did it," Shadow growled menacingly. "Humans are monsters. They care for nothing but themselves. They destroy each other to obtain what they want." He smirked slightly. "I was created to bring justice to you humans, and in a matter of twenty minutes, you shall witness the fulfillment of my purpose."

"That's a filthy lie!" Ash retorted angrily, all his rage finally boiling up inside him. "Humans aren't like that; some are, but not all."

"Don't lie to me," the black hedgehog snarled, "and to yourself. You know full well that you are a corrupted creature. Exactly what makes you think you're any different?"

"I've seen things you haven't. I've witnessed the goodness of humanity and the corruption. There's so much good in this world, and it can never be subject to the bad."

"You're wrong," Shadow snapped, his patience fading.

"What, and you're right?" Ash retorted. "If you could hear yourself, you would realize that you were becoming the very thing that you hate!"

"DON'T TELL ME WHAT'S RIGHT!" Shadow roared, unleashing a streak of energy that barely missed Ash. They stared each other down, hatred lining their eyes. "Who do you, a mere human, think you are to tell me what's right?" he growled, menace permeating his voice.

"I'm just a Pokemon trainer looking to become the world's greatest Pokemon Master," he replied, a smile appearing on his face as he pulled out his Pokeball. "I am Ash Ketchum!"

Shadow shook his head. "Such a shame I have to destroy you," he sighed. "But it makes no matter. Your time is up. Prepare to die!"

Ash didn't waste another moment. He chucked his ball and it opened, releasing energy that materialized into a bug Pokemon that was ready to fight. "All right, Heracross, let's show this monster just what we're made of!"

"Heracross!" Heracross cheered, rushing forward with a Megahorn attack. Shadow let it charge him and, right before it hit him, used Chaos Control to avoid its rage. Heracross managed to stop himself and looked around, confused. Ash looked around, wondering where the black hedgehog had gone to, and was met with a swift kick in the back that threw him onto his face. On seeing Shadow assault his master, Heracross charged him again, this time scoring a direct hit. Shadow fell onto his back and leapt back up, charging at Heracross, but the bug Pokemon dodged before he could hurt it. Shadow stopped, then his face met Ash's fist when the Pokemon trainer, who had gotten up by now, punched him backwards a few feet. Shadow charged at him again, but Ash disappeared right before he hit.

"Still defiling the power of the Chaos Emerald, are you?" Shadow taunted. "It's bad enough that someone made a fake. Now a human is using that fake to manipulate the Chaos."

"Shut up!" Ash shouted, kicking him from behind. Shadow fell, then disappeared once again, this time re-appearing next to Heracross, his karate-styled hand ready by the distracted Pokemon's neck. "No! Heracross!" the trainer screamed, rushing to save his Pokemon.

Shadow chuckled. Just what I wanted. He disappeared as Ash came up to him, then tackled him to the ground. "You're weak, human!" Shadow snarled, his hand on his throat.

"No!" Ash spat angrily. "I just know what's really important!" He slammed his fist into Shadow's face once again, this time knocking him back a greater distance. The black hedgehog still had yet to be fazed and leapt up with as much fire as before, charging him once again. Ash disappeared just before he could hit, but Shadow had expected this and whirled around, expecting him to appear next to his Pokemon. But nothing happened.

"Where are you?" Shadow called tauntingly. "Did you chicken out like the human that you are? I told you you were pathetic."

Ash bit his tongue. It's a trick he thought. He wants me to lose my head. I've got to control myself.

"Even you can't fool me," Shadow sneered. "I know you don't give a care for that Pokemon. You would let it die in the street if it meant saving your hide."

Ash squeezed his eyes shut, trying hard to restrain his fist which begged to punch this creature in the face. It's a lie! It's all a lie! I'm not like that! He had confidence in this truth, but could he spit it back out through his mouth, or would his fists do the talking?

"You couldn't save your friends," Shadow chuckled, his voice growing ever more malicious. "Sonic and his friends will die at the doctor's hands."

No they won't Ash thought, loosening up a bit.

"And what about that young lady in the prison cell?"

Ash's eyes flared open. Oh no, you did not…

"Poor girl...waiting for her precious Ash to save her. What tears will be shed when she realizes that he died in the core of the ARK?"

Shut up shut up shut up!

"Or maybe she won't weep." His eyes narrowed in pure malice. "Maybe, just maybe, you will. If you will not perish, then she will."

"NOOOOO!" Ash screamed, leaping out onto the black hedgehog. He tackled the evil creature to the ground and started rolling around, trying to grasp the little monster's throat. Shadow fought back with vigor, but even he had tapped into too much of Ash's rage to stand a chance. Ash soon grasped his throat, rage boiling in his eyes as he squeezed. Shadow began to struggle.

"Go ahead," he choked. "Kill me. It's like I said all along. You're nothing but a pathetic, cowardly, human who cares for nothing but himself." And now I have proof he thought as he closed his eyes.

But Shadow was wrong, for his words triggered something in Ash's heart that caused him to start thinking again. Was Shadow right? Was he really like that? Were all humans like that?

No he thought. It's not true. I know it's not true. He smiled inwardly as he thought. And I can prove it.

With that, he took a deep breath, and released his grip on Shadow's throat. Shadow opened his eyes, puzzled. "I...I don't understand."

"You're wrong," Ash told him one more time, recalling Heracross and disappearing. Shadow was left there alone, confused.

"He had me," he muttered to himself, completely baffled. "He was going to kill me, I could tell. It was his intention." He breathed. "Why did he let me go? Am I not his enemy? Enemies kill each other, don't they? Why...did he…?"

All the confusion he had bottled up inside since the doctor had released him finally made its way into his brain: confusion about life, purpose, suffering...what did it all mean?

"He used Chaos Control," he whispered, still confused about that fact. "But how? Humans can't use the power of Chaos. How could he?" He nodded, genuinely impressed. "This truly is an extraordinary human."

He shook himself, maintaining his presence once again. "But it doesn't matter. I have a promise that I intend to fulfill." Suddenly, the ARK shook, nearly knocking the black hedgehog into the pit beneath him. He regained his balance, smiling.

"The time has come."