Chapter 15: The greatest of friends.
On the back of Lawakien they traveled to Phantom's base and freed Chrimsomnia from her real cage.
She stumbled out weakly and then lifted her head to face them.
"I'm sorry I was captured, I got careless." She apologized.
Lawakien walked up to her and placed a paw on her forehead.
"No need to apologize, you fought this far for me. I promise to be there for you, little sister, like I should have always been." He softly said to her.
Tears crept down from her eyes as Lawakien comforted her.
They all departed from Phantom's fortress and returned back to Lawakien's Temple of Ice.
Ash and his friend jumped off Lawakien's back, then he walked forward a bit and stopped.
"Chrimsomnia you've told them haven't you?" The ice wolf asked his sister.
She avoided looking at him.
Paul sensed something was wrong.
"What's going on guys?" He asked them.
"I'm going away for a while." Lawakien responded.
"Why didn't you say you were going on a trip?" May wondered. "I don't see what the problem is."
Chrimsomnia gritted her teeth. There was an eerie silence.
"No you don't mean…" Brock faltered.
"Before Chrimsomnia met you, she sent a distress signal to me after she was attacked by Phantom's group." Lawakien explained.
"She's been harboring injuries all this time without you knowing."
Tears began to form in Chrimsomnia's eyes.
"I'm going to use my remaining energy to save her life." Lawakien said looking to the sky.
"W-What's gonna happen to you after that?" Dawn questioned her voice quivering.
"I'm going to take a long rest and when the time comes, I'll awake." He answered back.
"W-we just met you and now you have to leave?"
He couldn't meet her gaze.
"The pokemon of this world need a protector, I'm am too ancient to carry that task as I am."
"P-Please don't." May pleaded, Ash stood next to her with tears in his eyes.
He placed a paw on May's head and then on Ash's.
"You two were the first to question my way of thinking, I'm forever grateful to you all for never giving up." Lawakien scanned the whole group smiling gently.
"If not for you I wouldn't have broken free." He told them.
He earnestly looked them all in the eyes one last time.
"Thank you."
The whole group burst into tears. Even though most of them hadn't known Lawakien for a long time they felt a strong connection to him.
He continued to walk forward until he reached the center of his ice platform.
He began to shine brightly, a warm blue light filling the whole forest.
This blue light began to float over Chrimsomnia and Paul healing her wounds and then his.
Chromisomnia's fur began to look more vibrant as well.
After the light faded all that was left in his place was a blue heart shaped crystal.
They were all silent for a while.
Then May began to speak.
"Follow the River of Fire it shall lead you to the lost brother.
He dwells within a temple like no other.
A hero's heart shall be melted and the ice shall break away.
Turned into an relic and ready for a new day."
She finished reciting the prophecy she had memorized from earlier.
"Indeed, this relic is Lawakien in a dormant form." Chrimsomnia explained.
"One day he will return and I hope we can both meet with you all again."
"Definitely, you can bet on it." Ash replied smiling.
The group looked at each other in agreement.
"Ash thank you for saving me from that trap, you are a true hero." She earnestly told him.
"No problem." Ash flashed her a smile.
Then Chrimsomnia leaped onto the grass and began darting into the sunset.
"Thank you all!" She called out to them as she disappeared.
They waved back to her to say farewell.
After some time the group of fellow pokemon trainers said their goodbyes to each other as well.
Their friends departed one by one until only Ash and Dawn were left.
"Hey Dawn I have something I want to tell you…" Ash started.
"Yes?" she asked, her heart secretly beating hard.
He fumbled over his words but then finally gathered himself.
"I love you!"
However the words weren't Ash's they were Dawn's, she had interrupted him, blushed and then turned away.
"Wow that's funny I was just about to say the same thing." Ash told her.
They stood there face to face, both of theirs cheeks were beet red.
After a moment they both slowly leaned in to kiss.
Suddenly, May burst out of a nearby bush and slapped Ash on the back, sending him colliding into Dawn with their lips meeting. And then both of them falling on the ground.
"See I told you he would do it!" She told three hidden people.
Brock and Paul, who were thought to had left emerged out of another nearby bush.
Even Luke the Yentrel City Gym Leader came out as well.
"Alright here's your 50 bucks." Paul, Brock and Luke sadly said in unison handing said cash to May.
Ash helped Dawn up and then turned to Luke, Ash's whole face was red.
"I thought you guys were gone and Luke what are you doing here?" He questioned him.
May texted me and said you were about to confess, I could tell you had a fancy for that girl from the moment I met her." Luke explained.
"Also before May met up with you she visited my gym to test her battling strength, something about contests making her rusty in combat." Luke finished.
Ash turned to May, Brock and Paul.
"And you guys, you bet on this?" Ash couldn't believe it.
"Oh yeah and mama made a killing!" May proclaimed.
They all were quiet for a moment and then exploded into laughter.
Ash looked around at them, reflecting.
"Man I have the best friends." he thought to himself.
Luke approached Ash once again.
He gave him a thumbs up and smiled at him.
"I knew you could do it man!" Luke congratulated Ash.
"Thanks but I owe all of this to our friends, isn't that right Pikachu?'
"Pika pika chu!" His partner agreed.
Ash then remembered something he had in the back of his mind for a while.
"Hey Luke I have one question for you." Ash said.
"What's up?" Luke answered.
"Fancy a gym battle?"
The End?
Thanks for bearing with me for so long guys, even after the long hiatus I enjoyed writing this story and I hope it can affect you in a positive way. I hope like Ash, you never give up on whatever you are pursuing! Till next time.
- Noko12