ch. 13

Hey it's aura and now things get deeper as we get a bit of lore and things go from bad to worse. Hope you like this chapter.

The night was dark and refreshingly calm. The fog was still present so Henry had to turn on his powerful car lights. Now that they were out of Yoka village, the creatures hadn't fallowed Henry's truck. The group was relaxed for the first time in what seemed like ages. They weren't asleep though as they recalled the bus had gone through several twists and turns to get to Yoka Village so they felt it would be some time before they were any real distance from the cursed town. Of course, they were going down a different path than what the bus took so who knew how long this route was going to take. Ash gazed blankly out the window at the shadowed forest they were riding past. The silence in the car was palpable and uncomfortable. Henry glanced at his quiet son, not sure if he should start a conversation just now. Ash finally broke the silence. "You never called." Ash coldly said. Henry sighed. "I'm sorry." He said. Ash clenched his fist. "Why didn't you call?" Ash asked. Henry tensed up. "I... I got caught up in my journey." Henry said. Ash growled. "So caught up you just forgot about us? So caught up that you decided to become a doctor!?" Ash angrily asked as he turned towards his father. Misty growled. "Hey, you're just as bad! How many years have Butterfree, Primeape, and Pidgeot been waiting for you?" Misty jabbed at the boy. Ash clutched his fists. "I don't know where Butterfree is, Pidgeot is busy with Fearow, and Primeape is busy with competitions! I can't easily hunt them down! Dad on the other hand didn't have that problem!" Ash snapped back. Misty sinked back into her seat as Ash glared at her, his eyes full of furry. "Don't critize me until it's happened to you." Henry replied as calmly as he could, "You get so focused on accomplishing your dreams, everything else becomes… Peripheral. You get closer and closer and you forget about everything... and everyone around you." Ash simply exhaled and turned back to the window. "Ten years? That's a long time to have just forgotten," Ash said. Iris frowned. "Ash, you never even thought about your father until we brought it up. You shouldn't be judging him like this," Iris said. Ash snarled. "I didn't know who he was!" Ash yelled. Iris groaned at Ash's behavior. "You didn't realize that until we brought it up to distract you from Ed..." Iris said. Ash slams his fists on the front desk, making a large dent. "SHUT UP! I don't wanna hear about EDDIE!" Ash snapped. There was a stunned silence after this outburst. Henry kept driving, keeping his eyes on the road. Ash groaned and watched out the window.

After a while, Henry spoke up again, a little harshly, "Did you even try to find me?" Ash didn't answer, staring hard at his reflection. Then he lowered his head and acknowledged the truth. "No." Ash said. Henry and Iris were right...he shouldn't have judged his father when he had done the same thing. Henry didn't need to reply. There was yet another silence. It was starting to get tiresome. "Ash...why is your hair and teeth are like...that?" Henry asked. Ash sighed. "That monster that was chasing us did this to me. He...he somehow made my teeth monstrous. As for the ribbon…well…Tobias gave me it as an apology… I… I feel comfortable wearing it." Ash said. Ash turned to his father. "So, what did you wanna be?" Ash asked. Henry smiled a little. "I wanted to challenge the champion of each region. Didn't really care if I would win or lose, just... be able to face them." Henry said. Ash smiled back. "I'm gonna be the greatest Pokémon Master in the world!" Ash excitedly said, his regular energy finally returning to him. Henry chuckles a little. "You will be one day. I can tell." Henry said. Ash laughed, at ease again. "That's what mom tells me." Ash said. Henry looked down. "How is she?" Henry asked. Ash smiled. "Great. Just great." Ash said. The man looked up. "She's a great person. That's why I married her." Henry said. Ash nodded. "Yeah, I can tell." Ash said, "She probably thought so too. With...you I mean." Henry smiled, and then turned his attention back on the road. "Thanks, son." He said. The group in the back sighed with relief. It had been as if the fog in town had still been hanging over them. Now it passed away, and they could relax again. "Dad...I…I wanna tell you all about my journey…" Ash began to say. Henry sighed. "Ash, not now. We'll catch up when we get to the next town." Henry said.

"Alright." Ash said, "I got so much to tell you." Henry smiled. "Me too." He replied. Now that that was settled, Iris leaned forward and asked a question that had been on her mind since the drive began, but she didn't feel like saying due to the situation. "Well, my home village is nearby. Why don't we turn up the radio? Maybe we can learn something new." Iris said. Ash and Henry gave her identical looks of confusion. Iris smiled sheepishly and sat back down. Henry chuckled slightly and switched the car radio on. There was nothing but a loud static. Ash quickly turned down the volume and began adjusting the station knob. It took him a while to find a station that wasn't simply crackling with more electronic noise. "Signal should be better than this..." Henry muttered. Tracy sighed. "The monsters probably damaged the antenna while we were..." Tracy said, but was suddenly silenced by a snarl made by Ash. "Tracy, be quiet," Ash interrupted, "Here we go." Ash smiled as he had found a working, clear signal now. There was a brief piano riff, simple but forceful. And then a voice began talking, "Good evening, children. Tonight, I'm going to tell you a story that is old but new." The voice on the radio was deep, powerful and intimidating, even though it came from a small metal box. The words rumbled like an earthquake. Anyone who heard this voice would connect it to someone very dangerous. This wasn't a voice that would normally be associated with telling children's stories. "This story of the Empress and the Executioner." The voice said, making the gang shiver.

"I'm really not in the mood for a story," Iris said. Ash understood, and then turned the station knob. The voice continued, apparently ignoring what the boy was doing. Henry glanced down before checking the way. "Once upon a time, there was a kingdom in the midst of a great forest besides a silent lake. A kingdom of iron and steel, on lands blessed by the gods." The voice continued. The gang was confused by this. "Huh?" Ash said. He twisted the knob again. It didn't do anything to interrupt the storyteller with the deep voice. "Ruling over this land was a young Empress. She ruled with justice and wisdom. All who obeyed the laws and pleased the Empress lived in peace. All who did not were silenced by the Executioner, the most loyal subject of the Empress. He was once an evil monster who terrorized the people and destroyed everything he saw, but the Empress showed him his true purpose. Giving justice to all the filth that dared to go against the gods." Everyone was starting to get disturbed now. Ash was tapping the volume and power on the radio now, but the storyteller simply would not be quieted or interrupted. "All was well in this kingdom, until one day, the empress's mother tried to get her ready to birth god. However, she was not ready. The executioner used a human to free her from the mother's plans. But the empress was too weak to fight back, so she ran off and for 7 long years, the executioner was alone. The executioner took this chance to punish anyone who dared commit a massive sin, but without the empress, he felt hallow inside. When she finally returned, her body was finally ready to birth paradise, however she was still resisting. Thankfully her 'father' was able to capture her before she could ruin the ceremony. However, in the end the 'father' and another man betrayed them. The executioner was helpless as he watched the 'father' killed the god. The Executioner was devistated by this and became weak. It could not handle the pain it was feeling… but… it didn't have to suffer alone this time.

"A young boy came into town not that long after the empress left. He was much like the previous human the executioner used. Pathetic, weak, and crying out for one of his parental parents. The executioner made a deal with the small boy. He would live in the boy and make him the 'best there ever was' and the boy would keep the executioner from becoming the beast. After several years, an evil king and an evil duke came from a faraway land to take the power from the Empress and turn the Executioner back into the monster. The executor tried to save himself, but it was too late, a part of him was lost back to being the beast it once was. Thankfully, he was not fully gone, he was just 'distracted' by his fears and lies, and the empress is far off in a distant land where the evil king cannot reach her. But the tale isn't over. Not until the evil king dies and the other half is restored." The voice stopped there, and the occupants of the car all stared at the radio for a moment. "That was weird." Iris said. The others nodded. "Yeah." Cilan agreed. Ash sighed as he looked at the radio. "Wonder what's wrong with the radi-" Ash asked.

"Do you honestly think that you will just LEAVE, boy?" It snarled. Ash looked up. "DAD, THE ROAD!" Ash yelled. Henry whipped his gaze back onto the roadway. He saw it through the darkness and fog. Someone or something was standing in the middle of the road, waiting. Something huge. Henry swerved the truck to miss, spinning the steering wheel to evade the obstacle without falling off the road into the woods. He would've succeeded if the 'obstacle' hadn't leapt onto his hood like a lion. Ash looked up and screamed. Standing on the truck's engine, visible through the windshield, was Pyramid Head. The iron spear smashed through the window, shattering the glass and sprinkling fragments into the car. Henry gasped and reared back in panic as the point wedge itself firmly in the steering wheel. Pyramid Head twisted his spear, turning the steering wheel sharply to the right. The car turned just as sharply. Before anyone could do anything, Henry's truck had smashed through the road barricade and plummeted into the woods. That was the last thing the children remembered before blacking out.

...

Ash groaned as he got up and looked around. He was in the middle of a dark area covered in white fog so it was hard to tell where he was. "D-dad?" Ash called out. He looked around frantically. He held himself. "D-DADDY, WHERE ARE YOU!?" Ash called out in fear. However, no one was around. He suddenly heard a noise behind him. "Daddy?" Ash asked as he turned around. He quickly saw a mirror and in the reflection was Henry. He was being held by Edward Hyde. "Daddy!" Ash yelled in fear as he rushed to the mirror. Ash pounded the mirror. "Let go of him you monster!" Ash yelled, anger filling his soul. Suddenly Ash felt a presence behind him, however before he could do anything, a man grabbed him from behind and held him. "Now, now boy. No need to fret about your dear 'daddy'. He'll be fine. He's right with us. However, if you really want him back, you have a lot of things to remember. To relearn what we forgot long ago. Otherwise, that 'monster' you fear about will destroy everything." The radio man's voice said. Ash began to struggle. "Let go of me! I need to help him! DADDY!" Ash roared, the pain in his chest growing. The man chuckled. "Then stopped the monster. Go place of cheers and laughter at the moment. That's where this lesson begins…" The monster said. Ash growled. "Stop it! He's right here! I…I can reach him! Just let go of me!" Ash screamed. The monster chuckled as he let go of the boy. "Alright, but remember, there is more to this story than just your daddy." He said. Ash rushed over to the mirror and touched it. Ash smiled as the mirror glowed. After a few seconds everything was consumed in white.

…

Pikachu nudged his master awake. The first thing Ash saw when he groggily opened his eyes was the empty driver's seat above him. It took him a minute to figure out he was lying on the passenger window, suspended by his seatbelt. He shook his head clear and looked again. His father was still gone when he blinked again. The seat belt had been torn, and the driver door had been ripped off. Behind it was nothing but that grey mist. "D-dad…?" He mumbled like in his dream, hoping somehow that Henry was still nearby. Hoping that he would reply. He didn't. The silence woke him up. The boy hastily unbuckled his seatbelt and promptly fell onto the passenger widow with Pikachu. The boy groaned. The truck was on its side. If he was going to get out, he'd have to climb up to the driver's side and get out the hole. Gripping the seats, the trainer pulled himself up with some effort. Pikachu hopped onto his shoulder as they heroically hoisted themselves towards the exit. When they got on the driver's seat, a loud creaking noise stopped them. No, not a creaking….it was as if the truck itself was moaning. "Ulp…" It said. Ash's entire world rotated 45 degrees as the truck fell back onto its bell. The truck slammed loudly on the gravelly ground, jarring the other occupants of the car. 'The others!' Ash realized as he remembered that he wasn't alone. Ash felt absolutely ashamed that he had forgotten about them. When the vehicle had settled back on the ground, Ash clambered between the seats to look in the back. Misty, Tracy, Iris, Cilan. They were all still there! And judging by the way they were all groaning and shifting, they were still alive. 'Thank god.' Ash thought as he sighed in relief. Ash soon focused. "Guys! Guys, wake up!" Ash yelled. Iris opened her eyes first. "A-Ash? What…happened? What was that noise?" She asked. Cilan blinked, still only haft asleep. "Ugh. Man that was a rough trip." Cilan said. Tracy groaned himself awake. "Is everyone alright?" He asked. Misty shocked her head clear. "I think so…" She said as she woke up. She looked at Ash and noticed the fear in his eyes. "Ash? What's wrong?" She asked. Ash clenched his hands. "H-Henry…my dad's gone! I…I don't know where he is! We need to find him!" Ash answered frantically. Suddenly remembering that, he turned and tumbled out of the hole where the car's door had once been. He hit sand…no, gravel. But the kind you'd find beside water. Ash got himself up to his feet and looked up and out. The fog still hadn't cleared, weighing down on the boy's mind and hope. After a few seconds of his eyes adjusting to the light, he could see a dock and on that dock was something that made him happy. A rowboat appeared in the fog, and Ash realized they were right beside a huge lake.

Ash stared out at the water for a while. Eventually he figured out what was on the other side of the lake. He could faintly make out the lights of Yoka Village's amusement park. Ash soon remembered the dream from a long time ago. The dream of Silent hill and where Pyramid Head came from. He remembers the crazy story ride and it's talk of god, the monster killing Misty, and him facing against the Darkrai that caused that mess. This…this was no dream, and there were monsters. But…why was Yoka so similar to Silent Hill? Ash held his head. Yoka Village. Pyramid Head. Eddie. Ash soon realized what had happened to his father. The shock of it all forced him to sit numbly on the shore and put his hands down. Tears began to well up in his eyes, his head sinking. He had finally met his father after so many years, and he had been taken away from him before he could truly reconnect. How could he describe it? It…it was like a part of him had been ripped away, a part he had only just discovered. As if the world was hell-bent on keeping him from becoming whole. Ash's gaze fell upon his reflection in the still water. His face warped into a furious scowl when he saw Eddie in his reflection. The boy smashed his fist into the water, but the way it rippled, it looked like Eddie was laughing at his pain. Ash snarled as his rage grew. "Ash…?" A voice asked. Ash whirled around and saw Misty behind him. He gasped for breath and tried his best to regain his composure, having been seconds away from a violent outburst at his friend. The boy gulped hard. He didn't want to hurt her. He then looked at the lake. "He took him… Pyramid Head took him, I know it. I didn't even get to know him. What did I ever do to him to deserve this to them, what, why…" Ash babbled, confused and scared. Misty put a comforting hand on Ash's shoulder, not saying anything. Ash tried no to sob and failed.

Meanwhile, Cilan and Iris looked over the truck while Tracy was looking at their supplies. The truck had been gutted for lack of a better word. The door was gone, Henry's weapon and Ash's bat were gone, and the engine had been torn out. The tires were ripped off, and the underside of the vehicle was nothing more than a mangled mess of metal. This truck would never drive again. Iris kicked at it designingly. "Now what do we do?" Iris asked as she looked at Cilan. However, Cilan didn't have an answer for her. Pikachu hopped onto Ash's lap, however he didn't notice, still staring out at the distant lights of the cursed town. The boy was as still and silent as a statue, staring down the lake. Concentrating different possibilities. Thinking of what his dreams meant. Meanwhile, Iris paced around the worthless truck, kicking a pebble in utter frustration. Tracy sat quietly on a nearby boulder, overwhelmed by all that had happened in the space of a day. He hadn't seen Pyramid Head before, so that giant after all the talk of him, it was very shocking. And while the others did this, Cilan looked at Misty and Ash, just sitting there on the shore, wishing he could do something. Finally, Ash stood up. His eyes were dry, and his expression was stolid. When he finally spoke, his voice was flat and uncompromising, "I have to find my father. I have to make them pay." Everyone blinked. His announcement hung in the air for a moment. Cilan eventually asked his question, "Do you…know where he is?" Ash smirked. "Yeah," Ash replied, then sighed. He glanced at the lake, the lights on the other side, and the rowboat. Iris read his mind. "ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND!?" She yelled as she ran up and forced Ash to look her in the eyes. "You know what's back there! Are you honestly gonna get yourself killed? You know as well as I do that Henry could be-" Iris yelled. Suddenly Ash slapped her away. "DON'T SAY IT!" Ash then shoved her away furiously. Iris looked up at her implacable friend. He was now standing over her and looked ferocious. "What would you have me do? Run like a coward?! Well!?" Ash yelled his eyes ablaze with hatred. Iris didn't answer. A hundred answers came to her mind, each and every one bad. She just gulped as she realized how dead serious Ash was about this. She knew Ash. When he put his mind to something, he didn't give up. She couldn't answer him, and neither could anyone else. Cilan decided he should express something important.

"Listen. We don't know where exactly we are or even if the road is close. All I know is that the woods are thick and its miles to the next town. And we can't navigate very well in this fog. We don't have a map outside of the town nor any supplies…" Cilan said. At the mention of supplies, Ash's stomach growled badly. Everyone heard it, and the young boy chuckled nervously. Misty checked her Pokeballs and they still were malfunctioning. No-one moved though. Ash's mind had been made up. He began walking purposely towards the rowboat, but then Misty grabbed him by the arm. "Ash…" Misty said. She sounded so scared. "Misty, I…" Ash began to say. She nodded. "I know. We're going with you." She said. That stopped Ash in his tracks. He looked back at his friends, expecting an argument or even a hesitation. There wasn't any. They were coming with him to the most dangerous place they had ever known. To help him find his father and get them all away from here. Tears appeared in the boy's eyes at the loyalty of his friends. "Thank you…" He said. Iris smiled slightly. "It's okay. We're not gonna just let you get yourself killed," She said. Tracy nodded. "No way." Tracy said. Ash smiled. "Let's go." Ash said.