ch. 24

Ash felt like himself for the first time in a long time. He was back in his element, facing another trainer in a Pokémon battle with his friends watching. He smiled inwardly at the excitement and familiarity, which felt so much better than the fear and apprehension he had been feeling these last few days. It was quite refreshing. In the Yoka Village Colosseum, the two boys stared each other down, thinking of what order to give their Pokémon... No. Not Pokémon. Ash shook his head clear as reality set in. He was facing off against a homicidal maniac and one of his deadly abominations to save his father and friends from death. The 'Pokémon' he was commanding was one of the skull-headed creatures that had terrorized the group at the amusement park. The small monster clutched a sharp blade tightly, ready to drive it into flesh to please his 'daddy'. The little creature's eyes glanced back at Ash, sending an uncomfortable shiver down the trainer's spine, while it was facing was the 'Ariados' monster. "I'll do good, Daddy. I promise." It said.

...

"This is so wrong," that was all Misty could gasp out. She and Jessie had moved to the abandoned stands to watch the fight from a safe distance. Both of them were sitting on the edge of their seats, tense not just because of what would happen, but what was at stake. "So wrong," The girl repeated, shaking her head. She could tell that this was not going to be a civilized battle like the ones she and Ash had in the Colosseum a few days ago. No. This would be a savage fight to the death. Misty hoped that Ash would keep his sanity through this nightmare. Jessie simply nodded to Misty's statement. Something else was going on in her mind as she looked very carefully at the two creatures in the field. Wheels in her head began to spin as she thought of all she had seen in that town and what Edward said...

...

"SLASH!" Edward yelled out his order and woke Ash out of his trouble stupor. The Ariados-monster began to charge towards the skull-headed child, its blades clicking and ready to kill. The tiny creature just stood there, waiting for an order from its 'daddy'. Ash acted fast. "DODGE!" Ash yelled. The skull monster leaped aside just as the spider slashed at it with the blades on its front legs. The scythes missed completely, and the smaller creature rolled to the side, knife at the ready. Ash gulped. He could do this. He had to. "Um... Fury Swipes!" Ash yelled. The tiny creature wasted no time. Running up to the spider monster, it swiped its knife at the blackened flesh. The knife cut deep and the spider cried in pain, but the smaller creature was swiftly knocked aside by the scythed forelegs. Rolling on the ground, the skull-headed child hit the wall of the stadium. "GUT 'IM!" Edward commanded. The spider-creature changed towards the smaller monster, the blades on its back poised and ready to impale.

"Dodge!" Ash commanded. The knife-wielding creature obeyed, rolling out of the way just in time. The spider's inertia prevented it from stopping in time, and its blades were buried in the stadium wall. The creature tried to get them unstuck. Ash saw an opportunity. "Slash!" Ash yelled. The knife monster ran up behind the spider monster and gouged into the bloodless flesh with its knife. The other monster roared in pain but then managed to free itself and counterattacked. If the skull-headed child had been any slower, it would've been cut in half. Edward smirked. "Oh, this might be fun after all. I was sure you wouldn't be able to use that thing properly, but it looks like I was wrong," Edward said. Ash smiled despite himself. He worked on a strategy to defeat this opponent, using the speed and maneuverability of his...

...

"Cubone," Jessie remarked out of the blue. Misty turned to look at the woman. "What?" Misty asked. Jessie pointed at the knife-wielding monster dodging the spider's blades. "If you look at that monster just right and think of all the Pokémon we have met, it looks like a Cubone. So in Edward's mind, it's a Cubone." Jessie said. Misty looked at her as if she had sprouted a second head. "What? Are you nuts? That is NOT a Cubone!" Misty yelled. Jessie pouted and glared at the twerpette. "Hey! I never said it was! It's just..." Jessie stammered, "I mean...w-well just look at it! Doesn't it remind you of a Cubone? Maybe that's why Edward has a Pikachu looking monster. These... these monsters are supposed to be his warped versions of Pokémon." Misty still thought Jessie was crazy. Then she took a closer look at the skull-headed creature. The more she looked at it, the more she saw what Jessie was trying to say. The lizard-like skull, the small body, the knife that substituted for a Cubone's club... "It's like... some twisted version of Cubone," Jessie explained a disturbed undertone in her voice. Misty nodded as she realized this. "Yeah..." Misty replied as she thought about all the creatures she had seen while in this horrid town. Now that she thought about it, almost all of them were violent reinterpretations of Pokémon. Drapion. Absol. Cubone. Muk. Garchomp. Scyther. Ariados. Machop. Pikachu. But… what was that creature earlier? She had never seen a creature like it before, nor were there any creatures that resembled it. Especially ones with six arms. "All those creatures... it's like some sicko's idea of Pokémon," Misty said. Jessie nodded. "Markham's notes did say that the creatures from long ago were manifestations of Alessa's mind. But why do Edward's creature's look like nightmare versions of Pokémon?" Jessie asked. Misty sighed. "I don't know... But no sane mind could create these things," Misty said. However, she had a nasty feeling that she'd find out the real reason soon enough.

...

"Ok, enough screwing around! GUT HIM!" Edward shouted, a lot more agitated than he had been before. The Cubone monster had its back to the stadium wall and braced itself for its 'Father's' next order. The Ariados monster ran towards the knife-wielding monster like a Tauros, its back blades ready to impale. Ash had just come up with a strategy. He waited until just the right time to say "DODGE!" The knife-wielder rolled out of the way just in time. The spider couldn't stop in time and its blades buried themselves in the wall again. Edward cursed aloud as the spider struggled to drag itself away from the wall. Ash issued another without missing a beat. "Now use Cut on one of those top blades! Cut it off!" Ash ordered. Misty blinked. Did Ash just say that? The skull-headed child was eager to obey. Grabbing one of the 'legs' attached to the spider's back, it began to hack away at the flesh with its knife. The Ariados Monster roared in pain as the Cubone creature cut through the leg. "Get him off you!" Edward bellowed, a lot less composed than he had been before the fight. SCHLICK! One of the legs on the creature's back was severed clean off. Roaring in rage, the spider creature loosed its other back leg and took a swipe at the smaller creature. The skull-headed child ducked just in time and ran away from the reach of the blades. The freed and furious spider monster hissed at the distant adversary. It's back only had one blade leg and a severed, bloodless stump. "CHEATER!" Edward roared, "After I'm done with that Cubone, I'll cut you up like a Christmas turkey! SLASH!" The demonic Ariados charged forward, its bloodied blades ripping the ground apart. The one blade on its back swung wildly around, ready to decapitate the smaller creature.

"Daddy...?" The Cubone monster asked. Ash smiled. "Wait for it..." Ash said. Misty looked at Ash. The look in his eye was one she had seen before, a look of sheer determination. The look he had at every tournament battle. Was he really viewing this as just another challenge? The idea made her shiver. The spider monster was almost on top of the Cubone monster. The creature's fanged mouth roared with bloodlust and rage. It raised its two forelegs, ready to impale the skull-headed child. "Roll under it!" Ash suddenly yelled. The twisted Cubone quickly obeyed, rolling right under the spider monster just as it brought its blades down. Ash's monster ducked between the two back legs of Edward's monster, coming out right behind it. "Now cut off that other leg!" Ash ordered. Jessie and Misty's eyes shrank as they hear this. "What!?" Misty yelled. She definitely didn't mishear that. "NO!" Edward screamed, "KILL IT BEFORE IT..." Too late. The skull-headed creature leaped onto the spider's back and began slicing through the other leg. Soon, with a sickening noise, the other leg fell off and the monstrous Ariados was left with a bare back. The monstrous Cubone still clutched the creature tightly with its claws. Ash smirked, seeing victory in his grasp. "Now finish it!" Ash coldly and yet happily ordered. It gave Misty and Jessie chills.

"Yes, Daddy!" The skull-headed child jabbed its knife into the spider's back, cutting deeper and deeper with every hit. The Ariados monster roared with agony as the knife gouged it's hidden painfully. "Nononononononono shake it off shake it off shake it off!" Edward panicked. The spider monster began to wildly buck and spin, trying to shake off the attacking creature. The creature was able to hold on and continued to stab the monster. 'Ariados' shrieked in pain and desperately tried to force the smaller monster off, but its legs couldn't hit the thing on its back without it losing its balance. The skull-headed creature was ready to deliver the final blow for Daddy. It raised the knife above its head, ready to bring it down... When the spider monster was able to throw it off. The surprised skull monster rolled away and found that its knife was no longer with it. "Oh no!" Ash yelled in horror. He was momentarily scared of losing this fight. Edward's face was an edifice of rage and hatred. "Now destroy! Wait... what?" He said, but then he became scared. The spider monster was teetering unsteadily, not moving with the ferocious speed it used to. The reason was because the 'Cubone's' knife had embedded itself in the beast's head. The monster stumbled unsteadily before falling to the ground, its blades clattering uselessly. It didn't get up.

The skull-headed monster started dancing like a little kid after winning the softball match. Misty and Jessie nearly got up and cheered until they remembered where they were and what had really happened. "NOOOOOOO! ARIADOS!" Edward yelled, "I... I CAN'T LOSE! I'M THE CHAMP! I'M THE EMPEROR! THIS... THIS HAS TO BE A MISTAKE!" Edward was freaking out now as he looked upon the dead spider creature. "YEEEEES!" Ash yelled as he pumped his fist in victory, "I WON! I KILLED... wait..." His joyful expression quickly faded as the adrenaline wore off and the reality of what had just happened sunk it. The skull-headed 'Cubone' monster turned to look at Ash. "Did I do good, Daddy? Did I?" It asked with a hopeful tone. Ash stared at the abomination with confusion. "Uh..." Ash let out. He had no idea how to respond. His mouth had gone completely dry and he felt a chill running down his spine. Did he enjoy what just happened? What was he supposed to do now? Edward's enraged voice brought him out of his reverie. "You... YOU! YOU DID THIS! YOU'RE GOING TO PAY FOR THIS! I... I SHOULD HAVE DESTROYED YOU WHEN I HAD THE CHANCE! YOU'RE A CHEATER! I'm the champ! You cheated! You'll never beat me! NEVER!" The boy yelled. He turned to his other 'Pokémon'. "MACHOP! GARCHOMP! ABSOL! SCYTHER! PIKACHU! GO GET HIM!" Edward ordered in rage, pointing his bloody finger at the boy. However, the monsters did nothing. Edward was surprised by this.

"What? GUYS, GO AFTER HIM! HE'S RUINING EVERYTHING!" Edward ordered. They looked away from him and began leaving. Edward froze for a second before running after them. "Guys, where are you going? Why are you leaving me?!" Edward asked, confused and scared. The 'Pikachu' monster stopped and looked at its master. "We don't take orders from you now," The monster said in a distorted voice, "We only take orders from the Emperor." Edward was struck by this as he stopped. "But I am the Emperor!" Edward yelled terrified. The mouse growled. "No... He defeated you. He has shown that he is stronger. You don't deserve to live," The mouse explained, walking into the shadows. Edward rushed to him. "NO! PIKACHU! DON'T LEAVE ME AGAIN!" Edward cried, tears coming from his eyes. But it was too late, the mouse was in the shadows, and when the boy grabbed at the area, his hand hit a wall. Edward looked at his hands and began to cry. He fell to his knees and then leaned to ground. He began punching it in anger as he cried. Ash looked at Edward, a cold expression on him. "You've lost. There's nothing you can do. Now give me the key," Ash said, trying to make the man feel better. Ash began walking towards Edward. However, Edward quickly glared at him, however, his eyes were now purple and his pupil was silted. "Get away from me!" Edward growled in rage. Barbed wire sprouts out of the floor and blocked off the half of the stadium floor Edward was on. Edward got up and began running towards the stands on the opposite side. Ash was shocked by this. "Wait! That key... I need that key!" Ash yelled as he gave chase, running past the skull-monster and the spider's corpse. Misty and Jessie bolted from their seats and started running after Edward as well. The skull-headed child stared at the chase for a moment before darting into the shadows.

"You're not getting it, you cheater! It's mine! It's MINE!" Edward screamed in rage. He was running up towards the announcer's box, going up a lot faster than humanly plausible. Ash ran faster. He needed that key from him. "Get back here!" Ash roared. Edward ran into the door to the announcer's box before opening it and shutting himself in. With a click, the door locked with Edward and the key inside. "NO!" Ash snarled, banging his fist on the door. Jessie and Misty then showed up beside him. Ash glared through the glass at the smug psycho dangling the key on his finger. "You want this, huh? Well, cheaters don't get what they want!" Edward mocked Ash from inside the announcer booth.

Suddenly a white light appeared around Edward and his body changed. His hair became a dark green, long and parted like a coconut tree, his clothes changed to a strange tight body black suit with a skirt shorts combo; black, fingerless gloves and boots; a black top that only covered his chest and had a 'v' on the back with three large dots, and he wore a headband with a triangle that had three large dots. "I'll recover from the heavy blow you gave me and then finally make you pay. Then they'll see that I'm STRONGER! THEN I'LL GET PIKACHU BACK!" The man said tears fell as he painfully smiled. However, his voice was much more feminine making it was hard to tell if the 'man' was a man anymore. Ash Ketchum was ready to smash through the glass and strangle Edward. That key was the one that would get him to his father. That psycho would pay for this. Ash ran into the door again, but the locked door held firm. "Hah! You want it, come and..." Edward began mocking. CLANK rattle rattle rattle. "What?" Edward and Ash said at once. That noise came from inside the announcer booth. Edward whirled around to see the metal grating of an air vent rattling on the floor. The air vent had another of the skull-headed monsters crawling through it. "Daddy's mad and you'll be sorry!" It hissed, brandishing its knife. It then landed on the ground. Another one followed. And another. And another. Edward realized what was going on. "G-get back! I'm Daddy! You shouldn't hurt your daddy!" Edward pleaded.

The monsters hissed, "You're not daddy! Daddy hates you! Daddy wants you destroyed!" Edward's eyes shrank in fear. "St-stay back! I'm the Emperor! I'm… I'm…" Edward yelled as he looked around for a weapon.

"You're no emperor! You're ugly! YOU SHOULD'VE BE DESTROYED LONG AGO!" The monsters yelled as they ran towards Edward. Edward turned towards the door and began twisting the nob. "Come on! Come on! OPEN!" He yelled as the creatures came closer. One of the Cubone monsters soon leaped onto his back and started hacking with its knife. Edward and Ash screamed in pain and began teetering. Another monster grabbed Edward's leg and gouged out his ankle. Ash and Edward screamed in pain as they fell to the ground. Misty rushed over to Ash and began checking him, but there were no wounds on him. The other little demons were upon Edward in a heartbeat, stabbing their small knives into the crazed boy's skin. Edward and Ash screamed in pain as the creatures cut into their prey. Edward glowed red as he lets out a monstrous roar. The skull-headed monsters screamed as they were absorbed into the larger beast. The man's body began to morph as large arms sprout of the 'man's' sides and a long pointed tail sprouted out of its butt. The creature's body increased in size and a hole formed in the creature's chest. Its hair soon shifted into a ponytail and it lost its eyes. The monster roared once the transformation was complete. Jessie gasped as she realized it was the same creature from Markham's house. The creature lets out another roar of pain as it breathed out the fire. Ash and the others stepped back as the door burned up. The monster soon punched the door and it fell to the ground. The gang was horrified by the ugly monstrosity that was in front of them. Although Edward was now that horrifying creature, the wound he had sustained as a 'human' were still on him. They were slowly healing, but they doubt the creature could survive for long. Edward began walking out of the door, while more skull-children came out of the vent. The skull children soon stood and stare at Hyde as it walked up to Ash.

How could this… thing be still alive? They all wonder as the creature weakly let out a moan. Ash grunted as he got up. "E-Edward? A-are… are you okay?" Ash asked the creature. He could feel everything the monster was feeling and it hurt a lot. "D-daddy… Was I a good boy?" The six-armed creature asked, sounding just like one of the skull-headed creatures. Ash and the others blinked. "E-Edward?" Ash asked, confused. However, before they could do anything, the creature soon fell forward, causing Ash to catch it in his arms. "E-EDWARD!? Come on, wake up! Don't scare me like this!? I… I don't know what's going on, but please don't die!" Ash yelled. He didn't know what to do with the thing. He could still feel it breathing, but it was clear this… this thing wasn't going to last any longer. The creature looked at him. Ash gulped. "Daddy… I… I hope I made you proud. I… I just want us to be a family again," The creature let out with a smile. Suddenly, the creature glowed red and Ash has encompassed him. Misty and Jessie had to step away as the light hurt them like an electric barrier. Ash closed his eyes and let out a scream of pain. His friends covered their eyes as they tried to figure out what was going on. The skull children looked at the light and 'oohed'. After a long while, the light faded and Ash was on the ground, panting and gasping for air. Misty lowered her arms and gasped in shock as she looked at her friend. The boy was back to looking like how he normally was. She had no idea of what happened, what happened to Edward, nor why Eddie did this, but she was kind of glad Ash was back to looking like Ash. 'Hopefully, this means he'll be acting like how he should be now.' Misty thought. Ash grunted as he touched his chest. He could hear his heart beating like mad. Suddenly a small green lizard creature appeared in Ash's mind. It had the mouth of an eel, had two baby arms and two baby legs that all acted as legs, large red eyes, a long tail, and spikes on its back. He shocked the image away.

Ash opened his eyes, however, they were pure red. Misty and Jessie shivered in fear as the boy looked at them. "T-twerp, are… are you alright?" Jessie asked. Ash let out a soft chuckle as he walked towards them. Misty gulped. Suddenly Ash grabbed Misty's arm. "Lucy…" He managed to say. Misty shivered at this. She soon remembered the last time he had called her that. 'Stay calm, Misty. If he notices your fear, he'll go berserk again,' Misty thought. Ash leaned closer, ready to kiss her. Jessie wants to make fun of the two but she knew something was wrong with Ash. "Love me…" Ash whispered. Misty was confused and scared as she stepped back. "A-ash, please. G-get a hold of yourself. We have to save Henry, remember," Misty said, trying to make him snap out of this. Ash growled. "Forget about him. You don't need him. You have me," Ash said, his voice becoming louder and angrier. Misty became even more confused but soon remembered that Edward was trying to stop them from getting Henry. Misty growled. "Edward, get out of Ash! I know it's you! Only you would say such horrible things about Henry! Because he's everything you wished you were! Now let Ash be Ash!" Misty yelled. She soon slapped the boy with her free hand. Ash held his cheek with his free hand. He soon began breathing heavily. He soon tightened his grip on Misty's arm. She grunted in pain as he did this. Ash noticed this and soon let's go of her. He soon held his head. It was pounding like a war drum. Suddenly he began to hear voices.

'Mommy, get the monster away from me!'

'Such a hideous beast. It should be killed.'

'Delia should be ashamed she has to deal with you.'

Ash growled as all of his thoughts were replaced by instinct.

'Go away, we don't need you here.'

'You're no hero.'

'I HATE YOU!'

Ash soon let out a monstrous roar and then glared at Misty. A dark shadow soon surrounded his body. Suddenly, for a brief moment, Ash had been replaced by Pyramid Head. Misty and Jessie became terrified. Ash then grabbed Misty by the throat with his left hand. He lifted his pipe up, ready to attack her when Jessie grabbed his arm. Ash snarled at the woman. Jessie gulped in terror but stood her ground. "T-twerp, get a hold of yourself. This isn't you. You don't hurt your friends. You're much nicer than this. I don't know what's wrong with you, but I know you hate this too. We'll save Henry and the others then we'll help you. Just… calm down," Jessie said. Ash breathed heavily as his eyes returned to normal. Ash let's go of Misty and held his head as he regained control over himself. "You feeling better now?" Jessie asked as Misty gasped for air. Ash soon sighed and looked at her. "Y-yes. I'm… I'm sorry about that. I'm… I'm just not feeling like myself," He said although he was scared of what just happened. Soon a skull-headed child walked right up to the stymied Ash. The creature held up a key ring with a single key. The key to the basement. Edward must've dropped it while he was transforming. Thankfully, it wasn't destroyed. Ash didn't move for a moment. What was he supposed to do now? These monsters basically slaughtered a person for him. Plus, what was going on with him? What did that light do to his mind? Did Edward really take over like what Misty said? Where was Edward and why was he acting like one of the skull monsters? And why was all this happening to him?

'Henry.' Ash thought. With fingers shaking and teeth clenched, Ash slowly took the key ring from the creature's bloodless hand. Misty and Jessie just stared, not knowing what to do or say. Glancing at the key, Ash thought about all the insanity he had gone through in this damn town. All the monsters, the deaths, the nightmares. All so he could rescue his father. And now, he was closer than ever to that goal. He would NOT fail. Ash backed away from the creature, silently telling Jessie and Misty to follow him. They did so. The skull-headed child just looked at Ash with a puzzled expression on its face. Soon the three humans were running. Running towards the back of the stadium, towards the basement, towards their kidnapped friends and Rose, towards the end of this nightmare. They hoped. Meanwhile, the small creature watched them disappear and let out a sad sigh. Poor Daddy didn't know what he was in for down there.

…

'Henry' let out a laugh as the cage around him disappeared and he landed on the platform he was on. He smirked as he rubbed his wrists. Tracy and James were confused. What was going on? 'Henry' smirked as he stretched. "So Edward has finally fallen. All that's left is for Ash to see is the truth. Whether or not he's ready, I don't care anymore," 'Henry' said. He then picked up his glasses and he adjusts them. "H-Henry, wh-what's going on? What do you mean Edward has fallen? How do you know? And what truth?" Tracy asked, very confused. Henry sighed as he looked down. "You will find out soon enough. However, I doubt you will ever forgive Ash and me once you learn," Henry said, then smirked, "Soon, all will be revealed." Tracy and the others couldn't know but a dark aura began forming around her.

…

Back with the gang, Ash didn't stop running for a fraction of a second. The boy bolted down the hallway leading to the basement door like a thunderbolt. Jessie and Misty could barely keep up. The boy ran heedlessly of the corpses scattered through the halls, stepping in the blood on more than one occasion. He didn't seem to notice them. He only saw the doorway. The doorway that led to his captured father and friends. "Hey, wait up Twerp!" Jessie cried out. Misty sighed. "Save your breath, Jessie." Misty said as she gasped for breath while she quickly avoided tripping over the murdered custodian, "Ash isn't stopping anytime soon." Ash ran right into the locked door and swiftly grabbed the key ring from his pocket. His hands shaking with tension, he eventually managed to get the key into the lock and twist. With a small click, the door unlocked. Ash nearly snapped the door off its hinges as he entered. The basement of Yoka Village Colosseum was...well, a basement. There was honestly nothing remarkable about it, except for a few spare pylons and grid-marking tools scattered on the floor. Ash looked around frantically in the entrance before deciding to go in deeper. He nearly tripped over several basketballs as he made his way to the other end of the poorly-lit basement. By the time Jessie and Misty got to the basement door, Ash had already vanished into the back of the cellar. They could hear him, however. The boy was yelling in anger and frustration very loudly at the back. Jessie and Misty turned on their flashlights, illuminating the shadowy walls of the stadium basement.

On the far end of the wall was Ash Ketchum banging on a door in pure rage. The door looked incredibly out of place in the bland basement. It was cast iron, slightly reddened with rust. Instead of a doorknob and lock on the side, there was some sort of wheel mechanism in the center with rods all around locking the door in place. Ash tried, not for the first time, to turn the wheel with no success. Ash snarled loudly, his voice sounding more like a monster's than his own. He did NOT come all this way, risking the life and sanity of him and his friends to be stopped by a locked door! He would NOT let this stinking door. "Ash, c-calm down. We don't want you attacking us again," Misty retort, reminding him and herself of what happened a few minutes ago. She had hoped that since he had gotten the key, his insane anger would calm down. Ash glared at them and for a brief moment, Pyramid appeared as his shadow. Ash soon sighed and looked at the door. Shame soon covered his face. "I-I… I'm sorry Misty. I… I'm just scared. We're right where everyone is and…" Ash began to say, but soon noticed something that got his attention. It was an indentation on the wheel, a circular hole for something. Likely some sort of key. The shape seemed somewhat familiar... Ash dug into his pockets and took out the pocket picture he had picked up at Markham's house. The one labeled 'Father' with the picture of the man who looked like Edward. He looked at it and the impression in the door. It was the same size and shape. Without question, Ash thrust the picture into the hole. A perfect fit, judging by the KLANK that grabbed the wheel and turned it again. The wheel moved and rods holding the door to the wall all shifted, unlocking the door. Ash pushed hard and nearly fell into the room behind the door. The boy picked himself up and started running into the hallway. Misty and Jessie sighed and ran after him almost immediately, not wanting to lose sight of her friend.

Ash looked through the hallway as he ran. It was pure white with four square indents in the walls with markings under them. At the end of the hallway was a door with the same symbol on Ash's arms. Ash smirked as he stopped in front of the door. "Okay, one more door and …huh?" Ash said, however, before he could open the door, he noticed there was a note on said door. Misty and Jessie stopped once they reached Ash and began panting. "T-twerp, is something wrong? Why did you stop?" Jessie asked as she looked at the boy. Ash picked up the note and began to read it out loud. "The time has come to for truth to be shed. It's time for this charade to end. However, before you go and meet your fate, the 'holes' in your memories must be filled. Truths you've locked away from your mind by a deceiver. One who doesn't want you to know the real you, receiver. If you choose, these truths can be ignored and you can let events play. However, the consequences could lead to your last day. So choose wisely, the truth awaits. But don't worry, your friends are forced to wait," The note said in a riddle.

Ash blinked. "What the? Is this another riddle?" Ash asked. He looked back at the holes. "Are these holes this thing talks about?" Ash asked himself. He sighed. He didn't know what to do. He wanted to just go in and free everyone. But something told him that these memories were just as important. "Looks like it. Although, the note also says we can just ignore them if you want to. However, if this note says these memories will somehow save our friends, maybe we should look into them," Jessie said. Misty nodded. Ash looked at the note again. "Yeah… maybe you're right. F-for now let's just look at the holes first and see if we can figure them out." Ash said. The others nodded. Ash took a deep breath as he walked to the first hole in the wall that he had passed. He soon began reading the words written under it. "Eyes gleamed over, it stalks before striking, its tail wags in anticipation." It said. Ash thought the words over in his head. The square shaped hole was just the right size for him to place in one of the tiles he had gotten from the cottage. He assumed the riddle meant that he had to put one of them in the slot. Ash carefully looked inside of his backpack and went over the selection he had: A bird, a snake, a cat and a fish. 'This riddle has to do with the Meowth title, doesn't it?' Ash asked himself thinking the clue over. He carefully grabbed the tile and gently placed it into the hole in the wall. The tile began to glow white, spreading out from it was in. Ash took a step back as he watched the plate spread out before him. The light faded away, revealing a door in its place. Jessie and Misty let out a 'whoa' before they noticed the tiles in his backpack.

"Whoa. Ash, where did you get those tiles?" Misty asked, unsure what had happened. Ash looked at them. "Well, when I was about to face Alessa. There were these doors to the sides, four to be precise…huh… kind of like these four holes. Well, I guess if I hadn't gone in every door, I wouldn't have been able to find these items and thus couldn't complete this 'puzzle'." Ash said. The two girls nodded. "Anyways, let's see what these 'truths' are," Jessie said. Misty nodded. Ash turned back to the door. He carefully opened the door, looking inside. It was a single room, almost like a closet. Four solid walls with no description to them, yet he felt compelled to go inside. He and the girls walked into the dark room, Jessie closed the door behind them. Suddenly the group's flashlights went out on their own, freaking the gang out. As Jessie and Misty reached out to try and figure out what had happened to them, the room was filled with the purple light. However, instead of ghostly images appearing in front of them, projected on the walls was an image of Ash's mother and a woman who looked like a receptionist. They wondered if this was like a movie. "Woah. This… is very strangely." Misty said. Ash and Jessie nodded. They knew these had to be memories, however, they weren't expecting them to be represented like this. Suddenly the image began to move.

…

"Room 317... That's his room, right?" Delia asked a receptionist once she was done looking at a reservation sheet. Ash was hiding behind a pillar. He looked at the receptionist, who was smiling. "Yes, Misses Ketchum, that's where Mr. Ketchum is. But… why is this important?" The woman asked. Delia nervously chuckled. "Oh, Mr. Ketchum is my husband. I haven't seen him since he went on his journey, so when I learned he was here, I thought I would come and drop by. Of course, if he's still here." Delia said. The receptionist sighed. "Sorry, Miss, but he isn't here at the moment. I think he went out to get some items for some kind of study. Come back later, okay," The woman said. Delia sighed. "Okay," She said, then walked away. Ash waited until his mother was out of the building before he began moving. He sneaked around the staff and went to the trainer's quarters. Ash went up the stairs until he found room 317. "Yes! Daddy's room! Now I can finally meet him once he comes back!" Ash yelled, very happy. He grabbed the door knob but found it locked. Ash blinked before growling. He soon began banging on the door. "Let me in! Let me in!" Ash screamed. Suddenly he heard a small chuckle. Ash turned to his left and saw a man standing near the entrance of the staircase. He was a tall man, he had long unkempt and curly dark brown hair, he didn't look like he had gotten a good bath in at least a week, and wore a frumpy white shirt and black dress pants. Ash blinked and then became embarrassed. "S-sorry, I… I hope I wasn't upsetting you. I… I was just trying to go in this room. I… I wanted to surprise the man that lives here. I-I'm Ash Ketchum," Ash apologized. The man put on a smile.

"It's okay. It's okay. I won't tell anyone that you were here. But… I guess you did surprise me," The man said. Ash blinked and then looked at the man again. He did look a little bit like the boy. "D-daddy?" Ash asked. The man paused for a moment before patting Ash on the head. "Ah, you must be Delia's son. I've heard much about you from your father, in fact, you look so much like him. Unfortunately, I am simply your father's brother, Henry Ketchum," The man explained. Ash became disappointed at first but soon became excited. "Y-your daddy's brother? Then… then that means you're my uncle right? You know all about daddy right?" Ash said, very excited. Henry was shocked to hear this. "Delia… never told you about me or what happened to your father?" Henry asked. Ash shocked his head. "No. Never. Dad left when I was really young, so she didn't get to learn much," Ash said. The man soon confused. "Oh, I would have guessed. Still, that's such a horrible thing for her to do since she is his wife, she would know about… certain quirks about us. However, before I take you inside, I have to ask. What happened to my dear old dad? When I had visited him earlier today he said that I had already visited him and I was the reason he was in the sanitarium. Obviously, that can't be the case because I haven't seen him in years," He asked. Ash soon looked down in shame. "G-grandpa… he… he attacked me by using funny smells when new year struck. The police stopped him but… grandpa hasn't been the same. I… I went to him a few days ago to see what happened but… but that place is horrible! I never want to go there again! The yells, the screams, the… the monsters that are tied up in those weird shirts! It was so scary! And… and then grandpa yelled at me! He… he called me a monster. And… and… called me Henry… but… why would he mistake me for you? And… why does he have to be so mean!?" Ash asked. He soon began crying. The man soon hugged the little boy and smiled. "Don't worry, Ash. I don't see you as a monster. I know you are something special. After all, there's no way a father would just mistake you for me if there wasn't something special," He said.

After a few seconds, Ash stopped crying and looked at the man. "R-really?" Ash asked. Henry nodded as he let go of Ash. He soon opened the door. "Yes. Now come this way, I have a lot to talk about." Henry said. He smiled as he turned and walked into the room. Ash smiled. "Yeah!" Ash yelled as he happily followed the man inside. Ash was a little shocked seeing the place. "So… this is daddy's place. It's… messier than I thought." Ash said as he looked around the room. Henry took a seat on one of the lower beds. The room was a simple Pokémon center room with two bunk beds next to each other and a table next to a window and a closet, however, there were many books all over the place. Ash soon sat across from his uncle. Henry chuckled. "Yeah. Your father has been studying our religion and Pokémon. He's a big part of the Valtiel section of the church and a Pokémon trainer. While he's unregistered right now, he's learning a lot about the creatures to get better. But of course, I have my own… specialty as well. However, your father and my dad never liked it and saw me as a monster… just like you…" Henry said, kind of sad at the end. This catches Ash's attention. "R-really?" Ash asked. Henry nodded, although he looked very upset at this fact. "Yes. In fact, your dear daddy still thinks I'M your actual father. He thinks that a 'hideous beast like Ash' must come from me. There's obviously no way HE could create such an ugly monster," Henry said, exaggerating his voice when he was mocking his brother.

Ash held himself and looked away in shame. "He… he really thinks that?" Ash asked, very nervous. The little boy only knew his father left his family about a few months after he was born, so he didn't know anything about the man. Henry nodded. "Yes. But obviously that can't be the case, I was never into your mother, nor would she love me…" Henry said then looked down in sadness. Ash felt bad for his uncle. He soon got up and sat next to the man. "I love you, Uncle," Ash said with a warm smile. Henry looked at the boy and smiled as well. "I love you too, Ash…" He said. He soon kissed Ash on the forehead. Ash was confused by this but accepted it since his mom kissed him on the checks a lot when she was really proud of him, so this had to be the same thing. Ash soon remembered that the man said there was something special about him. "Uncle… you said there was something special about me. Something that made Grandpa, not like me and made him think I was you. But… I don't get it. He and Dad didn't think of me like that before. They used to read bedtime stories to me and they loved me… but… but now they don't… and then mom found out about the stories and say they're bad…and… then fought with them…and… and it's… it's all my fault! That's why those bullies call me mean names and why I have to fight them! It's my fault!" Ash cried, hugging the man. He only vaguely remembered his father reading the stories. Henry sighed and hugged the boy.

"Ash, it's okay. The part about the stories isn't your fault. It's a proud tradition in our family to read those old stories to young ones for them to be a part of our religion. However, your mom isn't into that and that's okay. It's just their fault they can't compromise with her. However, those stories aren't why they hate you. They aren't the main reason she fought with them. It's because she doesn't like our religion and to be honest, and honestly neither do I. I just… I want to be free. Not listen to what the church says and just be happy with Pokémon. Dad and your dad just never understood this notion. While they love Pokémon, they still are heavily into the church's beliefs. As for you being special, well… I want to tell you. But if I do, your mother would probably get mad at me. She would probably say, 'What? You meet your uncle and he told you THAT. Well, OBVIOUSLY he's lying. You're just a normal boy. Now let's forget about it, okay'." Henry mocked.

Ash giggled. "Yeah. Mom can be a worry wart like that. But, why would she say you're lying?" Ash asked, confused at the end. Henry chuckled as his face became a bit darker. "Oh, you'll learn. However, I think I should take you to my 'special' friend's house. The one I go to for parties and other fun things. There, I will tell you why your mother doesn't want you to know the truth. Not only about us but of our great-great-great-great-great grandpa. The one who caused both of us to carry this special power." Henry said. Ash's eyes widen. "Y-you're just like me? Y-you have a monster in you?" Ash asked as he remembered when he attacked grandpa and his mother. His mom told him that it was caused by a monster inside of him while his grandpa just says he was just a monster. "Technically, everyone has a monster inside of them. However, we're special than other people. But if you are truly afraid of the monster, I will help you. You just need to come with me to the fun house," Henry said. Ash smiled. "Yes! Yes! YES!" Ash yelled, "Take me there!" Henry chuckled and ruffled Ash's hair. "Alright. Alright. I'll take you there." He said. Ash cheered in glee as Henry and Ash got up. Soon they walked out of the room.