I thank you all for the excellent and useful reviews the previous chapter as always. If I ever have more free time before Christmas break, then I might update sooner and with much more. But that is assuming I do not have any important tests or unfinished homework left behind for the rest of the week until break.
So now, please enjoy…
It was an ordinary afternoon, or so it used to be, fresh from his hard fought victory over the Dark-type Master of the Hoenn region. He knew it was still the beginning of his final journey of his life. He could ordinarily breeze by the successive battles against the most powerful Trainers of each of the four main regions, given that it was his only concern. He had other pressing engagements and it could not even wait from his victory.
"What are you talking about?" Ash asked. Pulled away from the Ever Grande Stadium before even saying good-bye to Sidney, the conversation with Anabel was urgent and reasonable enough to grab his attention.
"I'm telling you that the legendary Cresselia talked to me," Anabel explained. "You've got to believe me!" Ash slowly stepped back, breathing at a slower pace. Pikachu was on his shoulder, staring at Anabel with the same amount of disbelief as Ash.
"Sorry, Anabel, but news like this takes a while to digest," Ash said, looking at the ground. "Are you sure it was a Cresselia and not some other Psychic Pokémon?"
"I'm positive, Ash," she said, searching her person for something. "I would never lie to you unless it's for your own good."
"Oh, okay… Wait, what?"
"I got it!" Anabel exclaimed, holding a luminous, crescent-shaped green feather by the tip. "Look closely, Ash, and tell me what you see." Ash followed her request, squinting at the beautiful feather. A look of realization struck him almost immediately.
"T-That's the… the Lunar Wing!" he exclaimed. Pikachu also stared at the mystical wing with curiosity. "How did you get a Lunar Wing? And all the way here in Hoenn?! You-You did receive just now, didn't you?"
"It just appeared out of nowhere after my telepathic talk with Cresselia," Anabel explained, waving the Lunar Wing back and forth in her fingers. Ash ushered her to follow him to a more secluded area behind several more trees.
"Anabel, after everything that has happened to us, I'm almost willing to believe anything and I mean it," Ash whispered. "Your nightmare visions, Darkrai's visit, and now Cresselia finding you; what are the odds of this happening?!"
"Believe you me, Ash, but I didn't sign up for this," Anabel replied hastily. "I think both Darkrai and Cresselia said that our destinies may be intertwined in saving this world from the beast in my dreams." Ash mused for a moment with a look of strained frustration on his face. "Don't tire yourself out, Ash."
"Meh…," Ash groaned. The lovely pair heard strange footsteps approaching, crunching the grass even louder as they got closer to Ash and Anabel's location.
"Hello? Someone back there?" a man asked. "I heard voices coming back here so I'm coming to investigate."
"Ar!" a metallic bark shouted. This voice belonged to a Pokémon, which was probably a companion to the man searching the section of the forest.
"We'll discuss this later with Cresselia tonight," Anabel whispered, receiving Ash's nod as a response. They both left their hiding spot, seeing that there was no need to hide from anybody other than their significant secret.
"We're over here!" Ash exclaimed in response to the man's call.
"Ah, I knew there was someone back—Ash?"
"Huh? Do I know you?"
"Ash, do you know who this is?" Anabel asked, referring to the man looking for them.
He wore a formal black suit with purple zigzag patterns on each side at the top. He had a red tie underneath, a silver metal band on each arm, and silver rings on the index and ring fingers on each hand. His hair was as bright ans shiny as silver, as was his focused eyes.
"Uh… you do look familiar," Ash commented.
"It's me, Steven Stone," he said. Ash continued thinking, recalling if he had met a Steven Stone before.
"Steven… Stone… I think… nope," Ash mumbled, pondering longer than necessary. Anabel and Steven glanced at each other.
"Does he need a hint or something?" Steven asked.
"He'll get it before the night falls preferably," Anabel said.
"Now I got it!" Ash exclaimed, pounding a fist to his hand. "Steven, we met at Granite Cave in Dewford Town, haven't we?"
"Now you've got it," Steven said, amused by his reaction.
"But you look different than we last met," Ash said, inspecting Steven up close.
"Must be the attire," Steven said, lightly pushing Ash away. "I wear explorer's clothes when I go looking for rare rocks and such. I wear this nice suit when I travel around."
"Oh, that makes sense," Ash remarked, noticing his Aron sitting next to him. "I see that your Aron is doing well."
"Ar! Aron!" it barked happily. Pikachu jumped from Ash's shoulder, urging Aron to join the other Pokémon in playing together.
"Pi Pika," Pikachu said to Aron.
"Ar!" Aron agreed. The two Pokémon ran off.
"But what are you doing here anyway, Steven?" Anabel asked.
"I thought I might take a break from stone searching and check out the recent battles here in Ever Grande," Steven explained. "I used to be a powerful Trainer and even a Champion at one time before Wallace moved up from being the Sootopolis Gym Leader to Hoenn Champion and Contest Master."
"That's so awesome!" Ash commented. "I kind of wished I could have battled you in my Hoenn matches."
"I'd say you'd over qualify in making a challenge to me," Steven said, giving a friendly smile to the young Trainer. "But your opponents have been predetermined and there's really not much anyone can do at this point."
"But I've haven't really faced a Steel-type Master yet," Ash said sadly. "And facing only Bruno's Steelix wasn't enough since he's supposedly a Fighting-type Master."
"True, that is true," Steven said, sounding somewhat as depressed as Ash was. "Maybe another time we could face each other with everything we've got. No holding back in your future battles, Ash!"
"Thanks! And good luck finding more rare stones!" Ash yelled, waving alongside Anabel good-bye to Steven. Ash's waving slowed.
"Something wrong, Ash?" Anabel asked.
"I still wish I had a chance battling his powerful Steel-type Pokémon," Ash mumbled, but felt confident that his next two matches would satisfy his challenge.
"Help!" someone cried. "My Golem is rolling out of control downhill!" It was true. There was a Golem rolling down a high and precariously steep incline.
"Go-oh-oh-oh-le-em-em!" Golem shouted, trapped within its own shell.
The Golem rolled dangerously fast towards two unsuspecting people. They were merely two women, oblivious to a flattening fate that would capture them if they did not get off of its path. One of them was tall, blond, foreign, and wore a purple dress. The other girl was a tanned, barefoot, mystical hula dancer with a long blue skirt, a blue top piece, large red flowers on her ears, and two red anklets. The latter was in greater danger of being run over by the Golem. The blond woman was the first to discover the oncoming crisis.
"Phoebe, watch out!" she cried, jumping out of the Golem's destructive path. The hula girl named Phoebe was frightened by the sudden news. She saw the approaching Golem, screaming at the top of her lungs. She reflexively tried to jump out of the way as her friend did, but ended up twisting her right ankle at the drastic turn. The poor traction between the ground and her bare foot tripped her. She fell upon the ground with seemingly no hope of survival.
"I got you!" a man shouted, having swept Phoebe off the ground and carried her away. As for the Golem, the man's Aggron stopped the rolling Megaton Pokémon from going further; the Iron Armor Pokémon was released to be of assistance prior to the peril.
"Phoebe!" the woman exclaimed. "Is she okay?" She ran to the man who saved the young Ghost-type Master of the Hoenn region. She immediately recognized him. "Oh! Long time, no see, Steve!"
"Hey, Glacia," Steven greeted nonchalantly, not facing her since he was still examining Phoebe's unconscious form.
"Well, how is she?" Glacia asked, apprehensive about her fellow Trainer's health. Steven stood back up, facing her directly this time.
"Phoebe will be fine, I assure you," he said, changing the mood after that said.
"Bad news, right?" Glacia filled in. Steven nodded.
"Other than her resting right now, her ankle is injured so she can't participate in any battles for a week or so," Steven explained, clasping Glacia's hands. Glacia retracted her hands in shock.
"B-But Phoebe can't miss out her battle with Trainer Ash two days from now!" Glacia cried. "Phoebe and I've been looking forward to this all month long! So much for being the granddaughter of a Mt. Pyre guardian…"
"Hey!" a young voice yelled, running towards them in the distance. Ash, Anabel, and a ten-year old girl ran up to them.
"Excuse me, but have you seen a Golem about yea high?" the little girl asked sheepishly, raising her hand high to indicate the Golem's height.
"Do you mean the one that rolled by here earlier?" Steven asked. The girl gasped and started to break down crying.
"Ohh… I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I sorry!!!" she cried, grabbing Steven's hands and swinging him around for forgiveness. "Did my Golem hurt anyone?! I so sorry!!"
"T-take it-t eas-y-y-y," Steven said, shaken around by the young girl. She stopped and released Steven's hands. "Ahem… don't worry about it, Miss. My Aggron's got your Golem nice and safe. Were you two training for the upcoming Ever Grande Conference?"
"Uh-huh! Golem and the rest of my Pokémon are going to win, just like Mister Ketchum right here!" she exclaimed cheerfully, pointing to the dumbstruck maturing Trainer.
"Hi," Ash said, quickly raising a hand hello. Anabel elbowed him slightly.
"Be more polite," she whispered.
"Oh, uh… Hey, Steven; didn't expect us to meet again," Ash said, earning Anabel's cheek peck of approval.
"Ash, good… and bad timing," Steven said, look down at Phoebe's sleeping body. "Your next opponent was supposed to be Phoebe, this girl right here. However, she sprained her ankle in trying to avoid the Golem and—" The Golem Trainer cried into hysterics again.
"Easy there; don't worry about it too much," Anabel assured her. The girl calmed down, still sniffling a bit. "You were saying Steven?"
"It'll take a week or so for Phoebe to get back on her feet again so she can't take up the battle with you," Steven resumed. "So it looks like Ash wins by forfeit."
"No way!" Ash shouted heatedly. They all stepped back from his sudden burst rage. An honest battler he was, he never took the easy way out, even if it was lying on the ground in front of him. "I'm not going to accept a forfeit, not after all we've been through! Isn't there a substitute?"
"Well, Glacia can't do it since she's here as a guest rather than an official Elite Four member," Steven said, musing on a compromise.
"I only have weak, recently captured Pokémon on me since the rest of my powerful Ice Pokémon are home," Glacia explained, sympathetic to the situation. "And the home's Poké Ball transport machine is… how you say, on the fritz, until repairs are complete." Ash turned away in grudging disgust.
"Argh! What rotten luck!" he shouted, desperately maintaining the remnants of his level-headedness.
"Don't give up just yet, Ash," Anabel said, having come up with what she believed her best idea for the situation at hand. "How about you face Steven like you've always wanted to?" Ash stopped his early tantrum, drinking every alluring, sincere word from her gentle lips.
"Anabel! That's an awesome idea!" Ash exclaimed, immediately hugging her tightly. She promptly tried to return the hug if it were not for Ash already suffocating her. Ash released her from his bear hug, allowing her to properly embrace him in return. "Steven, are you up for it? You said it yourself." An amiable smile formed on Steven's face.
"I'd be honored, Ash, but it won't be a full on Six-on-Six battle," Steven said.
"Better a battle than none, I always say," Ash replied. Everyone laughed lightheartedly, having found the perfect compromise to satisfy them all. "Thank you, karma."
"We're here," Anabel said, gripping Ash's hand in hers tightly out of nervousness. The dark of night nearly covered their path to the spacious Ever Grand Lake if it weren't for the brilliant shine of the crescent moon above their heads.
"Anabel, relax," Ash whispered. "I've dealt with a situation between a Cresselia and a Darkrai back at Canalave City before so no need to worry."
"Pi," Pikachu agreed.
"But you've never dealt with a situation that could decided the entire fate of the world, nay, the universe!" she exclaimed. Ash looked at her with a raised eyebrow.
"Anabel, did I ever mention to you about all my adventures regarding Legendary Pokémon and saving lands from psychos and self-destruction?"
"Tell me later; here she comes!" Anabel whispered, hopping quickly and anxiously.
A colorful rainbow light shimmered from the center of the lake. Several water ripples had originated from that very spot. The Pokémon they have been expecting slowly rose from the clear, placid depths. It started with a crescent-moon-shaped head, past the neck, and finally the tips of the pink ring-like wings. The Pokémon stared at the pair from a far, slowly hovering towards them a moment later with a gorgeous aurora trail emitted from the tail.
I've been waiting for you two, she said.
"That's telepathy Cresselia's using," Ash said. Anabel elbowed him lightly to silence him. "… Sorry." Pikachu sighed quietly. They all heard Cresselia giggle softly.
I must agree with all your friends that you two make the cutest couple, Cresselia said. And most important one to date.
"What do you mean?" Ash asked. Cresselia began to speak in a tone so soothing and delicate that Ash, Anabel, and Pikachu were all ready to listen with open hearts:
The deity of death, the master of distortions,
Reborn from shadows in powerful proportions.
The door to its core has sealed away,
Courtesy of interlopers who shun the day.
The plague of corruption will begin,
Infecting more creatures as the sun becomes dim.
The aura of darkness shall consume the land
Lest a gentle hero lends out thy hand.
Descendant of a hero and a fair queen,
Assisted by a maiden and a foe once mean.
Branches of kin far spread apart,
United by the enigma of a regional chart.
If hope is lost, then tragic shall decree
That allies offer aura for the ultimate plea.
The hero decides and will forever believe:
Birth by aura, the purest solution to conceive!
SO SAYS THE AGENT OF THE LIGHT!
Ash, Anabel, and Pikachu glanced at each other in astonishment, recalling the same prophecy told by Darkrai back in Pallet Town almost a month ago. But for Cresselia to know of this and not pursue Darkrai, the messenger of the dark, to stop its business, this was a grave situation that needed to be handled delicately and treated as soon as possible. While Cresselia, the agent of the light, had retold the prophecy in a kinder tone, a forboding omen was still a forboding omen. The only difference was that there was hope in Cresselia's voice.
"Cresselia, please tell us what's going on," Ash requested urgently.
"Pika Pikachu!" Pikachu exclaimed.
"What they said," Anabel replied. Cresselia looked at the three of them pensively. They were desperate for the rumor that continually haunted them in the form of Darkrai and its nightmares. They hoped Cresselia can clarify Darkrai's warnings and what it tried to convey onto them without being too brutal about it. Other than healing them of Darkrai's scars, Cresselia would tell them tonight.
So you have asked for it, so shall you three receive, Cresselia said, emanating a powerful aurora aura from her body. The three were surprised by the power given off by the Lunar Pokémon. Do not fear my power. My power is here to show you the truth. Only under the nights of the crescent moon can I release my full power. A bright flash of rainbow light engulfed the four of them, no witnesses around. There weren't even any wild Pokémon around to observe the show.
"Cresselia, where are you taking us?" Ash and Anabel asked, feeling the bright light taking hold of their bodies. They stared into Cresselia's glowing purple eyes, seeking enlightenment to their distraught confusion.
To your future… Cresselia replied; the light grew stronger around them. Come with me!
I think I'll just place another cliffhanger here just to toy with you all. Their interaction, along with Ash's new battle with Steven, will be on the next chapter.
If you would please review, it will be much appreciated. I want to listen to your thoughts regarding this chapter.
Ciao!