Chapter 2: The Enchanted Forest

Ash and Pikachu began their way through a forest in pursuit of Mizrabel after she kidnapped Serena and her Pokémon. It was only a moment ago that Mizrabel broke in on Ash's and Serena's picnic and kidnapped the blond. From an old man who had a Natu, Ash and Pikachu learned Serena's kidnapping was for Mizrabel to steal Serena's youth and beauty. Ash and Pikachu ran through a mysterious forest within Mizrabel's Castle of Illusion, encountering strange woodland creatures and climbing around the fallen trees on the forest's road. "Man, I don't recognize any of these as Pokémon!" the raven-haired gasped.

("Are we even in the Pokémon World?") wondered Pikachu. They avoided divebombing birds and balls of sap thrown at the two and Ash hopped over walking logs and mushrooms. After a mile had been made journeying this forest, Ash and Pikachu came across a log post with many arrows pointing many ways. There were also many roads to go down.

"Okay, which way do we go?" Ash looked down one path, Pikachu down another. They scoped other paths, none looking any different from each other. "This feels familiar, like all those times getting lost in woods like when the Pangoro or the Ursaring attacked."

("I know what you-") Pikachu stopped squeaking when he noticed a line on a tree. He ran over to the tree and realized the illusion. ("Ash, it's this way!?") Ash heard Pikachu's squeaks and saw the door within the tree.

"Let's bust out of here! Pikachu, use Electro Ball!"

("You got it!") With a leap, electricity gathered onto Pikachu's tail before forming into a ball. He flicked the ball with his tail and struck the door… but the door didn't give. Instead, it bounced back. Ash ducked the rebound which hit the log post, spinning it after making contact with a sign. It spun for about ten seconds with the signs shearing off one-by-one. Only one arrow remained and it opened the door within the tree. Ash and Pikachu looked bemused and befuddled.

"Well, that works too." With Pikachu back on his shoulder, Ash raced into the doorway. On the other side, the trees of the forest were enormous. Large spider webs, giant leaves and branches that supported his weight.

("This forest grew up!") Looking around, Ash wondered if this was part of the forest.

"So, is this the same forest? Or did we shrink? Or is this another illusion?"

("All of the above?") Ash decided to give Pikachu a ride.

"I know what to do!" He had a Pokéball in hand. "Hawlucha! I choose you!" The ball opened to which Hawlucha emerged.

("Amigo!") he welcomed before turning to the forest's size. He became a little timid.

"Hawlucha, relax," Ash assured. "I just need you to carry Pikachu while we reach the other side of this forest." Hawlucha accepted Ash's command and Pikachu leaped from Ash's shoulder to Hawlucha's back. Ash led with leaps onto the giant leaves and branches while spider webs covered a handful of those branches. Hawlucha flew in pursuit. Before long, Ash found a stack of apples. "A few for the road ahead." However, he felt the apples and they were hard as a rock. "Great… another illusion. Never mind." A spider strung itself down and spat webbing at Ash who threw an apple. It knocked out the webbing and nailed the spider. Hit, it vanished in a puff of smoke. Ash felt annoyed about the illusions within this forest. However, he slipped off a branch, Pikachu and Hawlucha watching in horror.

("Ash!") they cried. Ash caught a branch during the fall and soon landed on his feet, not hurt. Also, the trees back on land seemed normal.

"Note to self: don't take anything for granted in this place." he sighed. Pikachu and Hawlucha joined Ash as he looked to the same post, now with four arrows pointing every which way. "Wait, didn't Pikachu destroy those signs?"

("I was gonna say,") Pikachu shrugged. Hawlucha saw another door.

("What about there!?") he suggested. Ash and Pikachu saw it and headed down that path to the door. When they entered, the forest seemed big again by the apple that Ash got around.

"I see the path ahead!" he advised. As he began to see a hill, Ash heard something jostle. He turned around as the apple that was four times his size began to roll. Ash gawked but ran down the hill with a piece of fruit in pursuit.

("Ash!") shouted his Pokémon. Ash ran for his life, trying not to end up under a rolling apple. He leaped down a steep incline and vanished while the apple rolled over him. Pikachu and Hawlucha watched the apple roll off into a hole. The Pokémon reached the hole, believing he fell into this pit and the apple finished him off by crushing him. That's when Ash came to the pit as well.

"I don't think Talonflame would get me out of there," he huffed. Hawlucha and Pikachu raced over to Ash and hugged him, amazed to see him alive and unharmed. They looked back and found the incline.

("Of course!") realized Hawlucha. In his mind, Ash dove into the incline which allowed the apple to fly over him safely. After recalling Hawlucha, Ash and Pikachu entered one door to a new part of the forest, darker and howls echoed. They saw ghosts. Some ghosts flew freely, some were racked in head shackles.

"Guess we better cross," Ash gulped. They climbed more trees and bounced off the pudgy ghosts while riding the racked ghosts. Then, a cackle. Ash and Pikachu turned to see Mizrabel watching. She seemed to be curious as to how Ash does in his effort to save Serena.

("She's taunting us,") Pikachu growled. Mizrabel left after a stint and Ash and Pikachu continued as they entered an open plain. Suddenly, black vines sprung up, blocking their path.

"What is this, Frenzy Plant!?" Pikachu saw a path to the side.

("This way!") Ash followed Pikachu as more thick vines popped out of the ground. Thanks to Pikachu's guidance, Ash and Pikachu escaped the darkened forest as they seemed to have found daylight.

"Well, that was unnerving."

("For sure…") They pressed on when they looked up to see a piece of an oak tree with an elderly face with a mustache made of the same wood. Ash and Pikachu looked up at the giant oak with arms and legs.

"I wonder if he's one of Mizrabel's Masters of Illusion." Soon enough, a little blue bird chirped loudly. This made the slumbering piece of wood alert. He began to look around.

"WHO DARES DISTURB MY SLUMBER!?" he grumpily yelled. Ash and Pikachu didn't move as the tree found them. "AND WHAT IS YOUR BUSINESS HERE! YOU AREN'T HERE TO STEAL MY RAINBOW GEM, ARE YOU!?" To Ash, he found a member of the Masters of Illusion.

"I'm not sure about 'stealing' but I need it if I need to save my friend!" he claimed.

"A NEED!? I WILL NOT ALLOW ANYONE TO CLAIM THE RAINBOW GEM! LEAVE, OR I WILL BURY YOU IN THE PATH!"

"Listen! I won't stand down because you won't help me! It would be easier to just let me borrow it and give it back than fight for it!" The Oak leaped down, his size being fourfold compared to Ash.

"I WARNED YOU!" The Oak leaped onto the larger tree before rolling on its side. The barreling Oak made Ash dive over the wooden opponent. It rolled up a ramp and flew for a second before rolling back down and back at Ash who ran to the Oak's sleeping spot. It crashed and looked stunned as it landed on its bark and Ash started to come down.

"And I warned you!" He landed feet first on the Oak's head. The Oak popped up and down a few seconds but soon rolled at Ash and Pikachu again. "Split!" Pikachu leaped off Ash's shoulder and over the rolling log as Ash ran from it. He ran up the ramp before jumping on the Oak and off, flipping in the air for a few seconds before he saw the log again and kicked it back down. "Pikachu! Iron Tail!" With a glowing tail at a speeding piece of a living tree, Pikachu raced at the Oak and slashed at it. The attack nailed the Oak, flying back at Ash who had a PokéBall in hand. "Talonflame! Use Flame Charge!" The ball opened and Talonflame reemerged to which he became a flaming bird and crashed into the Oak, propelling it into the tree. The impact rocked a red diamond from above a tree. Ash came down, ran off the ramp and caught the diamond before it hit the ground. "You're out!" After resetting, Pikachu and Talonflame came to Ash who had the diamond. Pikachu came from the tree after Talonflame's attack to see the Oak not moving at all.

("He's back to his slumber,") he teased, leaving the unconscious Oak alone. Ash stood as he looked to the diamond.

"So, this is one of the Rainbow Gems?" he asked. Suddenly, a flash of light emerged. This light didn't do much, everything looked the same. Ash and the Pokémon looked confused. "Okay, what now?"

("Not sure,") Talonflame cawed. Suddenly, a thud. All turned around, thinking something fell. Then, there was a cry for help.

"Where are you!?" a girl cried out. "Hey!" Ash and the Pokémon looked around to find a little honey blond girl in a straw gardening hat and pink dress looking around. She seemed lost. "Where is everyone?" To Ash, something felt off.

"What's… going on here?" he asked. Pikachu looked equally befuddled.

("I don't know,") he squeaked. That's when a rustle from a bush had everyone look, making the girl jusp from sight. The girl tried to run, but she slipped, smacked her leg on the ground and couldn't move.

"Oh no!" gawked Ash. The rustling continued before a purple round tadpole with legs came out. It had a swirl on its abdomen. "Hey, it's a Poliwag!" The Poliwag looked to the little girl who tried to get up before hopping away. The girl was scared out of her will.

"Why did I come to this camp!?" she teared up before letting out a wail. "Mommy!" Ash and the Pokémon wanted to help the scared girl out. That's when there was more rustling. Though her crying stopped, the girl turned back to the bushes. Ash and the Pokémon did the same.

"Poliwag!" a boy called out. Out came a raven-haired boy in a yellow/red tank-top and blue shorts. "I saw it go this way- Huh?" He saw the little girl and was curious, as were Ash and his Pokémon. "Hey, what are you doing?" The girl looked up to the boy while in tremendous pain. "My name is Ash Ketchum. What happened to you?" Hearing the boy say his name, Ash and the Pokémon gawked.

"Wait, that's me!?" he realized.

("But he's so young!") gasped Pikachu. The little Ash came to the little girl. She looked to the scrape on her knee.

"My leg hurts!" she whimpered. Little Ash gave the knee a good look as the bigger Ash knelt by the two.

"Are you okay?" the little boy questioned as he pulled a handkerchief from his pocket. "This should help." Seeing the blue handkerchief, Ash blinked.

"Wait, that's the same handkerchief Serena gave me after we left Santalune City!" he remembered as little Ash wrapped the handkerchief around the little girl's knee.

"There!" he applied. The little girl tried to move, but her knee shot pain back at her.

"OW!" she whined. Little Ash had an idea.

"I know a good luck charm!"He extended his hands over to the injured knee. "Pain, pain, go away!" He finished by throwing his hands up in triumph. The little girl tried again to move, but her knee couldn't move.

"OW! I can't stand up!" She was on the verge of tears again. Little Ash stood up and offered his hand to help.

"You can do it! Never give up until you try!" The words echoed in Ash's head.

"Wow, that sounds familiar," he awed. The little girl reached for Ash's hand and he pulled her up, catching her before she began to fall once more. She could stand again and she gasped to how she was on her feet. She looked to little Ash's face.

"You did it!" he cheered. "You stood up!" The girl had her mouth agape, disbelief befell her. Little Ash held the little girl's hand, making Ash awe in impression. "Anyway, let's get back to the campsite!" He led the way with a stunned and blushing little girl hand-in-hand. Suddenly, another flash. Again, nothing changed. Ash and the Pokémon looked perplexed.

"What was that all about?" the trainer asked. Neither Pikachu or Talonflame had any idea. To Ash, thinking about what they saw didn't help that he needed to find the other six Rainbow Gems. "Whatever… one down, six more to go. Let's get out of here!" They proceeded through the door and back into the lobby after Ash recalled Talonflame. As he left, another door opened. They proceeded through the door. What awaits Ash in there and what did the Rainbow Gem reveal?

TO BE CONTINUED...