94. Emotions & Memories


Forest near Vermilion City

In the forest near Vermilion City, Rouki is walking through the forest, alone. He is in a quest of regaining the emotions.

"What are emotions? I don't know." Rouki said.

Then, he encountered the red dragon knight.

"Who are you?!" Rouki said as he wielded the Crescent Moon Blade.

"I'm Dragon Knight." The red dragon knight introduced himself. "May I help you?"

Rouki dropped his Crescent Moon Blade.

"Help? No, I don't need any other help. Leave me alone, please. I'm in a quest of emotions so I can prove that I'm a human." Rouki said.

"Why the long face?" Dragon Knight asked.

"I was betrayed by the Daemons. They lied to me of restoring my deceased father after I made with deal with those demonic scoundrels." Rouki said.

"What is the reason you've made a deal with Daemons?" Dragon Knight asked.

"Because I have left my friends behind, I wanted to complete my dreams alone by myself and to become stronger, I've joined with the Daemons." Rouki said. "And beside, I like being lonely... I think."

"Loneliness will hurts not only you but the other friends. You've done a mistake of breaking your friends' trust, Ash. They are worried about your absence." Dragon Knight said.

"Wait, how do you know my actual name? And... Yes. I realized a little bit. I can't live without my friends and family. I've done a big mistake but, next time, I won't do that again..." Rouki said, tearing up.

"Don't be sad. Now try to experience the emotions of the humans and tell me how do you feel." Dragon Knight advised. "Would you like to express your feelings?"

"No, I'm afraid to express my feelings due to my loneliness." Rouki said.

"Don't be afraid to say how you feel. If you are sad, lonely or scared, share your feelings with a friend or a family member. You will feel a lot better if you open up to others." Dragon Knight said.

"Thanks for the advice, Dragon Knight." Rouki said before leaving and suddenly stops, turning to Dragon Knight. "And yes, what are emotions?"

"Go and find out out." Dragon Knight said to Rouki through telepathy.

"Fine." Rouki agreed in thought then he left off.

Vermilion City: Cerise Laboratory

In the Cerise Laboratory, the heroes were depressed over loss of Squishy and Z2.

"Squishy and Z2, the Zygarde Cells were taken captive by that Rouki!" Goh said.

Bonnie is miserable without Squishy and Z2.

"Bonnie, cheer up." Serena said.

"Cheer up?! I'm miserable without Squishy and Z2 and you say cheer up?!" Bonnie asked. "I will not forgive that Daemon for taking away my Squishy and Z2."

Bonnie became sadder and sadder.

Serena felt bad about Bonnie and she left out of Cerise Laboratory, thinking about Ash. She felt miserable without Ash.

"Ash? Where are you, please! We are in trouble! Goh's Cinderace, Squishy and Z2 were captured by the Daemons. Please, come back..." Serena said.

"Serena..." Rouki's words were sent through Serena's mind using telepath.

"Rouki?" Serena asked and she turned around, meeting Rouki.

"Serena, please, help me regaining my emotions." Rouki begged.

"Help? No! You have captured the Pokémon from Goh and Bonnie!" Serena said.

"Serena, it's me. Your childhood friend!" Rouki said.

"Ash? Is that you?" Serena recognized that Rouki is none other than Ash.

"Yes." Rouki said.

Suddenly, Rouki gets hit by the lasers and his arm is still bleeding.

"No!" Serena shouted. It was Ben and the heroes who used laser guns against Rouki.

"Why is Rouki here?" Ben asked.

"Guys, listen to me!" Serena said, defending Rouki.

"Serena, stay away from that monster!" Goh said.

"Rouki, the one who have fought you, is our friend Ash!" Serena said.

The heroes were in shock that Rouki's identity is none other than their friend, Ash.

"Rouki is..." Gwen said.

"What?!" Clemont asked.

"It can't be!" Chloe said.

"No way!" Dawn said.

"Impossible!" Ben said.

"...Ash?!" Goh said.

"What happened to you?!" Bonnie asked.

"I'm very very sorry, guys." Rouki said.

"Why? Ash, why?! You were with Daemons, how?!" Ben yelled in anger.

Rouki expressed his problems of being a Daemon to his friends.

"I see... You have joined with Daemons." Ben said.

"Now, I've been cheated. So I betrayed them." Rouki said.

Serena saw Rouki's arm was bleeding.

"You are bleeding, Ash!" Serena said and, she took out the First Aid kit and she tied Rouki's arm with bandage. "Ta da! There this will stop your arm from bleeding."

Rouki isn't happy.

"Ash? Are you listening?" Gwen asked.

"I'm not happy." Rouki said in sad tone.

"Why?" Goh asked.

"I have no emotions. I want to laugh, happy, sad and so many emotions that I want to regain." Rouki said.

"Don't worry. Smile, please." Kevin said, cheering Rouki to smile but, no avail.

"Sorry. I don't know how to smile... because I'm lonely." Rouki said.

"Why are you so lonely? Because you can't live without your father?" Ben asked.

"That's right. I cannot live without my father, so I abandoned you!" Rouki said.

"Abandoning the friends for your dad? That's stupid!" Serena said. "I know you have lost your father but, you have friends like us! That's not the Ash I knew!"

"What do you mean by that?" Rouki asked.

"The Ash I knew is usually very optimistic, works hard to do his best, acts like a leader, doesn't feel lonely and never gives up until the end and now, you're not the real Ash!" Serena said.

"I don't know what are you talking about! I'm in quest to regain my emotions!" Rouki said, walking away.

Serena was upset and angry at Rouki. "Ash, I hate you!"

Serena's eyes were filled with tears of sorrow and she began crying.

Rouki, though lonely, doesn't like to see Serena crying and he ran to her, wiping the tears then Rouki hugged Serena affectionately.

"I'm sorry for hurting your feelings. Also sorry for abandoning you guys." Rouki apologized in cold voice.

Rouki has remembered the days of being Ash and how he enjoyed with his friends from previous journeys and now. "I remember now. You are my friends."

"Really?!" Goh asked.

"I'm glad you're back, Ash!" Bonnie said, hugging Rouki.

"Welcome back, my friend." Ben said, hugging Rouki.

Rouki shed the tears of joy. "Thank you, everyone."

But then, Los Dark appeared.

"Los Dark!" Rouki said.

"Rouki! You have betrayed us but, doesn't mean you can regroup with your dear friends." Los Dark said and he had Delia captive.

"Mom!" Rouki shouted.

"Save her if you can." Los Dark said.

Rouki runs towards Los Dark to attack him but, that sorcerer teleported and launched the big ball of dark energy at Rouki, pushing him back with great force and his mask is shattered. Rouki is now Ash.

"Ash!" Delia shouted.

"No!" Serena shouted.

"You scoundrel!" Ben said.

"You're gonna pay for that!" Julie said.

"I'll show you the power of hate! HAHAHAHAHAHA!" Los Dark said and he had Cinderace, Squishy and Z2 to combine with him using dark magical powers.

Los Dark has a body of Zygarde 100% form and the feet of Cinderace.

"It can't be!" Bonnie shouted.

"Our Pokémon combined with Los Dark?!" Goh asked.

"Shall we begin?" Los Dark asked as he used his tentacles to grab Julie, Ben, Serena and Goh. "Watch them die, Rouki!"

Los Dark gives an electrical shock to the heroes, electrocuting them. Then, he launched the fire balls at the heroes.

"Guys!" Ash shouted.

Ash wields the Crescent Moon Blade and he charged towards Los Dark to strike him but, Los Dark wrapped Ash with the Zygarde tail and gives him an electric shock.

"Ash, no!" Goh shouted.

"Ash!" Serena shouted.

"My son!" Delia shouted.

Ash is knocked down and he sees his friends were beaten by Los Dark. "This is all my fault. I shouldn't be lonely and... refused Daemons' offer. But now... Now I..."

Ash intensely blames himself. He allowed the Daemons to use the three Pokémon by giving them to Los Dark. And he is ashamed that he cannot offer any help.

"Give up?" Los Dark asked.

"Never!" Ash said and he charged towards Los Dark.

"You idiot, what are you doing?!" Kevin asked.

"No way!" Dawn said.

"Stop! You can't beat him!" Ben shouted.

"He hasn't learnt his lesson." Los Dark said and he uses the combo of fireballs and rainbow beam at Ash, pushing back with great force.

"Ash!" The heroes shouted.

"ASH!" Ben shouted.

Ash lied on a ground like a collapsed tree with no motion.

"Ash! Wake up!" Serena shouted.

"Stop joking around!" Clemont shouted.

"Ash! Open your eyes! Don't give up!" Goh shouted for Ash.

"Hahahaha! See this is the power of hate. Hate gives me strength and those simple human feelings? They make them weak." Los Dark said.

Ash is still okay, murmuring "Simple human feelings?" Ash stood up slowly. "You hate good emotions, aren't you? Our feelings maybe simple but, they make humans strong. Hate makes the humans weak. They give us strength to face many obstacles and, as long as I have those good feelings, I... WILL NEVER FALL BACK!"

Ash shouts in rage as he surged with aura. Then, an Aura Axe and a silver Burst Heart appeared for him to wield. Ash changed into Silver Burst Warrior as his Rouki armour faded away.

Then, Dragon Knight arrived. "I knew you can redeem your emotions, Ash. You are not having a desire of revenge or hatred. Because of your heart of saving the ones you love, the Burst Heart has returned to you."

"Impossible! How that can be?!" Los Dark said.

"Ash!" Serena said with joy.

"Ash, my brave son!" Delis also said with joy.

"Alright! Go get 'em, Ash!" Goh cheered.

"Yay!" Bonnie said.

Ash then runs towards Los Dark and slashes the medallion with his Aura Axe, separating Los Dark from Cinderace, Squishy and Z2. Ash also freed Delia, Serena, Goh, Ben and Julie.

"No!" Los Dark was in shock that he was separated from the Pokémon.

Cinderace, Squishy and Z2 were reunited with Goh and Bonnie.

"I missed you, Cinderace!" Goh said, hugging Cinderace.

"I'm glad you two are okay, Squishy and Z2." Bonnie said as she hugged Squishy and Z2.

"I and Z2 missed you a lot, or else we would've been a machine to that monstrous wretch." Squishy said.

"Agree." Z2 nodded.

Serena gives a tight hug to Ash.

"I knew you would come back!" Serena said.

"Let's get serious, everyone!" Ash said and the heroes were reunited. "It's Burstin' Time!"

"Wait, I want to give you a suggestion please? Combine your weapons." Dragon Knight said.

"Combine our weapons?" Chloe asked.

Then, the Burst Warriors' weapons: Flame Sword, Earth Crusher, Water Crossbow, Thunder Baton and Heaven Fans appeared.

Aura Axe flew with the other Burst Warrior weapons. Then, they combined into a big sword.

"Whoa, what is that?" Goh asked.

"Pokémon Blade. Use it to finish Los Dark!" Dragon Knight said.

"Okay!" Ash said, wielding the Pokémon Blade.

"I hate you more!" Los Dark said and he ran to the heroes for attacking.

"Don't ever poison me or others with hate. Los Dark, begone!" Ash said and he slashes Los Dark with the Pokémon Blade.

"What kind of feeling is this?! It's hurting me more than a hate! No! No! NOOOOOOO!" Los Dark screamed before getting exploded into pieces.

The heroes were celebrating.

"Good job, my son." Dragon Knight said, patting Ash on the shoulder.

"Son? Why are you calling me like that?" Ash asked.

Dragon Knight created the flash of light and as it cleared, it was Redrock in place of Dragon Knight.

Ash was shocked and later he is in tears of joy. "Dad, you are alive!" Ash ran to hug his father.

"Redrock?! You are alive?! I thought you were dead!" Delia said, she began crying with excitement and she ran to hug her husband and her son.

"Eh?! Redrock is supposed to be dead, right?" Goh asked.

"Yeah, but I'm glad he's alive." Serena said.

"Dad, why did you came back?!" Ash asked, shedding the tears of joy.

"Ash, loneliness is a bad thing." Redrock lectures Ash.

"I won't do that ever again." Ash said. "But by the way, how you didn't die?"

"*sigh* You may go mad after you hear this. I'm wounded not dead. Just an acting so I can see how far you've gone, my dear Ash." Redrock said, much to Ash's surprise.

"So you were wounded not dead? DDDDAAAAADDD!" Ash said, chasing Redrock as the heroes watching them and laughed.

Infernua

In the Infernua, Emperor Armada was furious to hear the death of Los Dark.

"WHAT?! Los Dark is killed by Ash?!" Emperor Armada asked.

"That wretch will deserve the prize for betraying us!" Duvessa said.

"Shall I go and exterminate him, my lord?" Wolzard asked.

"Not now, Wolzard!" Emperor Armada said. "Once will become almighty, I will crush Ash and his allies!"


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