So... it's been a while. It's been a crazy year, and many things have happened, but I'm finally back to writing, at the very least! I've been thinking a lot about this story recently, and now I'm finally at a point again where I want to continue this tale. I hope you're still interested!
The War of Shadows
Chapter 4
Power
Kanto Region – Guardian's Settlement, The Guardian's Tower
Panting, Ash wiped back the sweat accumulating on his brow. He grit his teeth, exerting his frustration, eyes narrowing at the tree before him. This time it had taken him four Aura Spheres to make contact with it once. I'm still not getting this right…
"Pika…" His companion cooed from his rocky perch nearby.
Ash blinked, surprised, as though he had forgotten his starter was even there. It also brought his attention to the fact that his frustrations must have been showing. Crap. He turned toward the electric mouse, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. "Sorry buddy… guess I'm not really getting the hang of this, huh?"
"Pi pika!" Pikachu chirped in his most reassuring tone possible. He even gave a traditional cheesy thumbs up for good measure.
Despite himself, Ash laughed. It was good to have Pikachu with him. He was the one person would never fail to stand by him, no matter what. If only my mind could focus… The events from earlier in the day were stuck in the back of his head. The look on his mother's face burned into his brain.
Delia had been hysterical when he called her. She had thought him dead when he was reported missing and no contact had been made for days. After he had finally gotten her to calm down and explained the situation, she still looked aghast at his current circumstances. Well… how is a mother meant to react to the fact that her son was being hunted by the World Government…? He couldn't fault her for her concerns, she was his mother after all, and his situation was anything but normal. Thank Arceus she doesn't know about the majority of my life's major moments…
He shook his head to clear it. He had to focus on his training. It was the only thing keeping him going. After all… if I don't get strong enough… I'll never be able to go home…
An explosion off in the distance and a shower of crumbled rock told him that May was already deep into her own training session. She had progressed remarkably fast since they arrived here and was already capable of creating large Aura Spheres that could obliterate large boulders. Her progression vastly outstripped his own and he glanced down at his open palm in frustration. A ball of blue energy formed above it as he stared, small and compact. It spun and rotated wildly before becoming unstable and dissipating into mist.
Sighing he turned his focus to the nearby tree he'd left several deep gashes on. "It's not May's fault that she's better at this than me. I just need to try harder, eh buddy?"
Pikachu nodded encouragingly, sticking his thumb up. "Pika!"
Gathering all the focus he had, Ash once more attempted to summon his inherent power from deep within his soul. The Aura latent within him gathered between his palms as he altered his stance to an attacking one. With a roar of effort, he launched it forward, watching the whirling mass of azure power fly through the air and smash into its target. It barraged into the tree, stripping bark away with abandon. However, much like many times prior, the sphere quickly became unstable, warbling and fraying at the edges, before dissipating entirely and turning to harmless blue mist.
Ash grit his teeth, his eyes narrowing on the new gash reminiscent of a sword slash that his attack had left on the tree. This isn't working at all… What is it that I'm doing wrong…?
A hand on his shoulder snapped him back to reality. "Need advice?"
Ash started and jumped back instinctively, whirling on the speaker. "Riley?! Don't do that! I nearly had a heart attack!"
The Guardian laughed. "Sorry, sorry! I was just coming to check on your progress and decided to observe you from a distance."
Ash grimaced. "That's a little creepy…"
Ignoring him, Riley coughed into his hand. "Ahem! Well, I thought I'd just check on how you were doing…"
"So, you saw that last attack?" Ash said, his fists clenched.
"I did." Riley nodded, walking over to the tree. He ran his hands over the depressions in the bark. "I know exactly what's going wrong with them, too."
Ash's eyes widened immediately. "You do?!"
"Stability is the main issue, although that's probably obvious to you by now." Riley said, turning to face Ash. "And from the sounds in the distance, this is an issue the young May doesn't have."
"We're both from the Great Families, yet she's far more talented at this than I am…" Ash admitted, looking down slightly and breaking eye contact. "I just can't seem to grasp it…"
Riley nodded, walking towards him. He placed a hand on the younger man's shoulder once more. "There is a difference between you and May, that's true."
Surprised and slightly annoyed at the comment, Ash snapped his head back up to look the Guardian in the eyes. His gaze widened when he saw that Riley's were glowing that famous azure glow. "What are you…?"
"Think about a vessel," Riley continued, ignoring him. "If I were to use May, hers is about half full. That is a tremendous amount of Aura to pull from, as most Guardians only have about one-twenty-fifth of their vessels to call on. Being half full however, it gives her just enough control when drawing from it."
Standing stock still, Ash just nodded, enraptured.
"Yours… well to put it simply, it's completely full. You have so much Aura within you that its literally spilling out on its own. You've probably even used Aura in the past without realising it, due to that. When you attempt to draw from it manually, too much comes out far too quickly, overwhelming your brain's ability to control it. This is why you've had issues with the stability of your attacks." Riley laughed. "It would be akin to attaching a drinking horn to the bottom of the ocean and drinking from it."
Letting go, Riley turned off his enhanced vision and stepped back. "What you need to focus on more than anything right now is learning how to limit the amount of power you draw up. Once you can get a handle on that, you'll be able to draw more and more from your vessel. But honestly Ash… you're the only person I've ever met with a vessel that's overflowing… you've got more potential than the current Pillars…"
Eyes wide, Ash merely glanced down at his open hand. "I… see…"
Pikachu, leapt up upon his shoulder, patting him affectionally. "Pi, pikachu!"
Ash laughed. "You're right buddy. I've been worrying over nothing!"
"Glad to see that you've understood." Riley said, smiling. "Well, that's all I can really do for you for now. You already know how to do the techniques, so the rest is down to you!"
"I won't let you down!" Ash said, the smile of determination returning to his features. "I know now… what I must do!"
"Good to hear it." Riley said, turning away. He raised his right arm into the air, waving his hand. "I'm going to go check on May. We're counting on you!"
Ash turned back to the tree, a grin sitting on his face. "Hey buddy, I need you to back off a little for this one."
Nodding, Pikachu jumped off, returning to his favourite nearby boulder to perch himself on. "Pika pi!"
Bracing, Ash took a deep breath. He thought deeply upon the advice that Riley had just imparted on to him. Think of my Aura as a vessel… let it take shape in my mind… Within his mind's eye, a vase took shape, azure energy filling it to the brim and threatening to spill over. Control it… control the power… let it flow naturally into my body… a little at a time… focus Ash… focus…
Exhaling, he shifted his legs to the attack stance and braced, bringing both hands together before himself. An azure sphere formed between them, growing rapidly.
Focus Ash… control it… control it…!
Using all the mental focus he had to restrain the power threatening to flow into his attack, the sphere between his palms stabilized, settling into a perfect shape. It thrummed with energy, just waiting to be unleashed. Setting his eyes on the tree before him, Ash grinned.
With a roar of effort, he launched the Aura Sphere forward.
It sailed through the air, flying in a straight line directly to its intended target. It slammed into the tree with tremendous force before the energies and power contained within erupted into an explosion, severing the tree clean in half and sending the severed part flying.
Ash fist bumped into the air in exhilaration. "Yes! I finally did! I mastered a proper Aura Sphere!"
"Pika pi! Pikachu!" Pikachu exclaimed from the side, mimicking his partner, a joyous expression on his face.
"I did it, buddy! I finally did it!" Ash said, sighing in relief. "I think we've earned a well-deserved break, eh? Come on, let's find a quiet spot for a bit!"
Nodding, Pikachu scampered over and the two of them walked to the edge of the floor where a few boulders were taking up residence. As they approached the azure walls of energy that served as the tower's inside boundaries, Ash took a moment to glance up at them. They connected to a similar barrier on the ceiling as well, encapsulating the entire space.
"It's amazing how this tower was built, huh buddy?" Ash asked, looking around at everything contained by this power with awe.
"Piiii…" Pikachu said, gaping along with his friend.
"It's so vast… You'd never guess it would be this big from the outside, yet here we stand. Aura is truly a fascinating power…" Ash said, focusing fully on the wall before him. "To think this has been in place since the Original Four built it… It's remained active for a thousand years…"
Curious, Ash reached his hand out toward the wall, curious to see what would happen when he interacted with it. Touching it, it felt like a solid wall of stone, utterly hard and indestructible. It was smooth like glass yet utterly unyielding, a barrier unlike any other he'd ever come into contact with before.
"Woah… it's incredible…" Ash said, now placing both hands upon its surface, knowing it was safe to do so. He got the urge to place his head against it and did so, letting its cool and soothing texture ease his remaining stress and aches. "So… soothing…"
A jolt shot through his body like he'd been hit by lightning. He staggered back, bringing a hand to his forehead as small blue sparks jolted around his body. His eyes snapped open but all he saw was darkness.
Memories – though non he remembered – flitted before his eyes like grains of sand billowing in the wind. Suddenly, violent light flashed before his eyes, a thousand images all mangled together, flitting about in a chaotic swirl. Before he could make sense of any of it, a scene opened up before him.
His vision returned, but the eyes he was looking through were not his own.
A large stone room opened up before him, and several people were stood around a large wooden table. Several maps were spawled over it, haphazardly laid upon one another. They looked like roughly drawn images of the current Regions, but it was hard to see. Several red marks were written over it, but it wasn't in a language Ash could understand. What the hell is happening…?
"You can't possibly do this, Lentra!" A woman to the right of him shouted. She had long brunette hair and a tight-fitting Guardian uniform on, although it looked slightly different to what Ash remembered. It was grey instead of blue, and certain parts of it were missing, exposing much more skin. Her face was incredibly beautiful and strangely familiar.
"There is no other way…" The body Ash was looking through said. He felt a sad expression on his face. It felt utterly surreal to have his body speak without his action. He felt the breath leave his throat and the reverberation of his voice-box, but he could do little more than watch through eyes that were not his own. He had no agency. Stranger still, he felt emotions inside his heart that didn't belong to him.
"To think… all our efforts will end up… like this…" Another man stood beside him said. He wore a cloak, keeping his face hidden. From his voice alone Ash could tell how he felt.
"We cannot change what will happen, but we can put these measures in place to ensure that our people live on." Ash's body said.
The woman opposite him clenched her fist, slamming it on the wooden table and threatening to smash it to splinters. It groaned against the sudden strain. "Bullshit! I won't accept that! Let's find their ancestors living right now and-"
"No." Ash's body simply said, with an authority behind it that immediately silenced her. "Do not even venture there Elsa…"
The woman stared at him with narrowed eyes for a little longer, before sighing deeply and backing down. "If that is your will, Lentra."
"We are not hopeless here." The other woman stood beside them said. She wore a similar Guardian uniform to the other woman, however she had purple hair tied into two long, thick ponytails. She wore a large brimmed hat upon her head and had very motherly features. "We have the ability to safeguard our ancestors. We can pass down our power to them so that when the time comes, we can rest assured that Selsians don't go extinct. Our race shall never lose its light as long as we are willing to make that sacrifice."
"Wendy…" Elsa said softly. "Are you suggesting…?"
"As the Founders, it is our duty to safeguard our people… even if we become long forgotten in the annals of history." The cloaked man said, agreeing with his colleague.
"Veska is right." Ash's body said, nodding. "As the representatives of the Selsian race, we can only put our very essence on the line to avoid the coming catastrophe in the future."
"So there really is no other choice…" Elsa said, looking down at her fist. "We will… lose our power if we proceed."
"To ensure our people live, that is a very small price to pay." Ash said, turning toward the man identified as Veska. He nodded toward him.
After receiving the nod, Veska turned around and reached for an ornate box behind him and brought it to the table. It was ornately designed and covered in glowing azure runes. Two dragon heads formed the handles on its lid. He placed it down in the centre of the table.
"We shall store our power within this box and wait for the Chosen One to take up the responsibility, although it irks me to shirk this responsibility to our descendants, there is simply no other way..." Ash said. He felt his eyes staring at the box.
The others gathered themselves and nodded.
"For the future of our race!" They all chanted, bringing their hands to their chests in salute.
Azure lightning flashed across Ash's eyes once more, the vision dissipating from his view. Several other images blitzed by before another one came into full focus. This time he was a third-party observer, watching someone stand before a strange, ornate door.
The man stood, glaring up at the door with narrowed eyes, his long, spikey black hair tumbling down his shoulders and over the left half of his face. The visible portion had the spikey Z markings that was the famous tell-tale sign of the Ketchum family. He wore the standard Guardian outfit with a few personalised modifications and a blue cloak hung around his shoulders.
"You would deny me my destiny…!" He snarled, his face bunching up in anger. "You rotten old fools have no idea what's at stake! Your ideals of a Chosen One are misplaced!"
Gathering the largest Aura Sphere Ash had ever witnessed casually in one hand, the man slammed it against the door with all his might, roaring with titanic effort.
It hit an azure barrier of greater force and exploded, bathing the entire area in radiant flames. When it died down the man stood there unscathed, a layer of azure energy could be seen coating his body which had deflected the damage.
The snarl on his face only grew bigger as he clenched his fists at his sides. "We can't wait around for some mythical person to finally make their appearance! Our people are being slaughtered and all you wanted to do is sit around and wait for a Chosen One to appear?! Why?! Why must you keep this from me…?"
The man sank to his knees, tears welling within his eyes. They soon began to trickle down his cheeks, becoming rivers of sorrow. "WHY?! AM I NOT GOOD ENOUGH?! HAVE I NOT DONE ENOUGH?! HAVE I NOT SACRIFICED ENOUGH?!"
His sorrowful shouts echoed around the room, his own voice the answer to his pleas. He sat there for ages, the pool of tears growing beneath him as the seconds ticked by in silence. "Why…?"
After sobbing his heart out, the man stood, rubbing his eyes. "I have given everything for this world. I have given everything for our people! Even my own future! Yet you deny me access?! What more would you have me give?!"
He turned his back on the door and walked off into the darkness, his long hair and cloak trailing behind him. "I will not allow our people to suffer! I will not sit around and wait as the World Government destroys what little remain of our race! The Aura Guardians will rise again, and I shall be the one to make that happen… even without your blessing…!"
Lightning sparked and danced over Ash's eyes once more as the vision faded. Images flurried before his eyes at an ever-increasing pace, eventually merging into an all-encompassing and bright light.
With a sudden start, Ash was thrown back into reality. He fell back and landed hard on his arse, the pain a comforting reminder that he was actually back in his own body. He grunted with the pain and brought his hand up to his eyes, rubbing them furiously. A trickle of blood had begun to run from their corners.
"Pika pi pi?!" Pikachu said, alarmed. He hopped over hurriedly and tapped his paw against Ash's arm, concern draped over his features.
Clearing his blurred vision Ash glanced around. Seeing Pikachu's concerned face, he realized that barely a second had gone by since the visions had assaulted his mind. What the fuck was that?! "I'm fine buddy! Honestly!" He lied.
Pikachu clearly didn't buy it either, giving him an exasperated look. "Pika…"
"Urgh…" Ash sighed, forcing himself up onto a nearby rock. He wiped away the blood now running down his cheeks. "Just what the hell… was all that about…?"
"Pikachu? Pi pi?" His partner asked, hopping up on his shoulder and rubbing against him affectionately.
Ash scruffled the back of his head. "I'm not sure what it was buddy… It all happened in an instant… and yet… yet it felt…" He shook his head, desperately trying to process what he'd seen and experienced. "Lentra… that woman said that I was… Lentra…"
Cocking his head to the side, Pikachu leaned over inquisitively. "Pi?"
Ash narrowed his eyes in focus, bringing back the images he'd seen. "I was looking through Lentra's eyes… he's… one of the Original Four…! He's the one who created the Old Empire… the great Founder…" A sudden wracking pain overwhelmed him and bent forward, vomiting his guts out. Pikachu cried out in alarm, but Ash waved him off, forcing himself upright and wiping his mouth. His brows furrowed as he went over the scenes again in his mind. "What the hell was that box…? Who was that man…?"
"Ash?" Came a call from nearby, as May wondered over in their general direction.
Still focused on the memories that had flooded his conscious, Ash didn't even register her, muttering furiously as he stared ahead, eyes narrowed.
"Ash? There you are!" May said cheerily, smiling as she ran over. "I've missed you!"
Still no reaction from the raven-haired teen, his face scrunched up as his mind whirled through the chaos that had engulfed it.
"Ash?"
"Ash?"
"Ash?!"
That last one got him. His mind finally registering the concerned face of his new girlfriend looking directly at him, her hand shaking his shoulder. He blinked furiously, shaking his head several times before locking gazes with her. Worry was written all over her face. "Oh… sorry about that May... I was just… uh… thinking…"
The look of worry didn't leave her beautiful face. "Uhh… right…?" She said awkwardly, sitting down on the rock beside him. "I was just wondering how your training was going?"
"Training?" Ash asked, confused. He stared at her blankly.
"Yeah?" May said, raising an eyebrow. "What else would we be doing?"
Reality smacked him in the face like a tonne of bricks. His eyes went wide as he realised what he'd been doing prior to touching the wall. "Oh shit! Yeah, training!"
"Are you okay?" May asked, leaning forward to look him in the eye. Her face was twisted with concern.
Ash shook his head. He held out his hands before himself and stared at them, flexing his fingers. "I… don't know. Listen, May, you're not gonna believe this but-"
He was cut off when she held up a hand. "After everything I've been through with you, Ash, I think I can handle whatever crazy surprise you've got in store for me now." She laughed. "You never cease to keep things entertaining. So, go on, hit me with it!"
Looking up at his new girlfriend, Ash blinked for a second and smiled. He'd never really had a companion from previous regions come back before, especially not one that got this intimate with him, and he found the change of pace refreshing. That's right. I've got May now. Things aren't like they used to be anymore. I'm no longer all alone with my thoughts. The only other I used to share these things with was Pikachu, and it's not like we could have complex conversations. After thinking for a few seconds, he laughed back. "You're right, May. I guess I'm not used to having someone to share this with outside of Pikachu."
May smiled as she watched him instinctively scratch the back of his head as he spoke. I love that some of his little habits from the old days have remained the same. You're still the same old Ash that I always knew and loved, albeit not the same way I do now. She stuck out her tongue at him before responding. "That's right! You have your wonderful girlfriend with you now! So, come on mister! Spill the beans!"
"See that glowing wall of Aura behind us?" Ash said, nodding over to toward the edge of the floor.
She glanced over. "Yeah? What about it?"
"Well," He laughed, "I just reached out to touch it. Call me curious, but I wanted to know what it was. I wanted to know if there was anything behind it, you know? Was it just Aura? Was it solid, or could you pass through it? Anyway, as I came into contact with it, something happened."
Brows furrowing, May leaned in slightly closer as she listened. "What? What happened?"
"I felt this… jolt… run through my body. It was like I'd been hit by one of Pikachu's attacks." Ash shook his head, remembering the sensation. It still made the tips of his fingers tingle slightly. "Then these… memories? Images? Something flooded my mind. I saw into the past, May. Or well, I think it was the past."
She blinked several times, her brain processing what he'd just told her. "You saw… the past?" She asked flatly.
He laughed. "I know. Pretty absurd, ain't it?"
"I mean… yeah." She continued, a smile tugging up the edges of her lips. "But I'm not surprised. Not when it's you. So? What exactly did you see in these past images?"
It really is no surprise she accepts this so easily. It's hardly the worst thing we've been through together, after all… He took a deep breath, forcing himself to recall what he'd seen. Surprisingly it came back to him with startling clarity, like he was back then reliving the scenes once more. "It was so vivid, May. I think… I think I saw the Original Four."
"As in… the guys we learned about the other day? The ones from which we are descended from?"
He nodded. "They're the ones. It was weird, though. It was like I was looking through Lentra's eyes. I think I saw them doing something extremely important, but what that was I'm not sure."
"Lentra?" May asked, bringing a finger to her lips in thought. "Wait… You don't mean the founder of the Old Empire?!"
"Yeah him!" Ash said. "It was definitely him from whose vision I saw through! They spoke of some war that will happen, and the need to send some kind of power to the future, so that Aura Guardians would survive… and something about Selians? May, they were speaking about themselves as though they were an offshoot branch of humanity. I'm pretty sure I don't understand shit all about that, though, but that's exactly what it sounded like."
May's eyes were wide as she met her boyfriend's earnest gaze. One glance was all she needed to know he was telling the truth. "Incredible… The Founder… to think you saw things through his very eyes…"
Ash laughed. "Yeah… and we only just learned of his existence too…"
"It can't be a coincidence."
"What?" Ash asked, confused. "You mean I had this… vision… because of the information we recently received?"
Shaking her beautiful head, May smiled as she replied, "No, Ash. I mean, think about it. The moment we start spending time in this tower you feel the urge to touch this barrier. Don't you find that odd? Don't you find that slightly abnormal? I think the Original Four… no, The Founder knew you'd do this."
Blinking his confusion, Ash stared at her as though she had grown another head. "What are you talking about?"
Biting her bottom lip, May glanced over toward the wall of Aura that made up the limit to their current domain in the tower. "It's like… this entire place was built for us."
The confused look on her new boyfriend's face made May chuckle, so she decided to elaborate on her current train of thought further. "I have no idea what the Original Four were thinking when they built this tower, but it must have been for a purpose, right? You said from your memories that they built it to train future Guardians for some future conflict, right? Well, I think they meant that more literally than you'd imagine. Your recent ordeal cements it for me. Ever since we got to this place… it's felt like we were being guided somehow, you know? Like everything we are doing is merely following the script of someone who ascends beyond space and time itself. Almost as though Arceus himself is commanding us… no… no that's not quite it… as though something even higher than him…"
She trailed off and her eyebrows crunched together, lost in thought. Her words spilled over Ash's mind as he took in what he'd learned.
"There was something else…" He said, thinking back to what he'd seen.
May blinked, shaking her head to clear it. "What?"
"I saw… something else," Ash began. "After the vision with the Original Four ended, another… memory… filled my mind. There was this man… he looked strangely familiar? I'm not sure why… and he was stood before this large door. He couldn't enter it, for some reason. He broke down and cried out about the 'Chosen One' of the future, saying that the Original Four were blind. He cried his eyes out and then left…"
"Ash…" May said, looking over at her boyfriend with concern. "Why are you crying…?"
"Huh?" Ash said, quickly wiping the tears from his eyes. "I… don't know. What is wrong with me?"
"It's been a long day." May simply said, bringing him into a loving embrace. "You've been through a lot. Come on, let's head home and have a nice hot soak."
Ash smiled at her, leaning in for a loving kiss. As they pulled apart, he laughed, a genuine smile creeping up his lips. "Thanks May. I can always count on you to cheer me up."
Looking to see that Pikachu wasn't listening in, May then smirked deviously, leaning over to her boyfriend's ear. "A hot soak isn't all you can get in the tub…"
Eyes widening, Ash whirled on her, only to see her bite her lip seductively. "Well… in that case!" He said, clearing his throat.
May giggled. "Thought that might cheer you up! Come on, let's call it in for today, I think we've done enough."
"Right!" Ash nodded. He gestured over to Pikachu and his starter came running over to perch himself on his shoulder.
Holding each other's hands, they made their way to the entrance of the floor, ending a day of hard training in the tower.
Kanto Region - Guardian's Settlement
Ash and May walked back through the settlement. By now all the lights had gone out, except the for ever present lights powered by the eternal Aura that kept this settlement running. The hazy azure hue, enhanced by the glimmer of the moon, the only luminescence lighting their way back to the inn.
They didn't speak much as they walked side by side, both being exhausted from their intense training. May could barely stifle her yawns and Ash's mind was still full to bursting with the images he'd seen of the past.
So taken with his newfound memories was he that he barely saw the little girl walking toward him until it was too late. They crashed into one another, with Ash sending her flying given her small stature.
"Ow!" Larissa shouted, landing hard on her backside. She winced in pain.
Shaking his head and snapping back to reality, Ash realised what he'd just done. He recoiled in horror as he realized he'd just sent a small child skittling. "Oh no! Hey! Are you alright?" He asked, reaching a hand out to help her to her feet.
The small girl grasped his hand with a grin, pulling herself up. Standing up straight and dusting herself off, she grinned, revealing a smile missing several teeth. "I'm great! I'm a strong Aura Guardian after all!"
The commotion roused May from her half-slumber. "Oh? Who's this? Well, aren't you just the cutest?!"
"That's right!" She said, turning her grin towards May. "My name is Larissa! I'm gonna be the strongest Guardian ever!"
"Awww!" May squealed. "Ash! She's adorable! I can't!"
Ash laughed at his girlfriend's reaction. He knelt down so he was eye to eye with the young girl. "My name's Ash, and this is May. I'm terribly sorry for bumping into you just now."
Larissa shook her head. "The fault is partly mine too. I was too busy thinking! Mommy always scolds me for it."
Well that sounds familiar… Ash mentally scolded himself. "You're very mature for your age!" He glanced around at the empty streets. "What are you doing out so late at night all by yourself?"
Glancing down at her feet and fidgeting uncomfortably, Larissa reached into her pocket and pulled out a written note. She unfolded it and showed it to the pair. "Mommy gave me this to give to the town pharmacist. She said it was urgent, so I came out here to get it for her, just like a proper Guardian would!"
"Huh?" Ash asked as he took the note from her. He and May read it together, their eyes scanning over the contents written there. It was a shoddily written prescription for antibiotics. It was long, long overdue.
Ash grimaced, sharing a concerned look with his girlfriend. "Did… did your mommy forget to hand this in?"
The young girl looked up at him quizzically. "What… do you mean?"
Well this isn't good. Ash thought, hiding his feelings behind the façade of a smile. "Oh, it's just that this is very important, she probably needs it right away!"
"It's that important?" Larissa asked, glancing quizzically at the piece of paper as Ash handed it back to her.
May knelt down before her, so she was at eye level with the girl. "Tell you what! Since it's so important, why don't Ash and I help you deliver it? That way you can get home extra fast and help your mommy!"
Larissa smiled, nodding happily. "Okay! The pharmacy is just down the road! Come on, follow me!"
Without much hesitation, they followed the enthusiastic young girl down the road.
"You really know your way around here, huh?" May asked.
"Yep!" Larissa said. "I come here all the time when mommy needs her special water! It makes her coughs go away!"
The more he learned, the more the knot built and twisted in Ash's stomach. He knew exactly what sort of situation her mother was in if this was a regular occurrence, but it was neither his place, nor in his heart to reveal such information to such an innocent child. "Has mommy always had a cough?" He asked.
"Hmmmmm?" Larissa put a hand to her chin as she continued her walk, her brows furrowed in thought. "I guess? I'm not sure. I think she always needed the special water at least!"
May nudged him, shaking her head. The look was enough. They continued the rest of the way to the pharmacy in relative silence. It left Ash alone with his thoughts, and his mind travelled back to the tower, and the strange visions he'd seen there.
Could I recreate that by touching the walls again? He wasn't even sure if that was the trigger. Maybe the same would happen if anyone touched the walls, and nobody had tried before? There were far too many unknowns, and it was troubling him to no end. With his common tendency to get involved in world-altering events, he had a feeling deep within his gut that this was the birth of something far bigger than the turmoil and current plight of the Guardians.
"Ash?"
May's voice snapped him back to reality. So lost in his thoughts about the tower was he that he didn't even notice they were now stood outside the pharmacy. He glanced around, trying to spot the young girl who they'd escorted.
"She's inside." May answered his unasked question. "What's up?"
"I…" Ash began, biting his lip. He didn't want to appear weak before his new girlfriend. How would she think of me if she knew I was worrying about such stupid shi-
A slap to his face shocked him from his internal monologue with shuddering force. He snapped back to reality in shock, looking over at May's angry face glaring at him. "What…?"
"Don't hide away from me!" She snapped. "I'm your girlfriend for Arceus sake! If you can't let me in on your worries and fears, then what the hell am I doing with you?!"
His eyes went wide as reality dawned on him. He was so used to keeping things all to himself, to bearing the brunt of the burden and locking away his thoughts that it never even occurred to him that now he didn't have to handle things alone. Not anymore. What the hell is wrong with me?! Didn't I realize this exact thing back at the tower?! He gathered himself, taking a deep gulp of air, before slamming his fist into the other side of his face.
May staggered back in shock herself. "What the hell are you doing?!"
He turned to her and laughed. "Sorry! Sorry! I forgot how things had changed for a second there!" He smiled, locking his auburn gaze with her own, before bringing her into a deep hug. "I won't keep anything from you ever again."
She relaxed into his embrace, the smile creeping up her own face in return. "You idiot. You can tell me anything. If I decided to go out with you after knowing you all this time, nothing you think of now will scare me off."
He laughed. "Yeah, that's true." He pulled back, looking her in the eyes. "I was just thinking how-"
"All done!" Larissa suddenly said from beside them, holding up the plain brown bag containing the medication with pride. When she saw that they were embraced together and locking gazes, she cocked her head to the side. "Hmmm? What's wrong? Are you two a mommy and daddy?"
They both turned to look at her, blinking in surprise, before blushing and separating. "No! No, not like that!" May protested, her face as red as beet. "Not… exactly like that…"
Ash merely looked away; his eyes fixated at the floor. He didn't want his embarrassment to show and couldn't keep the smile off his face.
"Oh?" Larissa asked further, confusion clear on her face. "Well, you look like a mommy and daddy! Let's get the medicine home! Come on!"
Ash and May shared a look, then burst out laughing, before ushering the young girl along despite her continued confusion at their actions. Just as they were setting off, May leant over to Ash's ear, and whispered so as not to be overhead, "Finish telling me back at the inn."
"Bye, bye!" Larissa said, waving from the porch of her house. She still had a big, toothy grin on display.
Waving back, Ash and May began walking back down the road toward the inn. By now the streets were mostly deserted. A calming stillness settled in, the only noise originating from the crickets and insects that shared settlement with them.
As they walked along the path, hand in hand, Ash took a deep breath, letting out another sigh. "I was thinking about the tower."
May turned her head to face him but said nothing, watching his facial movements carefully. She understood that opening up emotionally wasn't something innate to Ash.
"I still don't know what it was that I saw there. Was it the future? Was it the past? Was it all fiction created by my imagination? I don't know. It's impossible to know. But I did see. I saw through the eyes of the Founder. I felt his emotions in my chest. I could smell the very air in the room."
"You became him, for a moment in time." May said.
Ash shrugged, chuckling. "I think so, at least. Much like many of my past adventures, I don't have a clue what is going on anymore. Just when you think you have the world and your life figured out, life throws you another curveball that shakes your entire understanding of reality."
"But, we're still here." May said, smiling at him and squeezing his hand. "And we have each other."
"Right." Ash nodded, squeezing back. "I can face whatever comes next, as long as I have you, May. You too, Pikachu."
His companion nuzzled against his cheek, purring softly from his perch on Ash's shoulder.
"Remember, no matter how shit things might get, you're not alone." May said, glancing up at the starlit sky. "Your Pokémon and I will be by your side for you to lean on. Cry, even, if you must." She said that part with her tongue stuck out cheekily.
Ash chuckled, shaking his head slightly. "Yeah, you're right. Thanks May. I needed to hear that."
"You're too hard on yourself." She teased. "When we get back to the inn, I'll make you your favourite dish. How about that?"
His eyes immediately lit up at the sound of food. "Seriously?"
May burst out laughing. "Well that was a quick recovery! What's with you and food?!"
Pikachu burst into a fit of laughter as well, before eventually Ash himself joined in.
The three of them continued the rest of the way back to the inn in high spirits, exhausted after a long day.
To be continued…